This was his way of breaking them; and he was by nature so patient and humble that he rather flattered himself when a coal broke at the twentieth attempt.

We used to dream that he was breaking coals on our heads.

Often one of us dashed into the kitchen, threatening to drop him into the river if he did not sit quite still on a chair for the next two hours.

Under these threats he looked sufficiently scared to satisfy anybody; but as soon as all was quiet again he crept back to the coal-bunk and was at his old games.
[Illustration] It didn't matter what we did, the boy put a stop to it.

We tried whist, and in ten minutes there was a "Hoy, hie, ya-ho!" from the opposite shore.