after another
as he felt himself gaining strength and it was Dickon who showed him the
best things of all.

"Yesterday," he said one morning after an absence, "I went to Thwaite
for mother an' near th' Blue Cow Inn I seed Bob Haworth. He's the
strongest chap on th' moor. He's the champion wrestler an' he can jump
higher than any other chap an' throw th' hammer farther. He's gone all
th' way to Scotland for th' sports some years. He's knowed me ever since
I was a little 'un an' he's a friendly sort an' I axed him some
questions. Th' gentry calls him a athlete and I thought o' thee, Mester
Colin, and I says, 'How did tha' make tha' muscles stick out that way,
Bob? Did tha' do anythin' extra to make thysel' so strong?' An' he says
'Well, yes, lad, I did. A strong man in a show that came to Thwaite once
showed me how to exercise my arms an' legs an' every muscle in my body.'
An' I says, 'Could a delicate chap make himself stronger with 'em, Bob?'
an' he laughed an' says, 'Art tha' th' delicate chap?' an' I says, 'No,
but I knows a young gentleman that's gettin' well of a long illness an'
I wish I knowed some o' them tricks to tell him about.' I didn't say no
names an' he didn't ask none. He's friendly same as I said an' he stood
up an' showed me good-natured like, an' I imitated what he did till I
knowed it by heart."

Colin had been listening excitedly.

"Can you show me?" he cried. "Will you?"

"Aye, to be sure," Dickon answered, getting up. "But he says tha' mun do
'em gentle at first an' be careful not to tire thysel'. Rest in between
times an' take deep breaths an' don't overdo."

"I'll be careful," said Colin. "Show me! Show me! Dickon, you are the
most Magic boy in the world!"

Dickon stood up on the grass and slowly went through a carefully
practical but simple series of muscle exercises. Colin watched them with
widening eyes. He could do a few while he was sitting down. Presently he
did a few gently while he stood upon his already steadied feet. Mary
began to do them also. Soot, who was watching the performance, became
much disturbed and left his branch and hopped about restlessly because
he could not do them too.

From that time the exercises were part of the day's duties as much as
the Magic was. It became possible for both Colin and Mary to do more of
them each time they tried, and such appetites were the results that but
for the basket Dickon put down behind the bush each morning when he
arrived they