“Oh, now I know, now I know! Nunky did it himself.”
“Of course he did, you goosie! ’Fore I’d be so silly as you and Posy,” said Teddy, proud of his own wisdom.
“Not so fast, Teddy,” said his uncle. “I could have cheated you in the same way a year or two ago. And I don’t believe now you can tell how I do it. Look at me while I speak so again.”
Teddy did look; but uncle Rufus scarcely stirred his lips, as he said in a voice that seemed to come from the very depths of the cellar,—
“I’m a rat! I’m drowning in the pork-barrel!”
“Oh! how do you do it?” cried Teddy. “How can you make your voice sound way off, and so different from your voice? Do you do it down in your stomach?”
“Yes, I suppose so. It is called ‘ventriloquism.’ I have cheated wiser people than our little Pitchers in this way.”
“Well, you can’t cheat me again,” said little Pollio, deeply mortified.