to eat."

"Of course. When do you mean?"

"I thowt as to-night'd do, 'bout seven, when they're beginning to lope
about."

"And you'd shoot some with that little gun of yours?"

"Whisht! Who's got a gun? Nonsense!"

"Ah, we know," cried Mercer.

"But I mean farreting."

"Wouldn't do," said Mercer decisively. "Bob Hopley would be sure to
come."

"Nay, he's going to Hastings to-day, and won't be back till ten
o'clock."

"How do you know?"

"Little birds out in the woods tells me."

"Magpies, eh?" I said. "Oh, I know."

"Then we'll come," cried Mercer. "But, I say, let us each have a shot
with the little gun."

"Nay, I'm a gardener, and ain't got no guns. I meant farreting."

"But you know I've lost the ferret," cried Mercer. "You can't go
ferreting without ferrets."

Magglin was standing before us with a curious, furtive smile on his
face, and his hands deep down in his pockets, and as Mercer finished
speaking, he slowly raised one hand, so that we saw peering out over the
top of his jacket pocket the sharp buff hairy head of a ferret, and we
both uttered a cry of joy.

"Why, you've got one!" said Mercer. "Why--yes--it is. It's my ferret."

"Yes," said Magglin. "I nipped him this morning. He was out running
about the loft, and I got hold of him at once. He's eaten all the rats
he could catch, and he was out smelling about, and trying to get into
that old corn-bin, so as to have a feed on your stuffed things."

"Lucky he didn't," cried Mercer. "Oh, you are a good chap, and I'll
give you the other shilling as soon as I can."

"Ay, do, master, for that chap I knows wants it badly."

"Come along, and let's shut it up safely," said Mercer.

"S'pose you let me take care of him in the tool-shed. I'll put him
where he can't get out, and I shall have him ready when you come."

"Very well then," cried Mercer, "you keep him. At the High Pines, then,
at seven o'clock."

"That's it, sir," said Magglin, securing the ferret in his pocket.

"Ah, good morning," said a voice; and we two turned sharply, to find
that Mr Rebble and Mr Hasnip, who were out early for a constitutional,
had come up behind us quietly.

"Good morning, sir.--Good morning, sir," we said, and Magglin touched
his cap and went off down the garden.

"Very good, Mercer. Very good, Burr junior," said Mr Hasnip blandly,
as he brought his dark spectacles to bear upon us. "I like to see this,
and I wish the other boys would