me. You watch w'en the
focus of a revolvin' light is comin' full in a bird's face. The
moment it does so 'e's dazzled, and you grab 'im. If you grab too
soon or too late, 'e's away. That's 'ow it is, and they're capital
heatin', as you'll find."

Thus much for Ruby's astonishment. Now for his being stunned.

Late that night the fog cleared away, and the bells were stopped.
After a long chat with his friends, Ruby mounted to the library and
went to bed. Later still the fog returned, and the bells were again
set agoing. Both of them being within a few feet of Ruby's head, they
awakened him with a bang that caused him to feel as if the room in
which he lay were a bell and his own head the tongue thereof.

At first the sound was solemnizing, then it was saddening. After a
time it became exasperating, and then maddening. He tried to sleep,
but he only tossed. He tried to meditate, but he only wandered--not
"in dreams", however. He tried to laugh, but the laugh degenerated
into a growl. Then he sighed, and the sigh ended in a groan. Finally,
he got up and walked up and down the floor till his legs were cold,
when he turned into bed again, very tired, and fell asleep, but not
to rest--to dream.

He dreamt that he was at the forge again, and that he and Dove were
trying to smash their anvils with the sledge-hammers--bang and bang
about But the anvil would not break. At last he grew desperate, hit
the horn off, and then, with another terrific blow, smashed the whole
affair to atoms!

This startled him a little, and he awoke sufficiently to become aware
of the fog-bells.

Again he dreamed. Minnie was his theme now, but, strange to say, he
felt little or no tenderness towards her. She was beset by a hundred
ruffians in pea-jackets and sou'westers. Something stirred him to
madness. He rushed at the foe, and began to hit out at them right and
left. The hitting was slow, but sure--regular as clockwork. First the
right, then the left, and at each blow a seaman's nose was driven
into his head, and a seaman's body lay flat on the ground. At length
they were all floored but one--the last and the biggest. Ruby threw
all his remaining strength into one crashing blow, drove his fist
right through his antagonist's body, and awoke with a start to find
his knuckles bleeding.

"Hang these bells!" he exclaimed, starting up and gazing round him in
despair. Then he fell back on his pillow in despair, and went to
sleep in despair.

Once