"And mine Hanky," said the other.

"What do you think, Panky," he added, turning to his brother Professor,
"had we not better stay here till sunrise? We are both of us tired, and
this fellow can make us a good fire. It is very dark, and there will be
no moon this two hours. We are hungry, but we can hold out till we get
to Sunchildston; it cannot be more than eight or nine miles further
down."

Panky assented, but then, turning sharply to my father, he said, "My man,
what are you doing in the forbidden dress? Why are you not in ranger's
uniform, and what is the meaning of all those quails?" For his seedling
idea that my father was in reality a poacher was doing its best to grow.

Quick as thought my father answered, "The Head Ranger sent me a message
this morning to deliver him three dozen quails at Sunchildston by
to-morrow afternoon. As for the dress, we can run the quails down
quicker in it, and he says nothing to us so long as we only wear out old
clothes and put on our uniforms before we near the town. My uniform is
in the ranger's shelter an hour and a half higher up the valley."

"See what comes," said Panky, "of having a whippersnapper not yet twenty
years old in the responsible post of Head Ranger. As for this fellow, he
may be speaking the truth, but I distrust him."

"The man is all right, Panky," said Hanky, "and seems to be a decent
fellow enough." Then to my father, "How many brace have you got?" And
he looked at them a little wistfully.