ut the labourers carrying the
hurdles, and Gregson burdened with the coil of wire, had not been
listening. They stood now in a group close to the main gate waiting
for their leader. The Squire walked up to them, picking his way
among various articles of furniture, a cradle, some bedding, a trunk
or two, which lay scattered in the road in front of the white
casemented lodge. The wife of old Perley, the lodge-keeper, was
standing on her doorstep.

'Well, no offence, Muster Mannering, but Perley and me's going over
to my sister's at Wood End to-night, afore the milingtary come.' The
black-browed elderly woman spoke respectfully but firmly.

'What silly nonsense have you got into your heads?' shouted the
Squire. 'You know very well all that's going to happen is that the
County Council are going to send their motor-plough over, and
they'll have to break down the gates to get in, so that the law can
settle it. What's come to you that you're all scuttling like a pack
of rabbits? It's not your skins that'll pay for it--it's mine!'

'We're told--Perley an' me--as there'll be miling_tary_,' said Mrs.
Perley, unmoved. 'Leastways, they'll bring a road-engine, Perley
says, as'll make short work o' them gates. And folks do say as they
might even bring a tank along; you know, sir, as there's plenty of
'em, and not fur off.' She nodded mysteriously towards a quarter,
never mentioned in the neighbourhood, where these Behemoths of war
had a training-ground. 'And Perley and me, we can't have nowt to do
wi' such things. We wasn't brought up to 'em.'

'Well, if you go, you don't come back!' said the Squire, shaking a
threatening hand.

'Thank you, sir. But there's work for all on us nowadays,' said the
woman placidly.

Then the Squire, with Gregson's help, set himself fiercely to the
business. In little more than an hour, and with the help of some
pieces of rope, the gate had been firmly barricaded with hurdles and
barbed wire, wicket-gate and all, and the Squire, taking a poster in
large letters from his pocket, affixed it to the outside of the
gate. It signified to all and sundry that the Chetworth gate of
Mannering Park could now only be opened by violence, and that those
offering such violence would be proceeded against according to law.

When it was done, the Squire first addressed a few scathing words to
the pair of park-keepers, who smoked imperturbably through them, and
then transferred a pound-note to the ready palm of Gre