Two large rooms on the right were evidently schoolrooms , for desks , maps , blackboards , and books were scattered about . An open fire burned on the hearth , and several indolent lads lay on their backs before it , discussing a new cricket-ground , with such animation that their boots waved in the air . A tall youth was practising on the flute in one corner , quite undisturbed by the racket all about him . Two or three others were jumping over the desks , pausing , now and then , to get their breath and laugh at the droll sketches of a little wag who was caricaturing the whole household on a blackboard . In the room on the left a long supper-table was seen , set forth with great pitchers of new milk , piles of brown and white bread , and perfect stacks of the shiny gingerbread so dear to boyish souls . A flavor of toast was in the air , also suggestions of baked apples , very tantalizing to one hungry little nose and stomach . The hall , however , presented the most inviting prospect of all , for a brisk game of tag was going on in the upper entry . One landing was devoted to marbles , the other to checkers , while the stairs were occupied by a boy reading , a girl singing a lullaby to her doll , two puppies , a kitten , and a constant succession of small boys sliding down the banisters , to the great detriment of their clothes and danger to their limbs . So absorbed did Nat become in this exciting race , that he ventured farther and farther out of his corner ; and when one very lively boy came down so swiftly that he could not stop himself , but fell off the banisters , with a crash that would have broken any head but one rendered nearly as hard as a cannon-ball by eleven years of constant bumping , Nat forgot himself , and ran up to the fallen rider , expecting to find him half-dead . The boy , however , only winked rapidly for a second , then lay calmly looking up at the new face with a surprised , `` Hullo ! '' `` Hullo ! '' returned Nat , not knowing what else to say , and thinking that form of reply both brief and easy . `` Are you a new boy ? '' asked the recumbent youth , without stirring . `` Do n't know yet . '' `` What 's your name ? '' `` Nat Blake . '' `` Mine 's Tommy Bangs . Come up and have a go , will you ? '' and Tommy got upon his legs like one suddenly remembering the duties of hospitality .
`` Guess I wo n't , till I see whether I 'm going to stay or not , '' returned XXXXX , feeling the desire to stay increase every moment .
Hullo Nat blackboards checkers crash fire gingerbread right schoolrooms wag