CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
That was a most unfortunate day for me in school, for, as happenssometimes, I was wrong over one of my lessons, and was sent down, and itseemed to upset all the others, so that it was just like setting up arow of dominoes, then you touch one and it sends all the rest over.
Scold, find fault, grumble,--Mr Hasnip was just as if his breakfast hadnot agreed with him because he got up too early; and at last I was backin my seat, with my face burning, my head aching, and a general feelingof misery troubling me, which was made the worse by the keen enjoymentBurr major and his parasites found in triumphing over me, and coming bymy place every now and then to whisper--"Poor fellow, then!--turnedback--going to be caned," and the like, till I ground my teeth, clenchedmy fists, and sat there bent over the exercises before me, seeingnothing but the interior of Lomax's cottage, and listening to hisinstructions how to stop that blow and retort with another, till inimagination I could fancy myself thrashing my enemies, and making formyself a lasting peace.
"Never mind, old chap," whispered Mercer. "Rabbits to-night, and someday such a licking for old Eely and Dicksee."
The thoughts of the expedition that night were comforting, and I triedto think of the High Pines and the sandy slope with the holes where Ihad often seen the rabbits pop in and out, but my head ached all thesame; and in spite of our half-hour in the play-field before dinner, Ihad no appetite. During the afternoon, when my time came to go up toMr Hasnip's desk, I felt more stupid than ever, and on casting my eyessideways in search of a flying thought, there was Mr Rebble watching meintently.
This made me more confused, and my next answer more blundering, so thatI was at last sent back to my desk in greater disgrace than ever, tofind Mercer, who was always constructing something, boring the edge ofhis desk with a penknife, so as to make powder holes for a slate pencilcannon.
"Catching it again?" he said.
"Yes," I replied dolefully.
"Didn't say you were to stop in and study, did he?"
"No, he didn't say that."
"Oh, that's all right, then."
"But it isn't all right. He scolded me horribly."
"Pooh! what of that? Every boy gets scolded. Never mind. I say, Idaresay we shall get a whole lot of rabbits. How would it be to askcook to make us a rabbit pie of two of them."
"Nonsense!"
"Oh, would it be? We could keep it up in the bin, and go and have jollyfeeds."
"Keep it up there, along with that poison stuff and nasty-smellingskins! Ugh!"
"Well, it would be queer perhaps. I didn't think of that."
"Mr Rebble's looking at you two," whispered the boy nearest, and wehurriedly went on with our work, but not for long. Mercer was too fullof the coming expedition, and soon began whispering again.
"But how are we to get away?" I said. "Some one is sure to see us."
"Oh, that's easy enough," he whispered. "There's going to be a bit of amatch to-night."
"But suppose they want us to field?"
"Then they'll want, for they will not be able to find us. You leave itto me."
That was a long, dreary afternoon, and tea-time seemed as if it wouldnever arrive. When it did come round, though, with the cool air ofevening my headache began to go off, and as I grew better, theexcitement of the coming expedition, and the thoughts of how we weregoing to elude the notice of the other boys, completed the cure.
We had half an hour's walk before us, to reach the High Pines by seven,so that, as it grew near the time I began to be anxious.
We were in the schoolroom, deep in private study, and as Mercer studied,he kept on turning his eyes to gaze round the room, repeating hislessons all the while, so that he would not have looked particular ifany one had been watching us, but no one was visible. Every now andthen the voices of the boys in the play-field floated toward us, and wesat in momentary expectation of being seen by one of the bigger fellows,and ordered off into the field by our tyrants; but the moments stillglided by, and at last Mercer thrust his book into his desk.
"Now, then," he said in a low voice, "we must make a run for it, or oldMagg will think we are not coming."
"Which way are you going?" I asked.
"Right out through the garden, and by the back of the lodge. You followme, and, whatever you do, don't look back, as if you were afraid ofbeing seen."
It was risky work, I knew, but there was nothing to be gained byhesitating, and it seemed to me that the very boldness of our attempthelped us to a successful issue, for we went on, hearing voices from thefield, and once that of the Doctor, as he was walking up and down thelawn with one of the ladies, whose light dress was seen for a fewmoments through the trees. Then we were out in the road, walking fasttowards the General's woods, and soon after we passed into a field,reached a copse, and Mercer uttered a faint "Hurrah!"
"I was expecting to hear some one shout after us every minute," hecried, as we now hurried steadily along. "Oh dear, how you do fancythings at a time like this!"
The evening was now delightful, and the fresh, sweet scent of the grasswe crushed beneath our feet was supplemented every now and then by thatof the abundant field camomile.
"Look out!" said Mercer; "there he goes. Isn't he early? I say, Iwonder whether that's one of old Dawson's owls."
For, as we passed along by the edge of the wood, a great white-breastedbird flew by, and went softly along by the side of the trees, till itdisappeared far ahead.
"There's a rabbit," I said, as I caught sight of the white tuft of furwhich so often betrays the presence of the little creatures, anddirectly after a sharp _rap, rap_--the warning given by them of danger--was heard ahead, and a dozen ran rushing out of the field into theshelter of the wood.
"Look at them, how they swarm!" cried Mercer. "Why we might catch ahundred, and no one would be a bit the worse for it. Here, make haste,or I shall be shouting at them, and we ought to be quiet now."
"Close there, aren't we?" I said.
"Yes; just through that next patch, and we shall be there."
"And suppose Magg hasn't come?"
"Why, we'll catch some without him."
"Without the ferret?"
"Oh, how stupid I am!" cried Mercer, and he went on, now in silence,through some stunted firs, in and out by patches of gorse, with thecharacter of the ground quite changed, and then up a hilly slope crownedwith spruce trees, round which we skirted, to stop at last, breathless,at the bottom of the slope facing south, with the dark green,straight-stemmed trees above us; and Mercer gave his foot an angry stampas he looked round at the deserted place, where the pine branches glowedof a ruddy bronze in the sunset light, and cried,--
"Oh, what a jolly shame!"
"Not here?" I said.
"No; and it's a nasty, mean trick to drag us all this way. I wish I hadkept the ferret instead of trusting him."
"What's to be done?"
"Oh, nothing," he replied despondently. "It's always the way, when I'vemade up my mind for a bit of fun, something happens to stop it."
"Let's wait," I said. "He may come yet."
"Wait? Why, it'll be too dark to see to do anything in less than anhour. Oh, won't I pay him out for--"
"There he is," I whispered, for I had just caught sight of a figurelying down by a patch of furze; and we started off at a dog-trot, andsoon reached the spot.
"Why, I thought you hadn't come, Magg," cried Mercer excitedly.
"That's what I was thinking," said the man. "There, chuck yourselvesdown; if you stand up like that, somebody may see you."
I did not like this, for it was going in for more hiding andsecretiveness, but all the same it was fascinating, and, dropping on ourknees in the short, wiry grass, we waited for our instructor in the artof ferreting rabbits to begin.
"Well," I said, as we stared at him, and he stared back at us, "aren'tyou going to begin?"
"No," he said coolly.
"Then what's the good of our coming?"
"Oh, do begin, Magg! We shall soon have to run back. Where's oldlongbody?"
"Yonder," said Magglin coolly, nodding his head at the slope just aboveus.
"Not loose?"
"Yes, he's loose."
"But--"
"Why, can't you see, lad? and do be quiet, or the rabbits won't bolt. Iput him in one of the holes ten minutes ago."
A flush of excitement seemed to run through me now, as I noted thatevery here and there were places in the turfy bank where the sandy soilhad been scraped out, and the next moment I saw what had escaped mebefore, that every hole I could see was covered with a fine net.
Mercer had seen it too, and I saw him rub his hands softly as ifdelighted with the promise of sport, but another ten minutes passed, andthe rabbits made no sign of being anxious to rush out and be caught, andI began to grow impatient.
"Hadn't you better try another place?" I whispered, but the man held uphis hand, drew his knees under him, and crouched in an attitude that wasalmost doglike in its animal aspect.
Then there was a rushing noise just above us, and Magglin scrambledforward and dashed his hands down upon a rabbit which came bounding outof a hole and rolled down the slope, tangled in the net.
The next minute it had received a chop on the back of the neck, ceasedstruggling, been transferred to Magglin's pocket, and the net was spreadover the hole again.
"That's a bad farret, ain't it, Master Mercer?" said Magglin, showinghis teeth. "You'd best sell un back to me; I should be glad on it forfive shillings."
"Hush! I thought I heard one, Magg," whispered Mercer, ignoring theremark. "I say, let me catch the next."
"Either of you may if you can," he replied; and we waited again for sometime.
"Try some fresh place," whispered Mercer.
"Nay; they all run one into another; the ground under here's like therat-holes up at the old house. There goes one."
For a rabbit bolted from a hole higher up, turned on seeing us, anddarted up toward the pines.
"Farret's working beautifully," said Magglin.
"How many holes have you covered?" I asked.
"'Bout four-and-twenty, and all my nets. You young gents ought to payme for the use of them."
"Here's one!" cried Mercer, making a leap in a similar fashion to thatof the under gardener, and he too caught an unfortunate rabbit, whoserush had been right into one of the little loose nets, in which it wastangled directly.
"Here, let me kill un for you," said Magglin.
"No; I know now. I can do it," said Mercer. Then I sprang to my feet,and my first impulse was to run, my second to stand fast, for how he gotup to us so close from behind without being seen was a mystery to me;but there, just in the midst of the confusion and excitement ofcapturing the second rabbit, was Bob Hopley, the keeper, his big, sturdyform seeming to tower above us, and, caught, as we were in thisnefarious act, filling me with dread.
"Got you this time then," he said gruffly.
"There, what did I say?" cried Magglin, in a sharp, acid voice thatsounded almost like a woman's. "I told you that you oughtn't to becatching them rabbids, and now you see what trouble you're in."
"Oh, you told 'em so, did you, my lad?" said the keeper in a deep, angryvoice, and he seemed like a great mastiff growling at a common-lookingcur. "Then I 'spose it's their ferret in yon burrows, eh? there it is!"he continued, as the buff-looking, snaky animal now came out of one ofthe holes close by us, and Mercer stooped and picked it up as it madefor the dead rabbit.
"Oh yes, it's their farret, 'tarn't mine," said Magglin quickly.
"Yes, it's my ferret, Mr Hopley," Mercer said dolefully.
"And their nets, eh? Here, you stand still. You try to run away, andI'll send a charge o' small shot after you, and that can run faster thanyou can."
"More'n you dare do, big Bob Hopley," cried Magglin, backing away up thehill; and I thought how cowardly the man's nature must be, for him topropose this expedition and then sneak away from us like that. Butalmost at the same moment I saw a tall, stern gentleman appear fromamong the pine trees toward which Magglin was backing, for the keeperhad presented his gun, evidently to take the labourer's attention, as Isaw that, if matters went on in the way in which they were going, ourcompanion would back right up into the new-comer's arms.
"You stop, will you!" cried the keeper.
"You stop yourself," cried Magglin. "You've got them as belongs to theferret and was rabbiting. Good-night."
"Will you stop, or am I to shoot?" cried Hopley.
"Yah!" came back; and as the keeper dropped his gun into the hollow ofhis arm with a grim smile on his face, there was a loud _thwack_ and astartled, "Oh!" for the tall gentleman had stood still, Magglin hadreached him, and a stick fell heavily across the poacher's shoulders.
"You scoundrel!" he roared, making a snatch at Magglin's collar, but theman was too slippery. He dropped on his knees, rolled down the slope afew yards, sprang up, and dashed off.
"Don't matter, Sir Hawkus!" shouted the keeper. "I know my gentleman,and can send him a summons. Now, young gents, you've got in for it thistime. Bad company's done for you."
"Oh, Bob," whispered Mercer, "let us go this time! let's run."
"Nay, here's Sir Hawkus coming; and here's some one else too," hecontinued, as I saw two figures come trotting up by the way we hadreached the slope, to get to us nearly as soon as the tall,stern-looking gentleman.
"Who are these?" he cried. "Boys from the Doctor's school? You youngdogs, you!" he shouted, shaking his cane. "Who are you?"
"Two of our pupils, Sir Hawkhurst," said Mr Rebble, panting and out ofbreath. "You wretched boys, has it come to this?"
Mercer looked at the speaker, then at Mr Hasnip's smoked spectacles,and then at me, as General Sir Hawkhurst Rye from the Hall, a gentlemanof whom I had often heard, but whom I had never seen, exclaimed,--
"Well, they are caught red-handed. Rabbits, poaching engines--andwhat's that?"
"A ferret, sir," said Mercer humbly.
"Humph, yes. Now, Mr Schoolmaster, what's it to be? Do you take theseboys now, to bring them up before me and another magistrate to-morrow,or shall I have them marched off by my keeper to the lock-up?"