very cross about her not being in to it,
but she had kept her some mutton hot all the same. She is a decent sort.
And there were stewed prunes. We had some to keep Dora company. Then we
boys went fishing again in the moat, but we caught nothing.

Just before tea-time we all went back to the hut, and before we got half
across the last field we could hear the howling of the Secret.

"Poor little beggar," said Oswald, with manly tenderness. "They must be
sticking pins in it."

We found the girls and Noel looking quite pale and breathless. Daisy was
walking up and down with the Secret in her arms. It looked like Alice in
Wonderland nursing the baby that turned into a pig. Oswald said so, and
added that its screams were like it too.

"What on earth is the matter with it?" he said.

"_I_ don't know," said Alice. "Daisy's tired, and Dora and I are quite
worn out. He's been crying for hours and hours. _You_ take him a bit."

"Not me," replied Oswald, firmly, withdrawing a pace from the Secret.

Dora was fumbling with her waistband in the furthest corner of the hut.

"I think he's cold," she said. "I thought I'd take off my flannelette
petticoat, only the horrid strings got into a hard knot. Here, Oswald,
let's have your knife."

With the word she plunged her hand into Oswald's jacket pocket, and next
moment she was rubbing her hand like mad on her dress, and screaming
almost as loud as the Baby. Then she began to laugh and to cry at the
same time. This is called hysterics.

[Illustration: "FOUND HIMSELF THE DEGRADED NURSE-MAID OF A SMALL BUT
FURIOUS KID"]

Oswald was sorry, but he was annoyed too. He had forgotten that his
pocket was half full of the meal-worms the miller had kindly given him.
And, anyway, Dora ought to have known that a man always carries his
knife in his trousers pocket and not in his jacket one.

Alice and Daisy rushed to Dora. She had thrown herself down on the pile
of sacks in the corner. The titled infant delayed its screams for a
moment to listen to Dora's, but almost at once it went on again.

"Oh, get some water!" said Alice. "Daisy, run!"

The White Mouse, ever docile and obedient, shoved the baby into the arms
of the nearest person, who had to take it or it would have fallen a
wreck to the ground. This nearest person was Oswald. He tried to pass it
on to the others, but they wouldn't. Noel would have, but he was busy
kissing Dora and begging her not to.

So our hero, for such I may