They had tried making soup out of copybook covers, but it wasn't nourishing, and the soles of their boots which they tried to eat didn't sit well on their stomachs." Some one choked at this point, greatly to the speaker's wrath.
"All right; some one seems to think it a laughing matter, so I'll stop." "Oh no," cried one or two voices eagerly, "do go on.

He only got a piece of apple the wrong way." "Was it you laughed, Jim Sparrow ?" demanded Fergus.
"Oh no," replied Jim, who was holding on rather tight to the sides of his chair.
"I don't like any one making fun of a serious thing like this," said Fergus.

"I was saying the soles of their boots didn't sit well on their stomachs.

They sat round the fire the whole evening, brooding and ravenous, and saying nothing.

For a long time they both stared into the fire; then presently the master took his eyes off the fire and stared at Bubbles.