abode with the sheep. Squires andsturdy farmers might now have been met tramping, gun in hand, over thestubble, through the dark green turnip-fields, and over the distantmoorlands, where the crimson heather still bloomed so bonnie.
Anon, the crisp leaves, through which the wind now swept with harshermoan, began to change to yellows, crimsons, and all the hues of sunset,and by-and-by it was hunting-time again.
Archie was unusually thoughtful one night while the family sat, as ofyore, round the low fire in the green parlour, Elsie and Rupert beingbusy in their corner over a game of chess.
"In a brown study, Archie?" said his mother.
"_No_, mummie; that is, Yes, I was thinking--"
"Wonders will never cease," said Rupert, without looking up. Archielooked towards him, but his brother only smiled at the chessmen. Theboy was well enough now to joke and laugh. Best of signs and mosthopeful.
"I was thinking that my legs are almost too long now to go to the meeton poor Scallowa. Not that Scallowa would mind. But don't you think,mummie dear, that a long boy on a short pony looks odd?"
"A little, Archie."
"Well, why couldn't father let me have Tell to-morrow? He is not goingout himself."
His father was reading the newspaper, but he looked at Archie over it.Though only his eyes were visible, the boy knew he was smiling.
"If you think you won't break your neck," he said, "you may take Tell."
"Oh," Archie replied, "I'm quite sure I won't break _my_ neck!"
The Squire laughed now outright.
"You mean you _might_ break Tell's, eh?"
"Well, dad, I didn't _say_ that."
"_No_, Archie, but you _thought_ it."
"I'm afraid, dad, the emphasis fell on the wrong word."
"Never mind, Archie, where the emphasis falls; but if you let Tell fallthe emphasis will fall where you won't like it."
"All right, dad, I'll chance the emphasis. Hurrah!"
The Squire and Mr Walton went off early next day to a distant town, andBranson had orders to bring Tell round to the hall door at nine sharp;which he did. The keeper was not groom, but he was the tallest manabout, and Archie thought he would want a leg up.
Archie's mother was there, and Elsie, and Rupert, and old Kate, andlittle Peter, to say nothing of Bounder and Fuss, all to see "t' youngSquire mount." But no one expected the sight they did see when Archieappeared; for the lad's sense of fun and the ridiculous was quiteirrepressible. And the young rascal had dressed himself from top to toein his father's hunting-rig--boots, cords, red coat, hat, and allcomplete. Well, as the boots were a mile and a half too big for him--more or less, and the breeches and coat would have held at least threeArchie Broadbents, while the hat nearly buried his head, you may guesswhat sort of a guy he looked. Bounder drew back and barked at him. OldKate turned her old eyes cloudwards, and held up her palms. Branson forpoliteness' sake _tried_ not to laugh; but it was too much, he went offat last like a soda-water cork, and the merriment rippled round the ringlike wildfire. Even poor Rupert laughed till the tears came. Then backinto the house ran Archie, and presently re-appeared dressed in his ownvelvet suit.
But Archie had not altogether cooled down yet. He had come to theconclusion that having an actual leg up, was not an impressive way ofgetting on to his hunter; so after kissing his mother, and asking Rupertto kiss Elsie for him, he bounded at one spring to Branson's shoulder,and from this elevation bowed and said "good morning," then let himselfneatly down to the saddle.
"Tally ho! Yoicks!" he shouted. Then clattered down the avenue,cleared the low, white gate, and speedily disappeared across the fields.
Archie had promised himself a rare day's run, and he was notdisappointed. The fox was an old one and a wily one--and, I might add,a very gentlemanly old fox--and he led the field one of the prettiestdances that Dawson, the greyest-headed huntsman in the North, everremembered; but there was no kill. No; Master Reynard knew preciselywhere he was going, and got home all right, and went quietly to sleep assoon as the pack drew off.
The consequence was that Archie found himself still ten miles from homeas gloaming was deepening into night. Another hour he thought wouldfind him at Burley Old Farm. But people never know what is before them,especially hunting people.
It had been observed by old Kate, that after Archie left in the morning,Bounder seemed unusually sad. He refused his breakfast, and behaved sostrangely that the superstitious dame was quite alarmed.
"I'll say naething to the ladies," she told one of the servants, "but,woe is me! I fear that something awfu' is gain tae happen. I houp theyoung laddie winna brak his neck. He rode awa' sae daft-like. He isjust his faither a' ower again."
Bounder really had something on his mind; for dogs do think far morethan we give them credit for. Well, the Squire was off, and also MrWalton, and now his young master had flown. What did it mean? Why hewould find out before he was many hours older. So ran Bounder'scogitations.
To think was to act with Bounder; so up he jumped, and off he trotted.He followed the scent for miles; then he met an errant collie, andforgetting for a time all about his master, he went off with him. Therewere many things to be done, and Bounder was not in a hurry. Theychased cows and sheep together merely for mischief's sake; they gavechase to some rabbits, and when the bunnies took to their holes, theyspent hours in a vain attempt to dig them out. The rabbits knew theycould never succeed, so they quietly washed their faces and laughed atthem.
They tired at last, and with their heads and paws covered with mould,commenced to look for mice among the moss. They came upon a wild bees'home in a bank, and tore this up, killing the inmates bee by bee as theyscrambled out wondering what the racket meant. They snapped at the beeswho were returning home, and when both had their lips well stung theyconcluded to leave the hive alone. Honey wasn't _very_ nice after all,they said. At sunset they bathed in a mill-dam and swam about tillnearly dusk, because the miller's boy was obliging enough to throw insticks for them. Then the miller's boy fell in himself, and Boundertook him out and laid him on the bank to drip, neither knowing norcaring that he had saved a precious life. But the miller's boy's motherappeared on the scene and took the weeping lad away, inviting the dogsto follow. She showered blessings on their heads, especially on "thebig black one's," as the urchin called Bounder, and she put bread andmilk before them and bade them cat. The dogs required no secondbidding, and just as Bounder was finishing his meal the sound of hoofswas heard on the road, and out bounced Bounder, the horse swerved, therider was thrown, and the dog began to wildly lick his face.
"So it's you, is it, Bounder?" said Archie. "A nice trick. And nowI'll have to walk home a good five miles."
Bounder backed off and barked. Why did his master go off and leave himthen? That is what the dog was saying.
"Come on, boy," said Archie. "There's no help for it; but I do feelstiff."
They could go straight over the hill, and through the fields and thewood, that was one consolation.
So off they set, and Archie soon forgot his stiffness and warmed to hiswork.
Bounder followed close to his heels, as if he were a very old and a verywise dog indeed; and harrying bees' hives, or playing with millers'boys, could find no place in his thoughts.
Archie lost his way once or twice, and it grew quite dark. He waswondering what he should do when he noticed a light spring up not faraway, and commenced walking towards it. It came from the little windowof a rustic cottage, and the boy knew at once now in which way to steer.
Curiosity, however, impelled him to draw near to the window. He gavejust one glance in, but very quickly drew back. Sitting round a tablewas a gang of half a dozen poachers. He knew them as the worst and mostnotorious evil-doers in all the country round. They were eating anddrinking, and guns stood in the corners, while the men themselves seemedready to be off somewhere.
Away went Archie. He wanted no nearer acquaintance with a gang likethat.
In his way home he had to pass Bob Cooper's cottage, and thought hemight just look in, because Bob had a whole book of new flies gettingready for him, and perhaps they were done.
Bob was out, and his mother was sitting reading the good Book by thelight of a little black oil lamp. She looked very anxious, and said shefelt so. Her laddie had "never said where he was going. Only just wentaway out, and hadn't come back."
It was Archie's turn now to be anxious, when he thought of the gang, andthe dark work they might be after. Bob was not among them, but whocould tell that he would not join afterwards?
He bade the widow "Good-night," and went slowly homewards thinking.
He found everyone in a state of
From Squire to Squatter: A Tale of the Old Land and the New Page 9
