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Show j ACTION BY THE BEST WRITERS ' I BKThe Twln were feeding the kittens M-tbe Cats' Home founded nnd sup-PpMBOrti-il by thoir enthusiastic, cut-loving JSEnt Amelia, from which they had Bswn bicycles nnd, as super lntcnd-Bts lntcnd-Bts were drawing poi ket-iuoney. The fctens were indulging in a few last H flfigaglng gambols before falling into Re sleep of repletion which always glowed their meals But the Twins Batched them with unsmiling eyes, for CO Braver matters than the gambols of . Httens filled their minds. KThe face of the Terror was nearly J?Blways grave, for an lueffable serenity 'welt on it. But to-day the piquant, wftvaclous faro of Erebus was grave lso : Christmas was at hand, and the natter of a Christmas present for their Bffother weighed on their minds. They pad saved up nine shillings: a large fmuru, one that must be expended with jf Judgment. It was their desire to give bter something both attractive and use- They were In doubt whether it Should be a hair-brush, or a tortolsp-ebell tortolsp-ebell comb, to set in her hair, when Erebus frowning t houghtlully said, I know vh;it she really wants, though." "What a that;" said the Terror rjtharply sr "It's one of those fur stoles in the window of Battam's at Rowlngton," said Err bus. I heard her sigh when she looked at It. She used to have II beautiful furs once before Father was lost. Cut she sold them to get JthlDgs for us, I suppose. I'mle M:ui-j M:ui-j rice told me so it least I got It out Of him " ?Tbe Terror was now frowning ' though if nil i md he said in a tone Kdeclsion, "How mueh Is that stole?" jVY)h. it's no good thinking about it; '1 three guineas," said Erebus OUlekl JMrThat s a inort o' money, as old fl Jcobbs wiys," said the Terror; and the HTOw ii di i'fieii d nu his hi-ow R"I wonder if we cc-uhl pet it:' said rebus; an( a faint hopefulness Kwned In her eyes us she looked at M5 7 - 1 1 i . : ing fai-e "I should like to. I must be hard on .Mum not to have mice things much harder than for us eHEcnuse wee never had them at east we bad them when we were small inn v. . in", it got used to them. jo we for got ten.'' HMNo; we're all right as long as we iihflve u-eful things ' said the Terror L without relaxing Ins thoughtful frown. 'WBut 1 1 r - right .dM.ut Mum; she BlUSt be difffr.-ni I e got to think gtbis out " ''Oh, but you've never thought of as rin murli .is three guim as .'" cried Erebus. BK ' "I thought of thirty pounds once for this ('.ii'-' 1 1 in i ami our bicycles,' Slid the I'.Tior tirnil . "And if you come to think of it. Mum's stole is reilh more Important than thee things though not so useful" "But It's different; we had to have .bicycles you said so," said Erebus. JI "Well, we've got to have this stole," aid the Terror iu a tone of finality . and the matter settled, his brow Smoothed to its wonted serenity. )"But how?" said Erebus eagerly. Things will occur to us. They always al-ways do ' S;iid the Terror with a care-lew care-lew eonflderji e. ?J They began to put the kittens into their hutehes. Half-way through the (Operation the Terror paused and said: Wfi wonder if we could sell any of these m Kittens. Does anyone ever buy kittens?" kit-tens?" ! "We did; we gave threepence each lor these," said Erebus, rfjd "Ah, but we had to have something l"n the way of eats in the Home. We Kiouhl never have bought a kitten but Jor that." "I should buy kittens, if I were rich knd hadn't got any," said Erebus firmly. J "Yon would, would you? That's That I wanted to know; girls will buy kittens, " said the Terror In u tone of Satisfaction "Well, we'll sell these." i "But we can't empty the Home," aid Erebus. W "We wouldn't. We'd buy fresh ones, ; list able to lap, for tbreepeuce each , nd sell these at a shilling We might nake nearly a sovereign that way." to, "You do think of things," said Erc-his Erc-his with some envy, lit was not the habit of the Twins '"A m '0B? titne ' they put away the kit-j kit-j Ids, took their bicycles, rode down to Be village, and spread the news that Bey were once more prepared to buy Blttens at threepence each On their 5 Rfiv ll"mr' ,n'' 1Jiet om Cobb. Tom '' JObb was a villager they respected; fcnd he and they were very good Blends. Carping souls often said that di Cobb bad never done an honest ay's work in his life Yet he was the pilftnartest man In the village, the most fcatly dressed, always with money in Is poeket it was common knowledge tflBint his fortunate state arose from his Institutional disability to observe Blose admirable laws whleh have been jpssed for the protection of English ' (BberiKimts from all d ingers save the Bnall shot of those who have them j ft' I Tom ('ot.ii v. aged war a war of dBfirying fortunes against the Sacred Hrd. Sometimes for a whole Benson Be would sell tlie victims of the ear Bug'- of that wur with never B check Bo his ardor. In another season some r.v'mg gamekeeper would surprise him Butting his thirst foi blood and gold . Btid an Infuriated Bench of Magi.--Btates would fine him. The fine was Bways paid Tom Cobb was one of Blo-i thrifty souls who lay up money Bniie-t He ami the Twins greeted one an-BIkt an-BIkt with smiles of mutual reaped ; H' at the sight of bun n sudi'r-a llRbt. Bbc light of Inspiration. Illumined the Bcn-oi's i;,,.. e slipped off his bl- Bii- JB 1 ve btcn wondering if you'd do me a favor. Tom. Eve always wanted to know how p make a snare I'll give you half-a-crown If you'll teach me." Tom Cobb's clear blue eyes sparkled at the thought of half-a-crown ; but he hesitated. He knew the Twins, he knew that with them a little knowledge knowl-edge was a dangerous thing for others. He foresaw trouble for the Rnered Bird ; he foresaw trouble for his natural foes, the gamekeepers. He did not foresee troublp for the Twins; he knew them. And very distinctly he saw half-a-crown He grinned and said slowly, "Yes, Master Terror. I'll he very appy to teach you 'ow to make a snare." "Thank you. I'll come round tomorrow to-morrow morning,'' said the Tenor gratefully. "It v:ll be nlep to know how to make snares'" cried Erebus happily as they rode on. "I wonder we never thought of It before." "We didn't want a fur stole before," said the Terror. "But whore's the half-crown coming from'.'" said ErebUE "Out of the nine shillings we've saved." said the Terror. "We shall have to sjend some of it to make more " The next morning Erebus in vnln eu-Ireated eu-Ireated the Terror to take her with him to Tom Cobb's cottage to share the leaSOD in the art of making snares The Terror would not - often he W8J indulgent , often he was firm. To-day he was firm. He returned from his lesson with a serene face; but he said rather sadly, "I've still a lot to learn " That afternoon the Twins rode into Rowtagton. First the Terror bought copper wire at the Ironmonger's ; and he was insistent that It should le of a certain tntCicneSfl J hen lie went into the market-place to u stall whleh was kept by their retired uurse Ellen, who was now the industrious wife of a small farmer To her he broached the matter of the sale of kittens. Ellen, whose mind was firmly fixed In the grooves of butter but-ter and eggs and poultr, laughed cou-sumedly cou-sumedly at the suggestion that anyone would want to buy kittens. But tho Terror was unmoved by her Incredulity; Incredul-ity; and talked to her patiently until he persuaded her at an rate to try to sell kittens for theru She agreed, for most women found it difficult to resist him when he had set his mind on their doing something for him ; nnd she was always eager to oblige him. But she held out no hopes of Bucceaa. On their return home the Twins selected se-lected six kittens for the experiment . and much to the surprise anil disgust of those kittens they washed them They dried them In the kitchen, and let them sleep that night in Its warmth After the washing of the kittens, they betook themselves to the making of snares Erebus ever sanguine, san-guine, supposed that the Would make snares at once. The Terror had no such expectations; and it was a long while before he got one to his liking, nememlxring Tom Cobb's instructions, he washed It, and then put on gloves and set It In the hole In the hedge through which the rabbits from the Common were wont to enter their garden gar-den to eat the cabbages. He was up betimes next morning found a rabbit In the snare, and thrilled with Joj The Fur Stole had come within the range of possibility. After breakfast they made the toilet of the six chosen kitfpus, and Erebus adorned the neck of each of them with a bow of blue ribbon. Knowing the ways of kittens she sewed on the bows nnd sewed them on flnnly. It could not be doubted that they looked much finer than ordinary unwashed kittens. They put three in the basket of both of their bicycles rode over to Rowlngton and handed them over to Ellen Thev would have liked to Fee what BUCCBM she had; but those were full days; and they had other things to do. Among other things they msdc three snares: and the Terror found that the fingers of Erebus were. If anything, moie deft at snare-making than his own In the afternoon tbey rode over to Rowlngton again, and when they came to Ellen's stall, they found tho kitten-basket empty Ellen greeted them with a large, shining smile and said: "Well, Master Mas-ter Terror, you were right and I was wrong I've eold them kittles every one; and I ve had two more ordered It was when the ladles from the Hill came marketing that they went." She opened her purse, took out six shillings, and held them out to the Terror. "Five," said the Terror "I must pay you n shilling for selling them. It's what they call eommlssion." "No, sir; I don't want any commission." commis-sion." said Ellen firmly " Vs long as those kittles were there. I sold more butter and eggs and fowls than auy-one auy-one else In the market. I haven t had such a good day not ever before " The Terror pressed her to BCCCpt the shilling; but she i Hinalued firm. The Twins rode joyfully home with six shillings That night the 'terror set his four snares In the hedge of the garden and about the common He Caught three rabbits. The next morning he was silent ami very thoughtful as he helped feed the kittens ami (hanged the hay In the hutches. At last be said rather sadly. "It s sometimes rather awkward being a Dangerfleld." ' Why?" said Erebus, surnrlsed. 'Those rabbits." said the Tenor "1 want to sell them; but it s no good go ing into Rowlngton and trying to sell them to a poulterer. Even if be wanted rabbits, which he mightn't, he'd only give me sixpence ench for them. But If I were to sell them myself my-self here. I could get elgbtpen. e. or perhaps nlnepenee. each for them. But, vou sec. a Dangerfleld can't sell things. Uncle Maurice said I had the inaMugs of a miillouau-e in mc, hut u THE KEEPER'S GOT HIM Tills fi B8 15 Dangerfleld couldn't go Into busim s. ii - the family tradition not to. That's w ha t he na Id "Perhaps he was only rotting," said Erebus hopefully "No; he wasn't I asked Mum: and she said it was the family tradition, too. I expect that's why we're all so hard-up." "Bui the Squire sells thing"." said Erebus quickly. "He Belli a lot of his game And you cant 8QJ he rnt a gentleman, though the Au d rut hers aren't as old as the Dangerflelds ' "(if course he does." said the Terror In a tone of great relief "We can easily count rabbits as game" Forthwith they took their bicj :les and the four rabbits, and set out on tour through the neighborhood. The Terror went to the backdoors oj their well-to-do neighbors and broached the mailer of rabbits to their cooks. In three-quarters of an hour he had s,,id the four rabbits for eightpence ea h. They were pleased Indeed; the Fur stole was moving towards them Deducing De-ducing expenses, they bad fourteen ami tenpence out of the Bixty-three shill ings. It was sometimes said of the Twins that they never knew when to stop; but In this case it was not their fault that thev went on. It was the fault of the rabbit-market; at the fourteenth rabbit, when they had hut twenty- and sixpence towards the Btole, the bottom fell out of it. For the time the desire of Little Deeping to eat rabbits rab-bits w as sated It was also the fault of the cook of Mrs, Bleoklnsop, who said "Now if you was to bring me a nice fat pheasant pheas-ant twice a week, it would be a rery different thing. Master Dangerfleld." The Terror looked at her thought fully, then he said, "And how much, would you pav me for pheasants?" The cook made a silent appeal to those processes of mental arithmetic she had learned In her village u hool, saw her profit, uud said, ' Half-a-crown, sir" 1 "All right; I'll bring you two a week," said the Teiror firmly. When he revealed to Erebus his vision of the new Eldorado, she baid. "But where are you going to get pheasants from?" "Woods." eald the Terror, embracing the horizon In a sweeping gesture Erebus looked round the horii-.on with greedy eyes, they sparkled fiercely. "But we don't know nearly enough about it said the Terror thoughtfully "I think we ought to talk to Igglns's father. He knows a lot of useful things as well as Higher Mathematics But we'd hotter not let him see we're trying to get anything out of him." For the next three days thev rode forth with the Intention of coming upon Mr. Carrington by seeming accident; acci-dent; but It was not till the third duy that they came upon him aud their young friend. Wiggins, walking briskly, brisk-ly, about three miles from l ittle Deeping, Deep-ing, The Twins, as a rub-, were svout to shun Mr Carrington. They had a great re9pect for his attainments, but a muth greater for his humor. In Erebus this respect often took the form of wriggling In his presence She did not know what he might say next He was therefore somewhat surprised when they slipped off their bicycles, nnd Joined him. He wondered what they wanted. Apparently, they were merely In a gregarious mood yearning for the so-clety so-clety of their fellow-creatures; but in about three minutes the talk v.d-, rurj. nlng on pheasants. Mr Carrlugtou did not liko phccu-anla exeept froni the point of view of eating, and he dwelt at length on the devastation the Ss ered Bird was working in the English countryside: villages were being emp tied aud let fall to ruin that It might lie undisturbed; the song birds wen being killed ofT to glv. it the woo.Js o itself. It seemed but 0 natural tep from the pheasant to the poacher; he was not aware that he took It at the prompting of the Terror; and he bewailed be-wailed the degeneracy of the English rustic, his slow reversion to the tyje of neolithic man. owing to the fact that the towns drained the villages of all the intelligent The skilful poacher who harried the Sacred Bird was fast becoming extinct. Then ut last he came to the important impor-tant matter of the wiles of the p h r and Ihe thirsty ears of the Terror drank In his golden words. He lis uased the methods of the gang of poachers and the single poaeher with Intelligent r-ii..h and more sympath) than waa perhaps wise to display In the presence of the young The terror ter-ror came (Tom that talk with a firm belief in tl fficacy of raisins The next morning six kittens, washed, brushed, nnd beautiful, were carried to tho faithful Ellen; and In the afternoon the Twins again rode Into Rowlngton and returned with another an-other six shillings They did notcome straight home In the blcycle-baakel of the Terror was a pound of raisins; three milef OUl Of Rowlngton was a small clump of trees on a hill At flu-foot flu-foot of the hill a hundred yards below ihe clump lay (ireat Deeping Wood, acre upon acre. It had lately passed, along with the rest of the Great Deeping Deep-ing estate, into the hands of Mr. D'Arcj Rosenhelmer, a pudding-faced, but staunch, vouug Briton of the old Pomeranian strain. He was not loved In the county, even by landed proprietors proprie-tors of less modern stocks, for though he cherished the laudable ambition of h.n ing tho finest pheasant shoot In England, and w as on the w ay to r a I Iz.e it, he did not invite his neighbors to help shoot them. His friends came wholly from the Polite World whh h so adorns the Illustrated Weeklies It was in the deep December dusk that the Twins came to the clump on the hill. The Terror lifted their blcyi lea over the gate and set them behind the hedge. Leaving Erebui to keep watch he stole down the hedge to th . lump, crawled through a gap Into it and walked through it. One pheasant scuttled out of It. down the hedge-row to the wood below. The occurrence pleased him. He crawled out of the lump on the farther aide, and proceeded pro-ceeded to lay a train of raisins down the ditch of the hedge to the wood. He diil not la. It right down to the wood lest some Inquisitive gamekeeper might espj It Then he returned with One, red-Indian caution, to Erebus. They rode home well content Next evening With another bag of raisins, they Bought the clump again Again the Terror laid a trail of raisins along the ditch from the wood to the clump. Bui i Ins evening he sot a snare In the hedge of the i lump just about the end Of the ditch. The next evening he took from that snare a plump, but Sacred, Sa-cred, bird. Half an hour later ho sold It to the cook of Mrs. Blenklnsop for half-a-crown, The next day he made a careful ex ploratlon of the clump al the hour when game-keepers eat their dinner, and set two snares In manifest pheasant-runs The next evening he sold a pheasant to the cook of Mrs;. Blenkin-op Blenkin-op and another to the cook of Mr. Carrington He saw no neinl to tell either of them not to tell anyone that he was the vendor Pheasants at half-a-crown each are not so easily come by that one talks about them Encouraged by success nnd seven and Sixpence, the Terror found other likely places In which to set snares He found none so good as the clump on the hill; but tbey served Pheasants (lowed in; and Fur Stole came nearer and nearer. Then came trouble; and it came from a snare In the corner of Great Deeping Wood. The Twins and their young friend Wiggins were riding along tbe road which cuts the wood in half early In the afternoon; aud it occurred oc-curred to the Terror that Instead of waiting for the favoring dusk, he might as u. II examine tho snare then and save himself auother journey, t was a risk no experienced poacher would have taken; but obi beads, alas' do not grow "ii voung shoulders Erebus Ere-bus rode on up the road to keep a lookout look-out ahead. The Terror Slipped oft his bicycle and so did Wiggins. Wiggins held the two bicycles. The Terror listened lis-tened The wood was very still in Its Winter silence. He slipped through tbe hedge Into It and presently came back bringing with him a very nice young pheasant Indeed, He put It Info the basket of his bicycle, and mounted. They had barely started when a keeper sprang out of the hedge forty yards ahead, and came running towards to-wards them. There was neither room nor time to nm They rode on; and the keeper made for the Terror The Terror swerved ; and tbe keeper swerved. Wiggins ran bang into the ee por ; and they came to the ground together as the Terror shot ahead as hard as he could go He caught up with Erebus, and his cry of "Keeper! ' set her racing beside him; but iMith of them kept looking back for Wiggins ; and presently, when no Wiggins appeared with one accord they slowed down and stopped. "The keepers got him rl his is a tness!1 said the Terror, panting a little from their spurt. "If onl it had been one of us"' cried 1. rebus. ' Whatever are we to id?" "If that lioastly keeper hadn't peen me with the pheasant. Id have got him awa somehow " said the Terror. "Bui as it is. It's me they really want; and I 'l get fined to a dead certainty Conn lei s go back and see what's happemd to him You scout on ahead." "All right," aid Erebus mounting. She rode ha k through the wood slowly, her keen eyes straining for n BlgO of an ambush. The Terror followed fol-lowed her at a distance of sixty yards, ready to jump off turn his machine, and tly, should -hf; give the alarm. They got no sight of Wiggins till they came, just beyond the end of the wood, to the lodges of Deeping Park; then, half-way up the drive, they saw the keeper and his prey. The keeper held NN'c.'.'ins with his left ha ml and wheeled the i aptured bicycle with his right. The Twins dismounted Even at that distance they could see the deep dejection of their friend. 'I lu re s not really any reason for him to be frightened.' said the Terror Ter-ror more calmly "He was never in the wood; and he never touched the pheasant"' "But be icil! be frightened; he'll be frightened out of bis life; he's so young,' said Er.-bus In a tone of ex-treni" ex-treni" distress, g. .ing with acute anxiety anx-iety after their receding friend. "He's not like us; he won't cheek the keeper all the way like I should " "Oh, Wiggins has plenty of pluck," Bald the Terror In a reassuring tone. "But he won't understand hew oil right. He's only ten And there's no saying how that beastly foreigner who shoots nightingales will bully him," cried BrebUB with unabated anxiety. "Well, the sooner we go and fetch his father the sooner he'll be out of It" said the Terror, making a6 If to mount his bicycle. "No. no'" cried Erebus almost fiercely "That won't do at all ' We've got to rescue him now! Aud you've got to Qnd o way !" The Terror frowned and took off his cap to wrestle more manfully with the problem I hen he said in the gloomiest tone, "I can't see what we can do." "Oh, I'm going to get him out of this somehow:' cried Erebus desperately; and she sprang on her machine and rode up the drive. The Terror half mounted, and Stopped at the thought that he was the only one in real danger He ground his teeth; for all bis (lawless serenity Inaction was repugnant to b in i Erebus reached Great Deeping Oourt a bare four minutes after the keeper The bicycle Of Wiggins stood against one of the pillars of the porch She dismounted and stood considering for perhaps half a minute; then she moved his bicycle so that It was right to his hand if he came out. set her own bicycle bi-cycle against auother of the pillars, but OUl of sight lest he should take It b mistake, walked up the steps, hammered ham-mered the knocker firmly, and rang the bell The moment the door opened she stepped quickly paHt tbe footman Into the hull Tbe keeper sat on a Chair facing her: ami on the chair beside be-side him sat Wiggins, looking very white and woebegone. "What are you doing with my little brother?" said Erebus sharply, adopting adopt-ing Wiggins to strengthen her position. The keeper opened his eyes and said In a tone of some triumph, "I caught lm poachin1 " "Stand up! What do you mean by siH-aklng to me, sitting down?" said ESrebus In her most Imperative lone The keeper stood up with uncommon Uh kuess nnd a sudden sheepish air . "'E was poachin.'" he said sulkily. "He wns not' A little boy like that!" cried Erebus scornfully. "Anyways -e was a aidin' an'abettln' an' I've brought 'lm to Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer an' It's for 'lm to say," said the keeper stubbornly. There came a taint click from the beautiful Hps of Erebus the gentle Click by which the Twins called one another to attention. At the sound w ggins his face faintly Bushed with hope braced himself Erebus measured meas-ured the distance with the eye ot an . i ett. Just as there came Into the far-tbei far-tbei end of the hall that large, tlabby, pudding-faced voung Pomeranian Briton. Bri-ton. Mr D'An v Rosenhelmer here's the boacherr he said In an eager angry voice, reverting In his motion i" the ancestral "b." s the i.ee r turned t him Erebus sprang to the floor md threw it w Ide. Boll Wiggins !" she . rled Wiggins bolted for the door; the keeper grabbed at him and missed; the footman grabbed and grabbed the interposing Erebus. She slammed the door behind the vanished Wiggins Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer dashed beaUly down the hall with a thick how l. Erebus backed against the door He caught her by the left arm to swing her out of his way. It was a silly arm to choose, for she caught him u slap on bis Pomeranian expanse of cheek with the full swing of her right, a slap which rang through the great hall like the crack of a whip lash. Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer was large but tender He howled again, and thumped at Erebus with big flabby fists. She caught the first blow on an uncommonly uncom-monly acute elbow. The second never fell, for the footman caught him by the collar and swung him round "It's not for the likes of you to hit English young ladles!" he said with patriotic indignation. Mr. D'Arcy Itosenheimer gasped and gurgled : then he howled furiously, "Get out of my house ! Now at once get out !" "Yes, sir very pleased to go, sir when I've had my wages. It's a month ago to-morrow since I give notice anyhow, any-how, sir," said tho footman with a coid exultation Erebus waited to hear no more. She drew back tho latch, slipped through the door, aud slammed It behind her A big motor car stood at the bottom of the steps She sprang on her bicycle and raced down the drive. At the lodge gates she found the Terror waiting for her. "I've sent Wiggins on"' he shouted as she sped past him. "Come on! That leastly foreigner's motor car was ready to start !" she cried Tbey caught Wiggins up a mile down the road; and the three of them sat down to ride all they knew. They were a good eight miles from home; nnd the car could go three miles to their one on that good road. The Twins alone would have made a longer race of It; but the pace was set by Wiggins. They had gone littlo more than three miles when they heard tbe honk of the car ns it came round a comer half a mile behind them. "h on Terror'' cried BrebUs "You're the one that matters' You did the poaching' I'll look aft r Wiggins! Wig-gins! He'll be all right with me"' Eor perhaps fifty yards the Terror hesitated; then the wisdom of the ad vice sank In, and he shot ahead. Erebus Ere-bus kept behind Wiggins and they rode on. The car was overhauling them rapidly, but not nearly so rapidly as it would have done had not Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer, who lackini the courage of his famous grenadier ancestors, an-cestors, been in IL At the end of mile and a half it was Jess than fifty yards behind them , md then a figure came Into sight Bwinglng briskly along. "It's your father'' gasped Erebus. It was Indeed the Higher Mathematician. Mathema-tician. He showed, and Indeed felt no surprise sur-prise nt the sudden appearance of his panting offspring; pursued by a Pomeranian Pome-ranian Briton in a motor car, since that panting offspring was accompanied accompa-nied bj ESrebus. As they reached him, they flung themselves off their bicycles; and Erebus Ere-bus had only time to cry, "Wiggins hasn't been poaching! It was the Terror Ter-ror '"' when the ear was on them. 11 drew up with all its brakes Jarring; Jar-ring; and Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer tumbled out of it "I've got you" you little devil!" he bellowed, uulte Incorrectly; and ho rushed at Wiggins who discreetly stepped behind his father. Mr. D'Arcy Itosenheimer made to thrust Mr Carrington out of his way with splendid violence Mr. Carrington Carring-ton stepped llshtly hack, and then forward for-ward ; and there befell Mr. D'Arcy Itosenheimer what. In the technical terms affected by the Fancy, is de-- de-- rlbed as "an uppercut on the point which put him to sleep." He fell as falls a sack of potatoes, and lay like a log. The keeper had disengaged himself from the car, ana hurried forward. "Do jou want some too, my good mau?" said Mr Carrington In his most agreeable tone, keeping his guard rather low. The keeper stopped short and looked earnestly, with undlssembled satisfaction, satisfac-tion, at his strlcken employer. "I can't sav as I do. sir," he said civilly "Then perhaps you'll be good enough to tell me the name of this hulking young blackguard who assaults qilct, elderlv gentlemen, taking constitutionals, constitu-tionals, in the most unprovoked and wanton fashion," said the Higher Mathematician In the s-.imc agreeable tone. "It's Mr D'Arcy Rosenhelmer of Great Deeping Court," said the keeper, respectfully. "Then tell Mr D'Arcy Roseubeiraer, when he recovers the few wits be looks to have with my compliments, that he will sometime this evening be summoned for assault. Good-afternoon," said Mi I'arriugton: and he turned ou his heel. Erebus and Wiggins walked lestde him wheeling their bicycles. In a hushed solemn, yet gratified tone. Drs bus said " "Have you killed blm?' "No, my child, I am not a pork butcher." said Mr. Carrington amiably amia-bly "in about twenty minutes the young man will COine I" himself. I.ei us bone that it win be o bi tter and s wiser self Bui what was U all about?" Erebus looked rcimd tbe horizon for inspiration: then she said, with commendable com-mendable gllbnesa, "It was a pheasant in Uieat Deeping Wood. The Terror found It I suppose. I had gone on; and I dldn t see that part But It was if' Wiggins the keeper caught" 1 "We had better have that part clear. I What happened exactly, Rupert?" said Mr. Carrington. It "The Terror found the pheasant and l put It in his bicycle-basket And we r had just got on our bicycles when the E keeper came out of the wood, and I v ran into him ; and he collared me and I took me up to the Court. I wasn't really frightened at least not much," said the artless Wiggins. r "The keeper had no right to touch him," said Erebus glibly. "Wiggins I never touched the pheasant ; he didn't even go into the wood; and when I f went Into the hall, the hall of the Court, I found him and the keeper sit- s ting there, and I let Wiggins out of I course; and then that horrid Mr. Ro- f senheimer who shoots nightingales caught hold of me by the arm ever so I roughly, and I slappedfclm just once. I I should think that the mark Is there still I (her speed of Speech slackened to a j slower, vengeful gratification and then quickened again), and he began to j thump me and the footman interfered. j and I came away, and they came after I us lu the motor car, and you saw what happened at least you did it" She stopped somewhat breathless. "Lucidity Itself," said Mr. Carrlng- j ton "Rut let us have the matter of the pheasant dear. Was the Terror exploring the wood on the chance of finding n pheasant or had he reason to expect that a pheasant would be ! there ready to be brought home?" Erebus blushed faiutiy, looked round the horizon somewhat aimlessly, and said "Well, there was a snare, you know." Mr. Carrington chuckled "I thought so." he said. "And did you know of i that snare Rupert .'" 'h, no bi didn't know anything about it!" Erebus broke in quickly. "We should never have thought of letting let-ting him into anything so dangerous! He's so young!" "I shall be eleven in a fortnight!" said Wiggins with some heat "Vou see. we wanted n fur stole at Battam's In Rowlngton for a Christmas Christ-mas present for mother; and pheas. ants were the only way," Erebus ex plained. H "I Ighl ' Light at last "' said th Higher Mathematician, laughing gently "Weil everyone has been assaulted except the KPach'T Exquisitely Pomeranian! Pom-eranian! Hnt It's Just as well, or that Ingenious brother of yours would be lu a fine mess. As It is I think we can J teach the young Pomeranian not to be so high-spirited." He chuckled again. He turned off to Muttle Deeping; and before he reached the house of Mr. Tupping, the lawyer, he had drawn from Erebus the whole story of their poaching. He was therefore able to lay the whole case before Mr Tupping; Tup-ping; and since the lawyer not only shared the general dislike of Mr. D'Arcj Rosenhelmer, but was also the friend and legal adviser of Mrs Dan-gerri"ld Dan-gerri"ld he could n(3 have laid It before be-fore a more sympathetic man. The result of their council was that DO later than seven o'clock that evening. even-ing. Mr D'Arcy Rosenhelmer was served by the Constable of Little Deep- j Ing with a .summons for an assault on Miss Violet Ana stasia Dangorfield, and ! with another Summons for an assault on Bertram Carrington, F. R. S, and in the course of tho next twenty minutes min-utes his keeer was served wdtb a Summons for an assault ou Master Rupert 'arrlngton Mr D'Arcy Itosenheimer was In a chastened shaken mood, owing to tbe fact that he hid been "put to sleep by au uppercut ou the point" He made haste to despatch a ear Into Rowing- j ton to bring the lawyer who managed his local business The lawyer knew his client's unpopularity unpop-ularity In the County, and advised him earnestly to try to hush these matters up. He declared that however Pomeranian Pome-ranian one might be by extraction and In spirit, no bench of English Magistrates Magis-trates would take a favorable lew of an assault by a big young man on a middle-aged Higher Mathematician of European reputation, or on Miss Violet Anaataala Dangerfleld, aged 13, gallantly gal-lantly rescuing that Higher Mathematician's Mathema-tician's little boy from wrongful arrest and detention. Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhelmer held his aching head with both hands, protested pro-tested that they had done all the effective ef-fective assaulting and protested his devotion to the Sacred Bird beloved of the English Magistracy Rut he per-ceived per-ceived clearly enough that he had let that devotion carry him too far, and that a Bench which ueer profited by It so far as to shoot the particular Sacred Birds on which it was lavished, would not N- deeply touched by It. Therefore he instructed the lawyer to use every effort to settle the matter out of Oourt. t Since iu the background, behind the three assault-, there lurked the Terror with a veritable poached pheasant, the lawyer was not called upon to strain himself. Mr. Carrington settled the i miller out of Court Great Deeping ottage Hospital became richer b a I hundred guineas of Mr D'Arcy Rosenhelmer Rosen-helmer s Anglo-Pomeranian gold ; and the danger which had menaced the courageously collected money of the ; Tw ins was averted. The Terror gave the Sacred Bird a 1 rest but three hares, culled from the pastures of their old enemy. Parmer Stllbbs made up th sixty three shillings shill-ings for the Fur Stole. At the very !j las! moment lu spbe of the fact that It was the heart w arming season, the Terror, contrary to every tradition of that oid-time establishment wrung 1 From Battam's Emporium Dve per cent. |