u say, sir? Why, I believe they emigrated away to
the United States of America and never was heard of again, but the old
people they lived on here, and I never heard but what they was easy in
their minds right up to the day of their death. Nice-looking old people
they was too, my father used to say; seemed as if butter wouldn't melt
in their mouths, as the saying is. Now I don't know when I've thought
of them last, but I recollect my father speaking of them as well, and
the way they're spoke of on their stone that lays just to the right-hand
side as you go up the churchyard path--well, you'd think there never was
such people. But I believe that was put up by them that got the
property; now what was that name again?"

But about that time I thought I must be getting on. I also thought (as
before) that it would be well for me not to go very far away from the
house.

As I strolled up the road I pondered over the message which Wag's father
had been so good as to send me. "If they're about the house, give them
horseshoes; if there's a bat-ball, squirt at it. I think there's a
squirt in the tool-house." All very well, no doubt. I had one horseshoe,
but that was not much, and I could explore the tool-house and borrow the
garden squirt. But more horseshoes?

At that moment I heard a squeak and a rustle in the hedge, and could not
help poking my stick into it to see what had made the noise. The stick
clinked against something with its iron ferrule. An old
horseshoe!--evidently shown to me on purpose by a friendly creature. I
picked it up, and, not to make a long story of it, I was helped by much
the same devices to increase my collection to four. And now I felt it
would be wise to turn back.

As I turned into the back garden and came in sight of the little
potting-shed or tool-house or whatever it was, I started. Someone was
just coming out of it. I gave a loud cough. The party turned round
hastily; it was an old man in a sleeved waistcoat, made up, I thought,
to look like an "odd man." He touched his hat civilly enough, and showed
no surprise; but, oh, horror! he held in his hand the garden squirt.

"Morning," I said; "going to do a bit of watering?" He grinned. "Just
stepped up to borrer this off the lady; there's a lot of fly gets on the
plants this weather."

"I dare say there is. By the way, what a lot of horseshoes you people
leave about. How many do you think I picked up this morning just along
the road? Look here!"