age by
which he could reach them. But they had not heard him, nor had they
waited among the fruit. When he was near the corner of the wall, one
leading man came round within a foot or two of the spot on which he
stood; and, before he could decide on what he would do, the second
had appeared. He rushed forward with the loaded stick in his hand,
but, knowing its weight, and remembering the possibility of the
comparative innocence of the intruders, he hesitated to strike. A
blow on the head would have brained a man, and a knock on the arm
with such an instrument would break the bone. In a moment he found
his left hand on the leading man's throat, and the man's foot behind
his heel. He fell, but as he fell he did strike heavily, cutting
upwards with his weapon, and bringing the heavy weight of lead at the
end of it on to the man's shoulder. He stumbled rather than fell, but
when he regained his footing, the man was gone. That man was gone,
and two others were following him down towards the gate at the bottom
of the orchard. Of these two, in a few strides, he was able to catch
the hindermost, and then he found himself wrestling with Sam Brattle.

"Sam," said he, speaking as well as he could with his short breath,
"if you don't stand, I'll strike you with the life-preserver."

Sam made another struggle, trying to seize the weapon, and the parson
hit him with it on the right arm.

"You've smashed that anyway, Mr. Fenwick," said the man.

"I hope not; but do you come along with me quietly, or I'll smash
something else. I'll hit you on the head if you attempt to move away.
What were you doing here?"

Brattle made no answer, but walked along towards the house at the
parson's left hand, the parson holding him the while by the neck of
his jacket, and swinging the life-preserver in his right hand. In
this way he took him round to the front of the house, and then began
to think what he would do with him.

"That, after all, you should be at this work, Sam!"

"What work is it, then?"

"Prowling about my place, after midnight, with a couple of strange
blackguards."

"There ain't so much harm in that, as I knows of."

"Who were the men, Sam?"

"Who was the men?"

"Yes;--who were they?"

"Just friends of mine, Mr. Fenwick. I shan't say no more about 'em.
You've got me, and you've smashed my arm, and now what is it you're
a-going to do with me? I ain't done no harm,--only just walked about,
like."

To tell the truth, ou