CHAPTER XI.

GEOFFRY FALLS AMONGST THIEVES.

HE place where these things happened was on the opposite coast to Liverpool; but when Geoffry made up his mind to walk there, he

never stopped to think of the length of the way. He was too miserable to care; and only anxious to put as much distance as possible between himself and his father's house, and to keep out of the way of the police.

The very first day he started on his journey he saw two policemen coming towards him in the distance, and he instantly scrambled through a hedge; and from that time kept to the fields as much as he could, and avoided the high road. But he could not go on very long without eating, and he had to enter a town to look for some shop where he could buy something to eat. He did this after dark, and left the town as soon as possible when he had bought what he wanted.

E

Just about the same time that Geoffry left the town, in order to find some quiet shed or out-building where he could eat his supper and pass the night, a policeman entered at the other end, making inquiries for such a boy, and distributing hand-bills with a description of Geoffry Lisle and a reward for any news of him.

Had Geoffry seen these hand-bills he would without doubt have thought that the police were after him in order that he might be taken up and hanged. He fell heavily asleep in the shelter of an open barn, and only awakened in the morning to the sound of some rough voices talking near him.

'Well, his clothes is worth summat,' said one voice. 'Strip him, at any rate.'

'Here, youngster, get up, will ye?' said another voice; and Geoffry sat up and looked at two shabby men in corduroys who were standing close to him. Each of them held a thick stick with a knob to it in his hand.

'Look sharp!' said one of the men. We can't be waiting about all day to suit your convenience,'

'What do you mean?' asked Geoffry.

'Give us your coat, weskit, and ceterer,' said the man; 'that's what we means!'

'I shall not do anything of the kind,' answered Geoffry,

The man, for answer, gave him a blow on the head with his stick, which brought the tears into his eyes.

'What do you say now, young bantam cock?'

'Why, that if I was your own size,' said Geoffry, you should not have my coat without a thrashing to go with it. As it is, I suppose I cannot help myself.'

'That's about it, I fancy,' said the other man ; just look sharp!'

There was no help for it, so Geoffry had to give up his coat and waistcoat. He looked the men steadily in the face as they robbed him, and wondered at their being so ugly. They took his jacket and his waistcoat, but fortunately his trousers were worn, and they debated whether they were worth having. One man was for making him take them off; whereupon Geoffry rapidly thrust his fingers through a thin place in one knee, and tore off one of the legs of the trousers, so that the men laughed, and called him a clever fellow-only in their language they used other words, but I don't know thieves' language, and don't want to know it. Yet for all that they pulled off his boots for him, and left him standing in his socks with one leg half bare, so that the description of Geoffry Lisle's dress in the hand-bills did not hold for much. The worst part of the robbery was that the thieves, although they gave up taking Geoffry's trousers, yet rifled his pockets of every halfpenny of his money; and he was left without the means of getting even a breakfast.

Geoffry sat some time on the ground, caring for nothing. I think he would have sat there all day,