ed Mercer excitedly; "and--I say, Jem, lend us a
basket."

"What for?"

"To put the fish in?"

"You go and ketch 'em first, lad, and by and by I'll come round that way
with one under my arm, and you might give a fellow an eel, if you get
one."

"You shall have all the eels, Jem."

"Thank-ye. Then look here! you bait one line with the biggest worms you
can find, and do you know the penstock?"

"What, down in the deep corner, under the trees?"

"Yes; it's ten foot deep there. You fish right on the bottom, in that
corner, and you'll have some sport."

"Hallo!" cried Mercer, laughing. "I say, Burr, junior, hark at him.
How does he know? I say, Jem, how many eels have you caught there, eh?"

"You go and begin," said the man, with a dry laugh. "I won't forget
about the basket."

"Nor I about the eels. Come on," cried Mercer. "Here, look sharp;
let's run!"

He caught hold of my hand, raced me through the hop-garden, and out into
the lane.

"Now, down here," he said, as we reached a stile. "We can get across
this field, and then into the woods, and--quick, do as I do!"

As he spoke, he dropped down on his knees, and began hunting about at
the bottom of the hedge, while I made clumsy efforts to do the same.

"What is it?" I said eagerly.

"Pretend it's a snake. Can't you see?"

"No."

"There's Eely Burr and old Dicksee coming down the lane, and they'll
want to come too. Hist! don't look. Lie down; p'r'aps they haven't
seen us, and they'll go by."

"But it's all stinging nettles," I said.

"What of that? Here, this way; they won't sting if you go down hard."

And, throwing himself into a great bed of the venomous weeds, he lay
perfectly still, and I was obliged to follow suit, but not without
suffering two or three stings.

CHAPTER FOUR.

DOWN BY THE PENSTOCK.

It seemed a long time before we heard anything, but at last there were
steps and voices which soon became plain, and, to my surprise, I found
that they were talking about me.

"Oh, he can't fight, Dicksy," said one voice, which I recognised as the
tall boy's--my namesake. "Those London chaps are all talk and no do. I
shall give him a licking first chance, just to tame him down, and then
you'd better have a go at him."

"You think he can't fight, then?"

"Tchah! not he. You can lick him with one hand."

"Then I will," said Dicksee. "I wonder where he went."

"Off with that old Senna T-pot," said Burr major scornful