Now I remembered what "hie out" meant.

We were to have a lovely race wherever we liked.

Little Billy loved this.

We ran and scampered hither and thither, and Ned watched us, laughing at our antics.
After tea, he called us out in the garden again, and said he had something else to teach us.

He turned up a tub on the wooden platform at the back door, and sat on it, and then called Jim to him.
He took a small leather strap from his pocket.