seamy, black and arid-looking as the mouth of
an ancient crater.

Covertly I glanced at Fielding to see what effect this steaming, yet
mummified-looking object had upon him. My worst fears were verified:
the complacent expression had fled, and was succeeded by a look in
which consternation, anger and amazement were all blended.

The short, trying silence was broken by a rasping cough from Robbins,
and then Fielding said, in a constrained tone, as he whetted his
knife: "Well, this animal looks as though it had been through the
fiery furnace created by Nebuchadnezzar for the undoing of the three
Israelites."

Ovide, who was standing complacently behind Fielding's chair, not
understanding the allusion, and thinking that he was called upon to
say something, said brightly, "Oh, yes, sir, dat turkey is de finest
turkey I never see."

Now, I had known Fielding, on numerous occasions, to laugh heartily at
a much less amusing blunder, but on this occasion I sought his usually
expressive face in vain for even the ghost of a smile. To add to my
annoyance and the constraint of the situation, old Robbins found it
necessary to again loudly clear his troublesome throat.

To save himself from making an angry reply, Fielding somewhat
viciously commenced operations on the turkey, and attempted to carve
off a leg; but in some unaccountable manner the knife came to a sudden
halt as soon as it had pierced the dark skin. This unlooked-for
interruption brought a puzzled look into Fielding's face; but he was a
man not easily daunted by anything, and thinking that he had somehow
come across a bone hitherto unknown to him in a turkey's anatomy, he
twisted the bird round and confidently began the dissection of the
other leg. The result was equally disheartening; the blade went a
little below the skin, and then refused to budge.

Poor Fielding! His patience was by this time pretty well exhausted,
and turning to the now anything but jubilant Ovide, said grimly: "In
the name of all that is good, man, what is the matter with this
turkey?"

He had gone however, to the wrong fount, for information this time, as
Ovide wonderingly shook his head, and said, "Dat is de queerest ting
I'm never see, sir."

The angry words on Fielding's lips were prevented by a low
comprehensive laugh from old Robbins, who said, as he pointed
satirically at his fireman, "Oh, aye; oh, aye; thou knows how to cook;
thou does, of course thou does." Then turning to Fie