CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT.

HOW SAMSON TRIED TO PASS THE SENTINELS.

"Samson!" cried Fred, the next morning, in a fit of excitement, "oh, if
we had properly looked over that cave in the old days, and seen what it
was like!"

"Well, sir, I s'pose it would have been better, sir. All the nicer,
too, for Sir Godfrey, if we'd reg'larly furnished it, and set up a
couple of four-post bedsteads, and had down carpets and such."

"Do you mean this for banter, sir?"

"No, sir; I was only thinking it was stoopid of you to talk in that
way."

"Samson!"

"Master Fred! How are we to know what's going to happen so as to be
prepared? Human folks aren't seeds, as you know what they'll do. If I
puts in a bean, it comes up beans; but you never know what we're going
to come up."

"Don't ramble on like that. Now, listen to me. We must get them to the
cave at once."

"Right, sir."

"Then what shall we do first?"

"First thing's wittling the place, and putting in some stores."

"Now, that sounds sensible. Quite right. We must get some blankets."

"From the Manor, sir?"

"Right again, Samson. And all the food we can. Why, Samson--"

"Yes, sir; I know what you are going to say. We've got to tell the
ladies at the old home to hold their tongues, and say nothing to nobody,
but go up to the Rill Head with a basket o' wittles, and enjoy
themselves, looking at the ships sailing by on the sea, and not eat
nothing themselves, but tumble everything down that hole, with blankets
and pillows, too, if they like, and do it every day."

"Samson," said Fred, joyously, "I did not think of half that, and I'll
never call you a stupid again. The very thing."

"Ah, I am a clever one, I am, sir, when you come to know me. But how
are you going to get to the Manor?"

"You will have to go with a message from me to my mother. Yes, this
very day; but don't tell them whom the provisions are for, and bid them
be very cautious."

"You leave that to me, sir," said Samson. "And now, how are you going
to get them to the cave?"

"We shall want a rope."

"I'll have it ready, sir. When?"

"This very night."

"Yes, sir."

"And we'll take them some of our men's caps and cloaks."

"Good, sir, and a pair of shears."

"What for?"

"No use to dress 'em up as our men when they've got long hair. Did you
see our Nat, sir?"

"Yes, of course; but what do you mean?"

"Hair sprouted all over his head like a badly cut hedge, sir. He'