y shouted, and sung, and halloed, and laughed. They flung books and
rulers and ink-pots to the four winds of heaven. They put the cane in
the fire, and one of the Henniker's reading books, which was lying in
the study, they tore into a thousand pieces. They burst into every
forbidden nook and cranny of the house. They rushed down to the kitchen
and up to the attics. They bawled down the speaking-tube, and danced on
the dining-room table. Nothing was omitted which could testify to their
glee at the new emancipation, or their hatred of the old _regime_. They
held a mock school outside the Henniker's door, and gave one another bad
marks and canings with infinite laughter, by way of cheering up their
prisoner.

Finally the calls of hunger put an end to this strange demonstration,
and with a mighty stampede we made for the kitchen. To our surprise, it
was empty.

"Why, where's the cook and housemaid?" cried one and another to Smith.

"Oh," said Smith, who with the cares of generalship upon him had taken
only a small part in the jubilation which had just been celebrated, "the
servants have gone home. They both live at Felwick, so I said they
might take a week's holiday."

The coolness of this announcement was received with much laughter, in
the midst of which, however, Hawkesbury was heard to say, "I hope Smith
is a good cook, for really I can't eat my food raw."

This was certainly a matter we had not reckoned on, and the idea of raw
meat did cast a temporary shadow on our happiness. But Smith replied,
"Oh, of course we do the cooking by turns. By the way, Hawkesbury, you
and Flanagan have to see to that to-day."

Hawkesbury's smile left him for an instant.

"Nonsense; I'm not going to do anything of the sort."

"Then you'd better be the captain," said Smith glumly, "if you aren't
going to obey orders."

Hawkesbury's smile returned.

"Oh, if it's the captain's orders, of course. Come along, Flanagan."

"Come along," said the jovial Flanagan; "I think we'll make a hash of it
with a vengeance!"

Whereat this little breeze blew over. As a matter of fact, we all
assisted at the cooking of this celebrated meal, and made a terrific
hash of it, which, nevertheless, we relished greatly, and declared we
had never tasted such a dinner since we came to Stonebridge House. No
more we had!

But amid our own feasting it would never do to forget our prisoners.
Three parcels were made, containing each a liberal