done for you."

"Oh, Bob," whispered Mercer, "let us go this time! let's run."

"Nay, here's Sir Hawkus coming; and here's some one else too," he
continued, as I saw two figures come trotting up by the way we had
reached the slope, to get to us nearly as soon as the tall,
stern-looking gentleman.

"Who are these?" he cried. "Boys from the Doctor's school? You young
dogs, you!" he shouted, shaking his cane. "Who are you?"

"Two of our pupils, Sir Hawkhurst," said Mr Rebble, panting and out of
breath. "You wretched boys, has it come to this?"

Mercer looked at the speaker, then at Mr Hasnip's smoked spectacles,
and then at me, as General Sir Hawkhurst Rye from the Hall, a gentleman
of whom I had often heard, but whom I had never seen, exclaimed,--

"Well, they are caught red-handed. Rabbits, poaching engines--and
what's that?"

"A ferret, sir," said Mercer humbly.

"Humph, yes. Now, Mr Schoolmaster, what's it to be? Do you take these
boys now, to bring them up before me and another magistrate to-morrow,
or shall I have them marched off by my keeper to the lock-up?"

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

Those were terrible moments, and I remember wishing that it would
suddenly turn into darkest night, as we two lads stood there, shrinking
from the eyes of those four men, at whom I glanced in turn, and they all
impressed me differently. The general's mouth was pursed up, and his
walking cane, which, I perfectly recollect was a thick malacca with an
ivory head, shook in his hand as if he was eager to lay it across our
backs. Bob Hopley stood with his arms crossed over his gun, looking, as
I thought, hurt, pained, and as if we had committed a most terrible
crime. But there was no pain or trouble, as it seemed to me, in either
Mr Rebble's or Mr Hasnip's face. It struck me that they were on the
whole pleased and satisfied in having found us out in a deed that would
give them an opportunity to punish us with heavy impositions.

All these thoughts had passed rapidly through my mind as I stood waiting
to hear Mr Rebble's response to the General's question.

"I will take charge of the boys, sir," he said importantly; "and I shall
lay the matter at once before the notice of Doctor Browne."

"Hang Doctor Browne!" said the General fiercely. "I want to know what
he meant by bringing his confounded school and setting it up close under
my nose. What did he mean? Eh?"

"I am Doctor Browne's assistant master, Sir Hawkhurst