was did not. There were feet on the gravel, and there was
the uncle's voice, saying in his hearty manner--

'This way. This way. On such a day as this we shall find our young
barbarians all at play somewhere about the grounds.'

And then, without further warning, the uncle, three other gentlemen and
two ladies burst upon the scene.

We had no clothes on to speak of--I mean us boys. We were all wet
through. Daisy was in a faint or a fit, or dead, none of us then knew
which. And all the stuffed animals were there staring the uncle in the
face. Most of them had got a sprinkling, and the otter and the duck-bill
brute were simply soaked. And three of us were dark brown. Concealment,
as so often happens, was impossible.

The quick brain of Oswald saw, in a flash, exactly how it would strike
the uncle, and his brave young blood ran cold in his veins. His heart
stood still.

'What's all this--eh, what?' said the tones of the wronged uncle.

Oswald spoke up and said it was jungles we were playing, and he didn't
know what was up with Daisy. He explained as well as anyone could, but
words were now in vain.

The uncle had a Malacca cane in his hand, and we were but ill prepared
to meet the sudden attack. Oswald and H. O. caught it worst. The other
boys were under the tigers--and of course my uncle would not strike a
girl. Denny was a visitor and so got off.

But it was bread and water for us for the next three days, and our own
rooms. I will not tell you how we sought to vary the monotonousness of
imprisonment. Oswald thought of taming a mouse, but he could not find
one. The reason of the wretched captives might have given way but for
the gutter that you can crawl along from our room to the girls'. But
I will not dwell on this because you might try it yourselves, and it
really is dangerous. When my father came home we got the talking to,
and we said we were sorry--and we really were--especially about Daisy,
though she had behaved with muffishness, and then it was settled that
we were to go into the country and stay till we had grown into better
children.

Albert's uncle was writing a book in the country; we were to go to his
house. We were glad of this--Daisy and Denny too. This we bore nobly. We
knew we had deserved it. We were all very sorry for everything, and we
resolved that for the future we WOULD be good.

I am not sure whether we kept this resolution or not. Oswald thinks now
that perhaps we made a mistake in tr