"
"Drat their talk. Thee catch hold o' t'other, Willum, and come along wi'
un."
"Farmer Thompson," said Holmes, warning off Willum and the prong with
his stick, while Diggs faced the other shepherd, cracking his fingers
like pistol-shots, "now listen to reason. The boys haven't been after
your fowls, that's plain."
"Tells 'ee I see'd'em. Who be you, I should like to know?"
"Never you mind, farmer," answered Holmes. "And now I'll just tell you
what it is: you ought to be ashamed of yourself for leaving all that
poultry about, with no one to watch it, so near the School. You deserve
to have it all stolen. So if you choose to come up to the Doctor with
them, I shall go with you, and tell him what I think of it."
The farmer began to take Holmes for a master; besides, he wanted to get
back to his flock. Corporal punishment was out of the question, the odds
were too great; so he began to hint at paying for the damage. Arthur
jumped at this, offering to pay anything, and the farmer immediately
valued the guinea-hen at half a sovereign.
"Half a sovereign!" cried East, now released from the farmer's grip;
"well, that is a good one! The old hen ain't hurt a bit, and she's seven
years old, I know, and as tough as whipcord; she couldn't lay another
egg to save her life."
It was at last settled that they should pay the farmer two shillings,
and his man one shilling; and so the matter ended, to the unspeakable
relief of Tom, who hadn't been able to say a word, being sick at heart
at the idea of what the Doctor would think of him; and now the whole
party of boys marched off down the footpath towards Rugby.
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