oom, and out into the open
atrium, a simply-made, shady court with a central basin where a little
jet of water played up, sparkling, and fell back in glistening drops.

The next minute the boy was out in a fairly extensive garden, stooping
low as he glided among the trees towards the little trellised vineyard
on the sunny slope, where, from the continued sounds, it was evident
that a party of marauders were making a foray amongst the unripened
grapes, which, trained to fir-poles secured to posts, formed an
attractive pergola overhead.

Marcus approached as near as he could unseen, and then paused to
reconnoitre, to find that the sounds proceeded from a party of six boys
of somewhere about his own age, two of whom had destructively climbed up
a couple of the poles to be seated astride amongst the spreading vines,
where, after throwing down bunches to their four companions below, they
were setting their glistening white teeth on edge with the sour grapes
they had torn from the clinging strands.

They were talking in whispers, but that was the only sign of fear they
displayed, for the villa stood alone, the nearest domicile, another
villa farm, being a couple of hundred yards away lower down the slope,
and, apparently perfectly convinced that the occupants of the place were
right away, they feasted in perfect security and content.

A grim smile came upon the handsome young face of Marcus as he watched
the destruction going on. His eyes sparkled, his sun-browned cheek grew
deeper in its tint, and he looked round again for the something that was
not to hand, that something being a good stout stick. Then, clenching
his fists more tightly--nature's own weapons--and without a sound, he
suddenly made a dash for two of the boys who were standing with their
backs towards him, and with a couple of springs came down upon them like
fate, gripping them by the backs of their necks and sending them face
downwards amongst the vine leaves and damaged bunches that had been torn
from the vine, kneeling upon one and pressing the head of the other down
into the soil, regardless of the shrieks and yells which made the two
seated above drop down and follow the other two, who had taken to
flight, while the noise that was made startled the sleeping swine
outside to add their shrill squeals and heavy grunts to the turmoil of
the cultivated ground within.

It was hard work to keep down the two young marauders, who joined to
their struggling