g."

And, to the keeper's astonishment, Tom left the stable-yard,
accompanied by Harry.

They were scarcely out of hearing before the stable-yard broke
out into uproarious laughter at the keeper's expense and much
rude banter was inflicted on him for letting the poacher go. But
the keeper's mind for the moment was full of other things.
Disregarding their remarks he went on scratching his head, and
burst out at last with--

"Dang un! I knows I should ha' drowed un."

"Drow your grandmother," politely remarked one of the stablemen,
an acquaintance of Harry Winburn, who knew his repute as a
wrestler.

"I should, I tell 'ee," said the keeper as he stooped to gather
up the fish, "and to think as he should ha' gone off. Master 'll
be like any wild beast when he hears on't. How s'mever, 'tis Mr.
Brown's doin's. 'Tis a queer start for a gen'l'man like he to be
goin' off wi' a poacher chap and callin' of un Harry. 'Tis past
me altogether. But I s'pose he bain't right in's 'ead;" and, so
soliloquizing, he carried off the fish to the kitchen.

Meantime, on their walk to Englebourn, Harry, in answer to Tom's
inquiries, explained that in his absence the stable-man, his
acquaintance, had come up and begun to talk. The keeper had
joined in and accused him point-blank of being the man who had
thrown him into the furze bush. The story of the keeper's
discomfiture on that occasion being well known, a laugh had been
raised in which Harry had joined. This brought on a challenge to
try a fall then and there, which Harry had accepted,
notwithstanding his long morning's work and the ducking he had
had. They laughed over the story, though Harry could not help
expressing his fears as to how it might all end. They reached
Englebourn in time for breakfast. Tom appeared at the rectory,
and soon he and Katie were on their old terms. She was delighted
to find that he had had an explanation with Harry Winburn; and
that there was some chance of bringing that sturdy offender once
more back into decent ways;--more delighted perhaps to hear the
way in which he spoke of Patty, to whom after breakfast she paid
a visit, and returned in due time with the unfortunate locket.

Tom felt as if another coil of the chain he had tied about
himself had fallen off. He went out into the village, consulted
again with Harry, and returned again to the rectory, to consider
what steps were to be taken to get him work. Katie entered into
the matter heartily, tho