in bed, but in so doing only increased
his pain--penetrating hair-brushes, although meant expressly for going
through the hair, having, for all that, the power to pierce the skin, as
Fred found, and he soon made a sort of rabbit leap off the bed on to the
floor, and confronted his tormentors, who directly took to ignoble
flight; but they did not get off scot-free, for Fred managed to send a
missile in the shape of one of the brushes flying after them, and it
caught Harry a pretty good thump in the back with the hardest part.

"I say," said Philip, when they were nearly dressed, "we were to have
gone to the mill last night to bob for eels; let's go to-night, or Dusty
Bob will think we are not coming."

"Oh, he wouldn't expect us when he saw what a fire there was. He would
know that we should not go directly afterwards. But we might go
to-night, though. Let's ask Mamma to have tea early, so that we can
start directly after."

"Well, but we have not had breakfast yet," said Fred.

"Well, I know that," said Harry; "but it's always best to be in good
time about everything, and then you don't get all behind. I say, what
shall we do this morning? I should like to go down to the seashore.
Let's ask Papa to take us."

"Why, what's the use," said Philip, "when you know how busy he is about
the fire? I shouldn't like to ask him. But he said he would take us
again before Fred goes back, so let's wait and see."

Breakfast finished, the boys went out in the garden to amuse themselves,
and plenty there always seemed to be in that garden to amuse any one of
reasonable desires. There was fruit in abundance to begin with--no bad
thing for a commencement either, as Harry appeared to think, for he
began feasting first upon the gooseberries, and then turned his
attention to the cherries on the big tree in the corner by the
shrubbery--the tree which bore the great white Bigareau cherries; and it
was quite time they were picked, for some were split right down the side
from over-ripeness, while the sparrows had been attacking others, and
had committed sad havoc amongst them--the little pert rascals having
picked out all the finest and ripest for their operations, and then,
after taking a few bites out of the richest and sweetest part, they
commenced upon another. As for Harry, who was not at all a particular
youth, he used to make a point of choosing the sparrow-picked cherries--
saying that they were the ripest and sweetest.