'Now, you can fire away.' And fire away they did, eating as hungry children only can eat--never lifting their heads once from their plates until they had cleaned them out; then they looked up for more. Jimmy Virtue was quite as busily employed as the children, and ate and drank with an air of intense enjoyment. Robert Truefit had more leisure. He ate very little, having had his dinner at one o'clock. Scarcely any conversation took place until dinner was over. Tom Beadle and Blade-o'-Grass had eaten their fill, but they still held their knives and forks in their hands, and looked eagerly at the remains of the meal. Jimmy Virtue's face had a purplish tinge on it, and his fierce eye had a mellow light in it, as he saw the children looking eagerly at the food. 'What was it you found in your' lap the other mornin'?' he asked of Blade-o'-Grass. 'Nothin',' was the reply. 'Not baked taters? 'No; we didn't 'ave 'em in the mornin'. Tom and me woke up in the middle o' the night, and eat 'em.' 'Wasn't you astonished to find baked taters in your lap when you woke up?' 'No; we was pleased.' 'Do you know who put 'em there?' 'The baked-tater man?' asked Blade-o'-Grass, after a little consideration. 'No; it wasn't him. Guess agin.' Blade-o'-Grass considered, and shook her head; but suddenly a gleam lighted up her face. She pulled Tom Beadle to her, and whispered in his ear. 'She ses, if yer please,' said Tom, 'that p'r'aps it was Alleloojah.' At this suggestion, Jimmy Virtue was seized with one of his fits of noiseless laughter; but both Mr. Merrywhistle and Robert Truefit looked grave. Blade-o'-Grass and Tom Beadle saw nothing either grave or ludicrous in the suggestion, for their attention was fully occupied in the contemplation of the food that was on the table. Mr. Merrywhistle, who was observing their rapt contemplation of the remains of the feast, observed also Jimmy Virtue's fiery eye regarding him. 'It's your'n? questioned the old man of his host. 'Yes, I suppose so.' 'You pay for it, whether it's eat or not?' 'Yes.' 'Give it to the young uns.' 'How win they take it away?' 'In a newspaper.' Sharp Tom Beadle followed every word of the dialogue, and his lynx eyes were the first that saw a newspaper on a sofa in the room. He jumped from his seat, and brought forward the paper, his eyes glistening with hope. Mr. Merrywhistle and Jimmy Virtue wrapped up what remained of the joint of meat in the newspaper. 'Food for mind and body,' said Robert Truefit, as the parcel was given to Tom.