ies, sparrows, tomtits, owls, larks, mavises, blackbirds, etcetera,
etcetera--were fluttering round the lantern outside, apparently bent on
ascertaining the nature of the wonderful light within.

"Ah! poor things," said Forsyth, in answer to Ruby's look of wonder,
"they often visit us in foggy weather. I suppose they get out to sea in
the fog and can't find their way back to land, and then some of them
chance to cross our light and take refuge on it."

"Now I'll go out and get to-morrow's dinner," said Dumsby. He went out
accordingly, and, walking round the balcony that encircled the base of
the lantern, was seen to put his hand up and quietly take down and wring
the necks of such birds as he deemed suitable for his purpose. It
seemed a cruel act to Ruby, but when he came to think of it he felt
that, as they were to be stewed at any rate, the more quickly they were
killed the better!

He observed that the birds kept fluttering about, alighting for a few
moments and flying off again, all the time that Dumsby was at work, yet
Dumsby never failed to seize his prey.

Presently the man came in with a small basket full of _game_. "Now,
Ruby," said he, "I'll bet a sixpence that you don't catch a bird within
five minutes."

"I don't bet such large sums usually, but I'll try," said Ruby, going
out.

He tried and failed. Just as the five minutes were expiring, however,
the owl happened to alight before his nose, so he "nabbed" it, and
carried it in triumphantly.

"_That_ ain't a bird," said Dumsby.

"It's not a fish," retorted Ruby; "but how is it that you caught them so
easily, and I found it so difficult?"

"Because, lad, you must do it at the right time. You watch w'en the
focus of a revolvin' light is comin' full in a bird's face. The moment
it does so 'e's dazzled, and you grab 'im. If you grab too soon or too
late, 'e's away. That's 'ow it is, and they're capital heatin', as
you'll _find_."

Thus much for Ruby's astonishment. Now for his being stunned.

Late that night the fog cleared away, and the bells were stopped. After
a long chat with his friends, Ruby mounted to the library and went to
bed. Later still the fog returned, and the bells were again set
a-going. Both of them being within a few feet of Ruby's head, they
awakened him with a bang that caused him to feel as if the room in which
he lay were a bell and his own head the tongue thereof.

At first the sound was solemnising, then it was