stake at the end after her
with a gentle clatter over the hard dry road. I accompanied Turkey,
helped him to fasten up and bed the cows, went in with him and shared
his hasty supper of potatoes and oatcake and milk, and then set out
refreshed, and nowise apprehensive in his company, to seek the abode
of the redoubtable ogre, John Adam.

CHAPTER XXII

Vain Intercession

He had a small farm of his own at the foot of the hill of which he had
the charge. It was a poor little place, with a very low thatched
cottage for the dwelling. A sister kept house for him. When we
approached it there was no one to be seen. We advanced to the door
along a rough pavement of round stones, which parted the house from
the dunghill. I peeped in at the little window as we passed. There, to
my astonishment, I saw Jamie Duff, as I thought, looking very happy,
and in the act of lifting a spoon to his mouth. A moment after,
however, I concluded that I must have been mistaken, for, when Turkey
lifted the latch and we walked in, there were the awful John and his
long sister seated at the table, while poor Jamie was in a corner,
with no basin in his hand, and a face that looked dismal and dreary
enough. I fancied I caught a glimpse of Turkey laughing in his sleeve,
and felt mildly indignant with him--for Elsie's sake more, I confess,
than for Jamie's.

"Come in," said Adam, rising; but, seeing who it was, he seated
himself again, adding, "Oh, it's you, Turkey!"--Everybody called him
Turkey. "Come in and take a spoon."

"No, thank you," said Turkey; "I have had my supper. I only came to
inquire after that young rascal there."

"Ah! you see him! There he is!" said Adam, looking towards me with an
awful expression in his dead brown eyes. "Starving. No home and no
supper for him! He'll have to sleep in the hay-loft with the rats and
mice, and a stray cat or two."

Jamie put his cuffs, the perennial handkerchief of our poor little
brothers, to his eyes. His fate was full of horrors. But again I
thought I saw Turkey laughing in his sleeve.

"His sister is very anxious about him, Mr. Adam," he said. "Couldn't
you let him off this once?"

"On no account. I am here in trust, and I must do my duty. The duke
gives the forest in charge to me. I have got to look after it."

I could not help thinking what a poor thing it was for a forest. All I
knew of forests was from story-books, and there they were full of ever
such grand trees. Adam went o