'Presently the gale increased, and the seas swelled up to the size of
Ludgate Hill. Whole shoals of the passive skate arose to the surface and
flopped warningly about our vessel. To leeward could be seen flocks of
the wild sea shrike, whose ominous bark could be distinctly heard above
the snort of the coming tempest. By now the cloud had half filled the
heavens; the seas rose higher and higher; the din was terrific, as the
wind tore from the sea shoal upon shoal of the shy sardine and whirled
them through the air. Soon the ship was drenched in the high seas that
continually broke over her and the quarts and quarts of rain that
wolloped from the dense cloud now covering the whole sky and blotting
out all light.
'At last came the order from the captain, who now realised the danger
that threatened his vessel. "Up helm," roared he, through his
speaking-trumpet, "clew up the lee braces of the topsail halyards; haul
out the reef tackle and brail up the spanker." But the command came too
late. The fore-topsail studding booms went by the board, carrying with
them the bowsprit, the main mast, the fo'c's'le, the top-gallant
studding-sail halyard, and the captain's tobacco-pouch, which had been
placed upon the bowsprit earlier in the afternoon. Nothing could now be
seen except, here and there, the gleam on some fish as it was whirled,
with the masts, men, boots, screws, sharks, thimbles, sea anemones,
watch-chains, ship's stores, planks, and other miscellaneous objects,
through the sky. I had barely finished my last sandwich when, lo,
everything became a blank to me and I lost all consciousness.
'How long I remained thus I cannot say, but I awakened on the sandy
shore of some island, upon which I had been thrown by the force of the
wind. Nothing could I see of my companions: a few planks and spars and
my own wretched self were all that remained to tell the tale of the good
ship _Turnip_.
'The wind had dropped, and it was a beautiful morning, not a trace of
the storm remaining, only here and there the panting of the crayfish, as
they nestled behind the rocks, or the gasping of the oysters telling of
the strain they had undergone. I gazed along the shore in each
direction, hoping to discover a bathing-machine, and so satisfy myself
that the island was inhabited. Nothing was in sight, however, so I lay
down again and dozed. When I awoke once more it was high noon, and the
vertical rays of the sun warned me that it was time to take shelter. I
raised myself on one arm with this intention, when I became aware of a
strange figure, dressed in a long robe and with a great turban, who was
seated on a rock near by, gazing out to sea.
'I got to my feet with considerable difficulty as I was faint with
hunger and stiff in the limbs, and was about to approach the object,
when I discovered two more figures, who evidently had the same
intention. Seemingly they did not wish to be observed by the singular
creature I have already described, for they were stealthily approaching
him from behind, creeping from rock to rock. I at once stooped down
behind a great star-fish, determined to watch unobserved.
'I now noticed that both were savages, and that one of them held close
to his body an old, rusty kitchen-range; while the other carried, in one
hand, a basket of coals, and with the other supported a huge, iron
sauce-pan across his shoulders. Nearer and nearer drew the cannibals (as
I soon guessed them to be) to their intended victim, who, however,
either because he did not hear them, or did not dread them, took no
notice at all. Presently they were crouching down behind him, and he was
still apparently unconscious of their presence. Then, with a wild whoop
they leapt into the air, and dropped on the ground in front of him. Even
now the amazing creature took no notice of the cannibals or their
antics, as they danced and yelled around him. Soon realising that there
was something very unusual in his reception of them, they stared in awe
and amazement at him for some time, and then fled in terror, leaving the
saucepan, the kitchen-range and the other cooking utensils behind them.
'They ran along the sands, and dropped behind a rock at a great distance
away, where they remained completely hidden for some long time.
Presently, however, one black head appeared for an instant above the
rock, and gazed in the direction of the thoughtful creature by the sea.
This head was very quickly withdrawn from view and another popped
up,--only to disappear as quickly. Then the first appeared again, and so
on. This continued until they had regained a little of their nerve, when
I could see them once more crawling back to the abstracted figure on the
shore. Again they drew very close to him, and now that they had
sufficiently mastered their fears, they approached and examined him very
closely, and proceeded at once to prepare their evening meal. First of
all they lit the fire, then they carefully placed their unresisting
victim in the saucepan, after filling it with water from the sea, and
were just about to lift it on to the range when I lost all patience, and
shouted from my hiding-place, "Hold!" so many times in quick succession,
and each time in a different tone of voice, that the cannibals must have
thought there were at least thirty men or more in hiding. At any rate,
they fled in the most abject terror, never to return.
'Giving them good time to disappear, I now emerged from my hiding-place
and approached the absent-minded creature, gently lifting him from the
saucepan, in which I found him still sitting and gazing out to sea.
Gathering together many sea-urchins, rock-beetles, and branches of a
succulent sea-weed, with which the beach had been strewn by the recent
storm, I prepared an exquisite stew, and made a very hearty meal. I was
also able to induce my companion to take some, without, however,
succeeding in breaking his train of thought.
[Illustration: FOR YEARS WE SAILED]
'For many months no other friend had I than this preoccupied curiosity,
who seemed quite unable to give me any clue as to who he was or whence
he came. Perhaps he had been shipwrecked there in childhood--who
knows?--and wandered there ever since, the wonder of every limpet or
lugworm that squirmed upon those shores, or the sport of every mer-kid
that flipped a fin in those unknown waters.
'To cut a long story short, I soon realised that here was the object I
was in search of, and that if this dreamy creature did not sufficiently
astonish old De Trevor, and compel him to consent to my marrying his
daughter, nothing on this earth would do the deed, so I resolved to
leave the island with my treasure as soon as I could make it possible to
do so. I set about making a raft, which I quickly succeeded in
completing, having since my childhood had a great knack at the making of
rafts, and, without undue delay, I embarked with my prize, provisioned
with as many shell-fish and branches of the succulent sea-weed as the
raft would carry.
'After some few months, and just as we had finished our last limpet, we
had the good fortune to be picked up by a tramp-steamer, bound for
Saskatchewan from Mombasa, with a cargo of periwinkles. The captain was
such a kind-hearted man that, on hearing my story he decided to go out
of his course, and land us at Cherry Garden Pier; and so, my good
friends, after sixty years' sailing all over the globe, I arrived home
again, a poorer but a kinder man.
[Illustration: The sport of every mer-kid]
'You may be sure that I lost no time in seeking out Jane herself, with
every hope of at last being able to claim her hand, but alas!
gentlemen,' said the Ancient Mariner, with a large, salt tear about to
fall from each eye, and as he once more tenderly lifted his burden, 'I
was to find that Jane had become a very, very old woman, with many
little grandchildren of her own, and that she had entirely
forgotten my existence. She had me turned away from her doorstep as a
raving madman, even with my interesting, absent-minded, and inseparable
companion.
'Thus, Good Sirs, I have to start life anew, and if my great experience
should be of any service to you, believe me, it is yours to command.'
[Illustration: tailpiece]
[Illustration: vignette]
* * * * *
[Illustration: THE TRIPLETS]
[Illustration: headpiece]
THE TRIPLETS
Right gladly were the services of the plucky old salt accepted by the
gallant little band, and taking it in turns to relieve him of his
burden, they jovially marched along. The way was enlivened by many a
good chorus, until the old King complained of a headache, when every one
had to be quiet and talk only in quite a low tone, while Boadicea
soothed the old fidget, and lulled him to sleep, by removing his crown
and gently stroking the top of his head with a mint leaf, rolled into a
little ball, and fastened to the end of a stem of sweet-briar. He
awakened shortly after tea, very much refreshed for his nap, and every
one grew merry again.
He now, however, considerably delayed the progress of the expedition by
insisting on running after butterflies, and trying to catch them in his
crown. Though anxious enough to continue their journey, all the army
awaited with great patience the pleasure of the old sportsman. At length
Knut, who had been eagerly watching the King for some time, as he
frisked about the fields after the brightly-coloured insects, could not
restrain himself from doing likewise. Now Hannibal joined in the sport,
then Quentin, then Noah, then Ratchett, and, so exciting did the chase
become, soon all the force were frantically running about the fields
with the lively monarch, while Boadicea remained by the carriage and
darned his old stockings.
At last the King grew tired, and they all came back to the road and
resumed their march. The tiresome sovereign now insisted on the Ancient
Mariner removing his burden to the rear, complaining that the
absent-minded creature would stare at him, and that he did not wish to
be gazed at or wondered at. 'Time enough for that,' said he, 'when I'm
on my throne again.' Having effected this change in the order of the
procession, they now marched on without further interruption from the
King.
Towards nightfall they drew near to the sea, on the shores of which they
hoped to spend the night. Bill being, as usual, a little in advance of
the others, was the first to descend to the sands, seated on which he
discovered, to his great astonishment, three young children weeping
bitterly, and near to them, in the same state of grief, he beheld an
old gentleman seated upon a rock. But what aroused his astonishment even
more than their extreme wretchedness, was the fact that the three
children were all exactly alike in every particular,--the same size, the
same hair, the same eyes,--in fact, there was no perceptible difference
of any kind between them. Now and again, one of the children would
endeavour to comfort the old man, and he again would attempt to perform
the like kindly office for them. Wondering what could so upset such
worthy creatures, Bill approached and besought them to confide to him
their troubles, that he might try to relieve them to the best of his
ability. Their tears, however, effectually prevented them from replying
at once to him. Giving them a little time to recover, Bill again
addressed them. 'Who are you?' said he, and they all answered between
their sobs, 'We are the Duchess of Blowdripping and her two sisters,
Mellinid and Edil.'
'Which of you,' asked Bill, 'is the Duchess?'
'That's what we don't know,' they replied. 'We only know that she is
neither Mellinid nor Edil.'
'Then who of you is Mellinid, and who Edil?' again queried the puzzled
Bill.
'That's what all the trouble's about,' they tearfully rejoined. 'All we
can tell you for certain is that neither of them is the Duchess,' and
the poor little creatures redoubled their cries.
More puzzled than ever, and quite at a loss to find any clue to their
troubles, Bill again besought them to relieve their minds by confiding
in him. Then one of the little creatures stood up and, after drying her
eyes, addressed Bill in the following way:--
[Illustration: ENDEAVOURING TO COMFORT THE OLD MAN]
'As you have most likely guessed, we are triplets, and were christened
Blaura, Mellinid and Edil, after three great-aunts renowned for their
intelligence and their many virtues. From our earliest days we were so
much alike that each had to wear a different coloured hair-ribbon to
distinguish her from her sisters. Blaura wore red, Mellinid blue, and
Edil green. Our affectionate parents, the late Duke and Duchess of
Blowdripping, died when we were barely six months old, and we were all
left in charge of our uncle, the benevolent gentleman you see weeping on
my left. Before the thoughtful creatures expired, feeling that their end
was drawing near, they were faced with the difficult problem as to which
of us should be the new Duchess; all of us, as I have said before, being
of the same age. Of course, I need not tell you that it was quite out of
the question we should all inherit the title; three young ladies trying
to be one duchess would be absurd in the extreme. So our intelligent and
resourceful mother and father decided, after much deliberation with the
family solicitor, and the vicar of the parish, that Blaura should
succeed to the title and all the dignities of the Duchy of Blowdripping
when she arrived at the age of eight years, and that, at the same time,
Mellinid should become the owner of Blowdripping Hall, with its
priceless collections of pictures, old china, fossils and foreign
stamps, and Edil become the possessor of the Blowdripping Park, in which
the Hall is so pleasantly situated, with its herds of hedgehogs, elands
and gnu. I am sure you will agree with me that no more just division of
their great possessions could have been devised by the fair-minded
couple. Our uncle was kindness itself, ever watching us with the
affectionate care of a mother. He was always at hand to look to our
comforts, and to see that no danger drew nigh, whether we were bathing
in the marble fountains of the courtyard, taking the air in the park, or
sleeping in our tastefully-decorated bedroom.
'One beautiful summer's afternoon, when we were about one year old, we
had been taken on to the verandah to enjoy our afternoon nap, in order
that we might have advantage of the delightful breeze that blew across
the woods from the sea. As usual our uncle was near by, and so soothing
was the air that, unable to resist its drowsy influence, he, too, soon
dozed off. Unfortunately we awakened before our unconscious nurse, and
immediately rolled out of our cradles, and crawled along the pavement of
the verandah. Great sport we had, I have no doubt, as children will, and
certain it is that, attracted by their brilliant colours, we lost no
time in removing from each other's heads our distinguishing ribbons, and
speedily mixing them up. However, at length, and too late, our baby
laughter awakened the old gentleman from his sleep. Too great for words
was the astonishment of the unhappy man when he beheld us all shuffled
up and mixed in this deplorable way upon the pavement. Bitterly he
accused himself of wicked negligence for allowing such a thing to
happen, for so alike were we without our distinguishing ribbons, that he
could never hope to know one from the other again. He thought, and
thought, and thought for the whole afternoon, but at the end he was no
nearer discovering again which was the future Duchess, which Mellinid,
and which Edil. At last, he gave it up in despair. Henceforth we were
known only collectively as the future Duchess and her two sisters, but
which is the Duchess, and which the two sisters, will remain for ever a
mystery.
[Illustration: WE GREW UP IN COMPARATIVE HAPPINESS]
[Illustration: He was always at hand]
'Nevertheless, we grew up in comparative happiness until yesterday, the
fateful day when we all became eight years of age. Before
breakfast, and with all due solemnity, our faithful uncle handed over to
us the control and guardianship of the Blowdripping possessions, which
had been entrusted to him until we should arrive at our present age,
but, alas! we could not avail ourselves of the good provision made for
us by our thoughtful parents, as neither one of us knew which of us we
were. The Duchess, as head of the family, could not give her consent to
anything, or advance any money for the housekeeping as, for all she
knew, she might be one of her own sisters, in which case she would have
been touching that which did not rightly belong to her. For the same
reason Mellinid, not knowing who she herself was, could not give her
consent to our remaining at the Hall, and likewise Edil could not allow
the magnificent house still to occupy its lovely situation in the
Blowdripping Park. After talking the matter over, and over again, we
have come to the conclusion that, without the permission of the proper
owners, which, you will see, it is impossible for us to obtain, the only
course open to us was to abandon our riches, and to leave the park and
the castle for ever. Our good uncle, putting all the blame for our
troubles upon his own negligence, insisted on accompanying us.'
At the conclusion of this strange story Bill was certainly aghast at the
very difficult problem put before him, and quite at a loss to offer any
solution. He therefore conducted the trembling triplets and their
grief-stricken uncle before the King, who had in the meantime arrived
upon the shore. Bill explained the difficult position in which the poor
young things found themselves; but, wise as he undoubtedly was, the King
for some time could make nothing whatever of it. He called all his
officers and soldiers round him, and they formed one great semicircle,
of which he was the centre; the triplets were then placed before him,
and he at once proceeded to question them.
'Have you,' said he, addressing the first triplet, 'any idea as to which
of the three of you you really are?'
'None whatever,' answered the child.
He then repeated the same question to the other triplets, and received
the same answer.
'Come now,' continued the King, in a cheerful voice, 'does any one of
you feel at all like a duchess?'
'We don't know how a duchess should feel,' they all replied.
The King here frowned severely and ground his teeth.
'Now, one of you must be telling an untruth,' said he, 'for one of you,
as you say, is the Duchess, and must know exactly how she feels, which
must be how a duchess feels. Come now, which of you is she?' And the
quick-tempered monarch knit his brows into the most terrible folds.
'Unless that one is one of her own sisters and not the Duchess,' he
roared, 'she ought to be ashamed of her deceit, and severely punished;
and if, indeed, she is not the Duchess, then she ought to be punished
all the same. I've half a mind to have the three of you smacked hard,
that I may at least be certain of punishing the right one.'
Bill suggested timidly that perhaps this would be rather unfair, as two
of them at least would be unjustly punished.
'But which two?' snapped the irritated King. 'How can any of them feel
unjustly treated if she doesn't know whether she's the guilty one or
not?' And he worked himself into a terrible fury, and strode up and down
the sands, no one daring to approach him. Suddenly, without any warning
of his intention, he ran down to the sea, and removing his shoes and
stockings, cooled his temper by paddling his feet in the sea-water. In a
little time he returned, his excitement much allayed, and soon the cries
of the distracted and unhappy triplets, together with the pitiful sighs
of the dejected uncle, entirely assuaged the wrath of the sympathetic,
though quick-tempered, old man.
When he once more resumed his place before the three children the storm
had passed, and a sweet, good-natured smile enlivened his homely old
face, and charmed all beholders.
'Well, well, well,' said he, 'triplets will be triplets after all, and
uncles uncles, all the world over.'
He at once resumed the inquiry, and placing his hand kindly on the head
of the second triplet he now addressed the first in the following way:--
'Let us suppose for the moment that you happen to know which of your
sisters this particular one really is, who, in that case, would the
third one be, if she (the third) were not Mellinid?'
'Either Edil or the Duchess,' promptly replied the intelligent child.
'Quite right,' said the King encouragingly, 'Now as this is not so, and
you certainly do not know which of your sisters this one happens to be,
the reverse must be true, so that if your other sister is neither Edil
nor the Duchess, who must she be?'
'Mellinid, of course,' readily answered the child, and every one
applauded and wondered at the wisdom of the King.
'It only now remains,' proceeded the King, addressing the first and
second triplets 'to discover which of you is Edil and which the
Duchess.' Placing his hand once more upon the head of the second
triplet, he again addressed the first.
'Suppose, for the sake of argument, that this sister of yours whom we
now know not to be Mellinid were Mellinid and Mellinid the Duchess, in
that case you would assuredly be Edil. Now as you cannot suppose this
sister to be Mellinid when you know she is not, and the Duchess is the
Duchess and not Mellinid, then our supposition must be wrong and the
reverse true, so that Mellinid remains Mellinid and, as we say you are
not Edil, then this little girl must be she.' Then shaking the first
triplet by the hand, the complacent old potentate said in
conclusion:--'And you, my dear creature, are thus proved to be neither
Edil nor Mellinid but Blaura, the charming Duchess of Blowdripping, to
whom I offer my hearty congratulations.' The cheerful soul now embraced
the three children, and when he had a hand free he slapped the old
uncle, who now looked the very picture of happiness, several times upon
the back.
[Illustration: THE TRIPLETS ACCOMPANY THE ARMY]
Cheers were raised again and again at the unheard-of wisdom of the King
of Troy. The old uncle completely exhausted himself by leaping high into
the air over and over again, while the triplets were beyond themselves
with joy at such a successful end to their troubles.
So delighted were the triplets with their new friends that, during
breakfast the next morning, they announced their intention of
accompanying them to their journey's end, and entrusted the care of the
Blowdripping estate to their old uncle until they should return. The
camp packed up and when every one was ready to continue the journey,
they all took an affectionate leave of the old man and marched on.
[Illustration: tailpiece]
* * * * *
[Illustration: GOOD AUNT GALLADIA]
[Illustration: headpiece]
GOOD AUNT GALLADIA
At first the King seemed disposed to be not a little irritable towards
the triplets, murmuring something to himself about the extra expense. A
good lunch, however, soon put him to rights, and he was his old cheerful
self again.
In the afternoon they met upon the road a long thin man with a grin of
the greatest self-satisfaction widening his otherwise narrow face. In
one hand he carried a cage containing a miserable old bird that could
hardly boast an egg-cupful of feathers on its whole shrivelled body; in
the other he carried a large wooden box. He very good-naturedly stood
aside for the army to move on, but the King, whose curiosity had been
aroused, would not allow him to be passed unquestioned, so he rang a
little bell he always carried with him for the purpose, and the whole
force at once stopped short. In obedience to a signal from the King, the
long man stepped jauntily before him. 'Anything wrong, old chirpy?' said
he, addressing the King rather rudely as some thought. 'Not with me,'
the King replied with much dignity. 'My only reason for calling you
before me is to learn why you are so extremely pleased with yourself.
Such a secret would be of the greatest value to us all.' 'Because she's
given these back to me,' answered the long fellow as he opened his box
and disclosed, all neatly arranged, a beautiful collection of birds'
eggs. Every kind appeared to be there, and all of the most beautiful
colours imaginable.
'But who is she?' queried the King.