His answer was a clear laugh, genuine and boyish. Then he mounted the ladder with the agility of an acrobat. One hand to the rungs is no light feat in itself. TO BE CONTINUED. A DOUBLE TRICK. By A. L. SMALL. When the four of us got back to boarding school, after the holidays, the first thing we did was to “put up a job” on Plug, the old fellow who occupied the dormitory with us. “I’ve got it,” said Decker. “We’ll dissect him. I don’t mean out and out; but just make believe, you know. I’ve an uncle that’s a medical man,” and he told me all about it. “I’ll tell Plug we’re going to study anatomy, and must have a subject; and we’ll have some jolly fun. To-night the professor is going to a lecture, and takes his wife with him, so we’ll go up to our dormitory after study hour, and open the door between Plug’s room and ours, and lock the outside ones. We’ll have a table and knives, and a bucket for the blood, and everything prepared, and he’ll believe it all, eh?” “Jolly!” said I. And then we set to work to talk it over, sitting on the bench under the dining-room window, and mightily scared we were, to be sure, when, after a while, the window went up behind us, and Plug himself poked his head out. He hadn’t heard a word, though; for all he said was: “Mornin’, young gents. I hope you’ve had a merry Christmas?” When Decker makes up his mind to do a thing, he does it. And that night all seemed easy. The professor took his wife to the lecture. The assistant marched the little uns to bed at nine. Then we heard Plug stumble up, and at ten we four filed upstairs. We’d bought candles and smuggled a couple of long boards up, and I took the sheets off my bed, and spread them over the boards. Then we took out our four knives, rolled up our shirt sleeves, unlocked Plug’s door, and marched in. Plug lay sound asleep in bed, or looked as if he did; and Decker walked up to him and shook him. “Wake up, Plug; you are wanted,” said he solemnly. Plug lifted up his head. “Tain’t mornin’, is it?” asked he. “No,” said Decker. “Science does not wait for morning.” “Hey?” said Plug. “Rise and follow us,” said Decker. “I shan’t do no such thing,” said Plug. “None of your tricks now, young gents.” “This is no trick,” said Decker solemnly. “Follow us.” Plug got up, wrapped in a queer old dressing gown that he slept in, and came toddling after us. When he saw the stretcher in the middle of our room, he stood quite still. “What’s that for?” asked he. “Plug,” said Decker, “it is for scientific purposes. We are now medical students, and we must study anatomy. You are a splendid subject, being all bones, and we are going to dissect you. We’ll give you chloroform, if you like, but we must do it. You know you can’t help yourself; so be quiet.” “Be quiet, and be dissected? No, young gents--no, indeed,” quavered Plug; “but it’s only a joke. Now, ha’ done, an’ let an old man go to bed.” “Plug,” said Decker, “this is folly. Hoist him up, boys!”