r
immoderately; others will become irritable, angry, or even pugnacious;
whilst others again will weep copiously.

M'Allister was now talking rapidly and quietly to himself, laughing all
the while, his eyes shining and twinkling merrily as though something
intensely amusing were being enacted.

This seemed to react upon John, who apparently was irritated beyond
control, and presently he roared out, "Kenneth M'Allister, stop that
infernal grinning and chattering like a monkey! Stop it, I say! stop it
directly!" But M'Allister took no notice and laughed louder than ever.

"Why, you confounded baboon," shouted John, "you're worse than any
laughing hyena! Stop it, stop it at once, or I shall do you some
mischief!" And he advanced towards M'Allister in such a menacing
attitude that I had to rush between them to keep them apart.

He was now raging up and down the room, looking as angry as a hungry
lion which has just had a long expected dinner suddenly snatched away
from it; but the worse he became the louder M'Allister shrieked with
laughter. The latter was now simply rolling about the room--for it could
not be termed walking, it was so erratic--holding his sides and
laughing, whilst the tears were chasing each other down his cheeks. He
kept trying to speak, but had no sooner stuttered out the words, "Heh,
mon! heh, mon!" than he was off again into another wild paroxysm of
laughter, and was rapidly becoming exhausted.

Things were really becoming very serious indeed, and I saw that
something must be done at once to put an end to this disturbance. So,
going over to M'Allister, I took him gently by the shoulders and pushed
him out of the room, saying quietly, "Go to your own room at once; but
for goodness' sake don't touch the machinery until the air has had time
to put you right again. Leave me to deal with John." He rolled off
through the doorway, still laughing "fit to split" as people say.

Returning to John, I tried to calm him down; but it proved a long and
difficult task, though at last I succeeded in persuading him to go with
me into our living-room and sit down quietly.

After sitting there some time, puffing away at his pipe, the fresher air
began to have its effect; and soon I judged that he was calm enough to
talk the matter over and discuss the situation more reasonably.

Then I said: "John, my dear fellow, please listen to me. You know we
have now travelled quite 57,000,000 miles on our journey, and that