Providence turned
out to be not even decently neutral; on a rack on the library wall
were a dog-whip and a whalebone riding-switch. Rollo thought it
criminal negligence to leave such weapons of precision lying about.
He was given a choice of evils, and chose the dog-whip; the next
minute or so he spent in wondering how he could have made such a
stupid selection. Then they went back to the languidly expectant
females.
"The word's 'camel,'" announced the Wrotsley cousin blunderingly.
"You stupid!" screamed the girls, "we've got to GUESS the word. Now
you'll have to go back and think of another."
"Not for worlds," said Rollo; "I mean, the word isn't really camel;
we were rotting. Pretend it's dromedary!" he whispered to the
others.
"I heard them say 'dromedary'! I heard them. I don't care what you
say; I heard them," squealed the odious Dolores. "With ears as long
as hers one would hear anything," thought Rollo savagely.
"We shall have to go back, I suppose," said the elder Wrotsley
resignedly.
The conclave locked itself once more into the library. "Look here,
I'm not going through that dog-whip business again," protested
Rollo.
"Certainly not, dear," said the elder Wrotsley; "we'll try the
whalebone switch this time, and you'll know which hurts most. It's
only by personal experience that one finds out these things."
It was swiftly borne in upon Rollo that his earlier selection of the
dog-whip had been a really sound one.
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