Читать книгу Charles Peace, or The Adventures of a Notorious Burglar онлайн

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“That’s a good haul, ain’t it?” inquired the lad.

“Middling, not so bad. I’ve had better, and a good many worse.”

“Do you happen to know of any nestesses round here?” he inquired.

“I don’t mean the common sorts. D’ye know of a bottletit’s anywhere?”

“I know one—​in fact I was going to collar it when I met you.”

How far is it from here?”

“Not a hundred yards from where we are now—​just ready for eggs.”

“I don’t want no eggs, but I’ll give yer a pint o’ beer for the nest—​that is unless ye want it yourself.”

“I don’t particularly want it,” said the boy, who was going to show the man the nest for nothing; but he now declared he couldn’t afford to part with it under sixpence.”

“It’s worth that if it be a good’un. I’ll give you sixpence—​that is, when I’ve got the nest.”

“All right. Come this way,” cried Alf, who showed the man the nest, which was imbedded in a little bunch of gorse.

Instead of tearing it out the fowler cut the branch with his knife, thus preserving, it furze and all.

He then handed his companion the sixpence.