the furze, the cow trotting at some distance behind. They
did not pause till Lamb had led them off the heath into a deep lane,
different from the one by which they had come. The cow stopped at a
patch of green grass, just at the entrance of the hollow way; and the
runners therefore could take breath.

"Now we are here," said Lamb, "I will show you a nice place,--a place
where we can get something nice. How thirsty I am!"

"And so am I," declared Holt, smacking his dry tongue. Hugh's mouth was
very dry too, between the run and the fright.

"Well, then, come along with me, and I will show you," said Lamb.

Hugh thought they ought not to go farther from the heath: but Lamb said
they would get back by another way,--through a gate belonging to a
friend of his. They could not get back the way they came, because the
cow was there still. He walked briskly on till they came to a cottage,
over whose door swung a sign; and on the sign was a painting of a bottle
and a glass, and a heap of things which were probably meant for cakes,
as there were cakes in the window. Here Lamb turned in, and the woman
seemed to know him well. She smiled, and closed the door behind the
three boys, and asked them to sit down: but Lamb said there was no time
for that to-day,--she must be quick. He then told the boys that they
would have some ginger-beer.

"But may we?" asked the little boys.

"To be sure; who is to prevent us? You shall see how you like
ginger-beer when you are thirsty."

The woman declared that it was the most wholesome thing in the world;
and if the young gentleman did not find it so, she would never ask him
to taste her ginger-beer again. Hugh thanked them both; but he did not
feel quite comfortable. He looked at Holt, to find out what he thought:
but Holt was quite engrossed with watching the woman untwisting the wire
of the first bottle. The cork did not fly; indeed there was some
difficulty in getting it out: so Lamb waived his right, as the eldest,
to drink first; and the little boys were so long in settling which
should have it, that the little spirit there was had all gone off before
Hugh began to drink; and he did not find ginger-beer such particularly
good stuff as Lamb had said. He would have liked a drink of water
better. The next bottle was very brisk: so Lamb seized upon it; and the
froth hung round his mouth when he had done: but Holt was no better off
with his than Hugh had been. They were both u