oak-leaves. There he'd lie, peaceful as a suckin' child; and there,
every Sabbath mornin' in the small hours, one o' the farm hands 'd be
sent to gather 'em in wi' the new-laid eggs. So it went on till one day
the County Council, busy as usual, takes a notion to widen th' road just
there; an' not only pulls down th' hedge, but piles up a great heap o'
stones, ready to build a new one. Whereby either the mare hadn' noticed
the improvement or it escaped her memory. Anyway--the night bein'
dark--she shoots old Bosenna neck-an'-crop 'pon the stones. It caused a
lot o' feelin' at the time, an' the coroner's jury spoke their minds
pretty free about it. They brought it in that he'd met his death by the
visitation o' God brought about by a mistake o' the mare's an' helped on
by the over-zealous behaviour of the County Surveyor. Leastways that's
how they put it at first; but on the Coroner's advice they struck out
the County Surveyor an' altered him to a certain party or parties
unknown."

"I mind Mrs Bosenna well," said Captain Cai, rising as the barber
unwrapped him; "a smallish well-featured body, with eyes like bullace
plums."

"Ay, an' young enough to ha' been old Bosenna's daughter--a penniless
maid from Holsworthy in Devon, as I've heard; an' now she's left there,
up to Rilla, happy as a mouse in cheese. Come to think, Cap'n Cai, you
might do worse than cock your hat in that quarter."

But Captain Cai did not hear for the moment. He was peering into the
looking-glass and thinking less of Mrs Bosenna than of his
shaven-altered appearance.

"'Twould be a nice change for her, too," pursued Mr Toy in a rallying