nd I held
him tight, until the young hero--rascal, I mean--turned upon me and hit
me in the face; yes, ma'am, administered a 'scientific' right into my
left eye, and then broke from me and rushed into the burning house--"

"Well, but I thought it better the professor should have a black eye
than the boys should be burned to death," put in the lad, edgeways.

"Oh, Ishmael, Ishmael, this is dreadful! You will live to be hung, I
know you will!" sobbed Hannah.

"Well, aunty, maybe so; Sir William Wallace did," coolly replied the
boy.

"What in the name of goodness set you on to do such a wild thing? And
all for old Burghe's sons! Pray, what were they to you that you should
rush through burning flames for them?"

"Nothing, Aunt Hannah; only I felt quite sure that Israel Putnam or
Francis Marion would have done just as I did, and so--"

"Plague take Francis Putnam and Israel Marion, and also Patrick
Handcock, and the whole lot of 'em, I say! Who are they that you should
run your head into the fire for them? They wouldn't do it for you, that
I know," exclaimed Hannah.

"Aunt Hannah," said Ishmael pathetically, "you have got their names all
wrong, and you always do! Now, if you would only take my book and read
it while you are resting in your chair, you would soon learn all their
names, and--"

"I'll take the book and throw it into the fire the very first time I lay
my hands on it! The fetched book will be your ruin yet!" exclaimed
Hannah, in a rage.

"Now, Miss Worth," interposed the professor, "if you destroy that boy's
book, I'll never do another odd job for you as long as ever I live."

"Whist! professor," whispered Ishmael. "You don't know my Aunt Hannah as
well as I do. Her bark is a deal worse than her bite! If you only knew
how many times she has threatened to 'shake the life out of' me, and to
'be the death of me', and to 'flay' me 'alive,' you would know the value
of her words."

"Well, young Ishmael, you are the best judge of that matter, at least.
And now are you ready? For, indeed, we haven't any more time to spare.
We ought to have been at the Hall before this."

"Why, professor, I have been ready and waiting for the last ten
minutes."

"Come along, then. And now, Miss Hannah, you take a well-wisher's
advice and don't scold young Ishmael any more about last night's
adventur'. He has done a brave act, and he has saved the commodore's
sons without coming to any harm by it. And, if he hasn't made his