t the nets an' follow us.'

'The play's over,' whispered Dick in his comrade's ear, 'and we'll get
back to camp.'

The scouts glided away up the little brook, and soon regained their
camp, where the fire was burning briskly, for the whole affair had not
taken any great amount of time. They sat down and discussed the matter
from the moment Dick had smelt the tobacco-smoke till the final rally
on the bank of the trout-pool, then turned in once more, and were
asleep in two moments.

Dick had rearranged his side of the bed before he lay down again, and
now he slept in great comfort, and slept long, for when he woke the sun
was high up and the day was warm.

He rubbed his eyes and looked round for Chippy. To his surprise, the
Raven sat beside the fire skinning a couple of young rabbits.

'Hallo, Chippy!' cried Dick, 'been hunting already? Why, where did you
pick those rabbits up?'

'Just along the bank 'ere,' replied the Raven. 'I was up best part of
an hour ago, an' took a stroll, an' seed 'em a-runnin' about by the
hundred. These two were dodgin' in an' out of a hole under a tree, so
I went theer, an' in they popped. But I soon dug 'em out.'

'Dug them out!' cried Dick. 'Why, I've heard that digging rabbits out
is a job that takes hours with a spade.'

'So 'tis if they've got into their burrows,' returned his comrade.
'But theer's the big deep holes they live in, an' theer's little short
holes they mek' for fun. They're called "play-holes," an' 'twas a
play-hole these two cut into. It worn't more'n eighteen inches deep,
an' soft sand. I 'ad 'em out in no time.'

Chippy finished skinning the rabbits, and washed them, and then they
were set aside while the comrades stripped, and splashed round, and
swam a little at a spot where the brook opened out into a small pool.
When they were dressed again, they were very ready for breakfast.
Chippy fried the rabbits in the billy with another lump of Dick's
mutton fat, and they proved deliciously tender. The boys left nothing
but the bones, and with the rabbits they finished their loaf. After
breakfast they lay on the grass in the sun for half an hour working out
their day's journey on the map, and pitched on a place called Wildcombe
Chase for their last camp. It was within fourteen miles of Bardon, and
would give a quiet, steady tramp in for their last day.

At the thought that the morrow was the last day of their delightful
expedition the scouts felt more tha