hs of a laurel bush in which he had taken refuge. He thought
himself well hidden, and certainly his uncle was unaware of his close
presence. Suddenly, as he was passing him, close enough to touch had
he so wished, an impulse seized Bobby to speak.

Mr. Mortimer Egerton, sauntering lazily along in the morning sunshine
and smoking his beloved pipe, was startled when he heard a lisping
whisper:

'Where's mine father? Did you see him?'

It brought him to a standstill; there was a rustle in the bushes. He
probed them with his stick, but could see nothing. Then he gave chase,
and soon caught sight of a vanishing blue linen smock.

'I spy!' he shouted, and renewed his chase with vigour. But Bobby was
an experienced hider. He was small, and the bushes were thick and
high. Keeping well under cover, he reached the kitchen garden, and
heard his baffled uncle take a wrong turn into the rose walk that
stretched across the front lawn. Breathless and excited, the child
reached Tom.

'He's run after me. He was the hunter and I was a tiger in the jungle!
I seed him when he couldn't see me, and I likes him!'

'Which of course you is bound to do,' was Tom's ready response.
'Master Mortimer allays twisted most folk round his little finger.'

'I'll make him hunt me again,' said Bobby, a flush on his cheek and
fire in his eye. 'He couldn't catch me, Tom. I won't be catched by
him.'

'Master Mortimer allays used to do what he'd a mind to,' said old Tom
again.

Bobby looked at him thoughtfully. He was beginning to be afraid of
this uncle.

Chapter II.

'HE MAY COME TO-MORROW!'

That very same day in the afternoon Bobby was up in his apple-tree,
when, to his consternation, he saw his uncle saunter into the orchard,
shake hands with Tom, who was cutting the grass there, and begin an
animated conversation with him. Bobby curled himself up well out of
sight, and presumed upon his position, for when Mr. Mortimer came down
to his corner and stopped for a moment under the tree, the little scamp
again said, in as gruff a voice as he could assume:

'Have you seen mine father?'

In one second Mr. Mortimer's great long arm had shot up through the
branches, and seized hold of one of Bobby's fat legs.

'Now, my little man, we'll meet each other face to face!'

Terror succeeded Bobby's audacity. He found himself on the ground,
but, alas! in his rough descent Nobbles had been dashed from his grasp
over the wall upon