d walked on, the Mouse doing
the same, though with lagging steps.

Presently a look of anger and wonder crept into his eyes, remarking
which the Rabbit laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" asked the Mouse uneasily.

"At nothing particular," answered his companion. "Cheerfulness, you
know, is a habit of the mind."

At this moment a loud groan burst from the Sentry, who during this time
had been struggling to get free, and in a last frantic effort, had just
succeeded in giving a most painful rick to his back.

"Our Sentry friend does not look happy," said the Rabbit grimly.

"He is not well, I suppose," answered the Mouse nervously. "What has
happened, I wonder?"

"ALL IS DISCOVERED!" exclaimed the Rabbit loudly.

Then as the Mouse made a desperate effort to run away, the Rabbit dealt
him a blow on the back which injured the clockwork within his body and
quite put a stop to his flight.

"I know all!" the Rabbit said sternly. "You are a little villain! What
defence can you offer for so grossly deceiving me?"

But the Mouse made no reply. In a fury of disappointment and fear he was
biting the Rabbit's legs, hoping thus to disable him and prevent his
punishing the treachery that had been brought to light.

"Desist!" cried the Rabbit, "or I shall end your life without delay. I
repeat, what excuse can you offer for having so wickedly broken the
terms of our agreement? You have tried to rob me of my life and my
money. Make your defence."

"There was no written agreement," answered the Mouse shamelessly. "Each
was at liberty to understand it in his own way."

"Most wicked of animals, you are not fit to live," cried the Rabbit with
disgust. "Your moments are numbered."

Then before the Mouse could offer any protest, the Rabbit bit his head
right off and swallowed it.

"You will observe," said the Rabbit to the Owl with dignity, "that I
still maintain my proper position in the eyes of the world as a Welsh
rare-bit, but the Mouse, owing to his misdeeds, is now in the
contemptible state of the biter bit. Such is the end of the wicked.

"As for you," he continued to the Sentry, who, with his boastful spirit
crushed, stood trembling in the Sentry-box; "as for you, you have seen
too much of the world and its ways. It would be better for you to see a
little less of it for a time."

Then, according to his intention, the Rabbit beat the Sentry about the
head until he could not see out of his eyes.

"It now only rem