d were
partial to skittles.

The four boys and the proprietor of the establishment seated themselves
on benches in this orchard and gulped the beer.

"Your cigar does not seem to draw well," said Saurin.

"No," replied Edwards; "I can't think what is the matter with it; I
never smoked a cigar like this before."

Which was perfectly true, as it was the first he had ever put into his
mouth.

"Let me look at it. Why, you have not bitten the end off! You might as
well expect smoke to go up a chimney that is bricked up at the top.
Here, I'll cut it for you with my penknife; now you will find it go all
right. What a row that hawk of yours makes, Perry!"

"Yes, he ought to be hooded, you know. Hateful times we live in, don't
we! How jolly it must have been when education meant learning to ride,
fly a hawk, train a hound, shoot with the bow, and use the sword and
buckler, instead of mugging at abominable lessons."

"Right you are, sir," said Mr Slam; "why, even when I was a lad a fight
or a bit of cocking could be brought off without much trouble, but
nowadays the beaks and perlice are that prying and interfering there's
no chance hardly. And as for them times Mr Perry was speaking of, why,
I've heard tell that the princes and all the nobs used to go to see a
prize-fight in a big building all comfortable, just as they goes now to
a theayter. And every parish had to find a bull or a bear to be bated
every Sunday. Ah! them was the good old times, them was."

Edwards did not find his cigar very nice. The smoke got down his throat
and made him cough till his eyes watered, and the taste was not so
pleasant as the smell. However, Saurin seemed to like it, so there must
be some pleasure about it if he only persevered.

He laboured under a delusion here, for Saurin would rather not have
smoked, as a matter of fact, though he had a great object in view, the
colouring of his pipe, which supported him. His real motive in this, as
in all other matters, was vanity. Other boys would admire him for
smoking like a full-grown man, and so he smoked. He would never have
done it alone, without anyone to see him, being too fond of himself to
persevere in anything he did not like, out of whim, or for the sake of
some possible future gratification, of the reality of which he was not
very well assured.

"Did you ever play at quoits, Edwards?" asked Saurin presently.

"Yes, I have played at home; we have some."

"Suppose we