wed to climb a small hedge-row oak for a magpie's
nest with Tom, who kept all around him like a mother, and showed him
where to hold and how to throw his weight; and though he was in a
great fright, didn't show it; and was applauded by all for his
lissomeness.

[11] #Sedge-bird#: a bird living in the sedge or water-grass
on the banks of streams.

[12] #Beating#: rousing or driving out birds and game.

They crossed a road soon afterward, and there close to them lay a heap
of charming pebbles.

PECKING.

"Look here," shouted East, "here's luck! I've been longing for some
good honest pecking this half hour. Let's fill the bags, and have no
more of this foozling[13] birds'-nesting."

[13] #Foozling#: dull, stupid.

No one objected, so each boy filled the fustian bag he carried full of
stones; they crossed into the next field, Tom and East taking one side
of the hedges, and the other two the other side. Noise enough they
made certainly, but it was too early in the season for the young
birds, and the old birds were too strong on the wing for our young
marksmen, and flew out of shot after the first discharge. But it was
great fun, rushing along the hedgerows, and discharging stone after
stone at blackbirds and chaffinches,[14] though no result in the shape
of slaughtered birds was obtained; and Arthur soon entered into it,
and rushed to head back the birds, and shouted, and threw, and tumbled
into ditches and over and through hedges, as wild as the Madman
himself.

[14] #Chaffinch#: a fine song-bird.

Presently the party, in full cry after an old blackbird (who was
evidently used to the thing and enjoyed the fun, for he would wait
till they came close to him and then fly on for forty yards or so; and
with an impudent flicker of his tail, dart into the depths of the
quickset),[15] came beating down a high double hedge, two on each
side.

[15] #Quickset#: a kind of hedge.

"There he is again;" "Head him;" "Let drive;" "I had him there;" "Take
care where you're throwing, Madman;" the shouts might have been heard
a quarter of a mile off. They were heard some two hundred yards off by
a farmer and two of his shepherds, who were doctoring sheep in a fold
in the next field.

WHAT IS LARCENY?

Now the farmer in question rented a house and yard situated at the end
of the field in which the young bird-fanciers had arrived, which house
and yard he didn't occupy or keep any one else in. Nevert