"And you knocked him about too, I suppose?" said Sir Francis.

"Yes, I suppose I did, sir. He hurt me, and I was in a pa.s.sion."

"Now, Philip, what have you to say?"

Philip looked uneasy as he glanced at his brother and then at Sir Francis.

"Well, go on, sir."

"We were up by the big con--"

"Yes, yes, we have heard all about that," cried Sir Francis.

"Yes, pa; and we heard whistles, and Courtenay said, 'What's that?'"

"I thought it was you said 'What's that?'"

"No, pa, it was Courtenay," cried the boy quickly: "he said it. And then I wanted to go down and catch the thieves, and Courtenay came too, and we could hear them shaking down the pears. Then I went one way and Courtenay went the other, and I saw that new labourer--that man--"

"Fine eyes for his age," said Ike in a low growl.

"How dare you speak, sir, till you are called upon for your defence!"

cried Sir Francis.

"Oh, all right, your worship!" growled Ike. "On'y you know how dark it weer."

"Silence, man!"

_Plop_!

That was Ike's hand over his mouth again to enforce silence.

"Go on, Philip," said Sir Francis quietly.

"Yes, pa," cried the boy excitedly. "As soon as I saw that man shaking down the big pears I ran at him to try and catch him."

"You should ha' took off your cap, young un, and ketched me like a b.u.t.terfly," growled Ike.

"Will you be silent, sir!"

_Plop_!

"He struck me, then, in the chest, pa, and knocked me right down in among the bushes."

"No, he did not," I exclaimed indignantly; "it was I."

"It was not; it was that man," cried Philip; and Ike burst out into a hearty laugh.

"Am I to order you out of the room, sir?" cried Sir Francis, severely.

"All right, your worship! No," cried Ike.

_Plop_!

"Now, Philip, go on."

"Yes, pa. I'm not very strong, and he shook me and banged me about ever so; but I was determined that I would not let him go, and held on till we heard you come; and then instead of trying to get away any more he turned round and began to drag me towards you, pretending that he had caught me, when I had caught him, you know."

"Go and sit down," said Sir Francis. "You boys talk well."

"Yes, papa, we are trying to tell you everything," said Philip.

"Thank you," said Sir Francis, and then he turned to me and looked me all over.

"Well, sir," he said, "your appearance and the evidence are very much against you."

"Yes, Sir Francis," I said; "very much indeed."

"Well, what have you to say?"

I could not answer for some moments, for my feelings of indignation got the better of me, but at last I blurted out:

"I went down the garden Sir Francis, to try and catch some moths."

"With this, eh?" said Sir Francis picking up something from the floor, and placing my old dark lantern on the table.

"Yes, Sir Francis," I said. "I am making a collection."

"Where is it, then?"

"Down at the cottage, Sir Francis."

"Humph!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Sir Francis. "Have you seen his collection, Brownsmith?"

"Yes, Sir Francis; he has a great many--b.u.t.terflies and moths."

"Humph! Sugar the trees, eh?"

"Yes, sir," I said quickly.

"And do you know that he goes down the garden of a night?"

"Yes, Sir Francis, often," said Mr Solomon.

"Isn't it enough to tempt him to take the pears?"

"No, Sir Francis," replied Mr Solomon boldly. "I might just as well say to you, 'Isn't it enough to tempt him to take the grapes or the peaches to trust him among them alone.'"

"He did steal the peaches when he first came. I caught him at it,"