racted Horseman must have of it,
though--especially now they've sacked the nursemaid.

If Oswald is ever married--I suppose he must be some day--he will have
ten nurses to each baby. Eight is not enough. We know that because we
tried, and the whole eight of us were not enough for the needs of that
deserted infant, who was not so extra high-born after all.

HUNTING THE FOX

It is idle to expect every one to know everything in the world without
being told. If we had been brought up in the country we should have
known that it is not done--to hunt the fox in August. But in the
Lewisham Road the most observing boy does not notice the dates when it
is proper to hunt foxes.

And there are some things you cannot bear to think that anybody would
think you would do; that is why I wish to say plainly at the very
beginning that none of us would have shot a fox on purpose even to save
our skins. Of course, if a man were at bay in a cave, and had to defend
girls from the simulaerous attack of a herd of savage foxes it would be
different. A man is bound to protect girls and take care of them--they
can jolly well take care of themselves really it seems to me--still,
this is what Albert's uncle calls one of the "rules of the game," so we
are bound to defend them and fight for them to the death, if needful.

Denny knows a quotation which says:

"What dire offence from harmless causes springs,
What mighty contests rise from trefoil things."

He says this means that all great events come from three
things--three-fold, like the clover or trefoil, and the causes are
always harmless. Trefoil is short for three-fold.

There were certainty three things that led up to the adventure which is
now going to be told you. The first was our Indian uncle coming down to
the country to see us. The second was Denny's tooth. The third was only
our wanting to go hunting; but if you count it in it makes the thing
about the trefoil come right. And all these causes were harmless.

It is a flattering thing to say, and it was not Oswald who said it, but
Dora. She said she was certain our uncle missed us, and that he felt he
could no longer live without seeing his dear ones (that was us).

Anyway, he came down, without warning, which is one of the few bad
habits that excellent Indian man has, and this habit has ended in
unpleasantness more than once, as when we played Jungles.

However, this time it was all right. He came on rather a du