, and leaned
against the tree, putting his head down and clasping it with his arms
as far as he could. "Now, then, Madman," said Tom, "you next."

"No, I'm lighter than you, you go next." So Tom got on East's
shoulders, and grasped the tree above, and then Martin scrambled up on
to Tom's shoulders, amidst the totterings and the groanings of the
pyramid, and, with a spring which sent his supporters howling to the
ground, clasped the stem some ten feet up, and remained clinging; for
a moment or two they thought he couldn't get up, but then, holding on
with arms and teeth, he worked first one iron, then the other firmly
into the bark, got another grip with his arms, and in another minute
had hold of the lowest branch.

"All up with old magpie now," said East; and, after a minute's rest,
up went Martin, hand over hand, watched by Arthur with fearful
eagerness.

"Isn't it very dangerous?" said he.

"Not a bit," answered Tom; "you can't hurt if you only get a good
hand-hold. Try every branch with a good pull before you trust it, and
then up you go."

Martin was now amongst the small branches close to the nest, and away
dashed the old bird, and soared up above the trees, watching the
intruder.

"All right--four eggs!" shouted he.

"Take' em all!" shouted East; "that'll be one apiece."

"No, no! leave one, and then she won't care," said Tom.

We boys had an idea that birds couldn't count, and were quite content
as long as you left one egg. I hope it is so.

Martin carefully put one egg into each of his boxes and the third into
his mouth, the only other place of safety, and came down like a
lamp-lighter. All went well till he was within ten feet of the ground,
when, as the trunk enlarged, his hold got less and less firm, and at
last down he came with a run, tumbling on to his back on the turf,
spluttering and spitting out the remains of the great egg, which had
broken by the jar of his fall.

"Ugh, ugh! something to drink--ugh! it was addled,"[10] spluttered he,
while the wood rang again with the merry laughter of East and Tom.

[10] #Addled#: rotten.

Then they examined the prizes, gathered up their things, and went off
to the brook, where Martin swallowed huge draughts of water to get rid
of the taste; and they visited the sedge-bird's[11] nest, and from
thence struck across the country in high glee, beating[12] the hedges
and brakes as they went along; and Arthur at last, to his intense
delight, was allo