's no laughing matter," Tom said at
last, getting on to his legs, and giving himself a shake.

Harry only replied by looking most doleful again, and picking the
weed out of his hair, as he too got up.

"What in the world's to be done?"

"I'm sure I don't know, Master Tom."

"I'm very much surprised to find you at this work, Harry."

"I'm sure, so be I, to find you, Master Tom."

Tom was not prepared for this line of rejoinder. It seemed to be
made with perfect innocence, and yet it put him in a corner at
once. He did not care to inquire into the reason of Harry's
surprise, or to what work he alluded; so he went off on another
tack.

"Let us walk up and down a bit to dry ourselves. Now, Harry,
you'll speak to me openly, man to man, as an old friend
should--won't you?"

"Ay, Master Tom, and glad to do it."

"How long have you taken to poaching?"

"Since last Michaelmas, when they turned me out o' our cottage,
and tuk away my bit o' land, and did all as they could to break
me down."

"Who do you mean?"

"Why, Squire Wurley as was then--not this one, but the last--and
his lawyer, and Farmer Tester."

"Then it was through spite to them that you took to it?"

"Nay, 'twarn't altogether spite, tho' I won't say but what I
might ha' thought o' bein' upsides wi them."

"What was it then besides spite?"

"Want o' work. I havn't had no more'n a matter o' six weeks'
reg'lar work ever since last fall."

"How's that? Have you tried for it?"

"Well, Master Tom, I won't tell a lie about it. I don't see as I
wur bound to go round wi my cap in my hand a beggin' for a day's
work to the likes o' them. They knowed well enough as I wur
there, ready and willing to work, and they knowed as I wur able
to do as good a day's work as e'er man in the parish; and ther's
been plenty o' work goin'. But they thought as I should starve,
and have to come and beg for't from one or to'ther on 'em. They
would ha' liked to ha' seen me clean broke down, that's wut they
would, and in the house," and he paused as if his thoughts were
getting a little unmanageable.

"But you might have gone to look for work elsewhere."

"I can't see as I had any call to leave the place where I wur
bred up, Master Tom. That wur just wut they wanted. Why should I
let 'em drive m'out?"

"Well, Harry, I'm not going to blame you. I only want to know
more about what has been happening to you, that I may be able to
advise and help you. Did you ever try for