farther and farther out of his corner; and when one very lively boy
came down so swiftly that he could not stop himself, but fell off
the banisters, with a crash that would have broken any head but
one rendered nearly as hard as a cannon-ball by eleven years of
constant bumping, Nat forgot himself, and ran up to the fallen
rider, expecting to find him half-dead. The boy, however, only
winked rapidly for a second, then lay calmly looking up at the new
face with a surprised, "Hullo!"

"Hullo!" returned Nat, not knowing what else to say, and thinking
that form of reply both brief and easy.

"Are you a new boy?" asked the recumbent youth, without stirring.

"Don't know yet."

"What's your name?"

"Nat Blake."

"Mine's Tommy Bangs. Come up and have a go, will you?" and
Tommy got upon his legs like one suddenly remembering the
duties of hospitality.

"Guess I won't, till I see whether I'm going to stay or not," returned
Nat, feeling the desire to stay increase every moment.

"I say, Demi, here's a new one. Come and see to him;" and the
lively Thomas returned to his sport with unabated relish.