y, were rolling arm-in-arm, declaring they were perfectly
sober, and, for a proof of it, trying to direct their feet upon a lump
of chalk, and marching, and missing it. Up came Chaunter to them: 'Fat
goose?' he said-no more. Both the boys rushed straight as far as they
could go; both sung out, 'I'm done!' and they were.

Temple and I contemplated these proceedings as matters belonging to the
ordinary phenomena of feasting. We agreed that gentlemen were always the
last to drop, and were assured, therefore, of our living out the field;
but I dreaded the moment of the goose's appearance, and I think he did
also. Saddlebank's pertinacity in withholding the cool ginger-beer and
the apples offended us deeply; we should have conspired against him had
we reposed confidence in our legs and our tongues.

Twilight was around us. The tramp-children lay in little bundles in
one tent; another was being built by the women and the girl. Overhead I
counted numbers of stars, all small; and lights in the valley-lights of
palaces to my imagination. Stars and tramps seemed to me to go together.
Houses imprisoned us, I thought a lost father was never to be discovered
by remaining in them. Plunged among dark green leaves, smelling
wood-smoke, at night; at morning waking up, and the world alight, and
you standing high, and marking the hills where you will see the next
morning and the next, morning after morning, and one morning the dearest
person in the world surprising you just before you wake: I thought this
a heavenly pleasure. But, observing the narrowness of the tents,
it struck me there would be snoring companions. I felt so intensely
sensitive, that the very idea of a snore gave me tremours and qualms: it
was associated with the sense of fat. Saddlebank had the lid of the pot
in his hand; we smelt the goose, and he cried, 'Now for supper; now for
it! Halloa, you fellows!'

'Bother it, Saddlebank, you'll make Catman hear you,' said Temple,
wiping his forehead.

I perspired coldly.

'Catman! He's been at it for the last hour and a half,' Saddlebank
replied.

One boy ran up: he was ready, and the only one who was. Presently
Chaunter rushed by.

'Barnshed 's in custody; I'm away home,' he said, passing.

We stared at the black opening of the dell.

'Oh, it's Catman; we don't mind him,' Saddlebank reassured us; but we
heard ominous voices, and perceived people standing over a prostrate
figure. Then we heard a voice too well known