had a value far beyond their intrinsic worth.

Shuffles gathered a couple of the peaches, and urged his companion to
use all possible haste in stripping the tree of its rich burden.

"Hallo, there! What are you about?" shouted some one, who hastened to
make his presence known to the plunderers.

Monroe began to retreat.

"Hold on!" interposed Shuffles. "It's no one but Harry Martyn."

"He can tell of us just as well as anybody else."

"If he does, he will catch it."

"What are you doing?" demanded Harry Martyn,--who was a nephew of Mr.
Lowington, and lived with him,--as he crossed the rustic bridge that
spanned the brook.

"Don't you see what I'm doing?" replied Shuffles, with an impudent
coolness which confounded Harry.

"Stop that, Shuffles!" cried Harry, indignantly. "My uncle wouldn't take
ten dollars apiece for those peaches."

"That's more than he'll get for them," added Shuffles, as he reached up
and gathered another peach.

"Stop that, I tell you!" said Harry, angrily, as he stepped up, in a