ish that happy end, you could
never be grateful enough--now, could you?"

"Certainly not!" exclaimed the advocate of exercise, who wished from his
inmost soul, either that he had taken less turnip, or that the famous
seven league boots were on his legs at that moment.

"Then all you have to do," cried Dr. Skihi with sparkling eyes, "is to
get in a convenient posture; allow me to set off this retort of mine
behind you--" here he produced a "glass concern" from a side pocket, to
the horror of his friends--"and heigh, presto! you will find yourself
flying home like a skyrocket"--

"And coming down like the stick!" gasped Dr. Smelfungus, retiring in a
hurry, for the tails of his dressing gown and the gas retort of Dr.
Skihi were in inconvenient proximity.

Dr. Skihi vouchsafed not another word, but with an air of indescribable
dignity adjusted the retort, took out a cork--and--but words fail me to
describe the catastrophe! Before Dr. Mumbudget could rush forward to
prevent it, the gas had come in contact with the air, become inflamed
instantly, and sent Dr. Skihi whirling above the heads of his friends!

Vesuvius in eruption, coal mines on fire, mad bulls in the full rush,
and crackers exploding in a barrel, rushed wildly through the heads of
our philosophers, and when, finally, the rocket-riding doctor was
discharged on a hayrick, the only person who retained sufficient
presence of mind to go and pick him up was Mumbudget.

Poor Dr. Skihi! The victim to science remained insensible for some
time; and when he finally recovered his consciousness, could not at
first be persuaded that he was not in innumerable pieces. When he was,
at last, enabled to walk on, it was discovered that while they were
experimenting they had lost their way, and might be close to home or in
the middle of Kamtschatka for all they knew of the road. It was again
Mumbudget who helped them out of this difficulty, by speaking for the
third time that day; and this third remark of the sage was as much to
the point as the two first. "Ask somebody!" propounded Mumbudget, and
after hobbling miserably along for some time, this somebody turned up in
the person of a very small, ragged, dirty urchin; and under the
guidance of this contemptible little snipe did our prodigies of wisdom
arrive at last at the abode of Science and Knowledge!

As they entered the hall, Dr. Smelfungus, with an admiring glance at the
speechless Mumbudget, exclaimed, "After all, gent