limb it, but
you can't. He can't climb it, Joan, he'th trying to pretend he can
climb it when he can't. He knowth I can climb it, but I don't want to
get my thingth methed."

Joan smiled admiringly at Cuthbert.

"I'll _show_ you," said William desperately. "I'll just _show_ you."

He showed them.

He climbed till the tree-top swayed with his weight, then descended,
hot and triumphant. The tree was covered with green lichen, a great
part of which had deposited itself upon William's suit. His efforts
also had twisted his collar round till its stud was beneath his ear.
His heated countenance beamed with pride.

For a moment Cuthbert was nonplussed. Then he said scornfully:

"Don't he look a _fright_, Joan?" Joan giggled.

But William was wholly engrossed in his self-imposed task of "showing
them." He led them to the bottom of the garden, where a small stream
(now almost dry) disappeared into a narrow tunnel to flow under the
road and reappear in the field at the other side.

"You can't crawl through that," challenged William, "you can't _do_
it. I've _done_ it, done it often. I bet _you_ can't. I bet you can't
get halfway. I----"

"Well, _do_ it, then!" jeered Cuthbert.

William, on all fours, disappeared into the mud and slime of the small
round aperture. Joan clasped her hands, and even Cuthbert was secretly
impressed. They stood in silence. At intervals William's muffled voice
came from the tunnel.

"It's jolly muddy, too, I can _tell_ you."

"I've caught a frog! I say, I've caught a frog!"

"Crumbs! It's got away!"

"It's nearly quicksands here."

"If I tried I could nearly _drown_ here!"

At last, through the hedge, they saw him emerge in the field across
the road. He swaggered across to them aglow with his own heroism. As
he entered the gate he was rewarded by the old light of adoration in
Joan's blue eyes, but on full sight of him it quickly turned to
consternation. His appearance was beyond description. There was a
malicious smile on Cuthbert's face.

"Do thumthing elth," he urged him. "Go on, do thumthing elth."

"Oh, William," said Joan anxiously, "you'd better not."

But the gods had sent madness to William. He was drunk with the sense
of his own prowess. He was regardless of consequences.

[Illustration: "I CAN CLIMB UP THAT AN' SLIDE DOWN THE COAL INSIDE.
THAT'S WHAT I CAN DO. THERE'S NOTHIN' I CAN'T DO!" SAID WILLIAM.]

He pointed to a little window high up in the coal-house.

"I