`It's larks, that's what it is.' "`Well,' he says, `I'll wait till twelve o'clock, and if they're not back then you must come along with me and find 'em, for there is something wrong.' "I never cared a bit about you, my lad, but I couldn't sleep no more, and I couldn't touch a bit o' breakfast; and when twelve o'clock came, Mrs Old Brownsmith's brother's wife had been at me with a face as white as noo milk, and she wanted us to go off before.
"We was off at twelve, though, in the light cart and with a fresh horse; and though I expected to see you every minute along the road, we got back to the public, and asked for you, and found that you hadn't been seen.
"Then we put up the hoss and went and looked about the sand-pits, and could see nothing of you there, and we didn't see nothing of the dog.
Then we went over the common and searched the wood, and there was no sign.
"Then back we was at the sand-pits, and there was the sand everywhere, but nothing seemed to say as it had fallen down.

There was some holes, and we looked in all of 'em, but we couldn't tell that any of 'em had filled up.

Last of all, it was getting dark, when we heard a whine, and saw Juno come out of the fir-wood on the top with a rabbit in her mouth.
"But that taught us nothing, and we coaxed her down to the public again, and drove home.
"`I've got it,' I says, as we stood in the stable-yard: `that boy Shock's got him on to it, and they've gone off to Portsmouth to be sailors.' "Old Brownsmith's brother looked at me and shook his head, but I stack to it I was right; and he said he'd go down to Portsmouth and see.
"But he didn't, for next day he goes over to Isleworth, and as I was coming out of the garden next night he was back, and he stops me and takes me to the cottage.
"`Good job,' he says, `as Sir Francis ain't at home, for he thought a deal of that boy.' "`Warn't my fault,' I says; but he shook his head, and took me in, and there sat Old Brownsmith's brother's wife, with a white face and red eyes as if she had been crying, and Old Brownsmith himself.
"Well, he gives me a long talking to, and I told him everything about it; and when I'd done I says again as it warn't my fault, and Old Brownsmith turns to his brother and he says, as fair as a man could speak, `It warn't his fault, Solomon; and if it's as he says, Grant's that sort o' boy as'll repent and be very sorry, and if he don't come back before, you'll get a letter begging your pardon for what he's done, or else I shall.

You wait a couple of days.' "I dunno why, but I was reg'lar uncomf'table about you, my lad, and I didn't understand Juno stopping away so, for next day she was gone again, but next night she was back.

Next day she was gone again, and didn't come back, and on the fourth, when I was down the garden digging--leastwise, I wasn't digging, for I was leaning on my spade thinking, up comes Old Brownsmith's brother with his mouth open, and before he could say a word I says to him, `Stop!' I says; `I've got it,' for it come to me like a flash o' lightning.
"`What ?' he says.
"`Them boys is in that sand-pit, covered over!' I says.
"`That's it!' he says.