fields from Dewley Burn,
he walked that distance early in the morning to his work, returning home
late in the evening. One of the old residents at Black Callerton, who
remembered him at that time, described him to the author as "a grit
growing lad, with bare legs an' feet;" adding that he was "very
quick-witted and full of fun and tricks: indeed, there was nothing under
the sun but he tried to imitate." He was usually foremost also in the
sports and pastimes of youth.

Among his first strongly-developed tastes was the love of birds and
animals, which he inherited from his father. Blackbirds were his special
favourites. The hedges between Dewley and Black Callerton were capital
bird-nesting places; and there was not a nest there that he did not know
of. When the young birds were old enough, he would bring them home with
him, feed them, and teach them to fly about the cottage unconfined by
cages. One of his blackbirds became so tame, that, after flying about
the doors all day, and in and out of the cottage, it would take up its
roost upon the bed-head at night. And most singular of all, the bird
would disappear in the spring and summer months, when it was supposed to
go into the woods to pair and rear its young, after which it would
reappear at the cottage, and resume its social habits during the winter.
This went on for several years. George had also a stock of tame rabbits,
for which he built a little house behind the cottage, and for many years
he continued to pride himself upon the superiority of his breed.

After he had driven the gin for some time at Dewley and Black Callerton,
he was taken on as an assistant to his father in firing the engine at
Dewley. This was a step of promotion which he had anxiously desired, his
only fear being lest he should be found too young for the work. Indeed,
he used afterwards to relate how he was wont to hide himself when the
owner of the colliery went round, in case he should be thought too little
a boy to earn the wages paid him. Since he had modelled his clay engines
in the bog, his young ambition was to be an engineman; and to be an
assistant fireman was the first step towards this position. Great
therefore was his joy when, at about fourteen years of age, he was
appointed assistant-fireman, at the wage of a shilling a day.

But the coal at Dewley Burn being at length worked out, the pit was
ordered to be "laid in," and old Robert and his family were again under
the