d in this unflattering way was
Blackall's boasted toy-shop production. He was highly indignant, and
walked about stamping with rage.

Buttar and Bouldon were much amused, and expressed a hope that he would
expend his fury on his kite, and cut it to pieces. He drew out his
knife, evidently with that intention, but he had not the heart to attack
it.

"I'll tell you what it is, Bobby," said he to Dawson, who was standing
by not a little disgusted, "it pulls terrifically hard, and in my
opinion, if it is altered a little, and has a heavier wing put on the
right side, it will yet do magnificently, and make all those howling
monkeys change their tone. That dolt Ellis, and that conceited chap
Bracebridge, will soon find that their finely-bedizened machine is cut
out. My carriage is, I know, such a first-rate one, that it will go
along with anything."

Dawson was in great hopes that Blackall was right, for he had staked his
reputation, as he said, on the success of his patron and his imported
kite, and he had no fancy to find himself laughed at. In what Master
Bobby Dawson's reputation consisted he did not stop to inquire, and
certainly anybody else would have been very puzzled to say.

The rest of the kite-flyers troubled themselves very little about
Blackall and his ill success. They were all intent on making their own
kites perform their best. After the kites had flown for some time, the
Doctor advanced from the group of spectators and umpires, and summoned
Ellis and Monsieur Malin, and, with an appropriate address, bestowed on
them the two first prizes, complimenting them on their design, and the
beauty of the execution.

And now the time arrived to try which kites could fly the highest. All
were hauled in, and the boys stood as before in a row. The signal was
given by Lemon, and up they went, soaring far away into the blue sky.
This time Ernest had a kite as well as Ellis. It was a good large kite,
with remarkably strong string. The device was that of a man-at-arms,
with a gleaming battle-axe over his shoulder, or, as Ernest called it,
the Squire.

"Why, Bracebridge! what do you expect that kite to do, eh?" exclaimed
Lemon. "It is too heavy-looking to fly, and not large enough to drag a
carriage."

"I hope that at all events he will do his duty, and prove a faithful
Squire," answered Bracebridge.

"I wonder what he means?" said several boys who overheard him.

Away soared the kites; some of them app