THE Saturday before the show at Chilaton, which had dawned so promisingly, became overcast as the day wore on. In the afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Burford went by train to a neighbouring town to spend a few hours with some friends, whilst Tom betook himself to Halcyon Villa, where, to his disappointment, he found that Peter had gone for a drive with his aunt, and that the time of their return was uncertain.
"Never mind, Tim," he said, as he and his little dog turned away from the front door, "we'll go for a tramp by ourselves—to Bellman Glen. I dare say it won't rain, although it looks so cloudy."
Accordingly they started for Bellman Glen, a charming spot much patronised by picnickers; it was about three miles distant from Chilaton. At dinner-time Mr. Burford had told Tom that he did not wish him to loiter about in the Market Square, otherwise the boy would doubtless have whiled away the afternoon there.
Both Tom and Tim enjoyed the walk, more especially the latter, who hunted the fields on either side of the road unreproved. Their way took them through a village, where Tom expended threepence, all the money in his possession, in the purchase of halfpenny buns which, on arriving at Bellman Glen, he shared with Tim, who, from the time he had purchased them, had kept close to his side.
"There, you greedy little beast!" Tom exclaimed laughingly, as he presented his companion with the last piece of the last bun, "that's all. You've had quite as much as I have, if not more."
Satisfied now, Tim stretched himself out on the smooth, velvety turf near the tree against the trunk of which Tom was sitting, and promptly went to sleep.
"The little beggar's tired," Tom said to himself; "well, we can rest a bit. It's awfully hot considering there's no sun. I think it must be thunder weather. I'm tired myself."
But he was a boy who never could be still very long, and, in less than ten minutes after the buns had been finished, he rose and set off with Tim on the return journey. As they emerged from the glen into the road he noticed a wall of black clouds in the west; overhead the sky was a leaden grey.
"I doubt if we get back dry, Tim," he remarked, "anyway we'd better hurry. I wonder what time it is. I'll ask at the village."
He did so, and found that it was nearly six o'clock, later than he had imagined. He was anxious to reach home before his parents, and was doubtful now whether he would; however, they would not worry about him, he reflected, but would imagine him at Halcyon Villa.