"Oh!" sighed Arthur, "I thought you were going to cut my leg to get out the hook." "Well, perhaps I shall have to," said Mr Temple quietly; "but you are too much of a man to mind that." "Oh!" moaned Arthur again. "Be quiet, sir," said Mr Temple more sternly. "Take away your hands. You are acting like a child." "But it hurts so!" moaned Arthur. "Oh! don't touch it. I can't bear it touched. Oh! oh! oh!" "Tut! tut! tut!" ejaculated Mr Temple, as Dick caught his brother's hand. "I say, do have some pluck, Taff," he whispered. "Of course it hurts, but it will soon be over." "Yes; it will soon be over," assented Mr Temple, as with his sharp penknife he cut away the thin cord to which the hook was attached, and with it the remains of the bait. "No, no! let it stop in till it comes out." "But it will not come out, you stupid fellow," cried Dick. "Of course not, my boy. It will only fester in your leg, and make it bad," said Mr Temple. "Oh! oh! oh!" moaned Arthur. "Don't touch it. How it hurts! Couldn't I take some medicine to make it come out?" "Yes," said Mr Temple quietly. "Three grains of courage and determination and it will be out. There, hold still, and I won't hurt you much. Catch hold of your brother's hands." "A mussy me!" grumbled Josh as he looked on, scrubbing and scratching at his head with his great fingers all the time. "Why, you are always talking about going in the army, Arthur," said Mr Temple, hesitating about extracting the hook, which was buried in the boy's leg, for he felt that he would have to make a deep cut to get it out--it being impossible to draw it back on account of the barb. "How would it be with you if the surgeon had to take off an arm or leg?" "I don't want to be a soldier if it's to hurt like this," moaned Arthur piteously. "Oh, how unlucky I am!" Mr Temple hesitated for a moment or two longer, thinking of going back and letting a doctor extract the hook; but the next moment his countenance assumed a determined look, and he said firmly: "I will not hurt you more than I can help, my boy; but I must get out that hook." "No, no, no!" cried Arthur. "We'll put on a poultice when we get back." "Poultice won't suck that out," growled Josh. "We often gets hooks in ourselves, sir. Let me do it. I'll have it out in a minute." "How?" said Mr Temple as he saw Josh pull out his great jack-knife, at the sight of which Arthur shrieked. "Oh! I'll show you, sir," said Josh, "if he'll give over shouting." "No," said Mr Temple. "I have a small keen knife here. I can cut it out better than you." "Cut it out!" roared Josh, completely drowning Arthur's cry of horror. "You mustn't cut it out. Here, let Will do it. His fingers is handier than mine." "Yes, sir, I can get it out very quickly," said Will eagerly. "Do it, then," said Mr Temple. "I'll hold him." "No, no, no!" shrieked Arthur. "Be silent, sir," said his father sternly; and Arthur was cowed by the angry look and words.