s very wide
open, and arms held firmly to his sides, a position that he must have
imitated from seeing some of the drilling preparations going on at the
settlement, and kept up ever since the scare produced by the coming of
the Indians and the Spaniards.

The reason for this attitudinising and parading was plain the moment I
appeared at the window and grasped the situation; for it was clear
enough--Pomp had seen the gay uniform airing upon the rail, had annexed
it, and carried it off to the hut, probably with his father as an
abettor, in what could only have been meant for a loan; and he had
followed the boy in, and possibly with his assistance put on the
clothes, which fitted him fairly well; but his appearance was not
perfect.

For there over the white-faced scarlet coat was the shiny black face,
surmounted by the military cap worn wrong way foremost, while the
breeches were unbuttoned at the knee, and the leggings were not there,
only Hannibal's black legs, and below them his dusty toes, which spread
out far from each other, and worked about in a way most absurd.

But the most absurd thing of all was the aspect of satisfied dignity in
the man's countenance. It was as if he were supremely happy and
contented with himself, the clothes having evidently raised him
enormously in his own estimation.

"Now what shall I do?" I thought; "go in and scold them both, or wait
and see if they put the things back?"

I was still hesitating and thinking how angry my father would be, when I
found suddenly that there would be no need for me to speak and upset the
equanimity of the happy pair, for all at once I heard a loud exclamation
from the direction of the house, where Sarah had just come out to fetch
in the uniform; and directly after, she jumped at the right conclusion,
and made the place echo with the cry of "Pompey!"

The effect was wondrous.

The boy seemed for the moment turned to stone; his jaw fell, and he
stared at his father, whose face seemed to grow ashy, and from whose
aspect all the dignity had vanished in an instant.

Then, quick as some wild animal, Pomp sprang at his father, the shock
with which he struck him in the chest causing the hat to fall off back
on to the floor as he tore at the buttons to get the coat off.

Hannibal, with his fingers shaking and twitching, helped all he could,
and hindered more, while I stood smothering my laughter and waiting to
see the end of the comedy.

Those garments w