his handkerchief; "but did you see me punch 'yon varlet' in the eye?" 

 "Did you, Imp?" 

 "I think so, Uncle Dick; only I do wish I'd made him surrender. The book says that Robin Hood always made his enemies 'surrender an' beg their life on trembling knee!'  Oh, it must be fine to see your enemies on their knee!" 

 "Especially if they tremble," I added. 

 "Do you s'pose that boy—I mean 'yon base varlet' would have surrendered?" 

 "Not a doubt of it—if he hadn't happened to push you over the bank first." 

 "Oh!" murmured the Imp rather dubiously. 

 "By the way," I said as I filled my pipe, "where is your Auntie Lisbeth?" 

 "Well, I chased her up the big apple-tree with my bow an' arrow." 

 "Of course," I nodded.  "Very right and proper!" 

 "You see," he explained, "I wanted her to be a wild elephant an' she wouldn't." 

 "Extremely disobliging of her!" 

 "Yes, wasn't it? So when she was right up I took away the ladder an' hid it." 

 "Highly strategic, my Imp." 

 "So then I turned into Robin Hood. I hung my cap on a bush to shoot at, you know, an' 'the Base Varlet' came up an' ran off with it." 

 "And there it is," I said, pointing to where it lay. The Imp received it with profuse thanks, and having wrung out the water, clapped it upon his curls and sat down beside me. 

 "I found another man who wants to be me uncle," he began. 

 "Oh, indeed?" 

 "Yes; but I don't want any more, you know." 

 "Of course not. One like me suffices for your every-day needs—eh, my Imp?" 

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