134 THE CREAKING DOOR

than he was, that he waited for him to speak
next.

‘] think Dll take one or two of them stones,’
said Pastern very quietly.

‘What for?’ said Fetlock.

‘Oh, just for cur’osity, that’s all. Now, old boy,
make haste and help us to put all this back again.’

‘I think [ll take some of them, too,’ said
Fetlock.

‘Where’s the use?’ said Pastern. ‘If we take
too many he’ll suspect us, and then we shall never
hear the end on’t’

But Fetlock was not to be so pacified. Hesaw
Pastern meant somehow or other to get the better
of him, and go off on this adventure without him ;
and the end of it was a quarrel, in which Pastern
gave him such a bad black eye that he was not fit
to be seen for a week, besides which, he sprained
his ankle so in one of the holes in the rotten old
floor, that it was as much as ever he could do to
crawl downstairs, and so he was obliged to let
Pastern have his way and go instead of him. - He
told every one that the accident was in consequence
of a kick from a horse; and Sunflower, who had a
kind heart, was very sorry for him, and gave hima
guinea out of his own pocket.