ight and shape, to which the brown paper lent itself pretty
clearly.

"Pistols!" cried Bigley, as I handed the first. "Oh, I say, Sep, do you
think there'll be any uniforms too?"

"No," I said, "not in a box like this. Here, catch hold!"

I handed the first pistol to him, and he laid it beneath the swords.

"I know how many there ought to be!" he cried--"twenty-four. A brace of
pistols and a cutlass for every man. Here, pitch them and I'll catch."

There was nothing to prevent my handing them to him; but, boy-like, it
seemed pleasant thus to turn work into play, and I began to pitch one by
one the little heavy packages as I drew them out of the chest.

Bigley nearly let one fall, but he saved it, and laughingly placed it in
the row he was making, till, counting the while, he exclaimed--

"Twenty-three! Is that next one the last?"

"Yes," I said, as I pitched it to him and it was placed in the range
upon the table. "You were right."

"Is there anything else?"

"Oh, yes," I said; "the box isn't half empty."

I dived down and brought out next a long sword, more carefully wrapped,
and in superior paper to those which had been previously taken out.
Then followed a squarish case or box in paper, and for a few moments we
were undecided as to what it might be, concluding that it must be a
pistol-case with a brace of superior weapons inside.

Still the chest was far from empty, and on continuing the unpacking I
found that I was handing out short carbines, such as artillerymen or
horse-soldiers would use.

"Twelve!" cried Bigley, who was growing more and more excited. "What
next?"

The next thing was a small square box wrapped in something soft, and
occupying the bottom corner of the chest, while the rest of the space
was occupied by small boxes that were not wrapped in paper, but fastened
down with copper nails, and on each was painted the big figures--250.

I handed out eight of these little boxes, and they, being pretty heavy,
were placed close beside the wall of the office.

"That's all," I said, and, concluding that it was the proper thing to
do, we replaced the shavings and saw-dust in the chest, shut down the
lid, put the loose screws in a piece of paper, and tied them to one of
the clamps before pushing the chest aside and making all tidy.

This done, we hovered, as it were, about the table with longing eyes and
itching fingers, ending by looking at each other.

"I say," said Bigley; "didn't yo