any money?"

"Yes, I have some," I said.

"That's right. Don't you spend it. You save up same as I am. Magg's
got a gun I want to buy of him. He says he won't sell it, but I know
better. He will when we offer him enough. I did offer him ten
shillings, but he laughed at me. I say!"

"Yes."

"It's such a beauty. Single barrel, with a flint lock, so that it never
wants no caps, and it comes out of the stock quite easy, and the barrel
unscrews in the middle, and the ramrod too, so that you can put it all
in your pocket, and nobody knows that you're carrying a gun."

"But what's the good of a gun here at school?"

"What? Oh, you don't know because it's all new to you. Why, there are
hares in the fields, and pheasants in the coppices, and partridges in
the hop-gardens, and the rabbits swarm in the hill-sides down toward the
sea."

"But you don't shoot!"

"Not much, because I have no gun, only a pistol, and it don't carry
straight. I did nearly hit a rabbit, though, with it."

"But can you get away shooting?"

"Can I? Should think I can. We have all sorts of fun down here. Can
you fish?"

"I went once," I said, "on the river."

"But you didn't catch anything," said Mercer, grinning.

"No," I said; "I don't think I had a bite."

"Not you. Just you wait a bit, I'll take you fishing. There's the
river where old Rebble goes, and the mill-pond where old Martin gives me
leave, and a big old hammer pond out in the middle of General Rye's
woods where nobody gives me leave, but I go. It's full of great carp
and tench and eels big as boa-constrictors."

"Oh, come!" I said.

"I didn't say big boa-constrictors, did I? there's little ones, I
daresay. Here we are. That's Magglin--didn't know he was here to-day."

He pointed out a rough, shambling-looking young man down the great
kitchen garden into which he had led me. This gentleman was in his
coat, and he was apparently busy doing nothing with a hoe, upon which he
rested himself, and took off a very ragged fur cap to wipe his brow as
we came up, saluting us with a broad grin.

"Hallo, Magg! you here? This is the new boy, Burr."

"Nay," said the man in a harsh, saw-sharpening voice, "think I don't
know better than that? That aren't Master Burr."

"No, not that one. This is the new one. This is Burr junior."

"Oh, I see," said the man. "Mornin', Mr Burr juner. Hope I see you
well, sir?"

"Oh, he's all right," said Mercer. "Give him a