, he slowly approached till he
nearly touched the bread.

"That's right; take it," said the old lady, giving it a sharp push
forward at the same moment, and the black leaped back once more with a
look of disgust upon his face which gave way to another grin.

"What shame!" he cried in a tone of remonstrance. "'Tick knife in, make
um bleed. Damper no good no more."

"Well, of all the horrible creatures!" cried Aunt Georgie, who stood
there full in the firelight in happy unconsciousness of the fact that
the scene was double, for the shadows of the two performers were thrown
grotesquely but distinctly upon the wall of verdure by their side.

Just then a happy thought struck the black, who advanced again nearly
within reach of the bread, planted his spear behind him as a support,
holding it with both hands, and then, grinning mightily at his own
cunning in keeping his body leaning back out of reach, he lifted one
leg, and with his long elastic foot working, stretched it out and tried
to take the piece of bread with his toes.

A perfect shriek of laughter arose from the boys at this, and the black
turned sharply to give them a self-satisfied nod, as if to say, "She
can't get at me now," while the mirth increased as Aunt Georgie snatched
the bread back.

"That you don't, sir," she cried. "Such impudence! You take that bread
properly, or not a bit do you have."

As she spoke she shook the knife at him, and the black again leaped
back, looked serious, and then scratched his head as if for a fresh
thought.

The idea came as Aunt Georgie stretched out the bread again.

"Now, sir," she cried, "come and take it this instant."

The black hesitated, then, slowly lowering the spear, he brought the
point down to the bread and made a sudden poke at it; but the
fire-hardened point glanced off the crust, and two more attempts failed.

"No," said Aunt Georgie; "you don't have it like that, sir. I could
turn the crumb round and let you get it, but you shall take it properly
in your hand. Now then, take it correctly."

She made another menacing gesture, which caused the black to shrink; but
he was evidently hungry, and returned to get the bread; so this time he
advanced with lowered spear, and as he drew near he laid the weapon on
the bread, and slowly advanced nearer and nearer, the spear passing over
the bread till, as the black's left hand touched the loaf, the point of
the spear was within an inch of Aunt Georgie's bre