282 WITH THE WOODLANDERS. 



dark. Well, you knows best about that, but you 

 ought to ha' brought it with ye." To which my 

 only reply was that I could help to gather the 

 birds they shot, and I would carry them as well, 

 leaving them quite free for all the shooting. With 

 this they were contented. " They had got me 

 with them," they said, "and that was all they 

 cared about." The elder of the two, however, 

 muttered something to himself about "wimmen 

 folks bein' extra pertickler keerful, when mistletoe 

 was about." 



We passed through the silent streets of our fish- 

 ing village, keeping the middle of the road to pre- 

 vent our footsteps from waking the sleepers, for 

 sea-boots rattle terribly on cobble-stones and pave- 

 ments. Past the great sluice we go, over a marsh 

 on to the sea-wall, steadily making for the beach. 

 As we near two large posts that do duty as fishing- 

 guides, we are challenged by a coast-guard, and told 

 to stand. 



" What are you about ? " he asks. 



" Coin' to the beach fur a shot or two, if we can 

 get it." 



" All right, I know you; but who's that with you?" 



