ybreak to continue the watch with David.

There were the pears hanging in their places, and not a footprint
visible upon the beds; and there too were the indentations made by two
pairs of knees in the black-currant rows, while the earth was marked by
the coarse fibre of the sacks.

But the dew lay thickly, and had not been brushed off anywhere, and it
suddenly struck Tom that the black-currant bushes would not be a
favourable hiding-place when the light was coming, and that David must
have selected some other.

"Of course: in those laurels," thought Tom, and he went along the path;
but the piece of lawn between him and the shrubs had not been crossed,
and after looking about in different directions, Tom began to grin and
feel triumphant, for he was, after all, the first to wake.

In fact it was not till half-past seven that the gardener arrived,
walking very fast till he caught sight of Tom, when he checked his
speed, and came down the garden bent of back and groaning.

"Morning, Master Tom, sir. Oh, my back! Tried so hard to drag myself
here just afore daylight."

"Only you didn't wake, David," cried Tom, interrupting him. "Why, you
ought to have been up after having such a snooze last night in the
garden."

"I won't have you say such a word, sir," cried David angrily. "Snooze!
Me snooze! Why, it was you, sir, and you're a-shoving it on to me,
and--"

David stopped short, for he could not stand the clear gaze of Tom's
laughing eyes. His face relaxed a little, and a few puckers began to
appear, commencing a smile.

"Well, it warn't for many minutes, Master Tom."

"An hour."

"Nay, sir, nay; not a 'our."

"Quite, David; and I wouldn't wake you. I say, don't be a sham. You
did oversleep yourself."

"Well, I s'pose I did, sir, just a little."

"And now what would you say if I told you that Pete has been and carried
off all the pears?"

"What!" yelled David; and straightening himself he ran off as hard as he
could to the Marie Louise pear-tree, but only to come back grinning.

"Nay, they're all right," he said. "But you'll come and have another
try to-night?"

"Of course I will," said Tom; and soon after he hurried in to breakfast.

That morning Tom was in the workshop, where for nearly two hours, with
rests between, he had been helping the speculum grinding. Uncle Richard
had been summoned into the cottage, to see one of the tradesmen about
some little matter of business, and finding that