eer. Three times three and a tiger! And what a tiger it was!
What with the treble of Sammy, which was of the thinnest description,
and the treble of Martha, which was full and sure, and the treble of
Jimmie, which dangerously bordered on a cracked bass, and what with
Matilda's cackle and Skipper Jonas's croak and my own hoorays and the
doctor's gutteral uproar (which might have been mistaken for a very
double bass)--what with all this, as you may be sure, the shout of the
wind was nowhere. Then we joined hands--it was the doctor who began it
by catching Martha and Matilda--and danced the table round, shaking our
feet and tossing our arms, the glee ever more uproarious--danced until
we were breathless, every one, save little Sammy, who was not asked to
join the gambol, but sat still in his chair, and seemed to expect no
invitation.

"Wind blowing due south, strong and fresh," gasped Jimmie, when, at
last, we sat down. "He'll be down in a hurry, with they swift deer. My!
but he'll just _whizz_ in this gale!"

"But 'tis sad 'tis too late t' get word to un," said Martha, the smile
gone from her face.

"Sad, is it?" cried the doctor. "Sad! What's the word you want to send?"

"'Tis something for Sammy, zur."

Sammy gave Martha a quick dig in the ribs. "'N' mama," he lisped,
reproachfully.

"Ay, zur; we're wantin' it bad. An' does you think us could get word to
un? For Sammy, zur?"

"'N' mama," Sammy insisted.

"We can try, at any rate," the doctor answered, doubtfully. "Maybe we
can catch him on the way down. Where's that pen? Here we are. Now!"

He scribbled rapidly, folded the letter in great haste, and dispatched
it to Santa Claus's clerk by the simple process of throwing it in the
fire. As before, he went to his pack in the shed, taking the candle with
him--the errand appeared to be really most trivial--and stayed so long
that the little Jutts, who now loved him very much (as I could see),
wished that the need would not arise again. But, all in good time, he
returned, and sat to watch for the reply, intent as any of them; and,
presently, he snatched the stove door open, creating great confusion in
the act, as before; and before the little Jutts could recover from the
sudden surprise, he held up a smoking letter. Then he read aloud:

"Try Hamilton Inlet. Touches there 10:48. Time of arrival at Topmast
Tickle uncertain. No use waiting up. SNOW, Clerk."

"By Jove!" exclaimed the doctor. "Tha