At last a fellow came in with a bag of cherries; and we began trying that old trick--you know--taking the end of a stalk between your lips and drawing the cherry into the mouth without touching it with your hand, you know.

I tried it; and I was just getting the cherry into my mouth when some idiot gave me a drive in the waistcoat.

I made a gulp; and the cherry stuck fast in my throat.

I began to choke.

Nobody knew what to do; and while they were pushing me about, some thinking I was only pretending, the girls beginning to get frightened, and the rest shouting at me to swallow the confounded thing, I was getting black in the face, and my head was bursting: I could see nothing but red spots.