r something."

"You let that box alone," shouted Mercer, after an ineffective struggle
to get free.

"Shan't. You're not going to do just as you like, Physic," said Burr
major, and he threw up the lid, looked in, and then uttered a
contemptuous "Pah!"

"What a mess!" he cried. "Look here, Dicksee."

The latter crossed to him eagerly, and I stood there a prisoner, but
burning with indignation and an intense desire to hit some one.

"I'll tell the Doctor," cried Mercer. "It's a shame!"

"Oh, is it? You'd better tell tales--do. Oh, I say, boys, lookye here.
This is a rumtummikos incomprehensibus. What a beast!"

He had taken hold of the unfortunate stoat by the tail and held it out
amidst roars of laughter. "We'll have a fire and burn him. What's
next?"

He dived down into the great chest, and brought out the starling.

"Here you are, boys," he cried again. "This is the speckled pecker, or
measly short-tail."

Another roar of laughter.

"And here's the blue-winged cockatooral-looral-looral."

The boys shouted again, and I saw Mercer heave up in his rage, and
nearly send the boys off who were sitting upon him, while I wished I had
strength enough to send our tormentors flying.

"Hallo! here we are then," cried Burr major. "I knew it. They were
going to have a tuck-out. Look, boys, they meant to have `toad in the
hole' for supper, and here's the toad."

This was as he held out the bloated skin of the unfortunate frog.

"Hooray!" shouted the boys, who were looking on with rapturous delight,
and the more we struggled to get free, the greater their enjoyment
seemed.

"You coward!--you brute!" panted Mercer. "How would you like your box
turned out?"

"Ever so. Come and do it and you'll see.--Oh!"

This last was with quite a shout.

"What is it?" cried the boys who held us. "Let's look, Burr."

"You take it out if you dare," cried Mercer, who, however, as he told me
afterwards, had not the least idea what was coming next.

"Oh yes, I'll take it out," said Burr major.

"You coward! you miserable old Eely tailor!"

"Hold your tongue, will you!" cried Burr major, turning sharply round
and giving Mercer a savage kick as he lay on his back, with one boy
sitting on his chest, another on his legs.

"Brute!" cried Mercer, setting his teeth and trying hard not to let the
tears come.

"You great long coward!" I cried; "you wouldn't dare to do that if he
were not down."

"You hold your row,