The Human Boy

Nubby," owing to his nose, which was extremely huge, though he said it was Roman, and swore he wouldn't change it if he could. Anyway, Bradwell made

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ouldn't

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is nose w

also true--a thing all poetry isn't by long c

ich, so Steggles said, the Doctor favored him, and regarded him as an advertisement to Dunston's. But his singing

y from the earliest days, and bought little boxes of "serpents' eggs" and red fire instead of sweets ever since he was old enough to buy anything. He had also blown off his eyebrows and eyelashes with a mixture he 152was grinding up in a mortar, and they had never grown again to this day--all of which things showed he had chemistry i

stuff in the windows, and so on. He said a man who sold pills and tooth-brushes, and liquorice-root and soap, could not be considered a classy chemist. The real flyers made discoveries and froze air, and sneaked one another's inventions, and g

s well worth knowing to anybody who ever has a chlorate of potash lozenge. Many such like remarkable and useful things Nubby could tell you; among others, how 154to mix sulphur and gunpowder and other ingredients for fireworks. He had, in fact, an awful fine book devoted to the subject, and wooden affairs to load cases; and once when Stoddart didn't turn up and the Doctor put us on our honor to do the proper things in the laboratory alone, Nubbs finished off analyzing some mess in about five minutes, and spent the complete rest of the time making a rocket. It had four blue stars and thirteen yellow ones, and the case was made out of a stiff brown paper roll in which his mother had that morning sent Nubbs a photograph of her new baby at home. And Nubbs forgot the photograph

f honor to the day. Then the Doctor thanked him, and said he had doubtless meant well, and that from the earliest

he actually asked the Doctor if he might have a regular firework display in the playground on the night of the Fifth of November. He asked rather cunningly, just after an English His

s

ee no objection at the moment. However, I wil

said t

till he's got a reason why you s

bs said

t, feeling so jolly bitter a

n actually headed the subscription list with 2s. 6d.; and Thompson gave the same, and Mannering 2s., and "Frenchy" 3s. Fifty-two chaps also contributed var

Crystal Palace, and told us he was going to carry everything out just like they did there, as far as he could with the money. At the last moment he got a tremendous increase of funds in the shape of a pound from his father; and, strangely enough, it was that extra pound that wrecked him.

is worked out with little tiny things like squibs, only very small and without any bang at the end. These are all lighted off at once, and they burn one color first, then change to another. Nubbs said his would start yellow, because it was cheaper, and finally turn green. The thing was what design to have, and the four chaps in the chemistry class all thought differently. I advised trying a shot at a huge portrait of the Doctor, but when it came to particulars nobody knew how to work a portrait; and Hodges thought we might do something about Guy Fawkes,

for the Roman candles, and a board for the Catharine wheels, and a string for the flying pigeons, and so on. And also we rigged up bits of tin round the playground and by the fir-trees at the top end and behind the gym. 160These were for Bengal lights and other illuminations. All of this Nubbs had arranged for the paltry sum of ￡3 10s. The chemistry class

uired size. And Nubbs stuffed them--with green fire first and yellow on top. It promised to be a jolly big thing altoge

us heard the Doc

boy Tomkins has mixed his compounds quite correctly, thereby insuring that brilliance and variety which is looked for in an exhibiti

es a chance of showing the

nce with amateur fireworks. Unfortunately, we can't have a dress rehearsal, as

he risk. A little harmless pleasure combined with courte

ightful shock two days before the firework night, owing to the loss of poor old Wilson. By simply sickening luck he got reported by Browne for cheek. It was when Browne came out in a new pair of awfully squeaking boots with sham pearl buttons at the side and drab tops; and Wilson said they

e Wing Dormitory, where he would be at the time, he might be able to see pretty well everything by leaning far out between the window

lapped his hands twice, which was the signal to begin; and just as he did so out burst yellow fire everywhere beh

kins--a pleasing and

ugh the top of the greenhouse, and I rather think the Doctor heard it too, for he didn't say "Bravo" or anything, but just sent a kid to tell Nubbs to point future rockets the other way, which disheartened Nubbs, because he's like a girl 164at times of great excitement such as this was. But he soon cheered up, especially at the splendid success of the Catherine-wheels, which he had

, and then, while they were all yelling, he dragged away the cricket screens, and Nubbs let off the set piece. He lighted the touch-paper, and it snapped and crackled all over the design in a moment, and a thick s

OR DU

BRU

lauded like anything at first, till the preliminary smoke cleared off and they read the truth. Then they shut up and made a sound like wind coming through a wood. But the cads yelled and roared, and so did the policemen, for I

! You excel you

ainly never saw any chap become so perfectly horrid to look at as Nubbs did then. His nose seemed to stand out like a great green rock, and his eyes bulged, and his chin drop

eastly set piece might turn next, or how soon the Doctor would spot it, dashed at the thing and dragged it down, and trampled

piece had died a natural death, so to speak, saw me under the

the illumination? I know you and Hodges a

I

nged the words 'Docto

he s

l echo that sentiment--every one of you. Send Tomkins to me, and tell

e cheers for the Doctor and Mrs. Dunston, and I started to find Nubb

urning, which looked frightfully poor after all the brilliance of the fireworks, and Nubbs h

s are you doing,

e ans

My life is ruined, and my father was there too to see it ruined; and

about the set piece. And Crewe, the head-master under the Doctor, and old Briggs and Thompson got us in a corner--Nubbs and Hodges and me--and we solemnly vowed we knew nothing of it; and Crewe went down to the Merivale Trumpet and made the reporter put in the original words when it came out; and Thompson explained to Mrs. 169

minute almost been deprived of seeing the show. It was certainly a terrible revenge; but, of course, a terrible revenge whic

st he did find out through Fowle, who got it out of Ferrars, who got it out of West, who got it out of Nubbs in a moment of rage. F

ot that Fowle cares for an ordinary licking more than another chap cares for a smack on the head. The only way to hurt him is to twist

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