"Well," said Thady, looking down, "it's getting late, I'm thinking, for seeing sights; most that's young is getting fledged. But I know a field where there's a lot of little leverets, soft as down, pretty as kittens." So we followed on. I led Jill, with Bess riding on a boy's saddle, and Hals followed behind. We passed a wild, rough field, with the steep pitch of the Edge Wood on one side, and the view of a great stretch of country up to Shrewsbury, and beyond. To the west we saw Caer Caradoc and the Long-mynd sleeping in purple haze. Then we passed through a hunting wicket, and went into another rough-and-tumble field, with rampant thistles, full of old disused lime-kilns, and sheep-nipt bushes of thorns. "What lovely places to play in!" cried Bess, enthusiastically. "Perhaps real gnomes and goblins live there, and if we stayed till the church-tower clock struck twelve, we might really see them in red caps. The sort, mamsie, that you and I know. Perhaps," she added, "then they might bring us gold. You know they do." "Begorra!" cried Thady, indulgently, "if yer was to come here at midnight, yer couldn't count them for jostling, the leprechauns and such like gentry. They be plentiful as faiberries in Muster Burbidge's garden in August." At this Hals said gravely, "I should like to come and see them one night, although I have never heard my father speak of them. I don't think he knows many goblins at Westminster." "Westminster," retorted Thady, magnificently, "is a poor place for meeting anything but common men and women." Then we walked on in single file, for I had to guide the pony with care, for the pitches on each side of the path were steep and slippery. In one part of the field there was a large round clump of white dog roses, such as are often to be found in waste places, with brilliant yellow stamens and bronze-coloured stalks and buds. "I think 'tis here as you'll find, missie, the little yellow fluffs at home," said Thady. Evidently in the innermost recesses of the rose bush there was a fine scent of something very good to the canine mind, for Mouse pricked up her ears, sniffed boisterously, and began to move her tail like a fox-hound drawing a covert. Then with a great swirl and pounce, she darted right into the brake, bending and breaking all by her weight, and brought out in her mouth a little ball of fluff. The poor little creature screamed in terror, almost like a child. I rushed forward. "Mouse, Mouse!" I cried, "drop it, drop it!" [Sidenote: THE LITTLE HARE] Mouse looked at me reproachfully out of her topaz eyes, held it, but allowed me to pass my fingers between her great jaws and to release the little captive. Great was my delight to find that poor little puss was quite unhurt, only very wet with my dog's saliva. I sat down, and Thady lifted off Bess from the pony, and then the children flocked round to see the long-eared little creature I was holding in my arms.