dly
applied himself to the food he had left behind, he learned something of
what had taken place during the night.

Hickathrift was his informant, for the squire was very stern and silent,
and Mr Marston was in one of the other boats, which were manned by
drain-men and farm-labourers, and had for leaders Farmer Tallington and
the engineer, while many were armed with muskets.

"Is Tom there?" said Dick in a whisper.

"Ay, lad, he's theer," said the big wheelwright, "along o' Mr Marston."

And then in answer to questions he related that Mr Marston had been
over at the Toft, and stopped up watching with the squire for Dick's
return, dropping asleep at last, and then awakening suddenly to hear a
strange noise among the fowls.

The squire went out, followed by Mr Marston, and the truth was before
them.

"The big stack was afire!" whispered Hickathrift, "and burning so as
they knew it would be impossible to put it out, and just as they
realised the terrible state of affairs there was the sound of a shot,
and then of another and another from somewhere down among the cottages,
and directly after the beating of feet, and a party of the labourers
hurried up, startled from their beds.

"`Your turn now, squire,' I says to him," whispered the wheelwright.

"`Ay,' he says, `my turn now. Who fired that shot?'

"`Oh! some un here,' I says. `We thought we seed him as did it going
off in the poont, but it was so dark we couldn't be sure.'

"Squire didn't ask no more, for there was too much to do getting out
your moother, lad, and trying to save the furnitur, 'sides throwing
watter on the fire.

"Bud, theer, it warn't no use. Plaace burned like a bit o' paaper, and
we could do nowt bud save the best o' the things."

"Did you save the clock?" asked Dick.

"Ay, lad, I carried it out mysen, just as Mr Marston come oop wi' a lot
of his lads, and Farmer Tallington come from t'other way; and we saved
all we could, and got out the beasts and horses, but t'owd plaace is
bont out."

"And where is mother?"

"All reight along o' my missus, bless her; and when we see we could do
no more, squire began about who done it."

"Yes: go on."

"Well, theer's nowt much to say, lad, only that soon as squire knowd who
it weer he--"

"But how did he know who it was?" cried Dick.

"Some un towd him."

"Yes, but who told?"

"Him as fired his goon at him when he see'd him by the light o' the fire
poling along in his poont."

"And w