this evening he set a snare in the hedge of the
clump. Just above the end of the ditch. Later he took from that snare
a plump but sacred bird. Later still he sold it to the cook of Mrs.
Blenkinsop for two and threepence.

CHAPTER VI

AND THE LANDED PROPRIETOR

On reaching home the Terror displayed the two shillings and threepence
to Erebus with an unusual air of triumph; as a rule he showed himself
serenely unmoved alike in victory and defeat.

"That's all right," said Erebus cheerfully. "That makes--that makes
twenty-eight and eleven-pence. We _are_ getting on."

"Yes; it's twenty-eight and eleven-pence now," said the Terror quickly.
"But you don't seem to see that when we've got the stole for Mum these
pheasants will still be going on."

"Of course they will!" cried Erebus; and her eyes shone very brightly
indeed at the joyful thought.

The next day the Terror obtained some sandwiches from Sarah after
breakfast; and as soon as his lessons were over he rode hard to the
clump above Great Deeping wood. He reached it at the hour when
gamekeepers are at their dinner, and was able to make a thorough
examination of it. He found it full of pheasant runs, and chose the
two likeliest places for his snares. He did not set them then and
there; a keeper on his afternoon round might see them. He came again
in the evening with Erebus, laid trails of raisins and set them then.
Later he sold a pheasant to the cook of Mrs. Blenkinsop and one to the
cook of Mr. Carrington.

During the next fortnight they sold eight more pheasants and eight more
kittens. They found themselves in the happy position of needing only
six shillings more to make up the price of the fur stole.

But it had been impossible for the Twins to remain content with the
clump of trees above Great Deeping wood. They had laid a trail of
raisins and set a snare in the wood itself, in the nearest corner of it
on the valley road which divides the wood into two nearly equal parts.

On the next afternoon they had ridden into Rowington with Wiggins; and
since the roads were heavy they did not go back the shortest way over
Great Deeping hill, but took the longer level road along the valley.
The afternoon was still young, and for December, uncommonly clear and
bright. But as they rode through the wood, the Terror decided that
instead of returning to it in the favoring dusk he might as well
examine the snare in the corner now, and save himself anothe