?"

Stover reappeared.

"Seeing if there are any females inside."

"What's that to you?" said Jimmy indignantly.

"Keep your eye peeled and I'll show you," said the urchin, standing
up, freeing his belt and unbuttoning his vest. In a moment, by a
series of contortions, he drew forth the three signs and proudly
displayed them.

"See these gilt ones," he said confidentially to the astounded Roman,
"got 'em in the open car; stood right up and unscrewed them--penal
offense, my boy. The tin one was easier, but it's a beaut. 'No
loitering on these premises.' Cast your eye over that," he added,
passing it to The Roman, who, as he gravely received it, gave Jimmy a
dig that cut short a fit of coughing.

"Pretty fine, eh?" said Stover.

"Em, yes, quite extraordinary--quite so."

"And what do you think of these?" continued Stover, producing two
silver nickel-plated knobs ravished from the washbasin. "'Pull and
Push'--that's my motto. Say, Bill, how does that strike you?"

The Roman examined them and handed them back.

"You'll find it rather--rather slow at the school, won't you?"

"Oh, I'll put ginger into it."

"Indeed."

"What's your line of goods, old Sport?" said Stover, examining Mr.
Hopkins with a knowing eye.

"Books," said The Roman with a slight jerk of his thin lips.

"I see!"

Jimmy stopped the horses and went behind, ostensibly to see if the
door was swinging.

"Let me drive?" said Stover, fidgeting after a moment's contemplation
of Jimmy's method. "I'll show you a thing or two."

"Oh, you will, will you?"

"Let's have 'em."

Jimmy looked inquiringly at Mr. Hopkins and, receiving a nod,
transferred the reins and whip to Stover, who immediately assumed a
Wild West attitude and said patronizingly:

"Say, you don't get the speed out of 'em."

"I don't, eh?"

"Naw."

They were at that moment reaching the brink of a hill, with a sharp
though short descent below.

"In my country," said Stover professionally, "we call a man who uses a
brake a candy dude. The trick is to gallop 'em down the hills. Hang
on!"

Before he could be stopped he sprang up with an ear-splitting
war-whoop and brought the whip down with a stinging blow over the ears
of the indignant horses, who plunged forward with a frightened leap.
The coach rose and rocked, narrowly missing overturning in its sudden
headlong course. Jimmy clamped on the brakes, snatched the reins and
brought the plunging team to a stop after narro