these days."

Ellis said that he had frequently yachted with some of his relations,
and that he should be delighted to take a cruise with Ernest when they
could afford to have a boat. They talked away till they got to the shop
of old Hobson the carpenter. He was a clever workman, with a natural
mechanical turn, so he comprehended the sort of carriage they wanted,
and willingly undertook to make it.

CHAPTER FIVE.

OUR KITE-RACE.

Towards the end of April, the rising sun ushered in a fine breezy
morning, with every promise of a strong wind during the day. It was a
half-holiday; but on grand occasions of the sort--for it was the day
fixed for the kite-race--the boys were allowed to get up and begin
lessons an hour earlier than usual. The Doctor always encouraged early
rising, and he was, besides, anxious to show us that he took an interest
in our amusements, by making such regulations as might facilitate them.

Ernest and Ellis had constantly been to old Hobson's to see how their
carriage was getting on. "Never you mind, young gen'men, it's all
right," was his answer for some days. "I won't disappoint you; but you
see several has come here who wants such fine painted affairs, that I
must get on with them. There's Mr Blackall, now, who has been and
ordered a carriage which I tells him will take six horses to drag; but
he says that he has got a kite coming which will pull one along ten
miles an hour, twice as big as this, so of course I've nothing more to
say."

A large flat case arrived in the morning of the race day for Blackall,
just as we were going in to lessons after breakfast; so he had no time
to open it. It was not as large as he expected, but still he was very
confident that all was right.

Lessons over, we went in to dinner--and that meal got through, with more
speed than usual, we all assembled to see the kites and the carriages
which had been prepared.

The carpenters were in attendance with the vehicles they had got ready
according to orders received. They were of all shapes and plans.
Several, among whom was Blackall's, were very finely painted, but the
greater number were mere boxes on wheels, put together at very little
expense--which few boys were able to afford, even when clubbing
together.

First appeared Monsieur Malin's kite; it represented a wonderful Green
Dragon, twisting and turning about in the most extraordinary way--the
tail of the kite being merely the small end of the