"Yes, I do know," said Jimmieboy, screwing his face up in an endeavor to give the major and the sprite some idea of how little he liked the taste of cod-liver oil. "I think cod-liver oil is worse than measles or mumps, because you can't have measles or mumps more than once, and there isn't any end to the times you can have cod-liver oil." "I'm with you there," said the major, emphasizing his remark by slapping Jimmieboy on the back. "In fact, sir, on page 29 of my book called 'Musings on Medicines' you will find--if it is ever published--these lines: "The oils of cod! The oils of cod! They make me feel tremendous odd, Nor hesitate I here to state I wildly hate the oils of cod." "Bravo!" cried the sprite. "When I start my autograph album I want you to write those lines on the first page." "With pleasure," returned the major. "When shall you start the album?" "Never, I hope," replied the sprite, with a chuckle. "And now suppose you don't interrupt my story again." Clouds began to gather on the major's face again. The sprite's rebuke had evidently made him very angry. "Sir," said he, as soon as his feelings permitted him to speak. "If you make any more such remarks as that, another duel may be necessary after this one is fought--which I should very much regret, for duels of this sort consume a great deal of time, and unless I am much mistaken it will shortly rain cats and dogs." "It looks that way," said the sprite, "and it is for that very reason that I do not wish to be interrupted again. Of course ruin stared father in the face." "How rude of ruin!" whispered the major to Jimmieboy, who immediately silenced him. "Trade having fallen away," continued the sprite, "we had to draw upon our savings for our bread and butter, and finally, when the last penny was spent, we made up our minds to leave the moon district entirely and try life on the dog-star, where, we were informed, people only had one eye apiece, and every man had so much to do that it took all of his one eye's time looking after his own business so that there wasn't any left for him to spend on other people's business. It seemed to my father that in a place like this there was a splendid opening for him." "In what line?" queried the major. "Renting out his extra eye to blind men," roared the sprite. Jimmieboy fell off the rock with laughter, and the major, angry at being so neatly caught, rose up and walked away but immediately returned. "If this wasn't a duel I wouldn't stay here another minute," he said. "But you can't put me to flight that way. Go on and finish." "The question now came up as to how we should get to the dog-star," resumed the sprite. "Our money was all gone. Nobody would lend us any. Nobody would help us at all." "I should think they'd have been so glad you were leaving they'd have paid your fare," said the major, but the sprite paid no attention.