The Terrible Twins

reepence to Erebus with an unusual air of triumph; as a rule h

lly. "That makes-that makes twenty-eigh

ror quickly. "But you don't seem to see that when we've got

us; and her eyes shone very brigh

are at their dinner, and was able to make a thorough examination of it. He found it full of pheasant runs, and chose the two likeliest places for his snares. He did not set them then and there; a keeper on his

more kittens. They found themselves in the happy position of need

at Deeping wood. They had laid a trail of raisins and set a snare in the wood itself, in the

g the valley. The afternoon was still young, and for December, uncommonly clear and bright. But as they rode through the wood, the Terror decided that instead of returning to it in the favoring du

y came to the corner of the wood, Erebus rode on up the road to keep a lookout ahead. The Terror slipped off his bicycle, and so did Wiggins. Wiggins held the two bicycles. The Terror listened. The wood w

fashion as he came. There was neither time nor room to turn. They rode on; and the keeper made for the Terror. The Terror swerved; and the

but both of them kept looking back for Wiggins; and presently, when no Wi

mess!" said the Terror, who was p

e of us!" cried Erebus.

he Terror. "But, as it is, it's me they really want; and I'd get fined to a dead certainty. Come

d Erebus; and sh

d she give the alarm. They got no sight of Wiggins till they came, just beyond the end of the wood, to the lodges of Great Deeping Park; then, half-way up the drive, they saw the keeper and hi

ightened. He was never in the wood at all; and

Erebus in a tone of acute distress, gazing after their receding friend with very an

of pluck," said the Terr

there's no saying how that beastly foreigner who shoots nigh

rrational conception o

er the sooner he'll be out of it," said th

e got to rescue him now-at once. We got him into the mess; a

rowning deeply; and he took off his cap

im, frowning e

ins been so hope

his gloomiest tone: "I c

t of it somehow!" cried Ereb

her bicycle and rode

, he was the only poacher of the three, the only one in real danger. As he leaned on his machine, watching his vanis

er would, as befitted his station, enter it by the back door, when she saw Wiggins' bicycle standing against one of the pillars of the great porch.

against another of the pillars, but out of sight lest he should take it by mistake, walked up the steps, hammered the knocker firmly, and rang the bell. The moment the

ing eyes, then she said sharply: "What

this suddenness in order

me surprise at her uncompromisin

t 'im po

aking to me sitting down?" cried E

uickness and a sudden sheepish air:

e boy like that!" cr

e brought 'im to Mr. D'Arcy Rosynimer an' it'

the sound Wiggins, his face faintly flushed with hope, braced himself. Erebus measured the distance with the eye of an expert, ju

an eager, angry voice, reverting i

him Erebus sprang to the

ggins!" s

d missed; the footman grabbed, and grabbed the interposin

caught him a slap on his truly Pomeranian expanse of cheek with the full swing of her right, a slap that rang through the great hall like the crack of a whip-lash. Mr. D'Arcy Rosenheimer was large but ten

o 'it Henglish young ladies!" he

gled; then he howled furiously, "Ged

t's a month to-morrow since I gave notice, anyhow. I've had

" roared Mr. D'

d my wages," said

mmed it behind her. To her dismay she saw a big motorcar coming round the corner of th

gates she found the T

ns on!" he shout

ieked back. "The beastly fo

o ride all they knew. They were fully eight miles from home, and the car could go three miles to their one on that good road. The Twins alone would have made a longer race of it; but t

e that matters! You did the poaching! I'll lo

ns; and they rode on. The car was overhauling them rapidly, but not so rapidly as it would have done had not Mr. D'Arcy Rosenhei

car was less than fifty yards behind them; and th

father!" ga

d, the higher

their bicycles; and Erebus cried: "Wiggins ha

?" said Mr. Car

as it came to a dead stop Mr. D'Arcy R

umphantly, but quite incorrectly; and he rushed a

atter?" said

to step lightly backward and forward in one movement; his left arm shot out; and there befell Mr. D'Arcy Rosenheimer what, in the technical terms

ngaged himself from the

aid Mr. Carrington in his most agreeab

satisfaction he made no effort to hide, at the bo

sir," he said civill

uard who assaults quiet elderly gentlemen, taking constitutionals, in this most unpr

r. D'Arcy Rosenheimer, of Great Deeping

have, with my compliments, that he will some time this evening be summoned

f his left hand with rueful tenderness. None the less he looked pleased; it was gratifying to a slight man of his sedentary habit to have knocked down such a large, round Pomeranian Briton w

s said in a hushed, awed, yet gratified to

a pork-butcher," said

id Erebus; and there was a faint

t it will be a better and wiser self," said Mr. Carrington. "But what wa

ject with commendable glibness: "It was a pheasant in Great Deeping wood," she said. "The Terror found it

little clearer," broke in Mr. Carrington. "Had you

n his bicycle basket. And we had just got on our bicycles when the keeper came out of the wood, and I ran

d I let Wiggins out, of course, and then that horrid Mr. D'Arcy Rosenheimer who shoots nightingales, caught hold of me by the arm ever so roughly, and I slapped him just once. I should think that the mark is still there "-her speed

d somewhat

t clear. Was the Terror exploring the wood on the chance of finding a pheasant, or

he horizon somewhat aimlessly, and sai

so. I thought we should come to that snare in

roke in quickly. "We should never have thought of le

a fortnight!" said W

Christmas present for mother; and pheasants were the only way w

acher; exquisitely Pomeranian! But it's just as well that they have, or that ingenious brother of yours would be in a

d at the garden gate of Mr. Tupping, the lawyer who had sold his practise at Rowington and had retired to Little Deeping. At his gate Mr. Carrington bade Erebus good afternoon and to

ickly home. She found the Terror in th

ied. "I passed Mr. Carrington; and I thought

st admiration how firmly Mr. Carringt

ish I'd been there!" said the Terr

o lie low in case Mr. Rosenheimer's keep

t pheasant. I sold it to Mr. Carrington's cook as I came th

e only want about another

for though the lawyer had given up active practise, he still retained the work of a fe

but also because she could so ill afford the expense of the case. He readily fell in with the view of Mr. Carrington tha

ittle Deeping with a summons for an assault on Violet Anastasia Dangerfield, and with another summons for an assault on Bertram Carrin

. D'Arcy Rosenheimer was in a chastened shaken mood, owing to the fact that he had been "put to sleep by an upperc

y extraction and in spirit, no bench of English magistrates would take a favorable view of an assault by a big young man on a middle-aged higher mathematician of Euro

of the English magistracy. But he perceived clearly enough that he had let that devotion carry him too far, and that a Bench which never profited by it, so far as to shoot th

gton uncommonly bitter against his client; and he did his best to placate him by urging that the assault had been met with a promptitude which had

nd at last he made terms. The summonses should be withdrawn on condition that nothing more was heard about that poached pheasant and that Mr. D'Arcy Rosenheimer co

f having his mother informed that he was poaching. The Terror gave his word to snare no more pheasants the more readily since if Mrs. Dangerfield were informed of his poaching, she would forbid him to set another snare for anything. Besides, he had been somewhat shaken by his narrow escape the day before. Only he pointed out that he could not be quite sure of never snaring

o nearly complete. They turned their attention to the habits of the hare, and snared one in the hedge of the farthes

told Erebus, they would get the choice of more stoles if they bought it before the Christmas r

when they dismounted at the door of Barker's shop, Erebus gazed wistfully across

overseering' salary. We might have gone to Spri

d said: "Yes, it is a pity. We ought to have remembere

of them were nearly sure that she had chosen the very best of them. The girl who was serving them made out the bill; and the Terror drew the little bag which held the

stole when a flash of inspiration brightened his face; and he

re," said the girl quickly. "This is s

ave discount for cash," said

as his own shop-walker, was strolling up and down with gr

oo old established a house to connive at these sharp modern way

ll right," he said. "You can put the stole down to me-M

vel the money b

rker as the coins began to disappear; and he said quickly: "I'm

t here for the last six years," said the Terror i

alters the case altogether! In the case of the son of an old customer like Mrs. Dangerfield we're delighte

l for three pounds; and Erebu

he jingled the brave three shillings discount