unt for this apparition we must cross the garden, to the
summer-house, where Myra and Clem had hidden themselves away from
the heat with a book, and, for the twentieth time perhaps, were lost in
the adventures of Jack the Tinker and the Giant Blunderbuss.
As a rule Myra would read a portion of the story, and the pair then fell
to acting it over together. In this way Clem had slain, in the course of
his young life, many scores of giants, wizards, dragons, and other enemies
of mankind, his sister the while keeping watch over his blindness, and
calling to him when and where to deliver the deadly stroke.
But to-day the heat disinclined them for these dramatic exertions, and
they sat quiet, even on reaching the point at which Jack the Tinker, his
friend Tom, the good-natured giant, and Tom's children, young Tom and
Jane, fare forth with slings for their famous hunting.

"'They soon knocked down as many kids, hares, and rabbits as they desired.
They caught some colts, placed the children on two of them and the game on
the others, and home they went.'"

Myra glanced up at Clem, for this was a passage which ever called to him
like a trumpet. But to-day Clem spread out both hands, protesting.

"'On their return, whilst waiting for supper, Jack wandered around the
castle, and was struck by seeing a window which he had not before
observed. Jack was resolved to discover the room to which this window
belonged; so he very carefully noticed its position and then threw his
hammer in through it, that he might be certain of the spot when he found
his tool inside the castle. The next day, after dinner.'"--

"Wait a moment, Clem dear!"

"Oh, but we _must!_" Clem had jumped to his feet.

"It's too dreadfully hot. Very well, then; but wait for the end.

"'The next day, after dinner, when Tom was having his snooze, Jack took
Tom's wife Jane with him, and they began a search for the hammer near the
spot where Jack supposed the window should be; but they saw no signs of
one in any part of the walls. They discovered, however, a strangely
fashioned worm-eaten oak hanging-press. They carefully examined this, but
found nothing. At last Jack, striking the back of it with his fist, was
convinced from the sound that the wall behind it was hollow. He and Jane
went steadily to work, and with some exertion they moved the press aside
and disclosed a stone door. They opened this, and there was Jack's hammer
lying amidst a pile of bones, e