We walked to the copse, and the ditch being rather too wide for me to leap, O'Brien laid the four stilts together, so as to form a bridge, over which I contrived to walk. Tossing to me all the bundles, and desiring me to leave the stilts as a bridge for him on his return, he set off to the village with his musket on his shoulder. He was away two hours, when he returned with a large supply of provisions, the best we had ever had. "There," said he, "we have enough for a good week; and look here, Peter, this is better than all." And he showed me two large horse-rugs. "Excellent," replied I; "now we shall be comfortable." "I paid honestly for all but these rugs," observed O'Brien; "I was afraid to buy them, so I stole them. However, we'll leave them here for those they belong to--it's only borrowing, after all." We now prepared a very comfortable shelter with branches, which we wove together, and laying the leaves in the sun to dry, soon obtained a soft bed to put our horse-rug on, while we covered ourselves up with the other. Our bridge of stilts we had removed, so that we felt ourselves quite secure from surprise. At dark, to bed we went, and slept soundly; I never felt more refreshed during our wanderings. At daylight O'Brien got up. "Now, Peter, a little practice before breakfast." "What practice do you mean?" "Mean why, on the stilts. I expect in a week that you'll be able to dance a gavotte at least; for mind me, Peter, you travel out of France upon these stilts, depend upon it." O'Brien then took the stilts belonging to the man, giving me those of the woman. We strapped them to our thighs, and by fixing our backs to a tree, contrived to get upright upon them; but at the first attempt to walk, O'Brien fell to the right, and I fell to the left. O'Brien fell against a tree, but I fell on my nose, and made it bleed very much; however, we laughed and got up again, and although we had several falls, at last we made a better hand of them. O'Brien then dressed me in the poor girl's clothes, and himself in the man's; they fitted very well. "Peter, you make a very pretty girl," said O'Brien. "But, O'Brien," replied I, "as these petticoats are not very warm, I mean to cut off my trousers up to my knees, and wear them underneath." "That's all right," said O'Brien.