The Birthright

r, and each of these was brought up with the thought that I was their natural enemy. Of course, they were informed that my grandfather's will provided

heir home might be taken from them, they having only a given sum of money. And thus it was

ower. My father has told me many times how, when he was thought to be the prospective heir of Pennington, people could not make enough of him, while Richard Tresidder had but scant courtesy paid him. When it

little, while it seemed to be forgotten that but for the wiles

ome months when I went. For this I was very glad, because I thought it would give me an opportunity for testing him. I had not been in the school a week, however, when my father came to fetch me away. The reason was that Richard Tresidder had demanded it, as

for it, and I was sent to Probus instead, where the education

ow of no grass as green as that which grows there, or of trees so fine and stately. Besides, the river which winds its way downward, and which sometimes runs side by side with the drive leading from the house to the main road, is the most beauteous stream of water I ever saw. Then sloping away from this glen are wooded hills, the sight of which in the early summer time is enough to make a man sing for joy; and in addition to all this, while standing at the main entrance of the house y

idder walking with his mother toward the Pennington woods. Now a great desire came into my heart, not to see Tresidder, but to speak to

use of my size, for it is well known that the Pennington family on the

are trespassing?"

er Pennington,"

t once," he said, sternl

glared at me, while Tresidder grasped his stick as though he would strike me. The woman was nearing seventy, but she was strong and hale, and her eyes flashed like those of a young girl. I

then taken to the lockup, if you are not

d in fair fight. Of course, where cunning and cheatery comes in I should be nowhere. Or perhaps," I continued, "you would like

e; instead, he put a whis

to try yourself; that's a Tresidder all over. Well, I'll go no

be told, I did not care about fighting with Tresidder's m

t I had not gone more than a few steps before I was out of their

e has more brains than his father. He has all the good looks of the family, too. We mus

l, there can be no fear, and it will not be so very long befo

t he meant. I told my father, too, but he could give

y the Tresidders to injure his property. You see, his enemies had almost supreme power in the parish, and they used it to his injury. Still, I knew that the Tresidders must have enemies as well as other people, and it was for me to find out who they were. This I had no great difficulty in doing. A man named William Dawe had farmed a place named Treviscoe, on the Pennington estate, and the poor fellow had several seasons of bad luck. One year his turnip crop failed; the next the foot and mouth disease got hol

sation with the farmer, was to lure him to come to Elmwater Barton, with his wife and son and daug

asked, when I told him what

e caught at my hand, and behaved in a way that made me think f

ot quite. This was proved one day when we wrestled down in the calves' meadow. I had hard work to master him, for George had taken the wrestling prize at St. Eve's Feast for three years in succession. I was proud to have thrown him, especially as I had not yet got my full strength, not being twenty years of age. George had had a varied experience. He had been to sea in a trading

help to me, for they all w

v their dirty capers now," said Geor

height, and the heads have all bursted ready to ripen. Well, suppose, again, that one of these ten-acred fields has barley, or oats, or wheat, while the other is a browsing field in which twenty or thirty head of cattle are feeding. Then let some evil-disposed

awe on the Barton. His eyes seemed to b

ry proper) how George Dawe saved me a large amount of money, a

the fields had become parched and bare, and we were anxious lest the sheep should not have enough grass. On

The browsing fields are all brown; the sheep can't get enough to eat. We must be caref

p c'n nibble a lot on a dewy mornin',

Sheeps' Close' to-night." The "Sheeps' Close" was the name of one of the best mea

on, so I did not get home till late at ni

matter, Geor

es, Maast

?" I

s comin' 'ome from St. Eve two or dree 'ours agone

, George

t is, about three o'clock in the morning-we saw two men coming toward the gateway. We saw them unfasten the gate and open it wide

hem up for the purpose of turning them into the vatches. Here they would be knee-deep in rank vegetation, and the poor things, glad to get to such juicy meat, would eat ravenously. The result of this would be that they wo

my feelings toward the Tresidders were not those of a lover, and I wil

e close to the gate, as if waiting to be let in, and the two men stood behin

, Jacob?" asked yo

e eldest son of Tresidder's "head man" and the

p, as we expec

and apsed!" cried Jacob. "T

dn't have opened it; you must ha

ddle," said George to me, in a whisper; "he's allays a

Tresidder by the scruff of the neck, while G

while these two blackguards cried

devil?" a

vil; we're not related to you in any

out who we were, and b

e law will do nothing for us, so we are

want?" aske

ing a trick worthy only of the devil, your master. We will wrestle fair, as becom

osts from the other, they showed no desire to run away. Nick Tresidder was a year older than I, while Buddle always sneered

ngered me more than I like to be angered, for now, when we were to meet man to man, I felt not so bitter about the sheep. So I put forth all my strength and made him let go his vantage hold, then I put my arm around his chest, and right glad was I when I found him a strong man; so I played with him for the pleasure of wrestling, just a

no longer, for a man cannot bear everything. I caught him in both my arms and lifted him from the ground; then I wrestled in earnest. I heard one

have done," I said, "and tell him who you

l struggling with Buddle, and who, ju

en stabbed. Just tie this cl

ge, panting; "but where

or two," I replied; "but I would not ha

ground, George Dawe tied a cloth tightly across my naked chest, and I could not help wincing at the pain. Just as

Nick had stabbed me lying on the ground. "There," I said, "you k

who was very faint and unable to walk, so ill had he become. Then my heart softened, and togethe

Dr. Hawke, who had been called in, said that he must remain in bed many days. But of this

e many ways in which the Tresidders had tried to harm me. I have often wondered why they felt so evilly toward me, seeing that they were rich at my cost, and I have come to the

n more and more into contact with the Tresidders, with