Now above all things Millie hated breaking coal and filling scuttles, and I knew that she would not be carrying a coal-hammer without a very special reason.

The hat, as Mr. Sala humorously puts it, resembles an inverted coal scuttle or bucket without handles, and pierced by many holes.

He couldn't have been at work more than a minute, but to me it seemed an hour or more, and I prayed that he might succeed in opening the scuttle, and I wondered at his surprise if he should throw back the sliding-board and see me come out with upraised pistol.

"Burn the cussed scuttle off a mite at a time.

Make up the fires, and buy a second coal-scuttle before you dot another i, Bob Cratchit!"

We never had a complaint about him except for little matters of carelessnessleaving coal-scuttles on the staircases for people to fall over, losing shovels, and so on.

With that particular skill of his, during an epidemic of the brevitas pecuniaria, (Angl. shorts,) he would have been just the person to coax into one's house of accompt, at five minutes before two o'clock in the afternoon, to work a little involuntary transmutation,to change the coal-scuttle into ingots, and the ruler into a great, gorged, glittering rouleau.

" Miss Harris, who understood perfectly, said, "Certainly," and with a cold stare at the mate, who was at no pains to conceal his amusement, went below at once, thoughtfully closing the scuttle after her.

Jones, you and Carter make straight for the forecastle and don't let anyone come up the scuttle.

"I cut away the forecastle scuttle with a knife and crawled through the chains just as she went down, but Captain Riggs could not get out.

" This brought a cry of rage from Harris, and we heard him enter the scuttle, while Captain Riggs begged him not to go down.

Then in the pause he heard his landlady scuttle upstairs, lock her door, and drag something heavy across the room and put against it.

" He jerked back the scuttle, returning to his chair, and, picking up the fallen newspaper, drew down his spectacles from off his brow and fell immediately back into close, puckered scrutiny of the printed page.

The evidence of the chopper was very untrustworthy, especially when I had heard of Goujon's careless habitslosing shovels and leaving coal-scuttles on stairs.

I never saw a dirtier hole, the filth overpowering, and once satisfied that both men were beyond help, I was content to lower the scuttle and leave them there.

"You can search the coal-scuttle if you like.

Leaving one hand to secure the scuttle, we should have been just a man apiece for those on deck; and I make no doubt the project would have succeeded, had it been attempted in that mode.

It made my own nerves throb, and caused me to clinch my teeth, Sam turned his head, his frightened eyes seeking the scuttle leading into the forecastle.

I thought so when I heard the angry click-clack of his heels on the cement walk, and I carefully put all the chairs against the wall; I was sure of it when the door slammed, and I set the coal scuttle in the corner behind the stove.

After that, the bo'sun shut the scuttle, and we went every one of us into the captain's cabin, after which we barred the door, as on the previous night; and well was it for us that we acted with this prudence.

But he swung up the scuttle with a swoop, rattling coal freely down into the red-jowled orifice.

Only three men remained in sight on the main deck, the two guarding the closed hatch, and one watching the open scuttle leading into the deserted forecastle.

After the introductory service, and while the hymn before sermon was being sung, a man came trudging down the aisle, bearing an immense scuttle full of coals to supply the stoves.

And then it goes on to tell the General how it once rejoiced in extensive hoops, wore a coal-scuttle on its head, and rubbed its face with prepared chalk,(w-w-w-hy!

At the Resolution they broke every glass scuttle they could reach with their paddles, says Burney.