rom the hall and all
the doors locked except that which led to the servants' hall and the
staircases.

In they came, a little subdued, and with their first disastrous energy
sufficiently exhausted for them to be able to listen and to do as they
were told.

The oaken center-table had been pushed on one side, and there was a
clear space, wide, carpetless, from the front door to the big stone
fireplace opposite.

"This way with the log! Now, boys, pull with a will!" cried Max, not
insensible to the novelty and picturesqueness of the situation, as a
motley crowd, some in smock-frocks, some in corduroy and some in gaiters
and great-coats, pressed into the great hall dragging the log after them
with many a "Whoop!" and shout and cry.

Mr. and Mrs. Wedmore and the two girls hurried downstairs on hearing the
door open, and stood by the fireplace, with a little glow of
satisfaction and pleasure at the turn affairs had taken.

It _was_ a log! Or, rather, it was more than a log; for it was half
a tree. Slowly the huge thing came in, scraping the nicely polished
floor, rolling a little from side to side, and threatening all those
within a yard of it. And then, when its appearance had spread
consternation through the household, the inevitable question came: What
was to be done with it?

The fire-basket had been taken out of the hearth on purpose for its
reception, but it was evident that, even after this careful preparation,
to think of burning it whole was out of the question. There was nothing
for it but to send for a saw and to reduce the log then and there to a
manageable size.

This was done, amid considerable noise and excitement, drinking of the
health of the family by villagers who had been drinking too much
already, and much scraping of the polished floor by muddy, hob-nailed
boots.

Finally the deputation was got rid of, and the interrupted dinner was
allowed to proceed, much to the comfort of Max, who had eaten nothing
since breakfast, and much to the dismay of Mrs. Wedmore, who was then
able to ascertain the extent of the damage done by the invaders.

It was lucky for Max that he had arrived at such an opportune moment.
His father had been grumbling at the number of visits he had made to
town lately, and the young man would have found him in no very good
humor if he had not discovered to his hand the opportunity of making
himself conspicuously useful.

It is scarcely necessary to say that Max did not tell a