mouthful of which he partook would
choke him.

"Hah!" said Uncle Paul, at last; "it is a drawback to this beautiful
place. The colours of the heath are glorious, and the views from up
here are grand. I got some good specimens too, ready for our
microscopic work to-night; and that was a nice trout you caught. How
many did you get, boy?"

"Only one, uncle," said the boy vacantly.

"What!"

"I didn't see the other, uncle."

Uncle Paul drew a deep breath and fixed the boy with his eyes, as he
said quietly--

"I asked you how many trout you got, Pickle."

"Oh, about fifty, uncle. Creel's half full."

"Ah! Then we will have some for high tea to-night, and some for
breakfast in the morning, and give our landlady the rest. Nice woman
that; full of stories about the prisoners, and Bony and his wretched
scum. Ugh! The very name of the rascal raises my bile, and--There, I
think I had better take you home and give you a dose."

"Yes, let's go on back now, uncle," said the boy eagerly, "but indeed,
indeed I don't want a dose."

"Humph! Then pray why did you grip hold of my arm again like that, and
stare across yonder over my shoulder as if you could see a raven hiding
in one of the holes?"

"Oh no, uncle," cried the boy, with a forced laugh. "I couldn't see
anything."

"Ha, ha!" ejaculated Uncle Paul. "Now, look here, Pickle; you and I
have always had a sort of tacit agreement that we'd play fair together,
and that there should be a mutual confidence."

"Yes, uncle, of course," cried the boy, whose face was burning.

"Very well, then, you are breaking truce. You are not playing the game,
sir."

"Uncle!"

"Pickle! Now then, sir, out with it. You have seen those French
prisoners."

"Uncle!"

"Yes, sir. Why did you pinch my arm--twice? Now then, honour!"

"I--I--You were talking about Bonaparte."

"Well, what of that?"

"I was afraid he'd hear you, uncle."

"What!" cried the other, and his mouth opened wide. "Bony! Here?"

"No, uncle, of course not, but one of the young prisoners. He was
escaping."

"And you--you have turned traitor to your King, and been hiding a
prisoner of war from his guard! Why, you young scoundrel! You lied to
that sergeant, and said you hadn't seen them."

"I didn't, uncle!" cried the boy hotly. "It was you."

"Eh? What?" roared the elder. "You dare to! Eh?--Ah--so I did! But
then I didn't know."

"No, uncle, and if you had seen and heard the poor