ake it to pieces, and stuff it again, Senna?" and there
was another roar of laughter.

"He did, I know, and that's why it won't go."

"Come along," whispered Mercer to me, for, now that the watch had
disappeared in its owner's pocket, the attraction which had held my
companion there seemed to have gone, and we began to walk away.

"There they go," cried Burr major; "pair of 'em. Burr junior's getting
on nicely with his stuffing. I say, young un, how many doses of physic
has he made you take?"

"Come away," whispered Mercer; "let's go back to the gardens. If I stop
here, I shall fly out at him, and get knocked about again."

"Ah! Oh! Go home!" was shouted, Burr major starting the cry, and his
followers taking it up in chorus till we had passed through the gate,
when Mercer clenched his fists, and gave both feet a stamp.

"And him to have a watch like that!" he cried; "and I've longed for one
ever since I was ten. Oh, I do hate that chap! Shouldn't you have
liked to hit him?"

"No," I said. "I felt all the time as if I should have liked to kick
him."

"Oh, I felt that too. But, I say, shouldn't you like a watch the same
as his?"

"Yes," I said, "of course. Perhaps we shall have watches some day."

"Let's save up and buy one between us, and you have it one week, and me
the other."

"But you wanted to save up and buy the gun that takes to pieces, so that
we could go shooting."

"Yes, so I did," said Mercer--"so I do. But I should like that watch."

"Perhaps he'll get tired of it soon," I said, "and want to sell it."

"No; he isn't that sort of fellow. He always sticks to his things, and
you never know him give anything away. But, I say, it is a beautiful
watch, isn't it?"

"Yes; so new and bright. It was going, too."

"Wish he'd lose it when he was jumping or playing cricket, and I could
find it."

"But you couldn't keep it, if you did find it. You'd know it was his."

"But perhaps I mightn't know he'd lost it, and it was his. Then I might
keep it, mightn't I?"

I burst out laughing at him.

"Why, you've taken quite a fancy to that watch, Tom," I said, and he
looked at me with his forehead all puckered up.

"Yes, I suppose so," he said dreamily. "I felt as if I'd give
everything I have got to have it."

"Stuffed birds, and the frog, and the ferret, and the boxing-gloves?" I
said merrily.

"No, no, no! that I wouldn't. There, I'm not going to think about it
any more. I say,