My uniform is
in the ranger's shelter an hour and a half higher up the valley."
"See what comes," said Panky, "of having a whippersnapper not yet twenty
years old in the responsible post of Head Ranger. As for this fellow, he
may be speaking the truth, but I distrust him."
"The man is all right, Panky," said Hanky, "and seems to be a decent
fellow enough." Then to my father, "How many brace have you got?" And
he looked at them a little wistfully.
"I have been at it all day, sir, and I have only got eight brace. I must
run down ten more brace to-morrow."
"I see, I see." Then, turning to Panky, he said, "Of course, they are
wanted for the Mayor's banquet on Sunday. By the way, we have not yet
received our invitation; I suppose we shall find it when we get back to
Sunchildston."
"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!" groaned my father inwardly; but he changed not
a muscle of his face, and said stolidly to Professor Hanky, "I think you
must be right, sir; but there was nothing said about it to me, I was only
told to bring the birds."
Thus tenderly did he water the Professor's second seedling. But Panky
had his seedling too, and, Cain-like, was jealous that Hanky's should
flourish while his own was withering.
"And what, pray, my man," he said somewhat peremptorily to my father,
"are those two plucked quails doing? Were you to deliver them plucked?
And what bird did those bones belong to which I see lying by the fire
with the flesh all eaten off them? Are the under-rangers allowed not
only to wear the forbidden dress but to eat the King's quails as well?"
The form in which the question was asked gave my father his cue.
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