ven't taken my poor Joey, have you, sir?" said he to the keeper.

"Not yet," replied the keeper, surlily.

"You don't mean to say that you know nothing about him?" replied
Rushbrook.

"Yes, I know something about him and about you too, my chap," replied
the keeper.

"But, Mr Lucas," interrupted the pedagogue, "allow me to put you in
possession of the facts. It appears that this boy--a boy of great
natural parts, and who has been for some time under my tuition, did last
night, but at what hour is unknown to his disconsolate parents, leave
the cottage, taking with him his father's gun, and has not been heard of
since."

"Well, I only hope he's shot himself, that's all," replied the keeper.
"So you have a gun, then, have you, my honest chap?" continued he,
turning to Rushbrook.

"Which," replied Furness, "as I have informed him already, will
certainly be forfeited as a deodand to the lord of the manor; but, Mr
Lucas, this is not all; our mutual friend, Byres, the pedlar, is also
missing, having left the Cat and Fiddle last night, and not having been
heard of since."

"Indeed! that makes out a different case, and must be inquired into
immediately. I think you were not the best of friends, were you?" said
the keeper, looking at Rushbrook; and then he continued, "Come, Mary,
give me my dinner, quick, and run up as fast as you can for Dick and
Martin: tell them to come down with their retrievers only. Never fear,
Mr Furness, we will soon find it out. Never fear, my chap, we'll find
your son also, and your gun to boot. You may hear more than you think
for."

"All I want to know," replied Rushbrook, fiercely, for his choler was
raised by the sneers of the keeper, "is, where my boy may be." So
saying, he quitted the cottage, leaving the schoolmaster with the
keeper.

As Rushbrook returned home, he revolved in his mind what had passed, and
decided that nothing could be more favourable for himself, however it
might turn out for Joey. This conviction quieted his fears, and when
the neighbours came in to talk with him, he was very cool and collected
in his replies. In the meantime the keeper made a hasty meal, and, with
his subordinates and the dogs, set off to the covers, which they beat
till dark without success. The gun, however, which Joey had thrown down
in the ditch, had been picked up by one of the labourers returning from
his work, and taken by him to the ale-house. None could identify the
gun, as Rushb