ButtheoldMadmanhasn’t，andgetscalledup，andmakessomefrightfulshots，losingabouttenplaces，andallbutgettingfloored。ThissomewhatappeasesTom’swrath，andbytheendofthelessonhehasregainedhistemper。Andafterwardsintheirstudyhebeginstogetrightagain，ashewatchesArthur’sintensejoyatseeingMartinblowingtheeggsandgluingthemcarefullyontobitsofcardboard，andnotestheanxious，lovinglookswhichthelittlefellowcastssidelongathim。Andthenhethinks，“Whatanill-temperedbeastIam！Here’sjustwhatI
waswishingforlastnightcomeabout，andI’mspoilingitall，“
andinanotherfiveminuteshasswallowedthelastmouthfulofhisbile，andisrepaidbyseeinghislittlesensitiveplantexpandagainandsunitselfinhissmiles。
AfterdinnertheMadmanisbusywiththepreparationsfortheirexpedition，fittingnewstrapsontohisclimbing-irons，fillinglargepill-boxeswithcotton-wool，andsharpeningEast’ssmallaxe。Theycarryalltheirmunitionsintocalling-oversanddirectlyafterwards，havingdodgedsuchprepostorsasareonthelookoutforfagsatcricket，thefoursetoffatasmarttrotdowntheLawfordfootpath，straightforCaldecott’sSpinneyandthehawk’snest。
Martinleadsthewayinhighfeather；itisquiteanewsensationtohim，gettingcompanions，andhefindsitverypleasant，andmeanstoshowthemallmannerofproofsofhisscienceandskill。BrownandEastmaybebetteratcricketandfootballandgames，thinkshe，butoutinthefieldsandwoodsseeifIcan’tteachthemsomething。Hehastakentheleadershipalready，andstridesawayinfrontwithhisclimbing-
ironsstrappedunderonearm，hispecking-bagundertheother，andhispocketsandhatfullofpill-boxes，cotton-wool，andotheretceteras。Eachoftheotherscarriesapecking-bag，andEasthishatchet。
Whentheyhadcrossedthreeorfourfieldswithoutacheck，Arthurbegantolag；andTomseeingthisshoutedtoMartintopullupabit。“Weain’touthare-and-hounds。What’sthegoodofgrindingonatthisrate？“
“There’stheSpinney，“saidMartin，pullinguponthebrowofaslopeatthebottomofwhichlayLawfordbrook，andpointingtothetopoftheoppositeslope；“thenestisinoneofthosehighfir-treesatthisend。AnddownbythebrookthereIknowofasedge-bird’snest。We’llgoandlookatitcomingback。“
“Oh，comeon，don’tletusstop，“saidArthur，whowasgettingexcitedatthesightofthewood。Sotheybrokeintoatrotagain，andweresoonacrossthebrook，uptheslope，andintotheSpinney。Heretheyadvancedasnoiselesslyaspossible，lestkeepersorotherenemiesshouldbeabout，andstoppedatthefootofatallfir，atthetopofwhichMartinpointedoutwithpridethekestrel’snest，theobjectoftheirquest。
“Oh，where？whichisit？“asksArthur，gapingupintheair，andhavingthemostvagueideaofwhatitwouldbelike。
“There，don’tyousee？“saidEast，pointingtoalumpofmistletoeinthenexttree，whichwasabeech。HesawthatMartinandTomwerebusywiththeclimbing-irons，andcouldn’tresistthetemptationofhoaxing。Arthurstaredandwonderedmorethanever。
“Well，howcurious！Itdoesn’tlookabitlikewhatI
expected，“saidhe。
“Veryoddbirds，kestrels，“saidEast，lookingwaggishlyathisvictim，whowasstillstar-gazing。
“ButIthoughtitwasinafir-tree？“objectedArthur。
“Ah，don’tyouknow？That’sanewsortoffirwhicholdCaldecottbroughtfromtheHimalayas。“
“Really！“saidArthur；“I’mgladIknowthat。Howunlikeourfirstheyare！Theydoverywelltoohere，don’tthey？TheSpinney’sfullofthem。“
“What’sthathumbughe’stellingyou？“criedTom，lookingup，havingcaughtthewordHimalayas，andsuspectingwhatEastwasafter。
“Onlyaboutthisfir，“saidArthur，puttinghishandonthestemofthebeech。
“Fir！“shoutedTom；“why，youdon’tmeantosay，youngun，youdon’tknowabeechwhenyouseeone？“
PoorlittleArthurlookedterriblyashamed，andEastexplodedinlaughterwhichmadethewoodring。
“I’vehardlyeverseenanytrees，“falteredArthur。
“Whatashametohoaxhim，Scud！“criedMartin——“Nevermind，Arthur；youshallknowmoreabouttreesthanhedoesinaweekortwo。“
“Andisn’tthatthekestrel’snest，then？“askedArthur。“That！
Why，that’sapieceofmistletoe。There’sthenest，thatlumpofsticksupthisfir。“
“Don’tbelievehim，Arthur，“struckintheincorrigibleEast；“I
justsawanoldmagpiegooutofit。“
Martindidnotdeigntoreplytothissally，exceptbyagrunt，ashebuckledthelastbuckleofhisclimbing-irons，andArthurlookedreproachfullyatEastwithoutspeaking。
Butnowcamethetugofwar。Itwasaverydifficulttreetoclimbuntilthebrancheswerereached，thefirstofwhichwassomefourteenfeetup，forthetrunkwastoolargeatthebottomtobeswarmed；infact，neitheroftheboyscouldreachmorethanhalfrounditwiththeirarms。MartinandTom，bothofwhomhadironson，trieditwithoutsuccessatfirst；thefirbarkbrokeawaywheretheystucktheironsinassoonastheyleantanyweightontheirfeet，andthegripoftheirarmswasn’tenoughtokeepthemup；so，aftergettingupthreeorfourfeet，downtheycameslitheringtotheground，barkingtheirarmsandfaces。Theywerefurious，andEastsatbylaughingandshoutingateachfailure，“Twotooneontheoldmagpie！“
“Wemusttryapyramid，“saidTomatlast。“Now，Scud，youlazyrascal，stickyourselfagainstthetree！“
“Idaresay！andhaveyoustandingonmyshoulderswiththeironson。Whatdoyouthinkmyskin’smadeof？“However，uphegot，andleantagainstthetree，puttinghisheaddownandclaspingitwithhisarmsasfarashecould。
“Nowthen，Madman，“saidTom，“younext。“
“No，I’mlighterthanyou；yougonext。“SoTomgotonEast’sshoulders，andgraspedthetreeabove，andthenMartinscrambledupontoTom’sshoulders，amidstthetotteringsandgroaningsofthepyramid，and，withaspringwhichsenthissupportershowlingtotheground，claspedthestemsometenfeetup，andremainedclinging。Foramomentortwotheythoughthecouldn’tgetup；butthen，holdingonwitharmsandteeth，heworkedfirstoneironthentheotherfirmlyintothebark，gotanothergripwithhisarms，andinanotherminutehadholdofthelowestbranch。
“Allupwiththeoldmagpienow，“saidEast；andafteraminute’srest，upwentMartin，handoverhand，watchedbyArthurwithfearfuleagerness。
“Isn’titverydangerous？“saidhe。
“Notabit，“answeredTom；“youcan’thurtifyouonlygetgoodhand-hold。Tryeverybranchwithagoodpullbeforeyoutrustit，andthenupyougo。“
Martinwasnowamongstthesmallbranchesclosetothenest，andawaydashedtheoldbird，andsoaredupabovethetrees，watchingtheintruder。
“Allright——foureggs！“shoutedhe。
“Take’emall！“shoutedEast；“that’llbeonea-piece。“
“No，no；leaveone，andthenshewontcare，saidTom。
Weboyshadanideathatbirdscouldn’tcount，andwerequitecontentaslongasyouleftoneegg。Ihopeitisso。
Martincarefullyputoneeggintoeachofhisboxesandthethirdintohismouth，theonlyotherplaceofsafety，andcamedownlikealamplighter。Allwentwelltillhewaswithintenfeetoftheground，when，asthetrunkenlarged，hisholdgotlessandlessfirm，andatlastdownhecamewitharun，tumblingontohisbackontheturf，splutteringandspittingouttheremainsofthegreategg，whichhadbrokenbythejarofhisfall。
“Ugh，ugh！somethingtodrink——ugh！itwasaddled，“splutteredhe，whilethewoodrangagainwiththemerrylaughterofEastandTom。
Thentheyexaminedtheprizes，gathereduptheirthings，andwentofftothebrook，whereMartinswallowedhugedraughtsofwatertogetridofthetaste；andtheyvisitedthesedge-bird’snest，andfromthencestruckacrossthecountryinhighglee，beatingthehedgesandbrakesastheywentalong；andArthuratlast，tohisintensedelight，wasallowedtoclimbasmallhedgerowoakforamagpie’snestwithTom，whokeptallroundhimlikeamother，andshowedhimwheretoholdandhowtothrowhisweight；andthoughhewasinagreatfright，didn’tshowit，andwasapplaudedbyallforhislissomness。
Theycrossedaroadsoonafterwards，andthere，closetothem，layagreatheapofcharmingpebbles。
“Lookhere，“shoutedEast；“here’sluck！I’vebeenlongingforsomegood，honestpeckingthishalf-hour。Let’sfillthebags，andhavenomoreofthisfoozlingbird-nesting。“
Nooneobjected，soeachboyfilledthefustianbaghecarriedfullofstones。Theycrossedintothenextfield，TomandEasttakingonesideofthehedges，andtheothertwotheotherside。
Noiseenoughtheymadecertainly，butitwastooearlyintheseasonfortheyoungbirds，andtheoldbirdsweretoostrongonthewingforouryoungmarksmen，andflewoutofshotafterthefirstdischarge。Butitwasgreatfun，rushingalongthehedgerows，anddischargingstoneafterstoneatblackbirdsandchaffinches，thoughnoresultintheshapeofslaughteredbirdswasobtained；andArthursoonenteredintoit，andrushedtoheadbackthebirds，andshouted，andthrew，andtumbledintoditches，andoverandthroughhedges，aswildastheMadmanhimself。
Presentlytheparty，infullcryafteranoldblackbird(whowasevidentlyusedtothethingandenjoyedthefun，forhewouldwaittilltheycameclosetohim，andthenflyonforfortyyardsorso，and，withanimpudentflickerofhistail，dartintothedepthsofthequickset)，camebeatingdownahighdoublehedge，twooneachside。
