But the shoulder was indignantly withdrawn and the hard-handed son of toil went to earth.  He floundered a bit, but came up smiling, arranged his attitude with the same careful detail as before, only choosing Professor Dogtick’s shoulder for a support, opened his lips and—­

Went to earth again.  He presently scrambled up once more, still smiling, made a loose effort to brush the dust off his coat and legs, but a smart pass of his hand missed entirely, and the force of the unchecked impulse stewed him suddenly around, twisted his legs together, and projected him, limber and sprawling, into the lap of the Lord Longlegs.  Two or three scholars sprang forward, flung the low creature head over heels into a corner, and reinstated the patrician, smoothing his ruffled dignity with many soothing and regretful speeches.  Professor Bull Frog roared out: 

“No more of this, sirrah Tumble-Bug!  Say your say and then get you about your business with speed!  Quick—­what is your errand?  Come move off a trifle; you smell like a stable; what have you been at?”

“Please (’ic!) please your worship I chanced to light upon a find.  But no m(e-uck!) matter ’bout that.  There’s b(’ic !) been another find which—­beg pardon, your honors, what was that th(’ic!) thing that ripped by here first?”

“It was the Vernal Equinox.”

“Inf(’ic!)fernal equinox.  ’At’s all right.  D(’ic !) Dunno him.  What’s other one?”

“The transit of Venus.

“G(’ic !) Got me again.  No matter.  Las’ one dropped something.”

“Ah, indeed!  Good luck!  Good news!  Quick what is it?”

“M(’ic!) Mosey out ‘n’ see.  It’ll pay.”

No more votes were taken for four-and-twenty hours.  Then the following entry was made: 

“The commission went in a body to view the find.  It was found to consist of a hard, smooth, huge object with a rounded summit surmounted by a short upright projection resembling a section of a cabbage stalk divided transversely.  This projection was not solid, but was a hollow cylinder plugged with a soft woody substance unknown to our region—­that is, it had been so plugged, but unfortunately this obstruction had been heedlessly removed by Norway Rat, Chief of the Sappers and Miners, before our arrival.  The vast object before us, so mysteriously conveyed from the glittering domains of space, was found to be hollow and nearly filled with a pungent liquid of a brownish hue, like rainwater that has stood for some time.  And such a spectacle as met our view!  Norway Rat was perched upon the summit engaged in thrusting his tail into the cylindrical projection, drawing it out dripping, permitting the struggling multitude of laborers to suck the end of it, then straightway reinserting it and delivering the fluid to the mob as before.  Evidently this liquor had strangely potent qualities; for all that partook of it were immediately exalted with great and pleasurable emotions,