mission for the cannon to be fired, without any idea
of what she had been asked. Kolya showed the powder and the shot. The
captain, as a military man, undertook to load it, putting in a minute
quantity of powder. He asked that the shot might be put off till another
time. The cannon was put on the floor, aiming towards an empty part of the
room, three grains of powder were thrust into the touch-hole and a match
was put to it. A magnificent explosion followed. Mamma was startled, but
at once laughed with delight. The boys gazed in speechless triumph. But
the captain, looking at Ilusha, was more enchanted than any of them. Kolya
picked up the cannon and immediately presented it to Ilusha, together with
the powder and the shot.

"I got it for you, for you! I've been keeping it for you a long time," he
repeated once more in his delight.

"Oh, give it to me! No, give me the cannon!" mamma began begging like a
little child. Her face showed a piteous fear that she would not get it.
Kolya was disconcerted. The captain fidgeted uneasily.

"Mamma, mamma," he ran to her, "the cannon's yours, of course, but let
Ilusha have it, because it's a present to him, but it's just as good as
yours. Ilusha will always let you play with it; it shall belong to both of
you, both of you."

"No, I don't want it to belong to both of us, I want it to be mine
altogether, not Ilusha's," persisted mamma, on the point of tears.

"Take it, mother, here, keep it!" Ilusha cried. "Krassotkin, may I give it
to my mother?" he turned to Krassotkin with an imploring face, as though
he were afraid he might be offended at his giving his present to some one
else.

"Of course you may," Krassotkin assented heartily, and, taking the cannon
from Ilusha, he handed it himself to mamma with a polite bow. She was so
touched that she cried.

"Ilusha, darling, he's the one who loves his mamma!" she said tenderly,
and at once began wheeling the cannon to and fro on her lap again.

"Mamma, let me kiss your hand." The captain darted up to her at once and
did so.

"And I never saw such a charming fellow as this nice boy," said the
grateful lady, pointing to Krassotkin.

"And I'll bring you as much powder as you like, Ilusha. We make the powder
ourselves now. Borovikov found out how it's made--twenty-four parts of
saltpeter, ten of sulphur and six of birchwood charcoal. It's all pounded
together, mixed into a paste with water and rubbed through a tammy
sieve--that's h