148 



The Forest Trees of Wiltsliirc. 



feet ! This tree is hollow ; but up to six or eight feet, it looks as 

 if it were sound ; and it has a considerable thickness of sound 

 burred wood for its walls ; but if you climb up to the opening at 

 the top, you can look into a sort of well where several persons 

 might stand. Some in a dying or dead state, with bare limbs, 

 stripped of bark, broken off short, and stretching out like the 

 arms of giants, form striking objects, looking very ghostly by 

 moonlight, and possibly, fearful ones to timid, nervous persons. 



There must have been, not very many years ago, some fine trees 

 at Whetham ; but it is not of trees the writer would speak now, 

 but of something much more alluring to bold and enterprising 

 boys. A pair of Kite's had chosen one of the tallest for their 

 domicile, and spite of many ineffectual attempts to carry off the 

 young ones, they successfully defended and maintained their strong- 

 hold against all comers. Of the enemy were two lads, relatives, 

 who having been several times foiled, and pretty well mauled, clawed 

 and pecked as well, determined on one more attempt. So, having 

 got all ready, the younger and lesser one, not having been sent on 

 the forlorn hope, because of his being the lighter, and therefore 

 less likely to come to mortal hurt in a fall, but because he sought 

 glory more ardentty, prepared to scale the fortress. Up ; up ; up ; 

 without great difficulty ; then a slip almost to the bottom. It is 

 needless to recount all the slips, all the narrow escapes ; the torn 

 clothes, and the scarcely less damaged skin. At last both young 

 birds were secured ; and for want of a better temporary cage were 

 consigned to the loose space between the shirt and smock-frock. 

 Short work was soon made of the shirt, but the smock being 

 securely buttoned, no escape offered, and it would not tear. "Well ; 

 to make a long story short, the descent was safely though not 

 bloodlessly effected ; and the kite's and their captor lived as har- 

 moniously as captive and conqueror usually do. The boys were 

 the admiration of their fellows ; and the captor still lives to show 

 the scars received on this memorable occasion. 



The Ash, so fine and handsome a tree, so useful to the carpenter 

 and to the wheelwright, and so universally known and used, is not, 

 so far as the writer's knowledge goes, particularly well represented 



