en by the fall, the pain he soon felt in every portion of his frame
exposed to the nettles was excruciating.

When the party emerged from the forest, a scene of unusual beauty broke
upon their vision.

"This is a charming spot," observed Harkaway.

"And just the thing for a picnic," added Harry. "I vote we halt under
those trees and begin operations."

Hampers were then unpacked, bottles uncorked, and application made to a
pure stream of water which flowed near the spot.

At length all was ready.

Poor orphan, the first mouthful he took seemed to consist of cayenne
pepper.

The cup of water, to which he naturally applied for relief, also
appeared to have been tampered with, for it tasted as salt as the briny
ocean itself.

Next, and also naturally, he drew forth his pockethandkerchief, but ere
he could carry it to his mouth, dropped it in haste and with a cry of
horror, for it contained an enormous frog, which, in its struggles to
escape, fell plump into his plate.

Mr. Mole laughed loudly, whereat Mr. Figgins was naturally offended at
the schoolmaster, and began to suspect that it was he who had been
playing these practical jokes upon him.

Bogey and Tinker, the real promoters of the orphan's discomfiture,
observed this with great inward mirth, but they soon afterwards got
into a little trouble themselves.

Harkaway, turning suddenly round, discovered the two black imps making
sad havoc with the sweets.

"You young scoundrels," shouted Jack, angrily grasping his riding-whip;
"take your fingers off that jam pot immediately."

"I was on'y a-openin' it, sar, ready for de company," exclaimed the
unabashed Tinker.

"What's that you have in your hand, Bogey?" proceeded Harkaway,
alluding to something which the darkey was hiding suspiciously behind
him.

"Only a bit o' bread I brought in my pocket, sar," was the reply.

"Show it us, then, directly, sir."

Bogey accordingly produced a crust from apparently a loaf of the week
before last, but while doing so, Jack's sharp eyes detected that the
nigger dropped some other eatable, in his hurried endeavour to ram it
into his pockets unseen.

"There, our large currant and raspberry tart!" exclaimed Harkaway. "You
artful monkey. I owe you one for this, and I mean to pay you now."

Darting at them, Jack just managed to give Bogey and Tinker a cut each
on the shoulders with his whip as they nimbly scampered off, both
bellowing as though they were being murdere