ng for
church. My little venture was nothing in comparison with what this
would be, I thought.

My ambition was soon gratified.

Our little contretemps on the way had somewhat delayed dinner, which was
already on the table on out arrival; so, without wasting any more time,
Dr Hellyer marched us all in before him, still holding on to me until
he had reached the top of the refectory, where, ordering me to stand up
in front of his armchair, he proceeded as usual to poke the fire and
then shovel on coals.

Bang!

In a second, there was a great glare, and then an explosion, which
brought down a quantity of soot from the old-fashioned open chimney,
covering me all over and making me look like a young sweep, as I was
standing right in front of the fireplace, and came in for the full
benefit of it. I was not at all frightened, however, as, of course, I
had expected a somewhat similar result as soon as the coals went on.

Not so the Doctor, though. With a deep objurgation, he sank back into
his armchair, as if completely overcome.

This was Tom's opportunity, and he quickly took advantage of it.
Glancing slily down under the table, I could see him in the distance
stoop beneath it and apply a match to the end of the fuse, which being a
dry one at once ignited, the spluttering flame running along like a
streak of lightning along the floor and up the leg of the chair on which
Dr Hellyer was sitting--too instantaneously to be detected by any one
not specially looking out for it, like myself.

Poof--crack--bang, went off another explosion; and up bounced Old
Hellyer, as if a catapult had been applied below his seat.

You never saw such a commotion as now ensued. Tom and I were the only
ones who preserved their composure out of the whole lot in the room,
although Dr Hellyer soon showed that, if startled at first, he had not
quite lost his senses.

He rushed at me at once, quite certain that as I had perpetrated the
former attack on his sacred person while on the way from church, I must
likewise be guilty of this second attempt to make a Guy Fawkes of him;
and, striking out savagely, he felled me with a weighty blow from his
great fist, sending me rolling along under the table, and causing me to
see many more stars than an active astronomer could count in the same
space of time--but I'm sure he had sufficient justification to have
treated me even worse!

"You young ruffian!" he exclaimed as he knocked me down, his pass