"Oh, no! it wouldn't be half the fun. Don't you remember the man in the story crawled along the branch that stretched over the water? Well, this tree has a branch hanging right over the pond; and I want to crawl along it, like he did." "Hadn't we better ask Virginie if we may go all that way alone?" suggested Miles, in the vain hope of putting off the evil moment. Humphrey, however, did not see the force of this argument, and so they started off. It was a very hot day, and after they had got out of the farm-yard there was no shade at all. Humphrey skipped through the meadows and over the gates, and Miles followed him as quickly as he could, but the sun was very hot on his head, and he soon got wearied and fell back. Humphrey did not perceive how languidly his little brother was following him, till a faint cry from behind reached him. "Humphie, _please_ stop; I can't keep up to you." Instantly he ran back. "I'm _so_ tired, Humphie, and _so_ hot, shall we go home?" "Go home! why we are close to the pond now. Look, Miles, it is only across that meadow, and the corn-field beyond." Miles followed the direction of his brother's finger, and his eye rested ruefully on the expanse lying before him, where the sun was scorching up everything. "I'll try, Humphie," he said, resignedly. "I tell you what!" exclaimed Humphrey, "I'll _carry_ you!" Miles felt a little nervous at the prospect, but he did not like to object. "Just get over the gate," continued Humphrey, "and then I'll carry you across the field, and we'll soon be by the pond, where it will be as cool as possible." Over the gate they scrambled, and then the elder boy disposed himself to take his little brother in his arms. How shall I describe the intense discomfort of the circumstances under which Miles now found himself! One of Humphrey's arms was so tightly round his neck, that he almost felt as if he were choking, and the hand of the other grasped one of his legs with a gripe which amounted almost to pain; and _still_ there was a feeling of insecurity about his position which, already very strong while Humphrey was standing still, did not diminish when he began to move. Humphrey started with a run, but his speed soon slackened, and grave doubts began to arise even in his own mind as to the accomplishment of the task he had undertaken. However, he staggered on. But when presently his long-suffering load began to show signs of slipping, Humphrey tightened his grasp to such a degree, that Miles, who till now had endured in silence, could endure no longer, and he uttered a faint cry for mercy. At the same moment, Humphrey caught his foot in a rabbit hole, and both boys rolled over together. Peals of laughter from Humphrey followed the catastrophe, but Miles did not quite enter into the spirit of the joke. He was hot and tired, poor little fellow, and began to implore his brother to take him under the neighboring hedge to rest.