172 More Tales of the Birds 



cottage next to the turnpike. It's not a mile 

 away. And look here, Johnny, Mag's there too. 

 He's all safe ; I've put a bit of wire on his 

 door-fastening ever since you were taken up. 

 Do you know, it was open when I took him 

 away that day, but there he was all safe, and 

 I've taken such care of him for your sake. We 

 talk about you a great deal, Mag and I do. 

 And, Johnny, you come down and see him. 

 Uncle Jonas says you're to run away. You're 

 innocent, you know, so it doesn't matter. I've 

 arranged it all, clothes and everything. We'll 

 go to America till it's all blown over, and 

 then ' 



" ' Reynardson, down there, what are you 

 doing ? ' calls out the master, as he came back 

 to look after his charges. And Nelly's head 

 slipped away in an instant, leaving, in the hurry, 

 as I noticed, a wisp of her brown hair sticking 

 on a thorn ; which, by the way, I managed to 

 secure later in the day, and put away in my 

 trousers pocket for want of a safer place. 



" I suppose it was from her Uncle Jonas that 

 Nelly got this notion of America, and waiting 



