twitching　as　it　sniffed。　Then　it　reached　out；　took　the　cracker　in　its　paws；　sat　up；　and　began　to　eat。

〃Well。　I'll　be　shucked　and　boiled！〃　Bill　exclaimed。　〃Eats　as　neat　as　a　parson　on　parish　house　Saturday　night！〃

〃Looks　more　like　a　nigger　eating　watermelon　to　me。〃。　Percy　remarked；　but　neither　guard　paid　him　any　mind。　Neither　did　The　Chief　or　The　Pres；　for　that　matter。　The　mouse　finished　the　cracker　but　continued　to　sit；　seemingly　balanced　on　the　talented　coil　of　its　tail；　looking　up　at　the　giants　in　blue。

〃Lemme　try；〃　Bill　said。　He　broke　off　another　piece　of　cracker；　leaned　over　the　front　of　the　desk；　and　dropped　it　carefully。　The　mouse　sniffed　but　did　not　touch。

〃Huh；〃　Bill　said。　〃Must　be　full。〃

〃Nah；〃　Dean　said；　〃he　knows　you're　a　floater；　that's　all。〃

〃Floater；　am　I？　I　like　that！　I'm　here　almost　as　much　as　Harry　Terwilliger！　Maybe　more！〃

〃Simmer　down；　old…timer；　simmer　down；〃　Dean　said；　grinning。　〃But　watch　and　see　if　I'm　not　right。〃　He　bombed　another　piece　of　cracker　over　the　side。　Sure　enough；　the　mouse　picked　that　one　up　and　began　to　eat　again；　still　ignoring　Bill　Dodge's　contribution　pletely。　But　before　it　had　done　more　than　take　a　preliminary　nibble　or　two；　Percy　threw　his　baton　at　it；　launching　it　like　a　spear。

The　mouse　was　a　small　target；　and　give　the　devil　his　due…it　was　a　wickedly　good　shot；　and　might　have　taken　〃Willy's〃　head　clean　off；　if　its　reflexes　hadn't　been　as　sharp　as　shards　of　broken　glass。　It　duck