had not deceived the little minister and myself with regard to the
qualifications of his horse. It was a high-stepping thoroughbred;
and notwithstanding that the roads were heavy with the rain of the
previous day, we bowled along next morning at a famous rate on our
way to Twellryst. Clouds of a somewhat suspicious character floated
overhead, occasionally depriving us for a space of the sunshine, and
the wind was perhaps too high to be altogether agreeable. But on
the whole the weather was favourable; and enlivened by Mr Morgan's
instructive and cheerful conversation, the day's trip promised to prove
a pleasant one. For some time after leaving Lleyrudrigg we followed
the regular coach-road, which, though running for a little way on a
line with the coast, very soon turns inland. Then quitting it for one
upon which was much less traffic, we found ourselves, at the close of
three hours' quick driving, again coming within sight of the blue ocean
with its foam-flecked billows, and were told by Jonathan Williams, our
hunch-backed, sinister-looking little driver, that we were nearing the
Spike Rocks. The Spike Rocks! how I shudder at the bare mention of
that name, recalling as it does---- But I will not anticipate. Drawing
up before a five-barred gate which led into an extensive piece of
meadow-land bordering the shore and, as I afterwards found, crowning
precipices which for nearly a mile in length descended in sheer walls
to the sea, Jonathan rose in his seat, and pointed out with his whip
the two rocks which we had come hither to visit. They stood at some
distance from the land--small, conical-shaped islands, bleak and
sharp-pointed--their interest consisting, as we had been told, in
their being a peculiarly favourite resort of a species of sea-bird. At
certain seasons of the year, of which the present was one, the birds
would collect here in thousands, covering the rocks from base to summit
with a compact living mantle of whity-brown feathers. From the point at
which our carriage stopped, however, the rocks were too far away for
their clothing to be clearly visible; and we accordingly set off for a
nearer inspection, warned by a shout from our driver, when we had taken
a few steps, to beware of the 'Devil's Holes.' (So Mr Morgan translated
the barbarous-sounding Welsh word he used.) 'Devil's Holes! Why, what
can _they_ be?' I inquired. But my companion was no wiser with regard
to the matter than myself, as he confessed with a shake of the head; so
we walked on, trusting to our observation for enlightenment.
The enlightenment came sooner than we anticipated, and was accompanied
for me by a great shock. Under the influence of my new friend's
inspiriting society, I was feeling a light-heartedness to which I had
long been a stranger; and upon observing before me a small round hollow
in the field we were crossing, I was seized with a momentary impulse
to run forward, as I might have done when a boy, and let the impetus
of descending the near side carry me up the sloping grassy bank which
I saw upon the farther one. Had I followed out that impulse, however,
I should not now have been writing this story; for when close upon it,
but not before, I perceived to my horror that the innocently seeming
indentation of the ground was in reality an awful natural pit. Where
the grassy slope terminated, instead of the green level I had expected
to see, yawned a black chasm; and looking downwards, I positively
trembled as my eye sank into an abyss some hundred feet in depth, at
the bottom of which, as though it had been a gigantic caldron, appeared
a seething mass of water, rolling and dashing itself against the rocky
sides, and sending up a booming sound like the explosion of cannon.
An exclamation of horror burst from my lips as this unexpected
phenomenon met my sight, and drawing Mr Morgan backwards, I nervously
entreated him not to stand so near the edge. That 'Devil's Hole' had
filled me with the strangest sensation of creeping dread; and when
presently we came upon a second hollow in the meadow, I shrank from
approaching it. The little minister, however, would not be deterred
from doing so; and from the manner in which I saw him walking round
and round, curiously peering over its side, I was prepared for the
announcement which he made upon rejoining me, that that too was a
'Devil's Hole'--larger but in other respects similar to the one I
had seen. An involuntary shiver was almost the only comment I made
upon this communication; and as we continued our course, I looked
apprehensively in all directions for further suspicious undulations of
the ground. But none presented themselves; for like the Spike Rocks,
these holes are but two in number; and when we had taken a survey
of the Rocks--to my mind the lesser curiosities of the district--we
returned to our dog-cart.
Words can scarcely express the relief I experienced as I felt myself
being carried swiftly away from the neighbourhood of these horrible
pits. The state of my health possibly may have had something to do with
it; but my imagination certainly had been powerfully impressed with
what was perhaps an exaggerated idea of their danger, and throughout
the remainder of our drive I could talk of little else. Interested only
in a lesser degree than myself, Mr Morgan joined me in conjectures
as to the way in which they had been formed; the probable depth of
water contained in them; the manner in which they were connected with
the sea, and so forth. But though each of us endeavoured by turns to
draw Jonathan into the conversation, in order to extract information
from him, our dwarfish driver either could not or would not afford us
any. He did not know, he said, whether or not there had ever been an
accident at the spot, and replied to all our questions with a shortness
which--considering that he had chattered incessantly during the former
part of the journey--made me think that for some reason or other the
subject must be distasteful to him.
Upon reaching Twellryst the little minister and I separated, with the
understanding that we were to meet again at the inn at which we had
put up, at four in the afternoon--that hour being as late a one as we
thought it wise to appoint, on account of the necessity of getting back
to Lleyrudrigg that night.
A careful exploration of the ruins, which turned out to be very
interesting; a walk in the country; and a saunter round the town,
filled up my time very agreeably; and arriving exactly as the clock
struck the appointed hour, I found Mr Morgan already at the rendezvous.
Our conveyance was then called for; but to our annoyance, the driver
was not forthcoming. He had strolled away from the hotel some time
ago, we were told; and when, eventually, the search for him ended in
his discovery in a neighbouring public-house, he appeared to be a good
deal the worse for liquor. The delay thus occasioned in starting upon
our backward journey was the more vexatious because of the threatening
aspect which during the last hour the weather had been assuming. Thick
dark clouds had gradually spread themselves over the entire sky, and
the wind, as it moaned amongst the trees of a neighbouring orchard
or whistled round the corners of the inn, had a decidedly stormy
sound. Naturally I am rather a passionate man, and at the time of
which I write my private troubles made me more than usually prone to
irritation. It is scarcely to be wondered at then, that when, upon my
friend's calling Jonathan's attention to these signs of the times,
I observed an impish look of satisfaction stealing over his face as
though he were inwardly rejoicing in the anticipation of our getting
a good wetting, in return for the scolding we had given him. Indeed,
I had some difficulty in restraining my inclination to seize his
horse-whip and lay it across his shoulders. I did restrain it, however;
and when ready at length, we set off at full speed. This was so well
kept up by Mr Williams's excellent horse, that although we could not
hope to escape a drenching, we began to congratulate ourselves that
after all we might get to Lleyrudrigg before very late in the evening.
We had been for more than an hour upon the road and had made first-rate
progress, when on a sudden the looked-for storm broke upon us with the
utmost violence. In a few moments the wind had risen to a hurricane,
rendering our umbrellas entirely useless; and it was only by enveloping
ourselves in a large horse-rug with which the landlord had provided
us, that the little Welshman and I had any chance of keeping dry.
Taking off our hats, we passed the rug over our heads, and had been
riding in this way for a considerable distance, when my companion
observed that the vehicle was jolting very much; and removing the
covering from my face, I saw that we had turned off the highway into
a narrow lane. On being questioned by Mr Morgan, to whom I uneasily
communicated this fact, Jonathan declared that the lane was a short
cut which would presently bring us out again upon the road we had
quitted. I can scarcely tell why, but from the very first I doubted the
correctness of this statement; and when, after twisting and turning
times without number, the lane appeared yet as far as ever from its
promised termination, my suspicions became confirmed. That our driver
was purposely taking us in a wrong direction, I could hardly think,
since I could conceive of no object for his doing so; but that he
had, either through drunkenness or carelessness, lost his way, I felt
assured. Bending forward, I angrily charged him with the mistake;
and though at first holding doggedly to his former assertion, he
admitted by-and-by that he thought he must have turned up the wrong
lane--adding, however, that as I might see for myself, he could not
get his horse round in so confined a space, and would be obliged
therefore to drive onwards. That obligation I was of course forced
to allow; and muttering something as like an anathema as my clerical
character would permit me to use, I re-covered my head and resigned
myself, along with my more even-tempered associate, to the inevitable.
But our misadventures were not to end with this contretemps. We were
still in the lane, and had been going more and more slowly on account
of its increasing roughness, when all at once the dwarf affirmed that
something was wrong with the horse's right fore-foot, and precipitately
descended to examine it. The examination occupied a long time; and
peering from beneath the sheltering rug, I noticed Jonathan's arm
working about as he bent over the hoof he had raised, and thought I
distinguished, mingling with the roar of the wind, a faint sound as of
grating metal. I remarked upon this to Mr Morgan, and we both called
out to inquire what was the matter. But the fellow would vouchsafe
us no reply until he had remounted to his seat, when he informed us
sulkily that the shoe upon that foot was coming loose, and that he had
been trying to refasten it. Apparently, however, he had not succeeded
to his satisfaction, for he shortly got down to look at it again, and
kept on repeating the action at intervals. At length just as we emerged
from that seemingly interminable lane, the horse stumbled slightly; and
once more descending from his box, the hunchback, with an ejaculation,
in which it struck me there was a tone of triumph, brought forward the
shoe, which had now indeed come off.
For a few moments the little minister and I sat in silence
interchanging glances of dismay, which it was becoming almost too
dark to read. Then simultaneously, we inquired of Jonathan what was
to be done. The driver's answer was prompt and decisive. We must, he
said, stop at the first house we came to and beg a night's lodging,
since upon no account dared he proceed towards home at the risk of
laming the horse. His cousin, he added, would be furious should any
harm come to it, as it was very valuable, and he was, besides, much
attached to it. Recognising its necessity, we acquiesced in this plan
without demur, and in fact without unwillingness, the idea of a speedy
shelter from the still violent storm being by no means ungrateful. But
where, the question remained, could that shelter be found? We rose
in the dog-cart, looked eagerly to right and left, but could discern
no habitation. Jonathan, however, after applying himself to a similar
scrutiny, declared that he perceived, just beyond a small plantation
or orchard, about a hundred yards distant, what he felt sure was the
corner of a building; and taking the horse by the bridle, he led it in
that direction. His keener sight, as we shortly found, had not deceived
him. When upon stopping again, we displaced the rug in which we had
once more enveloped ourselves from head to foot, we saw in front of
us, through the battering rain and gathering gloom, a low straggling
farm-house.
A small garden, entered by a wicket-gate, led to the door; and begging
us to sit still, Jonathan ran towards it, returning almost immediately
with the information that we could be accommodated here for the night.
Blessing our good fortune, we accordingly alighted, and were met, as we
passed into the house, by a hard-featured elderly man in a smock-frock
and leathern gaiters, who after bestowing upon us a gruff welcome,
shewed us into a large sanded kitchen. An unpleasant odour of bad beer
and stale tobacco greeted our entrance, and my first impression, in
the uncertain light which filled it, was that the apartment contained
a numerous company. Upon candles being produced, however, as they
speedily were by the farmer's direction, its occupants resolved
themselves into seven. These were, a stout red-visaged woman, the wife
of our host; and six tall strongly built young men, varying in ages
from sixteen to thirty-five--his sons. With much courtesy the whole
family proceeded at once to busy themselves for our comfort--one of the
sons placing chairs for us in front of the peat-fire, another assisting
to remove our damp coats and hang them to dry, whilst a couple more
accompanied Jonathan to an out-building, where our horse and carriage
were to be disposed for the night. The woman, upon her part, hastened
to prepare us something to eat; and grateful for all this attention, Mr
Morgan (whom I began by this time to look upon as quite an old friend)
chatted away to our entertainers in his usually pleasant manner. I too
for a while exerted myself towards their amusement, giving them an
account of our day's excursion, and speaking of other matters which I
thought calculated to interest. But with the exception of the woman,
who had a harsh disagreeable voice, and was sufficiently loquacious,
none of the party possessed much conversational power, and the talk
gradually flagged.
Upon lapsing into silence, the men's faces naturally fell into their
ordinary expressions, and as my gaze now wandered from one to another,
a feeling of dislike and mistrust of the entire group seized upon me.
The feeling was one that I could not well account for, and for which
indeed I blamed myself severely. Nevertheless, far from diminishing
as the evening wore on, it increased to an almost painful degree; and
upon my mind suddenly reverting to the large sum of money carried by
my companion, I took an opportunity of anxiously whispering him to
beware of any allusion to it. The suggestion implied in this warning
appeared to startle the little minister; but his nature was eminently
trustful, and as I could see, a short cogitation ended in his mentally
condemning my suspicion as uncalled for. Shortly after it had been
uttered, however, he proposed, to my satisfaction, that we should go to
bed; whereupon the farmer (whose face and figure, though I knew I had
never seen him before this evening, seemed somehow familiar) slipped
from the room, and returning directly with a black bottle in his hand,
pressed us before retiring to rest to take a glass of spirits. Being
a teetotaler, I declined for myself the proffered hospitality. But
thinking, as he remarked, that it might prevent his taking cold from
the wetting he had sustained, Mr Morgan accepted a somewhat stiff
tumbler of whisky-punch. This, in order not to keep me waiting, he
drained almost at a draught; and our host then preceding us to an
upper story, pointed out the rooms in which we were to sleep. They
were situated at each end of a long passage; the first, which opened
at the head of a rather steep flight of stairs, being assigned to my
companion, and the farther one to myself. Upon following Mr Morgan
into his chamber for the purpose of bidding him good-night, I noticed
with astonishment that he staggered slightly in crossing the floor.
He complained too, as we shook hands, of feeling 'terribly sleepy;'
and smiling to myself at the rapidity with which the whisky-punch
was taking effect upon the little Welshman, I recommended him in an
under-tone to lock his door; and leaving him to his slumbers, betook
myself, under the farmer's guidance, to the apartment appointed for my
own occupation.
SOME UNCOMMON PETS.
Proud Wolsey, it will be recollected, was on familiar terms with
a venerable carp; Cowper doffed his melancholy to play with his
hares; and Clive owned a pet tortoise. Less noted folk have taken
kindly to snakes, frogs, lizards, hedgehogs, and other animals not
usually included in the category of domestic pets. The driver of a
London Hansom was wont to carry a little cub fox on the top of his
cab, to their mutual enjoyment, until returning from the Downs one
Derby-day, the cab overset, and the cabman and his odd companion
were both killed. Mr G. F. Berkeley made a household pet of a young
stoat, rendered motherless by his gun. Totie soon accommodated himself
to circumstances, and would leave his cage to wash himself in a
finger-glass on the dinner-table, trotting back again as soon as his
ablutions were performed, taking a piece of sponge-cake with him.
Sir John Lubbock contrived to win the affection of a Syrian wasp; but
the game was hardly worth the candle, or sufficiently entertaining to
encourage others to follow suit; although it is said that, strong in
the new feminine faith that what man does woman can do, three maiden
sisters sought to relieve the tedium of single-blessedness by devoting
their leisure to the domestication of English-born wasps. Before a
week was out, one fair experimentalist wore a large blue patch over
her left eye, another carried her right arm in a sling, the third was
altogether lost to the sight of anxious friends, and all had come to
the conclusion that wasp-taming was not their forte. Better taste and
greater discretion were shewn by the lady, who, becoming possessed of
two butterflies of different species in a chrysalis state, resolved to
try how far they would be amenable to kindness, and placed them for
security in a glazed cabinet in her well-warmed bedroom. A few days
before Christmas she was delighted by the appearance of a little yellow
butterfly, but was puzzled how to cater for the delicate creature.
Taking a fairy-rose then in bloom, she dropped a little honey and
rose-water in a blossom, and put the plant in the cabinet, and soon
had the satisfaction of seeing the butterfly take its first meal. In
a fortnight it would leave the rose to settle on her hand when she
called it by its name Psyche. By-and-by a peacock butterfly emerged
into active life from the other chrysalis. The newcomer accepted the
sensation of active life at once, and like its companion, delighted
in being talked and sung to, both especially enjoying being waved in
the air and danced up and down while quietly resting upon the hand of
their mistress. Upon the coming of summer the cabinet was moved close
to the window, and its doors thrown open. For some days neither of
its tenants cared to venture beyond the window-sill, but one bright
afternoon their protectress 'with many bitter tears' beheld them take
wing and join some wild companions in the garden; at night, however,
they returned to their lodgings. Next day they took the air again,
and were not seen until September. One afternoon there came a heavy
thunderstorm, and when it was over a yellow butterfly was found dead on
the window-sill--which the lady, with some warrant, lamented over as
her own particular one; the 'peacock' too would seem to have met a like
fate, for it was never seen again.
The butterfly tamer had an eye for beauty, but ugliness is no bar to a
lady's favour, so far as animal pets are concerned. It would be hard
to find a more repulsive-looking reptile than the iguana, nevertheless
the society of one afforded much pleasure to an American lady residing
in Brazil. Pedro, as he was called, was well provided with raw meat,
bananas, and milk; allowed to bask in his mistress's room in the
daytime, and to make himself cosy between the mattresses of her bed
when the sun went down, he cheerfully accepted the novel situation,
like a wise iguana. His loving lady was wont to carry him abroad in her
arms--a practice that kept acquaintances at a respectful distance--for,
however they might pretend to admire Pedro's beadlike spots of black
and white, his bright jewelled eyes, and elegant claws, they were
careful not to make any near approaches. Nothing pleased Madame so
much as to drop her pet without warning at the feet of unsuspecting
gentlemen, and elicit from naval officers symptoms of terror such as
would not have been drawn forth by an enemy's broadside or a lee-shore.
Of course Pedro came to grief. Rambling one day unattended, he came
across 'a marauding Frenchman,' his owner's maid arriving only in time
to rescue his lifeless body. It was sent, wrapped in black crape, to a
neighbour with a weakness for fricasseed lizard; but having seen this
especial one fondled and caressed, he could not find the appetite to
eat it; and so Pedro was consigned to the earth instead of the pot.
De Candolle tells of a fair Switzer who, unmindful of Red Riding
Hood's sad fate, made a companion of a young wolf, and had the
melancholy satisfaction of seeing the fond beast fall dead at her
feet in a paroxysm of joy at her return home after a long absence.
But although one wolf was faithful found, it does not follow that the
fair sex are justified in going to the forest or jungle for pets. The
proprietress of a loving leopard that came regularly to her chamber
door in the dead of the night, and howled loudly enough to wake the
Seven Sleepers, until its mistress turned out of bed and quieted her
disturber with an offering of warm milk, might well doubt if she had
bestowed her affection wisely. Such favourites, however kindly they
take to domestication, are very undesirable additions to an orderly
establishment. When Captain Burton was domiciled in Syria, the famous
traveller left the management of his live-stock to his wife, and under
her fostering care that department assumed formidable proportions.
Not content with horses and goats, a camel, turkeys, geese, ducks,
fowls, and pigeons, Mrs Burton must have her own especial pets--a
white donkey, a young St Bernard dog, four English terriers, a Kurdish
puppy, a snow-white Persian cat, a lamb, and a leopard. The last-named,
according to the lady's account, became the pet of the household; which
it deserved to be, if the household abhorred a quiet life, for the
leopard behaved much after the manner of the gazelle whose owner sang:
He riled the dog, annoyed the cat,
And scared the goldfinch into fits;
He butted through my newest hat,
And tore my manuscript to bits!
Mrs Burton, with pretty good grace, confesses her husband had fair
cause for saying his happy family reminded him of the House that Jack
built; for the fowls and pigeons ate the seeds and destroyed the
flowers; the cat fed upon the pigeons, the dogs worried the cat; while
the idol of the household harried the goats until one of them drowned
itself in sheer disgust, and frightened the donkey and camel by jumping
upon their backs, and indulging in a shrieking solo, horrible enough to
scare any animal of a well-regulated mind into madness.