That night Reuben came to supper as hungry as a wolf. He was in a fine good humour, for his body, pleasantly tired, glowing, aching, tickled with the smell of food, was giving him a dozen agreeable sensations.

"Got some splendid fire-wood fur you, mother," he said after a few minutes\' silence enforced by eating.

"And wot about the rootses?" asked Harry, "wull you be digging those out to-morrer? It\'ll be an unaccountable tough job."

"Oh, I\'ve found a way of gitting shut of them rootses—thought of it while I wur working at the trees. I\'m going to blast \'em out."

"Blast \'em!"

"Yes. Blast \'em wud gunpowder. I\'ve heard of its being done. I\'d never dig all the stuff out myself—yards of it there be—willer rootses always wur hemmed spready."

"It\'s never bin done in these parts."

"Well, it\'ll be done now, surelye. It\'ll show the folk here I mean business—and that I\'m a chap wud ideas."

There was indeed a mild excitement in the farms round Boarzell when Reuben\'s new plan became known. In those times gunpowder was seldom used for such purposes, and the undertaking was looked upon as a treat and a display....

"Backfield\'s going to bust up his willer-rootses—fine sight it\'ll be—like as not blow his own head off—I\'ll be there to see."

So when Reuben came to his territory the next [Pg 44]afternoon he found a small crowd assembled—Ditch, Ginner, Realf of Grandturzel, Coalbran of Doozes, Pilcher of Birdseye, with a sprinkling of their wives, families, and farm-hands. He himself had brought Naomi, and Harry was to join them when he came back from an errand to Moor\'s Cottage. Reuben felt a trifle important and in need of spectators. This was to be the crowning act of conquest. When those roots were shattered away there would be nothing but time and manure between him and the best oat-crop in Peasmarsh.

A quarter of an hour passed, and there was no sign of Harry. Reuben grew impatient, for he wanted to have the ground tidied up by sunset. It was a wan, mould-smelling afternoon, and already the sun was drifting through whorls of coppery mist towards the shoulder of Boarzell. Reuben looked up to the gorse-clump on the ridge, from behind which he expected Harry to appear.

"I can\'t wait any longer," he said to Naomi, "something\'s kept him."

"He\'ll be disappointed," said Naomi softly.

"I can\'t help that—the sun\'s near down, and I must have everything pr?aper by dark."

He went to where the fuse lay like a snake in the grass, and struck his flint.

"Stand back everybody; I\'m going to start her."

The group huddled back a few yards. The little flame writhed along towards the stump. There was silence. Reuben stood a little way in front of the others, leaning forward with eager, parted lips.

Suddenly Naomi cried out:

"There\'s Harry!"

A shadow appeared against the co............