ery cabbages in the garden had been
torn up and carried away.

Mark had the news from the man himself, and he carried it to his father
and sister, as he had carried Dummy Rugg's rumour about the witches and
their fire, which went out so suddenly on being seen.

"Humph!" said Sir Edward, smiling; "that looks as if the witches liked
vegetables with their lamb and mutton. Stripped the cottage, and took
the meal-tub too?"

"Everything, father," said Mark.

"Then it's time the men made a search, my boy," said Sir Edward; "we
must have a robber about. There is the whole explanation of the old
women's tales. Well, they will have to bestir themselves, and catch the
thief."

It was on that same morning that the news reached Cliff Castle, where
similar stories had floated about witches and warlocks having taken
possession of the shivering hills, where the slatey rocks were always
falling, and forming what the country people called screes, which, at a
distance, when wet and shiny, looked in the sunshine like cascades
descending from on high.

"If it comes to any of our sheep being taken, we shall have to take to a
hunt, Ralph," Sir Morton had said. "The people like to have a witch or
two to curdle their blood, but I'm not going to find them in sheep."

It was a glorious morning, and the lad went into the courtyard with his
sister to have a look at her new fad, as Nick Garth called it, that is
to say, the well-plastered pool with its surrounding of rock-work, in
which various plants were beginning to flourish and reflect themselves
in the crystal water with which the little pond was filled.

"Capital!" cried Ralph; "but you ought to have a few fish in it. They'd
look well."

"That is just what I wanted you to say, sir," cried Minnie, clapping her
hands; "and if you hadn't been such a solemn, serious brother, you would
have taken your rod and line, and caught me a few."

"Well, I will," said the lad eagerly; "and some for a fry as well. The
little ones will be best for you, and I'll take a tin can for them, as
well as a creel."

An hour later, with a plentiful supply of caddis, caterpillars, and
other tempting bait, and rod in hand, Ralph descended to the side of the
stream. He was not long in following suit with old Master Rayburn as to
his hose; and then stepping into the water, he began to wade upstream,
where it was shallow, going on to the bank where it grew deep.

But the day was too bright and the water