around solemnly,
"while I don't hold to my own opinion if anybody else can think up
something better, still it seems to me--But maybe you'd ruther hear from
the others first."

"No, no!" cried the whole company,--except Mr. Hanlon, who shook his
head vigorously.

"Well, then, being as you've asked me so particular, and having thought
about it considerable,--as I was saying, it appears to me that the best
thing to do would be to--This is only the way it looks to me, you
understand, and I ain't speaking for nobody but myself, and I don't
pretend that my opinion is worth----"

"By crackey!" cried Mr. Toby, very rudely. "Ain't you the most maddening
old feller that ever was in the world? Come on, now, tell us what to
do, and be quick about it!"

"Call up the Able Seaman!"

This was so unexpected that nobody spoke for a moment.

"Hurrah!" cried Toby. "Now you've said it. We'll call up Mr. Lemuel
Mizzen--is that his name? That's the thing to do! Do you all agree to
that?" Everybody approved, and Mr. Toby turned to Freddie. "He's your
man, Freddie, and if you've done it once, I reckon it won't be any harm
for you to do it again. Wait a minute." And he ran into the shop, and
immediately returned with the Chinaman's head and a churchwarden pipe.

"Now, then, Freddie," he said. "Will you do it again?"

"No, sir," said Freddie. "I'd rather not."

"You shouldn't make him do it," said Aunt Amanda.

"Nonsense, Aunt Amanda!" cried Toby. "He's as bad now as he'll ever be,
and it ain't a-going to do him no harm. I'll fill the pipe."

"Hit's quite a lark," said Mr. Punch, laughing heartily. "Fancy the
little beggar's smoking a pipe!"

"My dear little friend," began the Sly Old Fox, beaming upon Freddie.
"You must always remember that your elders know best----"

"Here, Freddie," said Mr. Toby, having filled the pipe, "sit down here."
And he pushed Freddie gently down upon his accustomed hassock at Aunt
Amanda's feet.

Freddie shook his head, but Mr. Toby put the pipe into his mouth and lit
a match. All the others sat in silence, watching Freddie intently.

"Now, then!" said Toby. "Pull away!" And he touched the lighted match to
the pipeful of black tobacco.

Freddie gave a pull, and blew out a cloud of smoke. He did not choke
this time. He gave another pull, and blew out another cloud. The white
smoke lay above the heads of the company in a thick mass; it grew
thicker, so that he could not see through it; it began to