emple drew out his knife, and as he opened the sharp blade Arthur
shrieked.

"Oh, don't, don't!" he cried, "I couldn't bear it."

"Why, they're not your trousers, Taff, they're mine," cried Dick; and
Mr Temple laughed heartily.

"Don't be a coward, Arthur," he said sternly. "I was only going to slit
the flannel."

"Oh!" sighed Arthur, "I thought you were going to cut my leg to get out
the hook."

"Well, perhaps I shall have to," said Mr Temple quietly; "but you are
too much of a man to mind that."

"Oh!" moaned Arthur again.

"Be quiet, sir," said Mr Temple more sternly. "Take away your hands.
You are acting like a child."

"But it hurts so!" moaned Arthur. "Oh! don't touch it. I can't bear it
touched. Oh! oh! oh!"

"Tut! tut! tut!" ejaculated Mr Temple, as Dick caught his brother's
hand.

"I say, do have some pluck, Taff," he whispered. "Of course it hurts,
but it will soon be over."

"Yes; it will soon be over," assented Mr Temple, as with his sharp
penknife he cut away the thin cord to which the hook was attached, and
with it the remains of the bait.

"No, no! let it stop in till it comes out."

"But it will not come out, you stupid fellow," cried Dick.

"Of course not, my boy. It will only fester in your leg, and make it
bad," said Mr Temple.

"Oh! oh! oh!" moaned Arthur. "Don't touch it. How it hurts! Couldn't
I take some medicine to make it come out?"

"Yes," said Mr Temple quietly. "Three grains of courage and
determination and it will be out. There, hold still, and I won't hurt
you much. Catch hold of your brother's hands."

"A mussy me!" grumbled Josh as he looked on, scrubbing and scratching at
his head with his great fingers all the time.

"Why, you are always talking about going in the army, Arthur," said Mr
Temple, hesitating about extracting the hook, which was buried in the
boy's leg, for he felt that he would have to make a deep cut to get it
out--it being impossible to draw it back on account of the barb. "How
would it be with you if the surgeon had to take off an arm or leg?"

"I don't want to be a soldier if it's to hurt like this," moaned Arthur
piteously. "Oh, how unlucky I am!"

Mr Temple hesitated for a moment or two longer, thinking of going back
and letting a doctor extract the hook; but the next moment his
countenance assumed a determined look, and he said firmly:

"I will not hurt you more than I can help, my boy; but I must get out
that hook."

"N