Burr Junior Part 30

There was a roar of laughter at this, for the boys always laughed at Burr major's jokes.

"No; I know," said Hodson. "One of old Senna's patients that he killed, left it him in his will."

I saw Mercer turn scarlet.

"Did you ever take it to pieces, and stuff it again, Senna?" and there was another roar of laughter.

"He did, I know, and that's why it won't go."

"Come along," whispered Mercer to me, for, now that the watch had disappeared in its owner's pocket, the attraction which had held my companion there seemed to have gone, and we began to walk away.

"There they go," cried Burr major; "pair of 'em. Burr junior's getting on nicely with his stuffing. I say, young un, how many doses of physic has he made you take?"

"Come away," whispered Mercer; "let's go back to the gardens. If I stop here, I shall fly out at him, and get knocked about again."

"Ah! Oh! Go home!" was shouted, Burr major starting the cry, and his followers taking it up in chorus till we had pa.s.sed through the gate, when Mercer clenched his fists, and gave both feet a stamp.

"And him to have a watch like that!" he cried; "and I've longed for one ever since I was ten. Oh, I do hate that chap! Shouldn't you have liked to hit him?"

"No," I said. "I felt all the time as if I should have liked to kick him."

"Oh, I felt that too. But, I say, shouldn't you like a watch the same as his?"

"Yes," I said, "of course. Perhaps we shall have watches some day."

"Let's save up and buy one between us, and you have it one week, and me the other."

"But you wanted to save up and buy the gun that takes to pieces, so that we could go shooting."

"Yes, so I did," said Mercer--"so I do. But I should like that watch."

"Perhaps he'll get tired of it soon," I said, "and want to sell it."

"No; he isn't that sort of fellow. He always sticks to his things, and you never know him give anything away. But, I say, it is a beautiful watch, isn't it?"

"Yes; so new and bright. It was going, too."

"Wish he'd lose it when he was jumping or playing cricket, and I could find it."

"But you couldn't keep it, if you did find it. You'd know it was his."

"But perhaps I mightn't know he'd lost it, and it was his. Then I might keep it, mightn't I?"

I burst out laughing at him.

"Why, you've taken quite a fancy to that watch, Tom," I said, and he looked at me with his forehead all puckered up.

"Yes, I suppose so," he said dreamily. "I felt as if I'd give everything I have got to have it."

"Stuffed birds, and the frog, and the ferret, and the boxing-gloves?" I said merrily.

"No, no, no! that I wouldn't. There, I'm not going to think about it any more. I say, the gloves--to-morrow morning. Oh!"

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

"I say, isn't it time to get up?"

It was a low whisper in my ear, and I started into full wakefulness, to find it was dark, and that Mercer was sitting on the edge of my bed, while the other boys were snoring.

"What time is it?" was my first and natural question.

"I don't know. If I'd got old Eely's watch, I could have had it under my pillow, and seen directly."

"No, you couldn't," I said grumpily, for I was sleepy and cross; "it's too dark."

"Well, I could have run my finger over the hands, and told by the touch.

You see, I should have held the watch perfectly upright, and then the twelve would have been by the handle, and I could have told directly."

"But you haven't got a watch, and so you don't know."

"No," he said, with a sigh, "I haven't got that watch. Old Eely's got it--a nasty, consequential, bully dandy."

"Do go and lie down again," I said. "I am so sleepy!"

"What for? It's time to get up."

"It can't be; see how dark it is."

"Oh, that's only because it's a dark morning. Get up and dress, and don't be so grumpy because I've woke you up."

"But I haven't had sleep enough," I grumbled, "and I don't believe it's twelve o'clock yet. Look at the stars s.h.i.+ning."

"Well, they always do s.h.i.+ne, don't they? What's that got to do with it?"

"But it isn't daylight, and we were not to go to Lomax till five."

"By the time we're washed and dressed, the sun will be up, and then there won't be any waiting."

"Hark!" I said, for the turret clock, below the big bell, chimed.

One, two--three, four--five, six--seven, eight.

Then a long pause.

"Five o'clock," whispered Mercer.

_Chang_!