Arthur jumped at this, offering to pay anything, and the farmer immediately valued the guinea-hen at half a sovereign.
"Half a sovereign!" cried East, now released from the farmer's grip; "well, that is a good one! The old hen ain't hurt a bit, and she's seven years old, I know, and as tough as whipcord; she couldn't lay another egg to save her life." It was at last settled that they should pay the farmer two shillings, and his man one shilling; and so the matter ended, to the unspeakable relief of Tom, who hadn't been able to say a word, being sick at heart at the idea of what the Doctor would think of him; and now the whole party of boys marched off down the footpath towards Rugby.

Holmes, who was one of the best boys in the School, began to improve the occasion.
"Now, you youngsters," said he, as he marched along in the middle of them, "mind this; you're very well out of this scrape.

Don't you go near Thompson's barn again; do you hear ?" Profuse promises from all, especially East.
"Mind, I don't ask questions," went on Mentor, "but I rather think some of you have been there before this after his chickens.

Now, knocking over other people's chickens, and running off with them, is stealing.
It's a nasty word, but that's the plain English of it.

If the chickens were dead and lying in a shop, you wouldn't take them, I know that, any more than you would apples out of Griffith's basket; but there's no real difference between chickens running about and apples on a tree, and the same articles in a shop.