The boys were not ill-natured although they were rude, and one of them said—

'I don't mind, if he don't mind. Do'ee mind, Bill?'

'Not I,' said Bill, 'there's room for all.'

Hugh and Harry quickly pulled up some turnips, the biggest they could find; and as they sat roasting them, and eating them as fast as they were done, they felt quite happy again.

But suddenly, just as they felt most comfortable, there was a loud shout from the other end of the field, and they saw a man and a dog coming towards them, upon which Bill and his friend started to their feet, scrambled through the hedge, and ran away as hard as ever they could go.

ILL and his friend had taken to their heels, but Hugh and Harry felt too frightened to move. Besides, they could never have run from the farmer, who was coming towards them; for he was a great strong man, and strode across the field like the giant in the seven-league boots. He seemed like some terrible giant to poor Harry, who turned white and trembled, and said to his brother

'It is the farmer whose hen-house we robbed. I shall be sent to prison now, and perhaps I shall be hanged.'

'What are you doing here, you young

scamps?' asked the farmer, as he came up to them, in a very loud voice.

Harry could not speak, but Hugh said— 'We were roasting turnips.'

Roasting turnips, were you?

You're a

nice lad, to tell me that to my face! And, pray, what business have you to be trespassing in my field and lighting a fire to eat my turnips? eh!'

'We were hungry,' said Hugh. 'We had had nothing to eat all day.'

'But you shouldn't have stolen my turnips for all that, my lad,' said the farmer kindly. 'You mustn't do it again, mind you.'

'We didn't mean to steal them,' said Hugh.

'No; you only meant to to take them without leave, I suppose,' said the farmer, and he laughed. 'Now, then, be off, and don't show your dirty little faces in my turnip-fields again. Do you hear?'

'Yes,' said Hugh; and he was about to move away, when the farmer said, ' Hallo!' for he had caught sight of Harry.

Then he got very angry indeed, and I wonder he did not thrash the boys with the stick he held in his hand.

'You young scoundrels!' said the farmer, 'you are nothing else but a couple of young trained thieves. Not mean to steal indeed! As if you didn't know what stealing means a vast deal too well. I don't believe a single word of what you have said. It's a good thing I have caught you young rascals, for I'll have you into jail in no time! Yes, I don't wonder at your being ashamed of looking me in the face,' said he to Harry, who covered his face with his hands. 'I don't wonder. I remember your wicked, dirty little face, the night before last. Come on with me at once. No; hold your tongues. I won't believe a word you say.'

For Harry was beginning to try and tell the farmer how he and his brother had fallen in with the gipsies. It was in vain that he sobbed, and begged, and entreated; the farmer would not hear him. And Hugh and Harry found themselves next locked

up in an empty coach-house, while the farmer sent off for a policeman.

I don't exactly know what Hugh and Harry thought the policeman would do to them, but they were dreadfully frightened of him when he came, and more frightened still when the man fastened the two boys' wrists together with a handcuff, so that one could not run away without the other.

The farmer had told his story to the policeman; and when the man opened the coach-house door and saw Hugh crying, and Harry crouched in a corner trembling with fear, I think he was surprised, for he expected to see two very wicked-looking boys. The handcuff which was put round Harry's wrist was so much too big for him that his little hand slipt through it, and he looked at the policeman and said, in a miserable little voice

'I can't keep this on, if you please.'

'Well, I never!' said the policeman. 'Are you quite sure, Mr. Benson,' turning to the farmer, as this little un is the 'dentical chap