tring passing from one extremity to the other of the limbs
of the cross; and then by means of a loop of string the whole was
balanced, and found to be equal in weight as far as the two side limbs
of the cross were concerned.

"Why, you are going to make a kite," said Fred.

"To be sure we are," said Harry.

"But the top ought to be round, and not made like that. That won't be
half a kite."

"Won't it?" said Harry: "it will be more than that, for it will be a
whole one."

"But it won't fly," said Fred.

"Fly!" said Philip. "It will fly twice as well as your stupid
London-made kites; you see if it don't."

Harry was not a bit disturbed by his cousin's criticism, but continued
his job to the end, pasting away in the most spirited manner, till he
had made a very respectable-looking kite, half blue and half white,
which he then stood on one side to dry, just as the dinner-bell rang.

Directly after dinner the boys set to work to make a tail for the kite,
and also fitted it with wings--Fred being employed meanwhile in winding
the string off the ball on to a stick, and joining any pieces that might
exist, in case of an accident when the kite was up, as it would have
been no joke for it to have broken loose. But Fred was not very well up
in his task, and somehow or other made a perfect Laocoon of himself with
the string, and got at last into a regular tangle, so that fully half an
hour was taken up in endeavours to get it right again, which was only
done at last with a knife, and at the expense of many yards of string.

At length all was in readiness, and away they went into the fields to
fly the machine that had taken so much time to manufacture.

"Now, I shall get it up," said Harry, "because I made it; so you go and
hold up down at the bottom of the field."

Away went Philip with the kite, Harry unwinding the string as he went;
when they found out that they had got to the wrong way of the wind, and
must change places. This was at length done, and then, when all was
ready--

"Now then," cried Harry, starting off to run, but Philip held the kite
too tightly, and the consequence was the sudden check snapped the
string, and down went the kite again upon the grass. The string was
tied, and a fresh trial made, and this time with rather better success,
for up went the kite at a great rate for thirty or forty yards, when
over it tipped, and came down head first, with what Philip termed a
"great pitch," to the gro