A ROPE-LADDER.
Building even the most simple sort of house is a very great work. A
nest ought to be begun and finished in less than a week--at least year
after year birds accomplish something of the sort without our ever
thinking them particularly clever or industrious. But the Eagle's Nest
at Beechgrove was terribly incomplete, even after a fortnight's labour
had been expended on it.
"It doesn't look as if it would ever be finished," said John
mournfully, "and yet we have worked so hard."
His spirits were apt to give way when anything went wrong either at
lessons or play, and the first sign of depression was that he sat still
and did nothing.
"You see, making the steps up the wall took a very long time," said
Betty, who was vigorously sawing away at some twigs with a knife that
had lately lost the little edge it ever boasted. "But they are very
good steps," she added proudly.
By scratching patiently with sharp stones and long-suffering knives,
the children had managed to remove a good deal of mortar from cracks
about a foot apart all up the wall, so now there was no difficulty in
finding a sufficient resting-place for their feet. This was much
lighter work than dragging heavy branches across the field from the
wood-pile, and had consequently been more popular with everybody. But
at last Madge had been obliged to remind her little band of labourers
that even the best sort of staircase, if it led nowhere, was not very
serviceable. So then they began to drag branches again, and very weary
work they found it. And now at the end of a fortnight there were only
five rough misshapen logs pulled up into the right place, with a great
many torn pocket-handkerchiefs to show what a hard struggle it had been
to lift them from the ground. No wonder John was becoming
faint-hearted.
"You talked about a house big enough to hold several people, with a
nice roof in case it rained," he said reproachfully.
Madge represented that it so seldom rained in June they could easily
wait for their roof a little longer. "One can put that on at any
time," she urged. "There is a good bough above, and we could spread an
old shawl over it like a tent, or we might make a sort of wren's nest
with sticks all up the sides and top, and crawl in through a hole.
That would be very cozy, only I am afraid it would take a good many
sticks, and you none of you like getting sticks."
"No, I don't," said John stoutly. "I've dragged enough of those old
things across the field, and I won't be bothered with them any more.
And it's no good talking about making it like a wren's nest--silly
little birds that never fight or anything! What do eagles want with
those sort of stuffy little houses?"
When John embarked on a thoroughly unreasonable grumble, it was no good
arguing with him or interrupting him until he stopped from sheer loss
of breath. So while he went on fault-finding, Madge was making up her
mind to a great resolve. When at last he came to an end, she spoke out
so decidedly that the twins were compelled to listen to her.
"Do you want to make the Eagle's Nest a great success--much the nicest
thing we have ever done, or do you want to give it up altogether?" she
inquired sternly.
"Not give it up! Of course, not give it up!" cried the two younger
ones.
"Very well. I'm glad you said that. It would be a very cowardly and
stupid thing to give it up when we have gone so far, but you can do
just as you like."
"I never wanted to give it up," began John, in an injured tone; "only I
don't want--"
"Well, if we are going on with it, I have quite settled what we will
do," interrupted Madge briskly. "We will work away as hard as we can
at it all the afternoon, and then whatever state it is in when the
tea-bell rings we will declare it finished for the present, and begin
to use it to play in. Of course, we can improve it as much as we like
after, but we won't go on working any more just at present."
This suggestion met with general approval, for though the children had
not at first minded the hard work of dragging branches from the
wood-stack, now that much the same thing had been going on for a
fortnight, they were getting rather tired of it and beginning to want a
change. But after Madge's sensible proposal they worked away with all
their first energy for the next two hours, and by the time the distant
sounds of the tea-bell were heard across the fields, a very nice little
platform had been built in the tree.
"I don't know what anybody could want better!" cried Madge, clapping
her hands in high glee. "We will open it on Monday afternoon."
"It looks pretty open now without any walls or ceiling," observed John,
who was always a little contradictory.
"Of course I mean open it as the Prince of Wales opens a hospital,"
Madge said with dignity.
"I know that well enough! You needn't always think I'm so stupid!"
growled John.
This kind of conversation took place several times a day, but seldom
ended in a real quarrel unless the children were rather tired or cross.
To-day they were fortunately all in capital spirits at having finished
their great work.
It seemed long to wait until Monday afternoon. But at last the time
passed, and they were all standing together under the great beech-tree,
with Madge explaining how the opening ceremony was to be performed.
"We will ascend the grand staircase," she said, "and standing in the
assembly-room, the president (that's me, you know) will declare the
buildings to be solemnly opened for public use."
This certainly sounded very well, though nobody knew exactly what it
meant. The fact was that Madge repeated certain sentences she had read
in newspapers, without troubling very much about the meaning.
"And when you've done that what shall we do?" inquired John.
"Well, if you can't think of anything to play when you have got into
the Eagle's Nest you had better stay in the nursery and play with
Baby," said Madge scornfully.
"Let us begin to ascend directly, and then we shall have more time for
playing," interposed Betty, intent on keeping the peace.
"The president leads the way, of course!" exclaimed Madge, planting her
toe in one of the niches of the wall. "I suppose both of you are
obliged to use all the steps," she added carelessly. "I am so tall
that I can stretch two at a time."
"So can I!" chimed in John; "it's only Betty who can't reach. Just get
out of the way and I'll show you what I can do."
He immediately lifted his foot to the level of his chin, grabbed wildly
at a projecting stone far above his head, missed it, and fell heavily
on his back in a tuft of sting-nettles.
There was a good deal of confusion. Both the girls very kindly tried
to help their brother up, and were naturally rather indignant when he
hit out wildly at them, under the mistaken impression that they had
pushed him down. Then they all stung their hands, and there was a long
argument about who ought to have cleared the sting-nettles away from
under the tree. But the simple idea of making up for past neglect by
doing it now did not occur to any of them.
At last Madge recalled them all to their senses by declaring that she
saw old Barton, the farm-man, in the distance, carrying the milk-pails.
Though he was two fields off there could be no mistake, because he kept
the pails so brightly polished that they glittered like diamonds in the
sun. And he never started to milk the cows until the stable clock had
struck four, so his appearance was a positive proof that the afternoon
was passing rapidly by.
"I say, it's nearly tea-time! And I thought we had only just finished
dinner! I do believe holiday afternoons are much shorter than others!"
exclaimed John.
He was so overcome by this discovery that he allowed Madge to mount the
grand staircase without interruption. But she did not avail herself of
the rare chance of making a dignified welcoming speech to the younger
ones as they climbed up behind her, for at that moment she was seized
by a new idea of such importance that she was almost choked with
anxiety to impart it at once to the others.
"This building is open!" she shouted impatiently. "And come on
quickly, you two! I want to tell--"
"That's not the way people open things!" interrupted John. "It takes a
much longer time than that. You ought to say its name, and make a
speech about what it will be used for. Oughtn't she, Betty?"
Betty said nothing. She made a general rule of backing up her elder
sister in family disputes, and yet she could not help feeling that in
this case John had a just cause of complaint. The ceremony had been
very disappointing.
"Very well then," said Madge, seeing that it was no use to fight
against public opinion, "I suppose I must do it all over again.
Although I have something to say that you can't even imagine."
"I don't believe there is such a thing," said John stolidly. "I can
imagine anything a girl can, I know that."
Old as she was, Madge nearly cried with impatience. "If you are going
to contradict and argue," she began, "it's no good--"
"We will be quiet! We will really!" interrupted Betty, who, on the
whole, had a peace-loving disposition.
"Very well then," said Madge, recovering herself a little, but still
speaking with rather terrific dignity. "I declare this Eagle's Nest
open. It has been erected regardless of trouble and expense by--by--"
"The young eagles," suggested Betty.
"Yes, by the young eagles," continued Madge, "for the use and amusement
of--of--"
"The young eagles," again suggested Betty.
"Of course! Amusement of the young eagles," repeated Madge rather
inattentively, for she was thinking of something else. "And we hope
they will enjoy it! And I think that's all. Now I'll tell you my last
plan!"
"All right!" muttered John, settling himself with a contented grunt
upon the sticks. Now that the new building had been properly opened,
his mind was at rest.
"Well, this is what I think," began Madge. "It's rather absurd for us
to have a grand staircase up to our place of refuge. What we want is a
ladder that we can pull up after us so that the enemy can't follow!"
"What a splendid idea!" said Betty admiringly. "But I am afraid Barton
would never allow us to take his ladders out of the barn. He is always
dreadfully cross if we only take them out to look at a bird's nest, and
he finds they have gone. And he would be sure to see us carrying them
across the fields."
"Yes, but you see I have thought of all that!" replied Madge with a
smile of superior wisdom. "I told you I had a good idea, and I have,
though John did not believe it! What do you say to a rope-ladder?"