ellar stairs. Dora had to be
carried.

There was but little said to us that day. We were sent to bed--those who
had not been on the raft the same as the others, for they owned up all
right, and Albert's uncle is the soul of justice.

Next day but one was Saturday. Father gave us a talking to--with other
things.

The worst was when Dora couldn't get her shoe on, so they sent for the
doctor, and Dora had to lie down for ever so long. It was indeed poor
luck.

When the doctor had gone Alice said to me--

'It IS hard lines, but Dora's very jolly about it. Daisy's been telling
her about how we should all go to her with our little joys and sorrows
and things, and about the sweet influence from a sick bed that can be
felt all over the house, like in What Katy Did, and Dora said she hoped
she might prove a blessing to us all while she's laid up.'

Oswald said he hoped so, but he was not pleased. Because this sort
of jaw was exactly the sort of thing he and Dicky didn't want to have
happen.

The thing we got it hottest for was those little tubs off the garden
railings. They turned out to be butter-tubs that had been put out there
'to sweeten'.

But as Denny said, 'After the mud in that moat not all the perfumes of
somewhere or other could make them fit to use for butter again.'

I own this was rather a bad business. Yet we did not do it to please
ourselves, but because it was our duty. But that made no difference to
our punishment when Father came down. I have known this mistake occur
before.

CHAPTER 3. BILL'S TOMBSTONE

There were soldiers riding down the road, on horses two and two. That
is the horses were two and two, and the men not. Because each man was
riding one horse and leading another. To exercise them. They came from
Chatham Barracks. We all drew up in a line outside the churchyard wall,
and saluted as they went by, though we had not read Toady Lion then. We
have since. It is the only decent book I have ever read written by Toady
Lion's author. The others are mere piffle. But many people like them. In
Sir Toady Lion the officer salutes the child.

There was only a lieutenant with those soldiers, and he did not salute
me. He kissed his hand to the girls; and a lot of the soldiers behind
kissed theirs too. We waved ours back.

Next day we made a Union Jack out of pocket-handkerchiefs and part of a
red flannel petticoat of the White Mouse's, which she did not want just
then, and some blue ribbon we