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' “'Hallo,“ha;llo:" Cerdig/yelled in an agony of exc‘hgmpnt?“ “Quick, Hyla turned a last hopeless giance to the river. Just as he did so a lcng nose shot out of the reeds, and the punt they had waited for glided swiftly towa‘i‘: them. One of the soldiers dropped upon his knee, and a long arrow came past them singing like a great wasp. It ricochetted over the water into the reeds beyond. The sokiiers were now a hundred and fifty yards away, shouting fiercely as they came on. Just. then a noise of shouting be- hind their backs made them both wheel round swiftly. Half-way down the hill a group of men-atâ€" mms were running towards them. Cerdic gave a great wail of de- epair. “I. cannot sound a note, my breath is hot'and my lips are very dry. Whistle yqu fo‘r Ina]? “Oh, courage, courage! Whistle for Gurth once more. Perchanoe he is nearer now, perchance he is nearer, and, not knowing we are here, cometh not.” The faces of the two serfs became asheu White, and they looked at each o'ther’in terrible fear. ‘ “What a visomie!” said Cerdic. “God shows us that we are to die. My lord will be ywrocken,” said Hyla. “See how it seems alive.” “Yes, that does it. I can see the hole in’ s neck. The fishes have‘ been at it.” Suddenly a great fish leapt out? of the middle water high into the’ air.- A flash of silver, a, 'glimpse of white belly, and with a loud re-f port it was gone. Sullen circles' widened out and broadened towards‘ them. Then they saw at the very? place where the bream had disapâ€"E peared the still surface of the water; was violently agitated. They; watched in amazement. A great;1 black object heaved slowly up into: view, full six feet long. It was thel body of Pierce, the man-at-arms, alll swollen by water. The face was1 puffed into an enormous grotesquel and the open eyes seemed COgniqui-l of them. { The river ran sluggishly like oil, and there was no breaking up of its surface. Here and there some dancing water-flies made a tiny rip- ple, but that was all. From the'castle there now came the shrill notes of a tucket, and flew the castle bell begap to toll fuliously, and a confused noise of shouting floated down 'the hill. When they hurried to the landing- atage they found that the boats had been duly scuttled. Here and there a. gunwale projected 'out of the water, and on the stones lay the windac of a crossâ€"bow with which holes had been made in the boats. Now as they. stood tOgether com- muning as to what they shoixld do, and with a great‘sinking of heart it chance that their faces were turned towards the river, away from the castle. *They looked most eagerly towards the reeds upon the other side. Hyla gave a. lung, low whistle. and waited for Gurth to glide out of the reeds bordering the great fen. There was no lreply, and the two fugitives looked at each other in alarm. Then Cerdic whistled ralâ€" lflier louder, but still the welcome sight of the boat did not come to them. “Something hashappened to the mome,” Cerdic said, “I am sure that he would not forslowe us like this if a, were safe.” “What shall we do 1” asked Hyla. “I do not know,” said Cerdic, his courage oozing out .of him every moment. Their position was cer- tainly sufliciently perilous. There was, as yet, nothing to connect them with the crime, but half-anâ€" hour might alter everything. It was, moreover, quite certain that in a, search, one party at least would be sent down to the river. Both of them felt that they were hard in the very grip of unkind cucums’tance. They shook like rivâ€" erside willows when the wind blows. “Indeéd, I believe so,” answer- ed the other, with strained, terriâ€" fied eyes. " They stood there gazing at each othgrf in great alarm. “I have‘a. great fear that. we are lost!” iHyfila. sa_id.r CHAPTER VI.â€"â€"â€"(Cont’ d) FREEDOM AT LAST fl~§$tory 'rof. {Man Who-Lived in Misery and Torturé_ rushes with furry heads like young water-rats nodded towards them as they 'r'aced for life down those dark mysterious waterways. Deeper and deeper into the heart of the great fen ‘sped the boat. Gurth and Hyâ€" Ia. worked -with the precision of machines. There was a wonderful- ly stimulating effect in the rhythm All round them the great reeds r059 and‘vivhirspered, enormous bul- The ringing blows of the hammer pursued them a little further, until in a, few minutes those also died away, and they were alone in the fen. - ' f Still they stayed trembling in the punt and made no effort to escape. grill the weight of the terrible tra- Lditions that overhung their class {was upon them. The great effort [they had made, their incredible gboldness, now left them with little 'more spiritkin spite of their good fortune, than whipped dogs. The fmcment was enough, for the mo- ment they were safe from capture, (and the voices of the soldiersâ€"how literribly near lâ€"did not stir them to lactic . I It was only when their peril be- icame imminent that they were groused from their apathy. Sounds 10f activity floated over to them. A ’voice was giving directions, and jthere was a shout of “Now,” fol- ;luwed by a harsh, grating noise; lThe serfs realized that the soldiers :l‘iu} been able to drag one of the isunken punts on to the landing- ‘stage. Almost immediately a noise of hammering was heard. They were repairing the boat. At that shrill, ominous sound Gordie rose from the bottom of the punt trembling with excitement. “Men,” he said in a deep, startled voice, "we have been here too long, and death is like to come our way. Oh, faint hearts that we have been! Come, silent now! take poles and let us get away. I know the lens better than those devils.” So confident was his voice and so burning with excitement, that in one moment it lashed their coward- il:e away. Hyla sprung towards the stern pole and Gurth lifted the other, then, with hardly a move- ment save a. few tiny splashes, the boat glided slowly away into the heart of the fen. The voices of the soldiers became fainter and more faint till they could hear them no more. Although they could see nothing, 1hc whole scene was painted for them with noise. They heard the w-ices sink into a. quick murmur of conversation, and then hurried footsteps sped up the hill with messages for the castle. unisex of alarm filled them with fear. A voice rang out from the excited babble across the river and flung an echoing and malignant thxeat at them. quick, else we die!” There was a sudden jar as the prow of the punt collided with the masonry. The two serfs leapt into it. Gurth took the. long pole and plunged it deep into the water. The muscles grew rigid on his bare back and stood out upon his arms as he hunt for one mighty stroke. The so‘diers were only - twenty yards away. With an incredible slowness, so it seemed to the fugitives, the arms of the punter began to lengâ€" 1hr: 11 as the boat moved. In another H-mnd the propelling impulse gathâ€" 0er force and speed, and just as the first man arrived upon the landing-stage it glided rapidly over the water. There was a thud as it struck the floating body, and when rid liquid bubbling, and then in an- other second they entered the pas- sage and the reeds hid them from \"i(:w._ Gurth sank; down, deadly sick, upon the floor 'of the p’unt, aid the pole, held by one-1"hand rnly, dragged among the rushes with a. sound like a sickle in corn The three men crouched in the bottom of the boat, listening to the angry clamor on the opposite shore. An arrow or two passed over their heads, and one fell from a height inn; the very prow of the boat, but none of them were touched. There was not an ounce of courage among Hem. They had no strength to go The castle bell away on the hillâ€" top still rang loudly, and the shrill metallic notes of the \tuckets called and answered to eabh other all mund. 0H As they lay in the reeds not thirâ€" ty _ya1\ds _fro_m theig pursuers, these “We‘ shall not do so,” said Cer- dlc, “for I believe that the Great Ones are helping us 'to-day. ,Who knows that they are not; with us now? We have killed Lord Geof- my need, and with Thy help I will 5) correct and frame my life that herceforth 1 may serve Thee bet- ter.’ As he prayed, and when the thieves were about half-way over the lake, there came a great blac hand up out of the water and seizâ€" e-l the boat and dragged it into the depths. At the same time his bonds fell from him. and he became free.” “A black hand,” said Hyla un- easily, “that would be a fearful thing to meet with.” “Wilfrith was once Prior of Icomb,” said Cerdic, “a. good pliest, and much loved by God. Up- or. a day he was walking by the lake side, when he was seized by law- less men and robbed of his gold cross, and left bound to a tree in the forest, near the monastery. It was evening, and he could see the robbers getting into their boats to cross the lake. So he prayed to God. ‘Lord,"he cried, ‘I have not loved Thee enough. Deliver me from} “What is Wilfrid Lake, and who “as he?” said Hyla. “I have been upon its water, but I do not know why it is called that. Also, it; has a. bad name, and they say Spirits are seen upon it.” “Nor’wards for some miles, ,tak- ing any way we can that is open. Then we shall come to the lake of Wilfrid, and beyond thatis the ‘ab- “Where must we go, then ?” Hy- la, asked him. “Near half way,” answered Cer- dic, “but it has been easy going, and we shall not get such free water now. It is a back way to Icomb that we have come by up till mw. Whybeare there was a' broad passage, 3 great stretch of water, but. that was in King William’s time, when boats brought corn from Edmundsbury. Now ,the monks have cornland of their own, and (cm comes from Norwich also. The passage is all grown with weed and reeds, and no man may go up it in any vessela’n’ “And how far have you got now, do you think‘l” said Gurth. Cerdic gave a little superior grin. He took up a, skin wallet which lay by his side and produced the ma- terials for a, feast. Six great green eggs, stolen from a sitting duck which had belonged to the ill-fat- ed Pierce, were 1‘ the staple food. liciled hard and eaten with black broad and some 'scraps of cold meat, they were a. banquet to the fugitives. For drink they had no- thing but max-Sh water, which they sucked up through a hollow reed. It was blackish and rather stag- nant, but it refreshed them might- Gradually the speed of the boat slackened as the two men grew tired. The excitement of thewday began to tell on them, and they felt in their arms how weary they were. Cerdic, who perhaps by virtue of his years gar personal magnetism seemed to be indubitably their leader, saw it in their faces. He saw that not only were they physiâ€" cally worn out, but that energy was going from their brains also. “Stop you,” said this shrewd person. “We are far from them now. It is time for rest and food.” Nething 10th, they put down the punt poles, and pushed the nose of the boat into a litle bay of reeds, out; of the main water. “Food 'I” said Hyla, “wifih all my heart, I did not know you had any. Where is it pight?” All wild nature fled before their racing approach. A hundred yards ahead, even in those tortuous ways, fat unclean birds of the fen rose heavily and clanged away over the marshes. As the throb of the poles ca-me near them. the fish shouldered each other in flight. Every now and again they rushed over a still, Wicked pool teeming with fish, and the rush of their passage 'made white-bellied fish leap out of the Vvater in terror. Once they saw a great black vole, as large as a, rab- bit, swimming in the middle of the water. I He heard them coming, and turned a. wet smooth head to look; than with a. twinkle of his eyes he dived and disappeared. of the action. , The water became a deep shining black, showing incal- culable depths below. In order to propel the boat at all they had to ski-rtvthe very fringe of themorass, for there only could the poles find bottom. At each heave and life, under which the“ punt kicked for- ward like some‘I‘Jiving thing,~ the poles came up clotted: and smeared. withiiatinking blagk mnd;~nndigturbâ€" ed before for himdreds of years. Sometimes, at a deeper push, the mud was a, greyish white and studâ€" ded with tiny shells, tokens which the great sea had left behind to tell that once it had dominion there; Score as follows: Grading of fruit, 20; packing, 20; bulge, 20; height of ends, 20; firmness, 20; total points, 100. Maximum points obtainable by pupils: Proficiency in packing school, 200; practical puck'ng, 100; packed~fruit contest, 100; total, 400. Packers scoring 300 points (or 75 per cent.) will be awairded diplomas by the Depart- ment of\ Agriculture. Tr- is believed that, in setting such a. high standard of proficiency, the effort necessary will be well worth making. The increased demand for ' 3. Packing contests will be held at many of the agricultural fairs for packing-school students. Packed fruit, exhibited by them will be judged by an expert packer, and their proficiency in sheik-packing judged. - , « a ‘ Fifteen, ten and five’dollars ’will be given as first, second and third prizes. The conditions are: Each exhibit must consist of five boxes of apples; five or fewer varieties; five packs; all layers, except face, wrapped; box need not be nailed; fruit may be wiped; no layer papers. 2. Each student workisg as a, packer is asked to notify the De- partment of the name and address of the packing concern employing him. The employer will be asked *0 furnish a statement regarding the proficiency and speed of the stu- dent as a practical packer during the season. The Department of Agriculture ‘for the Province of British Colum- bia has decided tor'eucourage good fruit-packing throughout, the Prov~ ime. Last winter, in many of the fluit districts, packing schools were conducted, and at that time it was Btz‘xted that he Deparment would insue diplomas to those attaining a. celrain standard of proficiency This proficiency will be estimated on the following basis: 1. At each packing-school the in- stluctor gives each student a grad- ing; based on proficiency acquired 1n packing. Now; .at event'ide, al} the fishes began to rise at the flies, and the waters became like stained glass, and peaeelwas over all that wild scene. ~ - A, v' - ""4"j1'hg veiccs ., of ' this mfg ’ infienaibly dropped. and made low murmurs, no louder than the“ sounds of the cockchafers and longâ€"mailed water- flxcs that now boomed and danced over the fen. The moon was slowly rising when they put out again on the last stage of their journey, punting with less haste, but making good going, nev- theless. They were in excellent spirits. They prattl-ed there a. little long- er, willing that their rest should be complete.» . . . . . froi for his cruelty and sins, for all he was 8. lord.” The Daimler Motor 00., (1904) Limited, COVENTRY, ENGLAND. FRUIT-PA CKIN G PRIZES. Gentlemen,â€"â€"I wish to express my appreciation of the 38 h.p. Daimler which you have delivered to me. Before ship- ping the car to Canada. I made a. three weeks’ trial of it, cov- ering some 1,200 miles. The car ran perfectly, and I never My petrol consumption was 16 miles to the gallon, includâ€" ing a. great deal of driving in trnflic. The tyres show no ap- preciable signs of wear, and I think it will prove light on tyres. I am really delighjzed with the canâ€"Yours sincerely, (Signed) C. A. BOONE,' of Toronto, Canada. d the slightest trouble of any kind, and I think it quite lives 11 to the many claims you make for it. The silence, smooth- ness of running, and power of acceleration on hills is really remarkable. ' Canadian Appréciation (To be continued.) In making curtains of swiss 01 an) other material that will shrink when washed, buy oneâ€"half yard mcre than the desired length. In making the heading to put the rod through turn the extra, length over on the front of curtain, ‘hem with a. narrow hem, and when gathered on the rod it makes a valance rutv fie which is attractive; then when curtains need washing let out the heading and if they shrink much the extra length can be used to length- en the curtain. Brush the 130p of bread loaves when put to' rise with melted but- t-er ‘or lard and the crust will be very tender. When the lambs are weaned, the shears should be used to shorten the wool on the ends of their docked tails, and to clip off any tags of ' dirt Which may'be wresent. Later, they will do well on a stubble field _ lwlaere a new seeding of clover has» lgzown well, or, if a piece of rape lhals been sown, the lambs will do' lremarkably well on this after' be- coming used to it. They should not be put upon this at first when it is wet from rain or dew, but in the afternoons on fine days, and they will be better at first for the run of a grass pasture, as well,-though when used to the rape, they will thrive satisfactorily confined on this alone, and will fatten faster on rape late 'in the fall than on any other posture, even when the rape has been repeatedly frozen, and, in-“ deed, when partially covered with snow. When the lambs are being weaned, the ewes should be kept in a field as far distant from them as can be arrangeduand should be kept on short or dry pasture fora few days in order to dry up the milk. If any udders are noticed very full, they should be relieved by hand milking two or three times, , at intervals of a. couple of days, to avoid injury. For security from at- tacks by dogs, it is well to have a small cowâ€"bell or two on members of each branohammm mar‘s Advocate. ‘ A sliced banana added to a. grape fruit salad is considered an im- provement by some housewives. When lambs~ are {our monthsl'iblm theywill, as a, rule, do better wean; xedithangmnning, with the ewes, it a fresh (slower pasture is rovided for 'them. This is general y avail~ able very soon after the hay crop has been gathered. Fresh, clean water should also be provided for the lambs, and salt, either kept in a covered box, where they may take it at will, or a, little dropped in bunches on the grass, near the wa- ter or feed troughs, once or twice a week. Ordinarily, on good fresh grass, the lambs will do very well without additional feeding, but it they are intended for show or sell- ing early for breeding, they. will be better for a feed of oats or oats and bran once or twice a. day, fed in troughs in the field. For Show lambs, the addition of a, little ground oil cake wul help to improve their condition. good packers in British Columbia. in the immediate future will make such a. certificate valuable. R. M. Winslow, Provincial Horticulturist, is looking afterv the contests. Edi; 383011;, and thug-1:19 3: union or g use I: m mu 3 w- :d' M hug, munch: ‘ and § iii-m unk- imam Langham Hotel, London. WEANING THE LAMBS. Car of the Vea\r1909" Successful “The most