"It's Tommy," he repeated. "My name's Tommy." Here was a nice go! Stranded with a kid that didn't know his own name, or where his governor lived! The worst of it was, I had to stop in London that night as there was no train on. My pater had written to get a room for me at the Euston Hotel, so that I should be on the spot for starting home first train in the morning. I was regularly stumped, I can tell you. It never turned a feather on the kid, his governor not turning up; and I couldn't make the idiot understand anything. He hung on to me singing and saying, "Who's been tasting my porridge and eaten it all up?" or else cheeking the porters, or else trying to whistle to make the trains go. I thought I'd better leave word with the station-master where I'd gone, in case any one turned up; and then there was nothing for it but to take a cab across to the hotel. The kid was no end festive to have a ride in the cab. It would have been in a little better taste if he'd held his tongue, and shown a little regret for the jolly mess he'd let me into. But, bless you, he didn't care two straws. "What will daddy say when he can't find you?" I said, trying to get him to look at things seriously. "Daddy will say, `Who's been sitting in my chair, and broken the bottom out?'" said he, still harping on those blessed bears. I gave him up after that, and let him jaw on. When we got to the hotel I was in another fix. The chap in charge said he'd got instructions about one young gentleman, but not two. "Oh, I'm looking after this boy," said I, "till tomorrow: I'll have him in my room." The chap looked as if he didn't like it. And, of course, just when he was thinking it over, the young cad must go and cheek him. "What makes that ugly man so red on his nose?" he asks at the top of his voice, for every one to hear. The chap was no end riled at that, and looked as if he'd kick us out. When he'd cooled down he said-- "You wait here; I'll attend to you presently." That was a nice go! If I had had tin enough I should have gone somewhere else; but I'd only got enough for the journey to-morrow, and so thought I'd better hang on here, where the governor had arranged. The lid went on anyhow while we were waiting in the hall. He ran and stood in front of people, and he pulled waiters' coat-tails, and got mixed up with the luggage, and called out to me to know where the ugly red-nosed man had gone. At last I had to pull him in. "Look here, kid!" said I; "if you don't hold your jaw and sit here quietly, I'll give you to a policeman." "Tell me about the bears, then." Oh, how I loathed those bears! Think of me, captain of my eleven, in that rackety hall, with people coming and going, and a row enough to deafen you, telling a kid about The Three Bears! You may grin, Jossy; but I was reduced to it.