me, not being such an enthusiast about cooking as Shock, I
began to explore the sand-cave, to find it ended about a dozen paces in
from the fire, and that there was nothing more to see, while the place
was very smoky and very hot.

"Here, come and watch the rabbud while I go and get some more wood,"
shouted Shock to me.

"No, thank you," I said. "You may watch the cooking. I'll get some
wood."

I hung my jacket on a stone that stuck out of the wall and went out for
the wood, glad to be away from the heat and smoke, and after climbing up
among the firs I collected and brought back a good faggot, with which
the fire was fed till Shock declared the rabbit done.

"Are you ready?" he said.

"Ready!" I replied, as I looked at the half-raw, half-burned delicacy.
"No: I don't want any, Shock. You may have it."

"You don't want none?" he said, staring at me with astonishment.

"No: I've got some sandwiches in my pocket, and I shall eat them by and
by."

"Oh, all right!" he said; and, taking his pocket-knife, he cut off the
rabbit's head and held it out to the dog.

"There's your bit," he said. "Be off."

Juno took the hot delicacy rather timorously; but she seemed to give the
donor a grateful look, and then trotted out into the sunshine, and lay
down to crunch the bones.

The fire was nearly out, the fir-wood burning fiercely and quickly away;
but though it was a nuisance to me it seemed to find favour with Shock,
who set to work, like the young savage he was, tearing off and devouring
the rabbit, throwing the bones together, ready for the dog when she
should come back. I felt half disgusted, and yet hungry, so, going to
where I had hung my jacket, I thought I would get out the sandwiches
Mrs Solomon had cut for me; but as I turned round and looked at Shock I
felt that I should enjoy them better if I waited till he had done.

So I leaned against the rough side of the sand-cave, watching him tear
away at the bones, holding a piece in one hand, the remains of the
rabbit in the other.

I remember it all so well--him sitting there with just a faint blue curl
of smoke rising from the embers, and beyond him, seen as it were in a
rugged frame formed by the low entrance of the hole, was the lovely
picture of hill and vale, stretching far as the eye could reach, and all
bright in the sunshine, and with the bare sky beyond.

I was just thinking what a rough-looking object Shock seemed as he sat
there just in the en