rs along the line.

"Jakie Teel" (one of the sculpins) "'s got his trousers on hind side
afore!"

"Flory dressed him by candlelight this mornin', so 't she could get
time to make three loaves o' angel-cake for the flag-raisin'."

The victim of this mysterious adventure was led away by his mother for
reaccoutrement, while we as a regiment waited patiently for his return
to warlike rank and file.

"If these condummit ructions are over," said our general--for the wind
was blowing cold--"forwards ag'in, by clam!" and we marched upon the
schoolhouse; but we encountered so many difficulties, of wayward ropes,
in hoisting our ensign, that Captain Pharo declared, rubbing his
chilled hands:

"'T we'd omit the usual cheerin' 'tell we'd been in and thawed out--ef
they was any thaw to us--leastways baited."

Vesty was there with the rest, munching a slice of angel-cake--fit food
for her! I smiled kindly upon her, but did not forget that I was an
indifferent bean-pole.

"Major!" cried the Basin, toward the close of the repast, with its
mouth sweet and full--"Major, a speech! a speech!"

Now I had a heart given to the Basin, with a simple thought or two, and
I requisitioned the best of my forces for the "Occasion," conscious of
my morning glory there--oh, she of the skies! munching angel's food.

Whatever I had said or done, moreover, the Basin would have applauded;
yet such cheers as I heard now left no doubt upon my too-willing and
plastic sense of a phenomenal and hitherto unsuspected ability.

"Vesty," said Elder Skates, starting to his feet, "will you
start--start--start--anything?"

"We always _do_ sing

"'In the prison cells I set,
Thinking, mother dear, of you,'

to flag-raisin'," said the ever well-informed and officious Lunette.

"Somehow," said Captain Pharo, shrugging his shoulders, "thar 's too
much of a sea-rake blowin' acrost the back o' my neck t' sing 'Prison
Cells;' 'tain't clost enough for it here. What d'ye say to 'Hold the
Fort'?"

What they said was unanimous. Even Captain Leezur knew it, and the
sculpins, of terrible voice. It was sung with such complete personal
abandonment to strong oral gifts that, at the second verse, the
remaining quota of plastering upon the school-house roof became
loosened and fell with a crash upon the head of that very unfortunate
sculpin who under other blighting circumstances had been forced to
undergo temporary absence from our ranks in the morning.

H