Sappers and Miners | Page 3

companion, father; and see how clever he is after rabbits!"
"Matter of opinion," said the Colonel. "I don't suppose the rabbits think
so. Well, mind this: I will not have him tearing about among my young
fruit trees."
CHAPTER TWO.

A DEEP INVESTIGATION.
Breakfast ended, Gwyn went straight off to the yard with half a fish and
some bread; but before he came in sight, there was the rattle of a chain,
a burst of barking, and a handsome collie dog, with long silky ears and
a magnificent frill of thick hair about his neck, stood upon hind-legs at
the full extent of the chain, and tried hard to strangle himself with his
collar.
Then there was a burst of frantic yelps and whines, a kind of dance was
performed as the boy approached with the dog's breakfast, and then
there was peace over the devouring of the bread, which was eaten in
bits thrown at him from a couple of yards away, and caught without
fail.
After this performance the fish was placed in a pan; and as the dog bent
down to eat, Gwyn pulled his ears, thumped his back, sat astride it and
talked to the animal.
"You're going to be shot at if you go into the garden again, Grip; so
look out, old chap. Do you hear?"
The dog was too busy over the fish, but wagged his tail.
"I'm to keep you chained up more, but we'll have some games over the
moor yet--rabbits!"
The fish was forgotten, and the dog threw up his head and barked.
"There, go on with your breakfast, stupid! I'm off."
"How-ow!" whined the dog, dismally, and he kept it up, straining at his
chain till the boy was out of sight, when the animal stood with an ear
cocked up and his head on one side, listening intently till the steps died
out, before resuming his breakfast of fish.
Gwyn was off back to the house, where he fetched his basket from the
larder and carried it into the hall.

"Here, father--mother--come and have a look!" he cried; and upon their
joining him, he began to spread out his catch, so as to have an
exhibition of the silvery bass--the brilliant, salmon-shaped fish whose
sharp back fins proved to a certainty that they were a kind of sea perch.
They were duly examined and praised: and when they had been divided
into presents for their neighbours in the little Cornish fishing port, the
Colonel, who had, after long and arduous service in the East, hung up
his sword to take to spade and trowel, went off to see to his nectarines,
peaches, pears, grapes and figs in his well-walled garden facing the
south, and running down to the rocky shores of the safe inlet of Ydoll
Brea, his son Gwyn following to help--so it was called.
The boy, a sturdy, frank-looking lad, helped his father a great deal in
the garden, but not after the ordinary working fashion. That fell to the
lot of Ebenezer Gelch, a one-eyed Cornishman, who was strangely
imbued with the belief that he was the finest gardener in the West of
England, and held up his head very high in consequence. Gwyn helped
his father, as he did that morning, by following him out into the sunny
slope, and keeping close behind.
The Colonel stopped before a carefully-trained tree, where the great
pears hung down from a trellis erected against the hot granite rock, and
stood admiring them.
"Nearly ripe, father?" asked Gwyn.
"No, my boy, not nearly," said the Colonel, softly raising one in his
hand. "They may hang more than a month yet. We shall beat the Jersey
folk this year."
"Yes, father," said Gwyn, and he followed to where the Colonel
stopped before a peach tree, and stooped to pick up a downy
red-cheeked fellow which had fallen during the night.
"Not fully grown, Gwyn, but it's a very fine one," said the Colonel.
"Yes father--a beauty. Shall I take it in?"

"No, not good enough. Eat it, my boy."
Gwyn did not need any further telling, and the peach disappeared, the
stone being sent flying into the sea.
A little farther on, a golden tawny Jefferson plum was taken from a tree,
for the wasps had carved a little hole in the side, and this was handed to
the boy and eaten. A nectarine which had begun to shrink came next;
and from the hottest corner of the garden a good-tempered looking fig,
which seemed to have opened a laughing mouth as if full, and rejoicing
in its ripeness. After this a rosy apple or two and several Bon Chretien
pears, richly yellow, were picked up and transferred to the boy's pocket,
and the garden was made tidy once more, evidently to