The peas was fairly hid wi' the crowd, an' 'twas
that thick I counted sax 'pon wan pea-stick. An' in the middle, jes'
onder the scarecrow, stood up th' ould rook I'd a-seen afore, an'
told hes experiences. He ramped, an' raved, an' mopped, an' mowed,
an' kep' a-noddin' his head t'wards the scarecrow, to show how hes
salvashun was worked; an' all the time the rest o' the rooks sat
still as mice. On'y when he pulls up to breathe a bit, they lets out
an' squalls, as ef to say, 'Amen. 'Tes workin'--'tes workin'!
Pray strong, brother!' an' at et he'd go agen, same as he _must_.
An' at las', when 'twas 'hold breath or bust' wi' 'un, he ups an'
starts a hemn, an' they all jines in, till you mou't hear the
caprouse [13] two mile off. That were the finish, too; for arter the
row died away, there was a minnit or so o' silent prayer, an' then
the whole gang gets up off they pea-sticks an' sails away for Squire
Tresawsen's rookery, t'other side o' the hill.
"Well, in cou'se I tells the tale, an' was called a liard for my
pains. But the same thing happen'd nex' Sunday, an' the Sunday
arter--an' not a pea stolen all the time--an' a good few people
comed down behind the hedge to see, an' owned up as I were right.
Et got to be the talk o' the country; an' how 'twud ha' ended,
goodness on'y knaws, ef I hadn' a-spi'led the sport mysel'.
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