Then suddenly recollecting himself, he added, "Go along! You can't fool me! Think you'll make me take off my hat--don't you ?" "Well," said Twing, advancing to the side of the rebel, "look here then!" With a dexterous movement and a slight struggle from the boy, he lifted the hat.

A half-dozen apples, a bird's nest, two birds' eggs, and a fluttering half-fledged bird fell from it.

A wave of delight and astonishment ran along the benches, a blank look of hopeless bewilderment settled upon the boy's face, and the gravity of the situation disappeared forever in the irrepressible burst of laughter, in which even his brother rebels joined.

The smallest child who had been half-frightened, half-fascinated by the bold, bad, heroic attitude of the mutineer, was quick to see the ridiculousness of that figure crowned with cheap schoolboy plunder.

The eloquent protest of his wrongs was lost in the ludicrous appearance of the protester.