For the next few days the keeper's existence was enlivened by visits from what appeared to be a most enthusiastic bird's-nester. By no other theory could he account for it. Only a boy with a collection to support would run such risks.
To the keeper's mind the human boy up to the age of twenty or so had no object in life except to collect eggs. After twenty, of course, he took to poaching. This was a boy of about seventeen.
On the fifth day he caught him, and conducted him into the presence of Mr. Montagu Watson.
Mr. Watson was brief and to the point. He recognised his visitor as the boy for whose benefit he had made himself stiff for two days.
"Bin here every day, he 'as, sir, for the last week. Well, I says to myself, supposition is he'll come once too often. He'll come once too often, I says. And then, I says, I'll cotch him. And I cotched him."
The keeper's narrative style had something of the classic simplicity of Julius Caesar's.
"What you boys come for I can't understand," he said irritably. "You're from the school, of course?"
"Well, I shall report you to your house-master. What is your name?"
His next appearance in public life was in Mr. Day's study. Mr. Day had sent for him after preparation. He held a letter in his hand, and he looked annoyed.
"Come in, Dunstable. I have just received a letter complaining of you. It seems that you have been trespassing."
"I am surprised, Dunstable, that a sensible boy like you should have done such a foolish thing. It seems so objectless. You know how greatly the head-master dislikes any sort of friction between the school and the neighbours, and yet you deliberately trespass in Mr. Watson's wood."
"I have had a most indignant letter from him--you may see what he says. You do not deny it?"
Dunstable ran his eye over the straggling, untidy sentences.
"In that case I shall have to punish you severely. You will write me out the Greek numerals ten times, and show them up to me on Tuesday."
"Er--I'm glad you've got his autograph after all, sir," he said.
As he was going to bed that night, Dunstable met the house-master on the stairs.
"On second thoughts, it would be better if, instead of the Greek numerals ten times, you wrote me the first ode of the first book of Horace. The numerals would be a little long, perhaps."