“Pooh! There’s nothing in Latten; why you can’t buy anything.” Mark was silent, he knew it was true. “If we make a slit in the mast and put a little wheel in off a window-blind or something--” “That would do first-rate.” “No it wouldn’t; it would weaken the mast, stupe, and the first cyclone would snap it.” “So it would. Then we should drift ashore and get eaten.” “Most likely.” “Well, bore a hole and put the cord through that; that would not weaken it much.” “No; but I know! A curtain-ring! Don’t you see, you fasten the curtain-ring, it’s brass, to the mast, and put the rope through, and it runs easy--brass is smooth.” “Of course. Who’s that?” Some small stones came rattling in at the open window, and two voices shouted,-- “I say. Holloa!” Bevis and Mark went to the window and saw two of their friends, Bill and Wat, on the garden path below. “When’s the war going to begin?” asked Wat. “Tell us about the war,” said Bill. “The war’s not ready,” said Bevis. “Well how long is it going to be?” “Make haste.” “Everybody’s ready.” “Lots of them. Do you think you shall want any more?” “I know six,” said a third voice, and Tim came round the corner, having waited to steal a strawberry, “and one’s a whopper.” “Let’s begin.” “Now then.” “O! don’t make such a noise,” said Bevis. The sails and the savages had rather put the war aside, but Mark had talked of it to others, and the idea spread in a minute; everybody jumped at it, and all the cry was War! “Make me lieutenant,” said Andrew, appearing from the orchard. “I want to carry the flag.” “Come down and tell us.” “How are we to tell you if you keep talking?” said Mark; Bevis put his head out of window by the pears, and they were quiet. “I tell you the war’s not ready,” he said; “and you’re as bad as rebels--I mean you’re a mutiny to come here before you’re sent for, and you ought to be shot,”--(“Executed,” whispered Mark behind him)--“executed, of course.” “How are we to know when it’s ready?” “You’ll be summoned,” said Bevis. “There will be a muster-roll and a trumpet blown, and you’ll have to march a thousand miles.” “All right.” “And the swords have to be made, and the eagles, besides the map of the roads and the grub,”--(“Provisions,” said Mark)--“provisions, of course, and all the rest, and how do you think a war is to be got ready in a minute, you stupes!” in a tone of great indignation. They grumbled: they wanted a big battle on the spot. “If you bother me much,” said Bevis, “while I’m getting the fleet ready, there shan’t be a war at all.” “Are you getting a fleet?” “Here are the sails,” said Mark, holding up some canvas. “Well, you won’t be long?” “You’ll let us know?” “Shall we tell anybody else?” “Lots,” said Bevis; “tell lots. We’re going to have the biggest armies ever seen.” “Thousands,” said Mark. “Millions!” “Millions!” said Bevis. “Hurrah!” they shouted.