cousin's blood-besmeared countenance. "I can't think
how Harry could do so. Oh! what would Papa say if he came? Pray don't
tell him."

"No, I shan't tell," said Fred, stoutly, with his face half in the pail,
and the words all the time half choked by that sob which would keep
rising from his overburdened heart. "But I'm not a coward, though, am
I? Is my face cut much?"

Upon inspection it proved that with the exception of the damaged lip,
and an ugly cut on the back of his head where he had fallen upon the
paving stones in the yard, Fred was not much hurt; and when Philip had
well rubbed down his clothes, and polished him off with Sam's
spoke-brush, the marks of the conflict were hardly perceptible.

Just then Harry came sneaking into the stable, looking dreadfully
ashamed of himself, with his face smeared all over with blood from his
bleeding nose, and carrying in his hand the body of the poor ferret: for
it would frighten no more poor rats or rabbits to death, having met with
its own by being trampled upon during the fray.

"Will you shake hands?" said Harry, half sulkily, half sheepishly, to
Fred.

Fred gave a sort of gulp, but he held out his hand, which was heartily
shaken; and directly after Harry was sitting on the truss of straw, and
being sponged and cleaned by his late adversary and his brother.

"I say, you know," said Harry, "I am sorry, but you shouldn't have hit
me; no fellow could stand that. But then I was wrong first I say,
though, don't be hard on a fellow, for I do want to be jolly with you,
and make you comfortable; but I'm such a vicious beast, and always
getting into a row, ain't I, Phil?"

Phil nodded assent, but added directly after, "He won't let any one crow
over me, though, at school, and he whacked Bill Sims, the biggest chap
in the first class last half, for hitting a little un."

"But I say, though," said Harry, wiping his face with his pocket
handkerchief, "it's all right again, ain't it? We've made it up again,
haven't we?"

"Yes, to be sure," said Fred, smiling. "But who killed the poor
ferret?"

"Why, you did," said Harry; "you put your foot on his head; but it
serves me right, it was all my fault."

"Never mind, now," said Philip; "let's go down the garden again till
tea-time; there's a linnet's nest in the hedge."

"Ah! so there is," said Harry; "come on."

And away they went, for the storm had blown over, and to have looked at
the lads no one could have imagin