o!" said David.

"Gr-r-r-r-r-r-r!" cried Clive.

But the wild boar did not move, even though the uproar without
still continued.

Then Clive went down the ladder a little distance, far enough down
so that by bending, his head was below the upper floor. Then he
took his hat and hurled it with all his might and main at the pile
of fagots.

Then he went up again.

But the wild boar did not move.

Thereupon David went down, and he went a little lower. He took his
hat, and uttering a hideous yell, he threw it with all his force
at the fagots.

But even this failed to alarm the wild boar. David stood for a
moment after this bold deed and listened. The only satisfaction
that he had was the sound of a low, comfortable grunt, that seemed
to show that the present situation was one which was rather
enjoyed than otherwise by this formidable, this indomitable, this
invincible beast.

They came back to the windows in despair, and by this time Frank
had finished his discussion with the guide. He was looking up
anxiously towards them.

"Look here," said he; "that miserable wild boar won't come
out. The guide thinks the only way to get at him is to smoke
him out. The only trouble is about you. Will the smoke bother
yon, do you think?"

"I don't know," said Clive.

"Can you stop up the opening?"

"No."

"Can you keep your heads oat of the windows?"

"We'll try. But I wish you'd only thought of bringing a ladder, so
as to get us out first, before smoking him."

"Yes, I wish we had," said Frank, thoughtfully. "But never mind,"
he added, cheerily, "there's no use going back for one, because,
you see, we'll have you out of that long before a ladder could be
brought here."

It was only by yelling at the top of their voices that they were
able to make themselves heard by one another, for the crowd behind
the house still kept up their yells, and knockings, and thumpings,
and waited to hear that the wild boar had fled. As the time passed
without any such news, they were only stimulated to fresh efforts,
and howled more fearfully and yelled more deafeningly.

"There's an awful waste of energy and power about here, somehow,"
said Frank. "There ought to be some way of getting at that wretched
beast, without all this nonsense. Here we are,--I don't know how
many of us, but the whole population of a town, at any rate, against
one,--and what's worse, we don't seem to make any impression."

Meanwhile the guide had gone off a