leisure this too tardy repentance of yours. For me, I am vowed
and dedicated, and my relations henceforth are austerity and holy
works. Once a month, should you wish it, it shall be your
privilege to come and gaze at me through this very solid grating;
but--" WHACK!

A well-aimed clod of garden soil, whizzing just past my ear,
starred on a tree-trunk behind, spattering me with dirt. The
present came back to me in a flash, and I nimbly took cover
behind the trees, realising that the enemy was up and abroad,
with ambuscades, alarms, and thrilling sallies. It was the
gardener's boy, I knew well enough; a red proletariat, who hated
me just because I was a gentleman. Hastily picking up a nice
sticky clod in one hand, with the other I delicately projected my
hat beyond the shelter of the tree-trunk. I had not fought with
Red-skins all these years for nothing.

As I had expected, another clod, of the first class for size and
stickiness, took my poor hat full in the centre. Then, Ajax-
like, shouting terribly, I issued from shelter and discharged my
ammunition. Woe then for the gardener's boy, who, unprepared,
skipping in premature triumph, took the clod full in his stomach!

He, the foolish one, witless on whose side the gods were fighting
that day, discharged yet other missiles, wavering and wide of the
mark; for his wind had been taken with the first clod, and he
shot wildly, as one already desperate and in flight. I got
another clod in at short range; we clinched on the brow of the
hill, and rolled down to the bottom together. When he had
shaken himself free and regained his legs, he trotted smartly off