. Skating on inland ponds in the winter; fishing in the bay,
as the year wore on; and, latterly, digging for primrose or fern roots
in Brattlesby Woods. But Philip Price was beginning to find out by
results that too much play and not enough work was making dull scholars
of his pupils, and he had determined to stand out firmly against any
more indulgences in the future. It was high time that Alick and Geoff
should realise that 'life is real, life is earnest'; put their
shoulders to the wheel they must and should. The boys knew this, and
in their hearts admitted the determination to be a just one enough.
But the entrancing novelty of Jerry Blunt's proposed trade carried them
away; they were extravagantly crazed to join in it, by fair means or by
foul. Hence the outburst of rebellion, and Alick's stubborn refusal to
sue for pardon.

When Wednesday morning arrived, he set off in company with Jerry and
Ned before the early sun had dried the dew on the grass.

As they trudged at Jerry's heels he had explained to them, before
entering the woods, the mode of operation to be carried out. In order
to pipe tunes as bullfinches so marvellously do, they have to go
through a period of training, and downright severe training the hapless
mites find it. But, as Jerry tersely put it to his hearers, one of
whom winced secretly, what is training but 'keeping the body under
subjection'--a period of toilsome effort that any degree of perfection
necessitates?

Taken from the nest at the age, say, of ten days or so--the most
suitable to begin operations--the callow young things are carefully
tended by one person solely, who accustoms the birds to himself, the
sound of his voice and his cautiously tender touch, before he attempts
anything approaching to training.

This treatment Jerry Blunt intended to carry out with his timid pupils,
of which he gathered a goodly number, with the assistance of Ned and
Alick, long before sunset came round again. The trainer explained his
proposed code of education still more fully as he and the hungry boys
sat enjoying the picnic repast they had brought with them. Alick,
whose spirits were at their highest, thought it a delightful experience
to be eating cold chunks of pork and dry bread, which each guest carved
for himself with a clasp-knife. Infinitely superior was this
delightfully natural, manly style of feeding, than all the rubbishy
artificial formality of the decently appointed meals served