go on down."

I descended through the trap-door, and he followed, the man looking at
us searchingly, as if he had not much faith in our honesty when face to
face with such temptations as owls' eggs, but his look was only
momentary, and he took it for granted that we had kept our word.

"Where are the old birds, Jem?" said my companion.

"Oh, right away somewhere in the woods, asleep. Want to see them?"

"Of course."

"Then you must come at night, and you'll see these young ones sitting at
one of the holes giving a hiss now and then for the old birds to come
and feed them, and every now and then one of them flies up."

"Yes, I know," said Mercer, "so still and softly that you can't hear the
wings. But I should like that egg."

"Then you had better ask the master, and see what he says."

"Well, my lads," cried Hopley, in his bluff, deep voice, "seen the
owls?"

"Yes; and now, I say, Bob Hopley, you'll let us go through the big
beech-wood, and round by the hammer pond?"

"What for?" said the keeper.

"It's holiday to-day, and I want to show this chap, our new boy, round."

"What! to teach him mischief like you know?"

"Get out. I don't do any mischief. You might let us go."

"Not my wood, it's master's."

"Well, he wouldn't mind."

"And I've got young fezzans in coops all about the place."

"Well, we don't want the pheasants."

"I should think not, indeed; and just you look here: I see you've got
that chap Magglin up at work in your garden again; you just tell him
from me that if ever I see him in our woods, I'll give him a peppering
with small shot."

"You carry your impudent messages yourself, or tell the Doctor," said
Mercer sharply.

"What?" cried the keeper, scowling at us.

"I say, you take your impudent messages yourself. You know you daren't
shoot at him."

"Oh, daren't I? I'll let him see."

"It's against the law, and your master's a magistrate. You know you
daren't. What would he say?"

The keeper raised his gun with both hands, breathed on the mottled
walnut-wood stock, and began to polish it with the sleeve of his
velveteen jacket. Then he looked furtively at Jem Roff, then at me, and
lastly at Mercer, before letting the gun fall in the hollow of his arm,
and taking off his cap to give his head a scratch, while a grim smile
began to play about his lips.

"You've got me there, youngster," he said slowly, and Jem began to
chuckle.

"Of course I have," said Mercer confi