The Slowcoach

Snarker to help, and then Janet paid the bill at the Mitre and bought a few things, including two c

zero; and the whole party started, followed by the crowd of idle men and children to which they were destined

scovered that Moses had a slower walk than any other of the party-in fact, two miles an hour was more th

too much; but everything was too fresh and exciting for that to mat

It was not until their last waving handkerchiefs were out of sight that the children really felt themselves at the

nk, it was decided that on fairly level roads Moses was equal to the Slowcoach plus four passengers, and it was therefore agreed that there should never

not quite as simple as they sound, because Gregory, the youngest, and Hester, being not very much older and not very strong, were to have more ri

yard; but he was rarely sorry, none the less, when the

They merely tore the two cold chickens to pieces and ate them with bread-and-butter and stone ginger beer from an inn beside the road.

there was Blenheim to see, the wonderful house of the Duke of Marlborough, and Fair Rosamond's Bower, and the park and the lak

It is all too uncertain. The only things that really are certain are work and delay. They got no nearer to Blenheim th

odstock's children who were not in school, they began to look about for a camping-place. And this needs more thought than one might suppose, fo

, and sheltered too. Stopping a labourer, they found that the farmer was Mr. Gosden, of Blackett's; and Gregory and Mary Rother

urning so brightly that they knew the farmer's wife could not be far away. Over the mantelpiece was a gun. Two or three highly polished and highly coloured grocer's calendars-pictures of beautiful women

very wide and smiling woman ente

ked, "what can

ies, said: "Please, may we camp tonight in on

er particular. He's gone to Chipping Norton; but," she added, as Gregory began to look miserabl

from a highly coloured tin, covered also with beautiful women

like gipsying?"

splendid," Mary said; "b

ven't slept

said

e in the morning! Roughing it's all very well by day, but

up and added some hot water to the tea and cut some more bread-and-

nder his chin all the way round,

he said;

living in a caravan, and want to camp in the hay takers. At

ed with a twinkle, "when every one who comes to ask leave to spo

t spoil it,"

't it on the ground? And what do you do with your rubbish? Clean it up an

e spoke the necessity of a new official being

at never again would I let a caravan into my fiel

eaking your word. You said you'd bring me a new alarm clock the next ti

you. Well," he added to Mary, "I'll come down with you and

, and she was in despair about the others waiting in the road, hungry and impatie

n. Mr. Gosden had a good look at all of them and at Kink before he said anything. He then gave them leave to camp very near the hedge, and he asked them to promise to be gone by ten the next morning, as he had so

y been puzzling over so

said Mr.

take the hay?

r. Gosde

akers," sa

erstand," sa

It's not a hay mea

regory, "called the f

will put them in the wrong place. I often correct her, but it's no use. It's nothing to do with hay. It's the