"Hullo!" said he, unrolling the bundle of sticks under his arm as he spoke, and nodding towards the farm. "You don't work there?"
Bill shook his head. "My father does though," answered he.
"You couldn't borrow a chair for me, I suppose," said the gentleman. "They know you, I daresay."
Bill stared for a minute or two, then suddenly broke into a grin. "Dessay I could," said he.
"Well, look sharp!" returned the gentleman. "And I'll give you a copper."
To his infinite astonishment, Bill had no sooner received the order, than he advanced a few steps along the ditch, turned his face to the hedge, and seizing firm hold of the two whitethorn sterns, commenced drawing himself through the gap.
"He knows how to take an order," said the artist to himself. "That's what I call going the shortest cut."
Meanwhile, Bill's mental comment was, "My! If he ha'n't nearly done me!" And he made like a shot for the door of the shed, casting a rapid glance towards Blazer's kennel, to see if he were on the watch. For once, however, Blazer was otherwise occupied, and Bill gained the shed unobserved.
