"Purticler such young gen’l’men as you be," he went on, "as hev gone deep into book learning and gives yer nights and days to high matters. That there finology, now; that be a very deep subjeck—very deep indeed; wonderful, I call it, to read into the heart through the head. Nobody ’ud never hev thought ’twere possible. And so correck, too; my boy Nahum, as peaceful as a lamb—you was right about that there bump, sir." "He certainly hasn’t got the bump of combativeness," said Templeton; "but——" "Ah, yes, to be sure; he was a trifle overtaken with yer friend’s joke, as any young feller might be; but I told un ’twas just a bit o’ juvenile high spirits, and so he oughter hev took it. ’Let not the sun go down upon yer wrath,’ says I, and bless ’ee, he smiled like a cherub next day, he did. That there bump be a good size on soldiers’ heads, now? I warrant that young officer man as I seed down in village has a big un." "I really didn’t think to look, Mr. Noakes," said Templeton, patiently. "Only think o’ that, now, and I felt in my innards he’d come up along a-purpose. You didn’t say nought o’ finology, then?" "Well, it was mentioned—just mentioned." "And Mr. Templeton assured Lieutenant Cradock that your son hadn’t the slightest prominence in that part of the skull," Eves broke in. "In fact, it’s the other way about." "Wonderful ways o’ Providence!" said Mr. Noakes, rubbing his hands together and smiling happily. "But I’m bound to say——" Templeton began. "Come on, Bob; shovel in, or we’ll never get done," Eves interrupted. "There’s enough stuff dug; let’s cart it down. We’re trying an experiment in irrigation, Mr. Noakes." "Ah! irrigation. It needs a dry soil, to be sure; it’ll grow well here—very well indeed." Eves smothered a laugh, and let Templeton explain. The explanation, strangely enough, brought a shadow upon Mr. Noakes’s face. It darkened as he watched the dumping of the earth upon the dam. He was silent; his mouth hardened; and after a few more minutes he shambled away. "I’m afraid we’ve given him a wrong impression," said Templeton, anxiously. "Well, he shouldn’t be sly. Besides, if he’s ass enough to think ’finology’ will go down with the tribunal, that’s his look-out." They worked hard through the rest of the day, and by tea-time the water had begun to trickle over the ridge in many little rills. It seemed, indeed, that there would be no necessity to dig the channels of which Templeton had spoken, the slope of the ground and the natural fan-like spreading of the streams promising that in due time the whole field would be thoroughly watered. Tired, but well pleased with the success of their experiment, they returned to the farmhouse. Mr. Trenchard had been absent all the afternoon. At tea they told him what they had done, and he cheerfully assented to their suggestion that he should go with them to the ridge and see for himself their irrigation works.