"Give me a match, Tommy," he exclaimed suddenly, "and don't talk so much." Tom, who had not spoken a word for several minutes, produced the matches from a capacious pocket, and we all laughed rather immoderately at the feeble sally. "As to talking," said Tom, when our natural equanimity had been restored, "you all seem to be leaving me to say what we all know has to be said. And that is, what is the next item on the programme?" "I think we had certainly better decide----" Dennis began. "You old humbug!" exclaimed Tom. "You know perfectly well that we've all decided what we are going to do. It is merely the question of putting it in words. In some way or other we intend to regard the case of Rex _v._ Wilhelm as one in which we personally are concerned. Am I right?" "Scored a possible," said Jack, who had quite recovered his spirits. "In which case," Tom continued, "we don't expect to be of much assistance to our King and country if we go gallivanting up to Wallingford, as originally intended. The question, therefore, remains, shall we go back by train--if we can find the station here--or shall we punt back to Richmond?" "I don't think we need worry about that," said Dennis. "I vote we go back by river; it will be more convenient in every way, and we can leave the boats at Messums. If things are not so black as we think they are we can step on board again with a light heart, or four light hearts, if you prefer it, and start again. What do you say, Ron?" "I should prefer to paddle back," I replied. "It would be a pity to break up our party immediately. I don't want to be sentimental, or anything of that sort, but you chaps will agree that we have had some very jolly times together in the past, and if we are all going to take out our naturalisation papers in the Atkins family, it is just possible that we--well, we may not be all together again next year." "And you, Jack?" asked Dennis.