YOURS WITH ALL MY HEART 



corner of the iron scales, the rattle of a 

 bushel of white shell-beans, overturned in 

 the grand scrimmage, the flap and flutter of 

 wings, the shrill invectives of the bird and 

 his downf alien victims, brought grocer Locke 

 stumbling over a struggling heap in a slip- 

 pery pool of treacle. 



He struck a match, lighted a candle and 

 peered fearfully about in the gloom, but 

 Billy Honks was gone; so was the boy with 

 the crutch. 



"We all said we weren't afeered o' man 

 nor beast," muttered Uncle Siah in crest- 

 fallen accents, as he sat up on the edge of 

 the scales and wrung a stream of molasses 

 from his chin whiskers, which were all 

 abloom with the white beans, " but we didn't 

 reckon on that ere dumbed fowl!" 



"That little miscreant was at the bottom 

 on't," muttered Reub Ring, "with shuff- 

 ling his crutch to aig him on to us. That 

 little beggar was the only crittur in the coun- 

 try that pet bird o' Satan ever made friends 

 with." 



A snicker from around the corner, a honk 

 high up in the evening sky, were the only 

 response. 



203 



