at the
Bunk, thought he scornfully. The only drawback to his sense of
exhilarating pride was the fact that Geoff was not a witness of his
emancipation from society rules.

'Do you actually mean to tell us, Jerry, that in time you will be able
to teach those wretched young shavers to whistle real, proper tunes?'
Alick asked presently, pointing with his knife, in careful imitation of
the manners and customs of his company, to the shivery mites, each
wrapped in a wisp of cotton-wool, which thoughtful Jerry had not
forgotten to bring for the purpose of protecting the birdlings on their
debut into the world out of their warm nest-homes.

'Yes; you bide a wee, Muster Alick!' rejoined Jerry confidently, if
indistinctly, seeing his mouth was full at the moment. 'Before the
summer's out I'll engage that my scholards will sing "The Blue Bells of
Scotland" without a single false note! And when they do, I'll get a
good price for each on 'em from a chap I knows of in London, who trades
in singin' birds, and is always ready to buy 'em. But I was a-goin' to
say, Muster Alick, that I'll want some help from you boys. I can't do
the whole thing single-handed. I shall have to board out the birds,
after a bit; so there will be plenty of work for each of you, if so be
you're agreeable.'

Of course the boys were more than ready with their promises of help in
the labour of teaching, as soon as they understood how it was to be set
about.

'You will have to put us up to the trick first; how it's to be done,
you know, Jerry,' said Alick.

'All right, muster! But there's no trick in the matter, and no secret,
'cept it be kindness and firmness. Them's the two great rulin' powers
with dumb animals, same's with we humans. 'Tain't no good tryin' to
train a child by lettin' him do jes' whatever he pleases. You wouldn't
call that training, now, would you? Say!' Jerry looked up from the
pipe he was filling to put the question, with some little earnestness.

A strange flush stole up into Alick Carnegy's cheeks; for the life of
him he could not help applying Jerry's excellent logic to himself. The
stern, high-minded face of the tutor he had insulted floated before the
boy's eyes, and he winced, for the second time that day, at Jerry's
words, as he remembered how he had fought with and rebelled against the
authority set over him. Alick's conscience was by no means altogether
deadened, and his triumph was dashed.

'Yes,' continued Je