SUMMER. 87 



the gray locks from his high forehead, and, with an expression that I 

 never shall forget, glared at me from under the frowning eyebrows. 



"You lie, sir/" he exclaimed, in thundering tones that fairly made my 

 hair stand on end, while Cuthbert trembled from head to foot; then fol- 

 lowed a brief moment of consternation that seemed an age. " Now go !" 

 continued he, as with an emphatic nod of the head he motioned toward 

 the door. Sheepish and crest-fallen, we slunk away from the room. It 

 is needless to say that we went this time. Through the darkness, by the 

 aid of a lantern, we picked our way, as with theories numerous and in- 

 genious we strove to account for that vociferous reception. 



Late that night we held an experience meeting with Mr. and Mrs. 

 SnuCT in the Tower, and if I remember ricrht there were a few tears that 

 fell, and many apologies and good resolves, and as the true state of the 

 case dawned on Mr. Snug there was an evident twinge of regret on his 

 kind face. 



On the following morning (Saturday; there was a jolly party of youths 

 leaving the Snuggery for a day's boating at the lake. Dick Shin was 

 among them ; and just as he was passing out the gate, a youngster ap- 

 proaches him and taps him on the shoulder. " You are hereby arrested, 

 sir, on the orders of Mr. Snug." 



With an anxious and innocent expression Dick follows his juvenile 

 constable into the Tower, and his companions stroll ajong after to ascer- 

 tain the cause of the detention. We pass over the brief but amusing 

 trial, in which the prisoner, with the innocence of a little lamb, pleaded 

 his cause. 



" You stumbled, did you ?" said Mr. Snug. " Well, you ought to know, 

 sir, by this time that I don't allow young men to stumble in that way in 

 my house. These two boys have suffered through your admitted clumsi- 

 ness." Here Mr. Snug paused in a moment's thought. " Dick Shin," 

 he continued, " I sent these innocent young gentlemen on two trips to 

 Moody Barn — that makes four miles for Bigson and four miles for Hard- 

 ing, together making eight that they walked on your account. Now you 

 may put down your fishing-pole, and ' stumble ' along on the road to 

 Judd's Bridge, which will give you two extra miles in which to think 

 over your sins. And to make sure" — here Mr. Snug arose and went to 

 the closet — " you may take this hatchet along with you, and bring me 

 back a good big chip from the end of the long bridge beam. I shall ride 

 over that way to-morrow and see whether it fits. You understand ?" 



