t anything
and make a noise.

17. Now had he looked at the top, instead of the bottom, it
might have been better for him; for to the top of the door was
fastened a plug, which filled up the hole of a small barrel of shot.
He ventured to open the door another inch, and then another, till,
the plug being pulled out of the barrel, the leaden shot began to
pour out at a strange rate. At the bottom of the closet was placed a
tin pan, and the shot falling upon this pan made such a clatter that
George was frightened half out of his senses.

18. The old gentleman soon came into the room to inquire what was the
matter, and there he found George nearly as pale as a sheet. George was
soon dismissed.

19. It now came the turn of Albert Jenkins to be put into the room. The
other boys had been sent to their homes by different ways, and no one knew
what the experience of the other had been in the room of trial.

20. On the table stood a small round box, with a screw top to it, and
Albert, thinking it contained something curious, could not be easy without
unscrewing the top; but no sooner did he do this than out bounced an
artificial snake, full a yard long, and fell upon his arm. He started
back, and uttered a scream which brought the old gentleman to his elbow.
There stood Albert, with the bottom of the box in one hand, the top in the
other, and the snake on the floor.

21. "Come, come," said the old gentleman, "one snake is quite enough to
have in the house at a time; therefore, the sooner you are gone the
better." With that he dismissed him, without waiting a moment for his
reply.

22. William Smith next entered the room, and being left alone soon began
to amuse himself in looking at the curiosities around him. William was not
only curious and prying, but dishonest, too, and observing that the key
was left in the drawer of a bookcase, he stepped on tiptoe in that
direction. The key had a wire fastened to it, which communicated with an
electrical machine, and William received such a shock as he was not likely
to forget. No sooner did he sufficiently recover himself to walk, than he
was told to leave the house, and let other people lock and unlock their
own drawers.

23. The other boy was Harry Gordon, and though he was left in the room
full twenty minutes, he never during that time stirred from his chair.
Harry had eyes in his head as well as the others, but he had more
integrity in his heart; neither the dish cover, the ch