And so they talked, a strange couple; but the younger of them had a faith which the elder might envy, and a grasp of the unseen that the ripest saint could not surpass.

Not long after this, Teddy and his schoolfellows were having a delightful afternoon in the woods.  It was Saturday afternoon, and they were playing their favourite war game, Teddy, of course, being prime instigator of the whole affair.  A few of the more adventurous girls had joined them, Nancy amongst them.  Her respect for Teddy was gradually increasing, though nothing seemed to quench her self-assertion and independence of thought and action.  At length Teddy announced his intention of going off on an expedition as a scout, and on Nancy’s insisting that she should come too, the two children started, made their way out of the wood and down to the banks of the stream, which soon joined the river.

‘What have we to do?’ asked Nancy.

’It’s great fun.  You see, every one we meet is an enemy, and we have to get past them without them seeing us; we must crawl through the long grass, or we must climb a tree, or get through the bushes; all kinds of adventures we have.’

‘And if we don’t meet anybody?’

’That’s why I came down this way:  there are always a lot of people fishing in the river.  Now look out, don’t you talk loud, and step softly.  Just think that the first person who sees us will shoot us dead.’

‘But they won’t.’

‘You must make believe they will.’  Teddy’s tone was stern, and Nancy was too occupied in holding her hat on her head as they crept through some low bushes to advance any more sceptical opinions.

And then suddenly, a short time after, they came upon a fisherman.  It was only a burly farmer, who was evidently making a day of it, for he sat under the shade of a tree with the remnants of a substantial lunch around him; his fishing-rod was in his hand, but the line was out of the water, and he, with head thrown back and mouth wide open, was fast asleep.

‘Hush!’ said Teddy, in an excited whisper.  ’If he wakes, all is up with us; now let’s get past him on tiptoe.’

This was accomplished safely; but having passed him Teddy stood still, and the spirit of mischief seized hold of him.  Turning to Nancy, he said, with sparkling eyes, ’What fun to take him prisoner and tie him up to the tree with his own fishing-line!  He’s an enemy; I really think it’s our duty to do it.  You stay here and watch me.’

Deftly and quickly Teddy set to work, but when he had once passed the line round the farmer’s body and the tree, he had no difficulty in finishing the work he had begun.  Dancing like an elf with the line in his hand, he spun round and round the tree till the line was wound round to its very last extremity, and the farmer looked like some big bluebottle fly entangled in the fine meshes of a spider’s web.  Still he slept on, and with a delighted chuckle Teddy sped back to his little companion; her eyes were dancing with mirth, and she clapped her hands at the successful exploit.