Stodge full." I ran to him, and was in the act of passing my hands over the bulging bag when I uttered a faint cry of horror, for something soft seemed to have dropped upon my back, and a voice from out of the darkness exclaimed: "What are you boys doing here ?" At the same moment I knew that it was one of the cats that had leaped upon my back, and Old Brownsmith who was speaking.
"We have been after some boys who were stealing the pears, sir," I said.
"Were they ?" cried the old man sternly; "and I've come and caught them.
You, Shock, bring that bag up to the door." Shock seized and shouldered the bag, and we followed the old gentleman to the house; but though I spoke two or three times he made no reply, and I felt too much hurt by his suspicions to say more.
There was a large house lantern alight in the kitchen, as if the old gentleman had been about to bring it down the garden with him and had altered his mind, and the first thing he did was to open the lantern, take out the candle in his fingers, and hold it up so as to look at each of us in turn, frowning and suspicious, while we shrank and half-closed our eyes, dazzled by the light.
Then he turned his attention to the big bag which Shock had placed upon the table, the top of which opened out, and a pear or two rolled upon the floor as soon as it was released.
"Humph! Pillow-case, eh ?" said the old man, and his face brightened as if the suspicion was being cleared away.

"Who heard 'em ?" "I did, sir," I cried; and I told him how I had wakened up Shock, and of our fight; but I did not mention George Day's name, and I did not mean to do so unless I was asked, for it seemed to be so shocking for a boy like that to be charged with stealing fruit.
"Humph! Ought to have caught some of the dogs! but I say, did you hit 'em hard ?" "As hard as I could, sir," I replied innocently.
"Hah! aha! That's right.

Young scoundrels.

Spoilt a basket of pears that were not ripe.

Young dogs! I'll put glass bottles all along the walls, and see how they like that.