THE MAD BULL.
There's something in a noble boy,
A brave, free-hearted, careless one;
With his uncheck'd, unbidden joy,
His dread of books and love of fun.
And in his clear and ready smile,
Unshaded by a thought of guile
And unrepress'd by sadness,--
Which brings me to my childhood back,
As if I trod its very track,
And felt its very gladness.
Willis.
One evening, when Harry and Laura came down to dessert, they were
surprised to observe the two little plates usually intended for them,
turned upside down, while uncle David pretended not to notice anything,
though he stole a glance to see what would happen next. On lifting up
these mysterious plates, what did they see lying underneath, but two
letters with large red seals, one directed to "Master Harry Graham," and
the other to "Miss Laura Graham."
"A letter for me!!" cried Harry, in a tone of delighted astonishment,
while he tore open the seal, and his hand shook with impatience, so that
he could hardly unfold the paper. "What can it be about! I like getting
a letter very much! Is it from papa? Did the postman bring it?"
"Yes, he did," said uncle David: "and he left a message that you must
pay a hundred pounds for it to-morrow."
"Very likely, indeed," said Laura; "you should pay that for telling me
such a fine story; but my letter is worth more than a hundred pounds,
for it is inviting me to spend another delightful week at Holiday
House."
"I am asked too! and not Mrs. Crabtree!" cried Harry, looking at his
letter, and almost screaming out for joy, whilst he skipped about the
room, rubbing his hands together, and ended by twirling Laura round and
round, till they both fell prostrate on the floor.
"If that be meant as a specimen of how you intend to behave at Holiday
House, we had better send your apology at once," observed Lady Harriet,
smiling. "Lord Rockville is very particular about never hearing any
noise, and the slamming of a door, or even the creaking of a pair of
unruly shoes, would put him distracted."
"Yes!" added uncle David, "Holiday House is as quiet as Harry's drum
with a hole in it. If a pin drops in any part of the mansion, Lord
Rockville becomes annoyed, and the very wasps scarcely dare to buz at
his window so loud as at any other person's. You will feel quite
fish-out-of-water-ish, trying to be quiet and hum-drum for a whole week,
so let me advise you not to go."
"The meaning of advice always is something that one would rather wish
not to do," observed Laura, gravely. "I never in my life was advised to
enjoy anything pleasant! Taking physic--or learning lessons--or staying
at home, are very often advised, but never playing--or having a
holiday--or amusing ourselves!"
"You know, Laura! that Harry's little Shetland pony, Tom Thumb, in my
field, is of no use at present, but kicks, and capers, and runs about
all day; yet presently he will be led out fastened to a rope, and made
to trot round and round in a circle, day after day, till he has no
longer a will of his own,--that is education. Afterwards he shall have a
bridle put in his mouth, which some little girls would be much the
better of also, when he shall be carefully guided ever afterwards in the
best ways; and you likewise will go much more steadily for all the
reining-in and whipping you have got from Mrs. Crabtree and me, which
may, perhaps, make you keep in the road of duty more easily hereafter."
"Uncle David!" said Harry, laughing, "we have read in the Arabian
Nights, about people being turned into animals, but I never thought you
would turn Laura into a horse! What shall we do with my little Shetland
pony if I go away next week?"
"I have thought of a capital plan for making Tom Thumb useful during the
whole winter! Your grandmama wants a watch-dog in the country, so we
shall build him a kennel--put a chain round his neck, and get some one
to teach him to bark."
"Uncle David should be Professor of Nonsense at the University," said
Lady Harriet, smiling. "But, my dear children, if you are allowed to pay
this visit at Holiday House, I hope you will endeavour to behave
creditably?"
"Yes," added Major Graham, "I understand that Lord Rockville wished to
have some particularly quiet children there, for a short time, so he
fixed upon Harry and Laura! Poor, mistaken Lord Rockville! But, my good
friends, try not to break all his china ornaments the first day--spare a
few jars and tea-cups--leave a pane of glass or two in the windows, and
throw none of your marbles at the mirrors."
"I remember hearing," said Lady Harriet, "that when Miss Pelham was
married last year, her old aunt, Mrs. Bouverie, sent for her and said,
that as she could not afford to give baubles or trinkets, she would give
her a very valuable piece of advice; and what do you think it was,
Laura?"
"I have no idea! Do tell me."
"Then I shall bestow it on you, as the old lady did on her niece--'Be
careful of china, paper and string, for they are all very transitory
possessions in this world!'"
"Very true! and most judicious!" observed Major Graham, laughing. "I
certainly know several persons who must have served an apprenticeship
under that good lady. Many gentlemen now, who despatch all their
epistles from the club, because there the paper costs them nothing, and
a number of ladies, who, for the same good reason, never write letters
till they are visiting in a country house."
Having received so many warnings and injunctions about behaving well,
Harry and Laura became so quiet during the first few days at Holiday
House, that they were like shadows flitting through the rooms, going
almost on tiptoe, scarcely speaking above a whisper, and observing that
valuable rule for children, to let themselves be seen, but not heard.
Lord Rockville was quite charmed with such extreme good conduct, for
they were both in especial awe of him, and thought it a great
condescension if he even looked at them, he was so tall, so grand, and
so grave, wearing a large powdered wig and silver spectacles, which gave
him a particularly venerable appearance, though Harry was one day very
near getting into disgrace upon that subject. His Lordship had a habit
of always carrying two pairs of spectacles in his pocket, and often,
after thrusting one pair high on his forehead, he forgot where they
were, and put the others on his nose, which had such a droll appearance,
that the first time Harry saw it, he felt quite taken by surprise, and
burst into a fit of laughter, upon which Lord Rockville gave him such a
comical look of surprise and perplexity, that Harry's fit of laughing
got worse and worse. The more people know they are wrong, and try to
stop, the more convulsive it becomes, and the more difficult to look
grave again, so at last, after repeated efforts to appear serious and
composed, Harry started up, and in his hurry to escape, very nearly
slammed the door behind him, which would have given the last finish to
his offences.
Both the little visitors found Lady Rockville so extremely indulgent and
kind, that she seemed like another grandmama, therefore they gradually
ventured to talk some of their own nonsense before her, and even to try
some of their old ways, and frolicsome tricks, which she seldom found
any fault with, except when Harry one day eloped with Lord Rockville's
favourite walking-stick, to be used as a fishing-rod among the minnows,
with a long thread at the end for a line, and a crooked pin to represent
the hook, while, on the same day, Laura privately mounted the ass that
gave Lord Rockville's ass's milk, and rode it all round the park, while
he sat at home expecting his usual refreshing tumbler. Still they both
passed muster for being very tolerable children, and his Lordship was
heard once to say, in a voice of great approbation, that Master and Miss
Graham were so punctual at dinner, and so perfectly quiet, he really
often forgot they were in the house. Indeed, Harry's complaisance on the
day after he had laughed so injudiciously about the spectacles, was
quite unheard of, as he felt anxious to make up for his misconduct; and
when Lord Rockville asked if he would like a fire in the play-room, as
the evening was chilly, he answered very politely, "Thank you, my Lord!
We are ready to think it hot or cold, just as you please!"
All this was too good to last! One morning, when Harry and Laura looked
out of the window, it was a most deplorably wet day. The whole sky
looked like a large grey cotton umbrella, and the clouds were so low
that Harry thought he could almost have touched them. In short, as Lord
Rockville remarked, "it rained cats and dogs," so his Lordship knitted
his brows, and thrust his hands into his waistcoat pockets, walking up
and down the room in a perfect fume of vexation, for he was so
accustomed to be obeyed, that it seemed rather a hardship when even the
weather contradicted his wishes. To complete his vexation, as "single
misfortunes never come alone," his valet, when carelessly drying the
Morning Post at a large kitchen fire, had set it in flames, so that all
the wonderful news it contained became reduced to ashes, therefore Lord
Rockville might well have given notice, that, for this day at least, he
had a right to be in extremely bad humour.
Lady Rockville privately recommended Harry and Laura to sit quietly down
and play at cat's cradle, which accordingly they did, and when that
became no longer endurable, some dominos were produced. Thus the morning
wore tediously away till about two o'clock, when suddenly the rain
stopped, the sun burst forth with prodigious splendour, every leaf in
the park glittered, as if it had been sprinkled with diamonds, and a
hundred birds seemed singing a chorus of joy, while bees and butterflies
fluttered at the windows and flew away rejoicing.
Harry was the first to observe this delightful change, and with an
exclamation of delight, he sprang from his seat, pulled Laura from hers,
upset the domino-table, and rushed out of the room, slamming the door
with a report like twenty cannons. Away they both flew to the forest,
Laura swinging her bonnet in her hand, and Harry tossing his cap in the
air, while Lord Rockville watched them angrily from the drawing-room
window, saying, in a tone of extreme displeasure, "That boy has a voice
that might do for the town-crier! He laughs so loud, it is enough to
crack every glass in the room! I wish he were condemned to pass a week
in those American prisons where no one is allowed to speak. In short, he
would be better anywhere than here, for I might as well live with a
hammer and tongs, as with the two children together. They are more
restless than the quicksilver figures from China, and I wish they were
as quiet, but my only comfort is, that at any rate they come home
punctually to dinner at five. Nothing is so intolerable as people
dropping in too late and disordering the table."
Meantime, the woods at Holiday House rung with sounds of mirth and
gaiety, while Harry scrambled up the trees like a squirrel, and swung
upon the branches, gathering walnuts and crab-apples for Laura, after
which they both cut their names upon the bark of Lord Rockville's
favourite beech, so that every person who passed that way must observe
the large distinct letters. They were laughing and chatting over this
exploit, both talking at once, as noisy and happy as possible, and
expecting nothing particular to happen, when, all on a sudden, Laura
turned pale, and grasped hold of Harry's arm, saying, in a low
frightened voice,
"Hush, Harry!--hush!--I hear a very strange noise. It sounds like some
wild beast! What can that be?"
Harry listened as if he had ten pair of ears, and nearly cracked his
eye-balls staring round him, to see what could be the matter. A curious
deep growling sound might be heard at some distance, while there was the
noise of something trampling heavily on the ground, and of branches
breaking off the trees, as if some large creature was forcing his way
through. Harry and Laura now stood like a couple of little statues, not
daring to breathe, they felt so terrified! The noise grew louder and
louder, while it gradually came nearer and nearer, till at length a
large black bull burst into view, with his tail standing high in the
air, while he tore up the ground with his horns, bellowing as loudly as
he could roar, and galloping straight towards the place where they
stood.
Laura's knees tottered under her, and she instantly dropped on the
ground with terror, feeling as if she would die the next minute of
fright, while, as for attempting to escape, it never entered her head to
think that possible. Harry felt quite differently, for he was a bold
boy, not easily scared out of his senses, and instantly saw that
something must be done, or they would both be lost. Many selfish people
would have run away alone, without caring for the safety of any one but
themselves, which was not at all the case with Harry, who thought first
of his poor frightened companion. "Hollo, Laura! are you hiding in a
cart rut?" he exclaimed, pulling her hastily off the ground. "The bull
will soon find you there! Come! come! as fast as possible! we must have
a race for it yet! That terrible beast can scarcely make his way through
the trees and branches, they grow so closely! Perhaps we may get on as
fast as he!"
All this time, Harry was dragging Laura along, and running himself into
the thickest part of the plantation; but it was very difficult to make
any progress, as she had become quite faint and bewildered with fright.
"Oh, Harry!" cried she, trembling all over, "you must get on alone! I am
so weak with terror, it is impossible to run a step farther."
"Do not waste your breath with talking," answered Harry, still pushing
on at full speed. "How can you suppose I would be so shabby as to make
my escape without you! No! no! we must either both be caught, or both
get off!"
Laura felt so grateful to Harry when he said this, that she seemed for a
moment almost to forget the bull, which was still coming furiously on
behind, while she now made a desperate exertion to run faster than she
had been able to do before, clearing the ground almost as rapidly as
Harry could have done, though he still held her firmly by the hand, to
encourage her.
The trampling noise continued, the breaking of branches, and the
frightful bellowing of this dreadful animal, when at last Harry caught
sight of a wooden paling, which he silently pointed out to Laura, being
quite unable now to speak. Having rushed forward to it, with almost
frantic haste, Harry threw himself over the top, after which he helped
Laura to squeeze herself through underneath, when they proceeded rather
more leisurely onwards.
"That fence will puzzle Mr. Bull," said Harry triumphantly, yet gasping
for breath. "We can push through places where his great hoof could
scarcely be thrust! I saw him coming along, with his heels high in the
air, and his head down, like an enormous wheel-barrow."
Scarcely had Harry spoken, before the infuriated animal advanced at full
gallop towards the fence, and after running along the side a little way,
he suddenly tore up the paling with his horns, as if it had been made of
paper, and rushed forward more rapidly than ever.
Harry now began to fear that indeed all was over, for his strength had
become nearly exhausted, when, to his great joy, he espied a large,
rough stone wall, not very far off, which was as welcome a sight as land
to a shipwrecked sailor.
"Run for your life, Laura!" he cried, pointing it out, to encourage her.
"There is safety, if we reach it."
On they both flew, faster than the wind, and Harry having scrambled up
the wall, like a grasshopper, pulled Laura up beside him, and there they
both stood at last, encamped quite beyond the reach of danger, though
the enemy arrived a few minutes afterwards, pawing the air, and foaming
and bellowing with disappointment.
"Laura!" said Harry, after she had a little recovered from her fright,
and was walking slowly homewards, while she cast an alarmed glance
frequently behind, thinking she still heard the bull in pursuit, "you
see, as uncle David says, whatever danger people are in, it is foolish
to be quite in despair, but we should rather think what it is best to
do, and do it directly."
"Yes, Harry! and I shall never forget that you would not forsake me,
but risked your own life, like a brave brother, in my defence. I should
like to do as much for you another time!"
"Thank you, Laura, as much as if you had, but I hope we shall never be
in such a scrape again! If Frank were here, he would put us both in mind
to thank a merciful God for taking so much care of us, and bringing us
safely home!"
"Yes, Harry! It is perhaps a good thing being in danger sometimes, to
remind us that we cannot be safe or happy an hour without God's care, so
in our prayers to-night we must remember what has happened, and return
thanks very particularly."
It was long past five before Harry and Laura reached Holiday House,
where Lord Rockville met them at the drawing-room door, looking taller,
and grander, and graver than ever, while Lady Rockville rose from her
sofa, and came up to them, saying, in a tone of gentle reproach,
"My dear children! you ought to return home before the dinner hour, and
not keep his Lordship waiting!"
The very idea of Lord Rockville waiting dinner was too dreadful ever to
have entered their heads till this minute; but Harry and Laura
immediately explained how exceedingly sorry they were for what had
occurred, and to show that it was their misfortune rather than their
fault, they told the whole frightful story of the mad bull, to which
Lady Rockville listened, as if her very hair were standing upon end, to
hear of such doings. She even turned up her eyes with astonishment to
think what a wonderful escape they had made; but his Lordship frowned
through his spectacles, and leaned his chin upon his stick, looking, as
Harry thought, very like a bear upon a pole.
"Pshaw!--nonsense!" exclaimed Lord Rockville impatiently. "The bull
would have done you no harm! He is a most respectable, quiet,
well-disposed animal, and brought an excellent character from his last
place! I never heard a complaint of him before!"
"It is curious," observed Laura, "that all bulls are reckoned peaceable
and tame, till they have tossed two or three people, and killed them!"
"I thought," added Lord Rockville, looking very grand and contemptuous,
"that Harry was grown more a man than to be so easily put to flight.
When a bull, another time, threatens to toss you, seize hold of his
tail,--or toss him!--or, in short, do anything rather than run away the
first time an animal looks at you. This is a mere cock-and-a-bull story,
to excuse your keeping me waiting almost a quarter of an hour for my
dinner!--you should be made guard of a mail-coach for a month, to teach
you punctuality, Master Graham."
Lord Rockville gravely looked at his watch, while Harry luckily
considered how often his grandmama had recommended him to make no answer
when he was scolded, so he nearly bit off the tip of his tongue to keep
it quiet, while he could not but wish, in his own mind, that my Lord
himself saw how very fierce the bull had looked.
Laura felt more vexed on Harry's account than her own, and the dinner
went on as uncomfortably as possible; for even when a French cook has
dressed it, if ill-humour be the sauce, any dish becomes unpalatable.
Nothing was to be seen reflected on the surface of many fine silver
covers, but very cross, or very melancholy faces; while Lady Rockville
tried to make her own countenance look both cheerful and good-natured.
She told Harry and Laura, to divert them, that old Mrs. Bouverie had
once been pursued by a furious milch cow, along a lane, flanked on both
sides by such very high walls, that escape seemed impossible, so the
good lady, who was fat and breathless, became so desperate, that without
a hope of getting off, she seized the enraged animal by the horns, and
screamed in its face, till the cow herself became frightened. The
creature stared, stepping backwards and backwards, with increasing
alarm, till at last, to the old lady's great relief and surprise, she
fairly turned her tail and ran off.
In the evening, Lord Rockville had not yet recovered his equanimity, and
went out, rather in bad humour, to take his usual walk before supper.
Without once remembering about Harry and the bull, he strolled a great
way into the woods, marking several trees to be cut down, and admiring a
fine forest which he had planted himself long ago, but without
particularly considering what way he turned. It was beginning, at last,
to grow very dark and gloomy, so Lord Rockville had some thoughts of
returning home, when he became suddenly startled by hearing a loud roar
not far off, and a moment afterwards the furious bull dashed out of a
neighbouring thicket, raging and foaming, and tearing the ground with
his horns, exactly as Harry had described in the morning, while poor
Lord Rockville, who seldom moved faster than a very dignified walk,
instantly quickened his pace, in an opposite direction, striding away
faster and faster, till at last,--it must be confessed,--his Lordship
ended by running!!!
In spite of all Lord Rockville's exertions, the bull continued rapidly
to gain upon him, for his Lordship, being rather corpulent and easily
fatigued, stopped every now and then to gasp for breath; till at last,
feeling it impossible to get on faster, though the stables were now
within sight, he seized the branch of a large oak tree, which swept
nearly to the ground, and contrived, with great difficulty, to scramble
out of reach.
The enraged bull gazed up into the tree and bellowed with fury, when he
saw Lord Rockville so judiciously perched overhead, and he remained for
half-an-hour, watching to see if his Lordship would venture down again.
At last the tormenting animal began leisurely eating grass under the
tree, but gradually he moved away, turning his back while he fed, till
Lord Rockville vainly deluded himself with the hope of stealing off
unobserved. Being somewhat rested and refreshed, while the enemy was
looking in another direction, he descended cautiously, as if he had been
going to tread upon needles and pins; but, unaccustomed to such
movements, he jumped so heavily upon the ground, that the bull hearing a
noise, turned round, and set up a loud furious roar, when he saw his
intended victim again within reach.
Now the race began once more with redoubled agility! The odds seemed
greatly in favour of the bull, and Lord Rockville thought he already
felt the animal's horns in his side, when a groom, who saw the party
approaching, instantly seized a pitchfork and flew to the rescue of his
master. Lord Rockville never stopped his career till he reached the
stable, and ran up into a loft, from the window of which he gave the
alarm and called for more assistance, when several ploughmen and
stable-boys assembled, who drove the animal with great difficulty, into
a stall, where he continued so ungovernable, that iron chains were put
round his neck, and some days afterwards, seeing no one could manage
him, Lord Rockville ordered the bull to be shot, and his carcase turned
into beef for the poor of the parish, who all, consequently, rejoiced at
his demise; though the meat turned out so tough, that it required their
best teeth to eat it with.
Meantime, on that memorable evening of so many adventures, Harry, Laura,
and Lady Rockville, wondered often what had become of his Lordship, and,
at last, when supper appeared at the usual hour, his absence became
still more unaccountable!
"What can be the matter?" exclaimed Lady Rockville, anxiously. "This is
very odd! His Lordship is as punctual as the postman in general!
especially for supper; and here is Lord Rockville's favourite dish of
sago and wine, which will become uneatably cold in ten minutes, if he
does not return home to enjoy it!"
Scarcely had she finished speaking, when the door opened and Lord
Rockville walked majestically into the room. There was something so
different from usual in his manner and appearance, however, that Harry
and Laura exchanged looks of astonishment; his neckcloth was loose--his
face excessively red--and his hand shook, while he breathed so hard,
that he might have been heard at the porter's lodge. Lady Rockville
gazed with amazement at all she saw, and then asked what he chose for
supper; but when Lord Rockville tried to speak, the words died on his
lips, so he could only point in silence to the sago and wine.
"What in all the world has happened to you this evening, my Lord?"
exclaimed Lady Rockville, unable to restrain her curiosity a moment
longer. "I never saw you in such a way before! Your eyes are perfectly
blood-shot--your dress strangely disordered--and you seem so hot and so
fatigued! Tell me!--what is the matter?"
"Nothing!" answered Lord Rockville, drawing himself up, while he tried
to look grander and graver than ever, though his Lordship could not help
panting for breath--putting his hands to his sides--and wiping his
forehead with his pocket-handkerchief in an agony of fatigue. Harry
observed all this for some time, as eagerly and intently as a cat
watches a bird on a tree. He saw that something extraordinary had
occurred, and he began to have hopes that it really was the very thing
he wished; because, seeing Lord Rockville now perfectly safe, he would
not have grudged him a pretty considerable fright from his friend the
bull. At last, unable any longer to control his impatience, Harry
started off his chair, gazing so earnestly at Lord Rockville, that his
eyes almost sprung out of their sockets, while he rubbed his hands with
ecstacy, saying,
"I guess you've seen the bull? Oh! I am sure you did! Pray tell us if
you have? Did he run after you,--and did you run away?"
Lord Rockville tried more than he had ever done in his life to look
grave, but it would not do. Gradually his face relaxed into a smile,
till at last he burst into loud peals of laughter, joined most heartily
by Harry, Laura, and Lady Rockville. Nobody recovered any gravity during
the rest of that evening, for whenever they tried to think or talk
quietly about anything else, Harry and Laura were sure to burst forth
again upon the subject, and even after being safely stowed in their beds
for the night, they both laughed themselves to sleep at the idea of Lord
Rockville himself having been obliged, after all, to run away from that
"most respectable, quiet, well-disposed animal,
"THE MAD BULL!"