Page:The railway children (IA railwaychildren00nesb 1).pdf/286

 Peter. But you wouldn't stop when we asked you and—"

"Yah," said Peter, "it wasn't even your own idea. You got it out of Stalky!"

Bobbie and Phil, retiring in silent dignity, were met at the door by the Doctor. He came in rubbing his hands and looking pleased with himself.

"Well," he said, "that job's done. It's a nice clean fracture, and it'll go on all right, I've no doubt. Plucky young chap, too—hullo! what's all this?"

His eye had fallen on Peter who lay mousy-still in his bonds on the settle.

"Playing at prisoners, eh?" he said; but his eyebrows had gone up a little. Somehow he had not thought that Bobbie would be playing while in the room above some one was having a broken bone set.

"Oh, no!" said Bobbie, "not at prisoners. We were playing at setting bones. Peter's the broken boner, and I was the doctor."

"I was the nurse," put in Phyllis, cheerfully.

The Doctor frowned.

"Then I must say," he said, and he said it rather sternly, "that it's a very heartless game.