day night--shan't we."

Little Jim opened his eyes very wide, pressed his mouth very tight, and
nodded his head violently.

"Well then," continued the Bloater, repeating Sparks's words in a deep
stage whisper, "West-End; Friday, at 12 p.m. Number 5, close to the
fire-station. You won't forget?"

Little Jim again nodded his head, and uttered a little shriek of
delight. This attracted the notice of a policeman, who hinted, as
delicately as possible, that the boys had better "move on."

They took the hint, and retired precipitately.

CHAPTER SIX.

Oh! but it _was_ an interesting occupation to watch the expression of
Little Jim's countenance, as the Bloater watched it, while the two boys
were on their way to the "West-End" that evening, bent on doing duty as
amateur watchmen on "Number 5," close to the fire-station.

"Your face ain't cherubic," observed the Bloater, looking down at his
little friend. "If anythink, I should say it partakes of the diabolic;
so you've got no occasion to make it wus than it is by twistin' it about
like that. Wotever do you do it for?"

Little Jim replied by a sound which can only be represented by the
letters "sk," pronounced in the summit of the nose.

"That ain't no answer," said the Bloater, with a knowing smile, the
knowingness of which consisted chiefly in the corners of the mouth being
turned down instead of up. This peculiarity, be it carefully observed,
was natural to the Bloater, who scorned every species of affectation.
Many of his young friends and admirers were wont to imitate this smile.
If they could have seen the inconceivably idiotic expressions of their
countenances when they tried it, they would never have made a second
effort!

"Wot a jolly lark!" said Little Jim, prefacing the remark with another
"sk."

"Ha!" replied the Bloater, with a frown that implied the pressure of
weighty matters on his mind.

After a few minutes' silence, during which the cherubic face of Little
Jim underwent various contortions, the Bloater said--

"If I ain't mistaken, Jim, you and I are sound of wind and limb?"

Jim looked up in surprise, and nodded assent.

"Besides which," continued the Bloater, "we're rayther fleet than
otherwise."

Again Jim nodded and grinned.

"No Bobby as ever stuck 'is hignorant hinsolent 'ead into a 'elmet ever
could catch us."

"Sk!" ejaculated Jim, expanding from ear to ear.

"Well, then," continued the Bloater, becoming more grave and