Cashel Byron's Profession

The door of Moncrief House was at the left-hand corner of the front,

and was surmounted by a tall porch, the top of which was flat and

could be used as a balcony. A wall, of the same height as the porch,

connected the house front with the boundary wall, and formed part of

the enclosure of a fruit garden which lay at the side of the house

between the lawn and the playground. When the two boys had crept

along the parapet to a point directly above the porch they stopped,

and each lowered a pair of boots to the balcony by means of

fishing-lines. When the boots were safely landed, their owners let

the lines drop and reentered the house by another skylight. A minute

elapsed. Then they reappeared on the top of the porch, having come

out through the window to which it served as a balcony. Here they

put on their boots, and stepped on to the wall of the fruit garden.

As they crawled along it, the hindmost boy whispered.

"I say, Cashy."

"Shut up, will you," replied the other under his breath. "What's

wrong?"

"I should like to have one more go at old mother Moncrief's

pear-tree; that's all."

"There are no pears on it this season, you fool."

"I know. This is the last time we shall go this road, Cashy. Usen't

it to be a lark? Eh?"

"If you don't shut up, it won't be the last time; for you'll be

caught. Now for it."

Cashel had reached the outer wall, and he finished his sentence by

dropping from it to the common. Gully held his breath for some

moments after the noise made by his companion's striking the ground.

Then he demanded in a whisper whether all was right.

"Yes," returned Cashel, impatiently. "Drop as soft as you can."

Gully obeyed; and was so careful lest his descent should shake the

earth and awake the doctor, that his feet shrank from the

concussion. He alighted in a sitting posture, and remained there,

looking up at Cashel with a stunned expression.

"Crikey!" he ejaculated, presently. "That was a buster."

"Get up, I tell you," said Cashel. "I never saw such a jolly ass as

you are. Here, up with you! Have you got your wind back?"

"I should think so. Bet you twopence I'll be first at the cross

roads. I say, let's pull the bell at the front gate and give an

awful yell before we start. They'll never catch us."