Meddling with guns was absolutely forbidden to all the three, except
by special permission and with an elder looking on; but the Grevilles
were not in the habit of obeying, except when they were forced to do
so; and Henry, having once begun to think no one would heed his
present doings, was ready to go on rather than be accused of minding
his governess.
So the gardener's gun was taken from the hiding-place, whither it had
been conveyed from the tool-house; and the three boys ran off
together, their first object being to get out of the Greville
grounds, where they could be met by any of the men. They got quite
out into the fields, before they ventured to stop that Osmond might
load the gun. Each was to take a shot in turn; Osmond tried first,
at a poor innocent young thrush, newly come out for his earliest
flight. Happily he missed it; Martin claimed the next, and for want
of anything better to shoot, took aim at the scare-crow in the middle
of Farmer Grice's beans. He was sure that he had hit it, and showed
triumphantly the great holes in its hat; but the other boys were
strongly persuaded that they had been there before.
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