"Then I'm all with you."

"Run beneath the shadow of the hedge, so that we are not seen," said
Leslie.

"All right; go a-head."

Away the boys ran, Leslie informing Lynch of his plan as they went,
which seemed to meet with Lynch's entire approbation. The outskirts of
the town were speedily reached, when, stopping before the first
cottage was gained, Leslie pulled two long pieces of round hollow tin
from his pocket,--which are known by the name of pea-shooters,--and a
handful of peas.

Giving one of the pea-shooters and some of the peas to Lynch, Leslie
whispered, "Do you take the right hand side, and I the left; mind and
aim straight at the face of the clocks: don't laugh, or the peas will
get into your throat and choke you."

"We had better begin a little higher up, so that the road may be clear
for a run," said Lynch.

Very silently the boys each approached a cottage, and inserting their
pea-shooter in the keyhole, fired a whole mouthful of peas at the
glass face of the old-fashioned eight-day clock, with which each
cottage was furnished.

There was a start, and a sudden cry of, "Lor-a-mercy, what's that?"
from the cottage, which highly amused the boys, who glided on to the
next, and then to the next, producing a similar sensation and
exclamation in each, until they reached the last on their list, which
they favoured with an extra number of shot.

"Run for it, Leslie," said Lynch, "I hear some one coming."

Neither of them could run with their usual speed, their suppressed
laughter was so great; but this soon gave way to alarm as they heard
the steps of their pursuer drawing nearer and nearer.

"We shall be caught, Leslie, let us turn into the field and cut
straight across to the school."

They soon clambered through the hedge; Leslie catching his foot in a
bramble, pitched head foremost into the grass, but before he could
recover himself Lynch was lying by his side whispering, "Lie still,
he's now passing."

As soon as they thought their pursuer had got to a safe distance, they
scrambled on to their feet and darted across the meadow, straight as
the crow flies, and in a few minutes gained the school-house without
any farther adventure.

"I fancy I must have broken some of those glasses," said Leslie, "I
fired so hard; but what a lark! how they all cried 'Lor-a-mercy!'" and
the two boys burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"Come, Leslie," said Lynch, who was the first to recover himself,