But Brawn cocked his bonnie head to one side, knowingly.
"Pitch it this way, master," he said. "I've got a crop for any kind of corn, and a bag for peas."
A strange little rodent creature, much bigger than any rat, however, with beautiful sad-looking eyes, came from the bush, and stood on its hind-legs begging, not a yard away. Its breast was as white as snow.
Probably it had no experience of the genus homo, and all the cruelties he is guilty of, under the title of sport.
Roland pitched several pieces of pie towards the innocent. It just tasted a morsel, then back it ran towards the wood with wondrous speed.
If they thought they had seen the last of it, they were much mistaken, for the innocent returned in two minutes time, accompanied not only by another of his own size, but by half a dozen of the funniest little fairies ever seen inside a forest.
"My wife and children," said innocent No. 1.
"My services to you," bobbed innocent No. 2.
But the young ones squawked and squealed, and tumbled and leapt over each other as they fed in a manner so droll that boy and girl had to laugh till the woods rang.
Innocent No. 1 looked on most lovingly, but took not a morsel to himself.