e an evil spirit
seeking rest and finding none. He stood for some time gloomily
watching the four gardeners, who were busily at work laying strips of
turf, mowing the lawn, rolling the gravel paths and trimming the trees
and bushes. The boy Bert, Philpot, Harlow, Easton and Sawkins were
loading a hand-cart with ladders and empty paint-pots to return to the
yard. Just as they were setting out, Misery stopped them, remarking
that the cart was not half loaded--he said it would take a month to get
all the stuff away if they went on like that; so by his directions they
placed another long ladder on top of the pile and once more started on
their way, but before they had gone two dozen yards one of the wheels
of the cart collapsed and the load was scattered over the roadway.
Bert was at the same side of the cart as the wheel that broke and he
was thrown violently to the ground, where he lay half stunned, in the
midst of the ladders and planks. When they got him out they were
astonished to find that, thanks to the special Providence that watches
over all small boys, he was almost unhurt--just a little dazed, that
was all; and by the time Sawkins returned with another cart, Bert was
able to help to gather up the fallen paint-pots and to accompany the
men with the load to the yard. At the corner of the road they paused
to take a last look at the 'job'.

'There it stands!' said Harlow, tragically, extending his arm towards
the house. 'There it stands! A job that if they'd only have let us do
it properly, couldn't 'ave been done with the number of 'ands we've
'ad, in less than four months; and there it is, finished, messed up,
slobbered over and scamped, in nine weeks!'

'Yes, and now we can all go to 'ell,' said Philpot, gloomily.

At the yard they found Bundy and his mate, Ned Dawson, who helped them
to hang up the ladders in their usual places. Philpot was glad to get
out of assisting to do this, for he had contracted a rather severe
attack of rheumatism when working outside at the 'Cave'. Whilst the
others were putting the ladders away he assisted Bert to carry the
paint-pots and buckets into the paint shop, and while there he filled a
small medicine bottle he had brought with him for the purpose, with
turpentine from the tank. He wanted this stuff to rub into his
shoulders and legs, and as he secreted the bottle in the inner pocket
of his coat, he muttered: 'This is where we gets some of our own back.'

They took