"Come along quick!" I heard; and then the two figures went on rustling
and crashing among the black-currant bushes, so that I could smell the
peculiar herbaceous medicine-scent they gave out.
I knew as well as if I had been told where they were going, and that was
to a double row of beautiful great pears that were just ready to pick,
and which I had noticed that morning, and again when I was sugaring the
trees close by.
At first I had taken them for men, but by degrees, by the tone of their
whispers and the faint sight I got of them now and then as they passed
an open place, I knew that they were boys.
A few minutes before I had felt excited and nervous; then I felt less
alarm. My first idea was to frighten them by shouting for the different
men about the place; but as soon as I was sure that they were boys, a
curiously pugnacious sensation came over me, and I determined to see if
I couldn't catch one of them and drag him up to Mr Solomon, for I felt
sure that I should only have one to fight with, the other would be sure
to run as hard as he could go.
I stopped short again with an unpleasant thought in my mind. Surely
this could not be Shock with some companion.
No, it could not be he, I felt sure, and I was rather ashamed of having
thought it as I crept on after the two thieves, so that I was quite near
them when, as I expected they would, they stopped by the little thick
heavily-laden trees.
"Look out! hold the bag and be quick," was whispered; and then there was
snapping of twigs, the rustling of leaves, and a couple of dull thuds as
two pears fell.
"Never mind them," was whispered in the same tone. "There's no end of
'em about."
I crept nearer with my teeth grinding together, for it seemed to be such
a shameful thing to clear those pears from the tree in that way, and
then I grew furious, for one whispered something to the other, and the
tree being stripped was shaken, and then thump, thump, thump, one
after another the beautiful fruit fell.
They scuffled about, and I was so close now that I could hear the pears
banged and bruised one upon another as they were thrown into a bag.
Then I felt as if I could bear it no longer. The pears were as if they
were my own, and making a dash at the faintly seen figure with the bag I
struck him a blow with all my might, and that, the surprise, and the
weight of my body combined were sufficient to send him over amongst the
black currants, while I went at the other, and in a blind fury began
laying on to him with my fists as hard as I could.