252 IN THE GREEN LEAF 



swain remarked that " he'd had enough 

 chouter, an' he should goo." When he had 

 got about forty yards away, something caught 

 him in between the shoulders " whack." It 

 was a very fair-sized potato, sent after him by 

 the lass he was "coortin'." And some others 

 they are elderly now would, when they 

 were mothers of families, hustle, as they called 

 it, any intruder out of their gardens in fine 

 style with the first thing that was handy, stone 

 or stick ; for in that lonely bit of country, folks 

 had often to protect themselves. 



Walking, as they do, in the course of their 

 lives, all over the districts, far and near, of 

 their quiet country, or, at least, the greater 

 portion of them, they naturally know where 

 the abiding - places of creatures are. Wild 

 things hide for a time just to see if the noise 

 they hear in the woods and thickets will bring 

 them harm ; but, satisfied on that point, they 

 take little notice. In fact, the less timid will 

 draw round at meal-times for scraps of food 

 from some of the men who camp out in the 

 woods. 



Building a shanty does not take long. A 

 young fir is cut and trimmed ; this is held up 

 at each end by a couple of stout posts, forked 



