their own fault after all. You cannot imagine what a dreadful
feeling it gives one to be climbing a slippery, rocky path, and know
that a great heavy boy is pulling your horse backwards by the tail.
Polly insisted that she heard her mule's tail break loose from its
moorings, and on measuring it when she got back to camp she found it
three inches longer than usual.

The mule acted like original sin all day, and Polly was so completely
worn-out that she went to bed at five o'clock; Jack was a good deal
the worse for wear too, so that they got on beautifully all day. It
is queer that they irritate each other so, for I am sure that there
is no lack of real friendship between them; but Jack is a confirmed
tease, and he seems to keep all his mischief bottled up for especial
use with Polly. I have tried to keep him out of trouble, as you
asked me; and although it gives me plenty to do, I am succeeding
tolerably well, except in his dealings with Polly. I lecture him
continually, but 'every time he opens his mouth he puts his foot in
it.'

Polly was under a cloud the first of the week. Villikins was sick,
and Dr. Winship sent her to Aunt Truth for a bottle of sweet oil.
Aunt Truth was not in sight, so Polly went to the box of stores and
emptied a whole quart bottle of salad oil into a pail, and Villikins
had to take it, WHEEL OR WHOA (Jack's joke!). Auntie went to make
the salad dressing at dinner-time, and discovered her loss and
Polly's mistake. It was the last bottle; and as we can't get any
more for a week, the situation was serious, and she was very much
tried. Poor Polly had a good cry over her carelessness, and came to
the dinner-table in a very sensitive frame of mind. Then what should
Jack do but tell Dicky to take Villikins a head of lettuce for his