She touched me lightly but peremptorily on the arm in warning, and I
stopped. On the other side of the board fence a door opened creakily,
and there sounded a loud and cheerful voice--that of the gentleman in
the dressing-gown.

"HERE we come!" it said; "me and big Bill Hammersley. I want to show
Bill I can jump ANYWAYS three times as far as he can! Come on, Bill."

"Is that Mr. Beasley's voice?" I asked, under my breath.

Miss Apperthwaite nodded in affirmation.

"Could he have heard me?"

"No," she whispered. "He's just come out of the house." And then to
herself, "Who under heaven is Bill Hammersley? I never heard of HIM!"

"Of course, Bill," said the voice beyond the fence, "if you're afraid
I'll beat you TOO badly, you've still got time to back out. I did
understand you to kind of hint that you were considerable of a jumper,
but if--What? What'd you say, Bill?" There ensued a moment's complete
silence. "Oh, all right," the voice then continued. "You say you're in
this to win, do you? Well, so'm I, Bill Hammersley; so'm I. Who'll go
first? Me? All right--from the edge of the walk here. Now then!
One--two--three! HA!"

A sound came to our ears of some one landing heavily--and at full
length, it seemed--on the turf, followed by a slight, rusty groan in the
same voice. "Ugh! Don't you laugh, Bill Hammersley! I haven't jumped as
much as I OUGHT to, these last twenty years; I reckon I've kind of lost