Georgie listened to Estelle's reading till the low murmur, blending with
the drowsy hum of the insects, the occasional twitter of a bird, and the
warm fragrance of the pines, lulled him to sleep. Estelle read on till
the story was finished; then sat gazing up into the green foliage above
her. She was thinking that she was not unlike the girl in the story; her
father was away, her mother was dead, and though she lived among those
who loved her, would any such terrible things befall her as had happened
to the heroine of the tale? Her thoughts wandered to the father in that
far-off land, and the mother who had died when she was too young to
remember her, but whose sweet face and sweeter memory would always be
sacred to the little girl she had left behind her. She could almost hear
herself say, as once in the days long, long ago--
'Do you like the name of Estelle, father? It sounds very French, but it
was mother's.'
'It is the sweetest name on earth to me, my darling. Be what your mother
was, as sweet, as loving, as unselfish, and you will be worthy of her
name.'
Had there really been a voice speaking to her? Estelle sat up,
listening. Her heart beat, though she smiled that the fancy should have
come. Her father was so far away. She longed to be with him again; but
she had plenty to do to learn all he desired, before he came back, and
after that the happy days at Lynwood could begin again. Suddenly, the
grating of the door into the ruin startled her. Bootles sat up and
snuffed the air, moved uneasily, and got up to stretch himself. Then he
lazily stalked away to the steps, flopping down them as if too weary to
walk properly. At the bottom, however, he suddenly roused himself. A cat
was creeping stealthily across the open glade. Estelle saw it too, and
sprang up in her nervous dislike to seeing creatures hunted. But Bootles
had at once given chase. He could be heard yelping as he bounded after
the animal, till both disappeared in the deep undergrowth. For a time
the sound of the pursuit grew more and more distant, then it came
doubling back, and Estelle, with dismay, saw the cat rush across the
glade, and into the summer-house. In another moment Bootles had
followed. Terrified lest the dog should be shut in, and heedless of her
own danger, she ran down the steps and into the forbidden room, in the
vain hope of catching the dog, and rescuing him before the door closed.
No one was near to see what happened. In her fear she ran on without
looking where she was going. Round and round, dodging from this corner
to that, flew the cat, the dog after it; presently they both plunged
into the black cavernous place Georgie had seen. Feeling her way with
both hands, Estelle ran after them, calling to Bootles. The light behind
was growing fainter, the way before her was shrouded in the darkness of
night. Frightened at last, she stopped, and at that moment there was a
crash which shook the whole building. With a terror, which made her cold
and sick, she realised that the terrible door had shut. She was
imprisoned, and no one knew it!
* * * * *
Meantime, Alan and Marjorie had set off with the intention of going
straight to the Smuggler's Hole, and on into the cave passage. But,
passing through the wilderness, close to the rear of the rampart, which
here jutted out to some distance beyond the ruined summer-house, they
both fancied they heard sounds in the brushwood. It turned out to be
only a stray cat, but it had the effect of diverting them from their
purpose for a time, since the animal seemed scared. Alan decided it was
running away from something, and as a bird also flew past at the moment,
he determined to make investigations.
Followed by Marjorie, he clambered down into a sort of dry ditch, the
remains of the old moat. Though overgrown with ivy and brambles, it
would be easier walking than forcing his way through the dense
underwood, and they would make far less noise. Without even a whispered
word, the brother and sister crept cautiously along, coming at length to
an open, but small glen. Up to this point they had had no difficulty;
but here the ditch was closed by a stout hedge, made still stronger by
faggots and barbed wire. This was unexpected, for there appeared to be
no reason for such a protection, and Alan and Marjorie sat on the bank
to consider what that hedge was intended to conceal. The mossy glen was
behind them, and all around was the deep silence of the woods. In front
towered the grey, crumbling walls of the ancient rampart. Their low
voices scarcely broke the stillness; they were afraid of something, they
knew not what. A stir was in the air, and yet they could not be said to
hear anything distinctly. It was more a feeling than a sound.
'You stay here,' whispered Alan at last, rising as he spoke. 'I will
just go and have a look round. If I can, I will let you know what is
behind that hedge, but if anything turns up, and I am not back
immediately, you will be safe here. No, don't come with me. It would
make too much noise.'
[Illustration: "Round and round flew the cat, the dog after it."]
With that he crawled away, leaving Marjorie to wait and listen
anxiously. For a long time, or so it seemed to her, she could only hear
the faint movement made by Alan as he parted the bushes, and crept
away. Even that soon died away, and the same deep silence settled on
everything. It was very hot; the air was so still that it seemed hotter
in the ditch than in the open, but she dared not stir. Alan must be able
to find her, if he required her. She sat and listened with ears strained
to catch every sound. How long she had waited she did not know, when a
sound of snapping twigs and running feet came from the near
neighbourhood of the hedge. Springing to her feet, she caught a glimpse
of two men forcing their way with all their strength through the
entanglement of sturdy brushwood and trees, which surrounded that
portion of the ruin. One of these men was a stranger; the other, to her
amazement, was Thomas.
She did not know what to do. Should she follow, or was it better to wait
till Alan shouted to her? Time went on. The sounds died away in the
distance, and all was quiet again. Alan had not called, and there were
no signs of where he was.
(_Continued on page 134._)
THE YAK.
[Illustration: Yaks.]
The Yak, or grunting Ox, as it is sometimes called from the peculiar
grunt which it makes, is a native of the high table-lands of the
interior of Asia, to the north of India--'the roof of the world,' as the
country is often called. It is a large animal of the ox kind, with a
massive head and front, and it is covered entirely with long hair which
reaches almost down to its hoofs. It has large, wide-spreading horns,
ending in sharp points, and its shoulders are high and almost humped.
Its long tail, unlike the tail of the ox, the buffalo, and the bison, is
covered with long, silky hair, reaching to the ground. When the animal
is killed, this tail is often mounted in an ivory or metal handle, and
used by Indian princes as a fly-whisk. The yak's colour is usually black
or a very dark brown, but sometimes it is white, and the hair on its
shoulders hangs thick and long, like the mane of a lion.
In Thibet the yak is, perhaps, the most useful animal to be found in the
country. It is hardy and strong, and thrives upon the short grass
growing in the sheltered valleys of the lofty Himalaya and Kuen Luen
mountains, at a height where the air is too cold and the ground too
rugged and bare for most animals, especially domesticated ones. Though
horses and sheep are domesticated by the Thibetans, the yak in many
respects replaces them both, besides serving the uses of oxen or cows in
other places. Large herds of yaks are driven from place to place by the
wandering Thibetans, who pitch their black tents where there is
pasturage for their flocks. These people live very largely upon the milk
of their yaks, and upon the butter which they make from it. They have a
great liking for tea, which comes from China in the form of blocks or
bricks, which they break up as they require them. When the tea is
boiling in the kettle, they put in large quantities of milk and butter,
and even salt, and though the mixture is one which would be very
disagreeable to a European, it is enjoyed by the Thibetans, and is no
doubt made much more nourishing by the addition of the nutritious milk
and butter. The flesh of the yak is considered to be excellent food, and
is eaten by those Thibetans who can afford to do so. But a small
wandering tribe cannot often kill a yak or a sheep for food, because
they cannot eat the whole of the flesh while it is fresh, and thus a
portion is wasted.
The long hair of the yak, like the wool of goats and sheep, is suitable
for spinning into thread and weaving into cloth. The Thibetans spin
large quantities of yak's wool, and some of it they weave, but much of
the weaving is done by the Chinese, who sell the cloth back to the
Thibetans. Of this cloth the Thibetans make not only their clothes, but
also the large tents under which so many of them live. As the wool is
not washed, bleached, or prepared in any way before it is spun and
woven, the cloth retains the natural greasiness of the wool, which
renders it quite water-proof, and thus makes it an excellent material
for tents. Even the ropes which sustain the tents are made of yak's
wool. The skin, too, of the yak, when prepared in the native way, makes
a very good soft leather.
The yak is also used as a beast of burden. In Ladakh it is harnessed to
carts, and made to draw ploughs, but in other places it is usually
loaded with packs. In Thibet a clumsy wooden pack-saddle is laid upon
the yak's back, and the packs are fastened upon each side of it. Though
at times restless, the yak is very sure-footed and plodding, and does a
fair amount of work considering the nature of the country. An English
traveller, who once drove a pair of loaded yaks in Thibet, noticed that
they showed a great reluctance to go any way but their own. By-and-by he
found that they were selecting the way, which, although it was
considered to be a high road, was only marked here and there by a few
footprints. So long as he allowed the yaks to go their own way, they
went on willingly, and the traveller soon discovered that it was best to
leave them alone and simply follow them. Once or twice when he had lost
the track, the yaks led him back to it.
Not only are yaks used for draught and for carrying loads, but they are
also ridden, a special saddle being then used. Along the roads between
Pekin and Lhassa, a yak will carry its rider twenty miles a day, it is
said, or it will carry a load ten miles. Much quicker journeys may be
made, however, by taking fresh yaks at certain posts or stages. In this
way the traveller already referred to was able to ride one hundred and
seventy-five miles in five days, the two longest days' journeys being
forty-five and forty-two miles respectively.
GOING TO BED.
As up the stairs to bed I go,
A tiger chases me;
He's somewhere in the dark, I know,
Although I cannot see.
From step to step I quickly jump,
But oh, how slow I seem!
And I can feel my heart go 'Thump!
It nearly makes me scream.
The tiger can go faster, much,
He gains at every stride;
He's sure to get me in his clutch--
He's almost at my side!
I dare not give a look behind,
I fear his savage glare;
His cruel teeth I hear him grind,
A-tingle goes my hair!
At last I reach the landing wide--
I'm at the nursery door;
I shut it tight, and, safe inside,
I pant upon the floor.
But Mother often laughs at me
For getting such a scare;
And, somehow, when she goes to see,
The tiger's never there!
MARVELS OF MAN'S MAKING.
IV.--THE BRIDGE AT VICTORIA FALLS.
[Illustration]
If a railway train could travel over a rainbow, it would hardly have
been necessary to build a bridge over the Zambesi River at the Victoria
Falls, for during seven months of the year a rainbow can always be seen
there; but about the end of August the fairy architects take it down,
and do not come to build it again until the beginning of February. The
rainbow is made by the sunlight shining on the dancing drops of spray
that leap from the waterfall while the river is in flood. But when,
after the end of August, the flood subsides, the spray subsides too, and
the lovely rainbow fades from sight until the rainy season has returned.
This mighty river collects its waters over a space of a million square
miles, but on its way to the sea is met by many difficulties. The
greatest of these occurs near Kazungula, on the borders of Rhodesia, and
is known by the natives as the 'place of the sounding smoke.' David
Livingstone, who, fifty years ago, was the first white man to see it,
called it the Victoria Falls, and has told the world how he crept to the
edge of the awful abyss and peered over in the vain effort to see the
bottom through that roaring, blinding cloud of 'sounding smoke.' Long,
long ages ago a terrible earthquake occurred at this spot, and from
shore to shore of the Zambesi (which is here more than a mile wide) a
huge crack, one hundred yards across, suddenly opened. Into this the
river disappears with a mighty thunder, as though to lose itself in the
centre of the earth. Four hundred feet down the bottom of the chasm is
reached, and, beating themselves against the opposite wall, the waters
struggle to find an outlet, throwing up in their fury white clouds of
spray, which rise to a height of one thousand two hundred feet, and can
be seen for a distance of ten miles.
Near the eastern end of the mile-long crack, there is an opening in the
form of a narrow gorge one hundred yards wide, twisting and twining in
the most erratic manner for more than twenty miles to the southward. And
through this, imprisoned by rocky cliffs four hundred feet high, the
boiling Zambesi struggles on its way to the sea. On the lip of the
cataract, as though carried to the edge by the flowing waters, hang
green wooded isles, glittering with the ever-falling spray and waving
light fronds of fern and palm, in the cool airs that are constantly
being driven by the falls from the depths below them. It is a spot of
great beauty, and it is no wonder that many people expressed regret when
they learned that the railway was fast approaching, and would leap
across the gorge through which the waters escape. But after all, in a
scene of such magnitude, we may hope that the railway will show no more
than a scratch in the wide sea-sands.
The spot chosen for the bridge is some four hundred yards below the
falls, and, owing to the sudden bends in the channel, the merest glimpse
only can be caught of the falling water.
Sir Charles Metcalf, engineer of the Rhodesian Railway Company, having
surveyed the place, made a design for the bridge, and a firm of
engineers in Darlington, England, undertook to build it. In the
meantime, the railway at Buluwayo, three hundred miles away, had been
continued to the edge of the gorge in readiness to convey the material.
It was decided that the bridge should be in the form of an arch made of
steel girders, the central span being five hundred feet. The work was
begun in October, 1904. First a pair of 'shear legs' was erected on the
southern side opposite the place where the railway from Buluwayo ended.
This is a mechanical contrivance of the nature of a crane, capable of
being raised and lowered, and is formed of two or more poles standing
some yards apart at their feet, but joined together at their heads, to
support a revolving pulley. To save the loss of time and great
inconvenience of crossing the river above the falls, it became necessary
to find some means of spanning this narrow gorge before beginning to
build the bridge. This was accomplished by firing a sky-rocket from the
northern cliff-top with a length of light string attached. To the end of
the string a slightly stouter cord was tied; then a strong rope, and
finally a wire cable two inches thick. Thus, that which could not be
done all at once, was done by degrees. The wire cable, being passed over
the pulley on the shear legs, was fastened on the other side of the
gorge to the top of a steel tower, thirty-six feet high.
From this thin aerial railway hung the 'cage' in which the workmen would
cross and recross, and do a great deal of the bridge-building work,
being raised and lowered to the required position by the shear legs.
Some feet above the two-inch rope ran an electric wire with a motor
engine which propelled the car backwards and forwards. Thus we may
almost say that the first conveyance across the Zambesi was an electric
tram. And the passengers (particularly on the first journey) were not
pleased with the trip. They shrank with pardonable terror when they
found themselves suspended over that awful gulf by a slender cord that
swayed against the sky. But use soon changed all this.
The bridge was begun from both sides at once. In the rocky sides of the
cliffs excavations were made to receive the four upright columns from
which the arch would spring. On beds of concrete poured into these
excavations was bolted an iron plate upon which the foot of the 'post'
would hinge, so as to allow movement when the iron girders expanded or
contracted with the change of temperature. The 'posts' are one hundred
and five feet tall, and the arch which springs from their feet rises to
a height of ninety feet at the centre. As the two ends grew towards each
other across the abyss, it was found that the weight would require
support before the girders met in the middle. To build a scaffolding
would of course have been impossible; so the following means were
adopted. Into the rocky ground on both sides of the river, two holes
were bored, each thirty feet deep and thirty feet apart, their bottom
ends being connected by another boring. A strong wire rope was then
threaded down one hole and up through the other, to be carried over the
cliff-top and passed under the bridge-end as it hung in mid-air. As the
weight increased the ropes were added to, while, as a further
precaution, the ground between the two holes was loaded with five
thousand tons of railway irons. The wire ropes successfully played their
parts until April 1st, 1905, but when the central girder was ready to
take its place, it was found to be an inch and a quarter too long. It
had expanded in the heat; but after a night's cooling it contracted to
the right size, and was successfully inserted.
One of the principal difficulties in the erection of this bridge has
been the trouble of getting the material to the spot. From Darlington to
the Victoria Falls is eight thousand miles of ocean, bush, and desert,
and sometimes long delay was caused by the railway being washed away by
floods. But once there was interruption from another cause. Many of the
English workmen were unable to stop on account of the climate, and they
were constantly drenched by the spray, until in many cases natives had
to be employed in their stead. These natives were housed in a little
settlement of nicely built huts, lighted by electricity. One day,
however, the electric wires caused a fire which destroyed the entire
'town' with astonishing rapidity.
The bridge was opened in August, 1905, on the occasion of the visit of
the British Association. The roadway over it is thirty feet wide,
affording room for a double set of rails, and the panting trains have
already begun to cross its web-like span, gliding into sight from the
cliff-top on one side, only to disappear the next moment on the other in
a green wilderness of ferns and tropic flowers.
[Illustration: "A native lay at the foot of a tree."]
ROUND THE CAMP-FIRE.
By HAROLD ERICSON.
IV.--A FIGHT WITH A RHINOCEROS.
It was now Vandeleur's turn to tell his camp-fire story, and he looked
so long and so dreamily into the embers before he began that Denison
laughed and said, 'Don't go to sleep, old chap, before you begin!'
Vandeleur laughed also, good-naturedly.
* * * * *
I'm not a bit sleepy (he said) but when I think of Umkopo, one of the
best and most faithful friends I ever possessed, it makes me thoughtful.
Umkopo, as the name suggests, had something to do with the Zulus or
Matabeles. His was an extraordinary career, and I may have more to tell
you about him in another yarn; but for the present I will merely tell
you this, that, though he looked scarcely more like a 'nigger' than any
of us three, yet, as a matter of fact, I never for some time really
doubted that he was a young Matabele, simply because it never occurred
to me to doubt it under the circumstances. He was a boy of about
seventeen when I first met him--a straight, well-made chap of about
Bobby's size and weight, black-haired and dark-skinned, but not so dark
as the ordinary run of Mashonaland natives, about as dark, let us say,
as you and I are at the end of a shooting trip somewhere in the
equatorial regions.
Well, I was off some years ago upon a rhinoceros-hunting trip and at the
moment in actual pursuit of a huge beast of greyish tint, a rare colour;
this was an animal who had given me the slip many times, and I was most
anxious to secure him. I was encamped somewhere within the district
which he had chosen as his home, but for a week or two I had not been
able to hit upon his tracks.
Now this was during the time of the first Matabele war, and I was, as a
matter of fact, within the war-zone. I joined in the fighting a month or
two later, finding that men were wanted on the British side, but at this
time I was only hunting.
One day, prowling about the jungle with a Kaffir to carry my cartridges
and a spare rifle, I suddenly came upon an unexpected sight.
A young man, apparently a native, lay by a pool of water at the foot of
a tree, breathing, as it seemed to me, his last breath. He moaned a
little when he saw us approaching, and made a feeble effort to rise and
reach the club which lay at his side.
Finding that he was not going to be attacked, he gave up the effort, and
lay breathing heavily.
'He is ill,' said I to the Kaffir; 'ask him whether he is in pain, and
what ails him.'
The Kaffir knew something of the Bantu-Matabele dialect, and spoke to
the man, who replied in gasps.
'He say,' the Kaffir reported, 'want food; drank bad water, poisoned by
Matabeles; better now, but want eat.'
This was a need which was easily supplied. I had plenty of food with me,
biscuits and tinned tongue, which I had brought for my lunch. I gave him
this, and something to drink. He ate and drank greedily, which nearly
choked him. He looked gratefully at me, and I placed him in a sitting
posture with his back to a tree, and gave him a couple of prunes, which
were evidently a novelty to him, and afforded him great delight.
The Kaffir, who rejoiced in the name of Billy, conversed with the young
fellow from time to time, and suddenly Billy burst out laughing; a piece
of rude behaviour which greatly shocked him the next moment, for he
placed his hand over his mouth and looked very ashamed of himself.
'What is it, Billy?' I asked him.
'He say his people call him "White Witch,"' said Billy. 'He say, "I
t'ink I white man like your master."'
Billy again burst out laughing, and again stifled the laugh in shocked
surprise at his own rudeness.
I gazed at the sick youth with new curiosity and interest. I examined
his features: there was nothing of the low-caste negro type about him,
that was clear; but then it often happens that a Zulu or a Matabele is
born with features which resemble those of a higher type of humanity.
'Ask him why they call him "White Witch,"' said I.
After a long talk with our new friend, Billy apparently gave up the
attempt to solve this mystery.
'No understand,' he told me; 'he talk nonsense--much nonsense; not tell
any truth.'
'What's his name?' I next asked.
'Umkopo,' said Billy. 'Dat not white man name--dat Matabele name.'
Billy looked so disgusted, and was clearly so displeased that a nigger
should put forward a claim to white man's blood, that I decided to worry
the sick man no more at present with questions--at least, he should
answer only one more.
'How came he here? ask him,' said I.
'He been see Lobengula at Bulawayo,' said Billy. 'Lobengula chase him
away into the jungle because he say bad words.'
'What kind of bad words?' I asked, in some surprise.
'Bad words: he say Lobengula not fight white people; white people eat
him up.'
Umkopo, then, thought I, was like one of the prophets, who prophesied
evil things which were unwelcome to the king.
'Lobengula chase him into jungle; much men run after him. Umkopo hide,
drink bad water, nearly die, then no food.'
It was clear that the poor lad could not be left where he was in his
present weak state; he must return with us to camp, which was two or
three miles away at the edge of this jungle.
But Umkopo, though he did his best to rise to his feet, and walk with us
when invited to do so, proved far too weak. He almost fell in attempting
to stand up, and was obliged to cling to the tree-trunk in order to
prevent himself from sudden collapse.
'We shall have to carry him, Billy,' said I. 'Collect poles and
branches, and we will make a litter for the poor chap.'
Billy was evidently gravely displeased to be asked to do so much for a
mere Matabele: he collected materials with his nose in air. 'Who going
to carry nigger?' he asked.
And when I replied that, naturally--there being no one else--he and I
would do so, I thought Billy would have a fit.
Nevertheless, the Kaffir was obliged to swallow his feelings, for, when
I had finished the litter, I took up Umkopo in my arms--I am fairly
strong, as you know--and laid him in it, and bade the disgusted Billy
catch hold of one end while I took the other.
As for Umkopo himself, he looked very gratefully in my face, but he did
not seem in the least overpowered by the fact that a white man was
condescending to act as bearer to him. This circumstance seemed to weigh
much more heavily upon Billy than upon him; but then Billy was
influenced by the feeling of disgust that he, should be called upon to
take so much trouble for the sake of a mere native.
We got Umkopo back to camp in safety, Billy making a great show of
weariness; and here I had a comfortable couch made for the invalid
within the _zareeba_. He lay at his ease for a day or two, living upon
antelope flesh and the best of everything, and even drinking, at my
special request, several doses of a tonic which I had brought with me,
in case of sickness. The faces he made over it were something too weird
to describe.
Under this treatment Umkopo soon picked up strength, and we became great
friends, he and I. I endeavoured to teach him a few English words, and
one day--to my great astonishment and interest--he rattled off a
sentence which I had not taught him, but which was certainly a species
of English. It sounded like this: 'Whenima gooboy nannagiv mejam on
Sundays.'
It was an obvious attempt to say, 'When I'm a good boy, Nanna gives me
jam on Sundays'--a sentence which not only told a tale of its own, but
also gave a fellow a pretty wide field 'to think in.'
After this discovery, I began to take a very great and special interest
in Umkopo, and taught him all the English I could. He was with me for a
fortnight, and grew much attached to me. He was, of course, a bit of a
savage, but there was something very attractive about him, and I grew
both fond of and interested in him. This interest and fondness for a
nigger greatly offended Billy, my chief Kaffir. None of my Kaffirs liked
Umkopo, for all were jealous of him, I suppose; but Billy was
particularly bitter against him, and once or twice I was obliged to
reprimand him severely.
This uncomfortable state of affairs ended in a kind of tragedy, and I
will just tell you of this and of its upshot before passing on to the
rhinoceros adventure, which is the real part of this yarn.
(_Concluded on page 154._)
THE SHEPHERD MOON.
I love to wait till the red sun hides,
When from the dusk the Shepherd Moon glides;
And by twos and threes around him peep
His flock of little white starry sheep.
All night they ramble so far and high,
Their pasture wide is the dark blue sky;
Then the Shepherd Moon goes on his way,
And leads them back to the folds of Day.
PEEPS INTO NATURE'S NURSERIES.
V.--THE LIFE-HISTORY OF THE FRESH-WATER MUSSEL.
Most readers of _Chatterbox_ must have seen the fresh-water mussel in
its native element. Let those who have not, search in the shallow water
of the nearest river or brook till they are successful. When the stream
is clear you may often see them lying on the bottom; in deeper water,
you may catch them if you go out armed with a big, long-handled rake;
plunge this into the water, drag it along the bottom, and carefully haul
up the entangled mud and weed. Sooner or later your search should be
rewarded. I have caught hundreds this way. Some of them were not more
than an inch and a half long, and when placed in a glass jar were so
transparent, that I could watch the beating of the heart through the
shell. Indeed, I have two such little beauties before me, on my study
table, as I write. One has partly buried himself in the mud, the other
is lying on the surface. But, when full-grown, this transparency passes
away, and they attain a perfectly huge size--six inches long at any
rate!
Once upon a time, no doubt, the ancestors of these creatures lived in
the sea; then they migrated to the rivers, creeping farther and farther
up into fresh water, till at last their descendants have got so used to
this element that they can live only in fresh water. Now, when animals
gradually change their mode of life in this way, they at the same time
undergo a great many structural and constitutional changes--some slight,
some profound--and among these the most important are changes in the
provision for the young. There is, as you know, a constant migration
going on among the more active animals between the sea and the river,
which is entirely on account of the needs of the young. Thus, salmon
leave the sea yearly and undertake perilous journeys up the rivers,
solely that they may lay their eggs there: while eels, on the other
hand, as we have seen, are impelled by instinct to pursue exactly the
opposite course, and to brave all dangers, that they may provide a
nursery for their young in the deepest depths of the ocean.
Let us apply this to the fresh-water mussels. The ancestors of these
very helpless creatures lived, I have remarked, in the sea; and we may
be pretty certain that their eggs are hatched out into what we call
larvae, or imperfectly developed animals, precisely similar to the
young, or larvae, of the marine mussel of our seas. Now, this larva has
the form of a tiny little creature covered with 'swimming' hairs. By the
constant waving motions of these hairs, the little body is driven
through the water, till at last, reaching a favourable spot, or tired
out, they settle down at the bottom of the sea and turn into mussels,
This free-and-easy life is all very well for the salt-water mussels,
with the great wide sea to roam in; but such freedom in rivers would by
no means be safe, because, though mussels swim, they are, by reason of
their small size, quite unable to force their way against strong
currents. Thus, on the outgoing tide, they would be swept off to sea,
and would die even before this was reached--as soon, indeed, as the
water became really salt. So, to prevent such a disaster, the
fresh-water mussel carefully nurses her young between her gills, till
they are old enough to help themselves. You will be surprised when I
tell you the strange device they have come to adopt, so soon as they are
cast adrift, whereby they may complete their days of infancy. Shielded
throughout the winter months, they are turned adrift on the first warm
day of Spring, a troop of very lively youngsters indeed. Each is encased
in a very wonderful shell (S in the figure in the top left-hand corner
of the illustration), quite unlike that of their parents, being
triangular in shape, and armed with a pair of pointed teeth (T). By
means of powerful muscles this shell is made to open and shut with great
rapidity, and thus the body of the little creature is quickly driven
through the water in a series of spasmodic jumps. Then comes a period of
rest, obtained by using the long thread or 'byssus' (B) as a float, this
thread being thrown out along the surface of the water. Then the hunt
for a host begins again. On and on they go, till one after
another--'curiouser and curiouser!'--seizes hold of a fish by means of
its hooks. Having caught hold tight, each clings like grim death, and as
a result of the irritation set up in the poor fish's skin, swelling
follows and soon grows up all round the young mussel, and makes him a
prisoner. But this is just what he wants. Snugly tucked away in his
living cradle he slowly assumes his adult shape, and at last bursts his
prison and falls to the bottom!
[Illustration: Fresh-water Mussels.]
There is yet another reason for this very strange and somewhat cruel
procedure. The love of self, among the lower animals, is so strong that
parents always drive away their young so soon as they become capable of
feeding, and fending for themselves; because, if they did not adopt
stern measures of this sort, famine and disease would be the result,
owing to overcrowding. On the whole, this banishment is not so hard as
it looks, the young having no sentiment for the place of their birth,
and being probably more capable of migrating than the parents. But the
method adopted by the fresh-water mussel is wasteful and dangerous;
wasteful, because thousands and thousands of young ones necessarily die
every year, through failing to catch their fish; and dangerous, because
those who succeed are liable to contract the habit of being a parasite,
and this, as always, leads to degradation and ruin. Finally, whenever
young animals have to depend on other creatures to provide them with a
lodging during some part of their growth, many more thousands have to be
hatched than is the case where the young are dependent on themselves
entirely, for it must always happen that the necessary hosts are hard to
catch, and the young die in countless thousands, being unable to succeed
in their search.
W. P. PYCRAFT, F.Z.S., A.L.S.
TAKING IT LITERALLY.
All orders to native servants in India must be very carefully and
exactly given, for a black servant takes care to obey to the very
letter. An Englishman once took with him a native lad as a servant when
going on a boating journey. There were no such chances of washing on
board the boat as one enjoys at home in a house. Accordingly, a bucket
was dipped into the river, and it served as a washing-basin. One day the
boy was told to bring some water, and in doing so happened to spill a
good deal over his master's feet.
[Illustration: "The lad emptied the pail over his employer."]
'You clumsy fellow!' cried his master, angrily, 'why don't you throw it
all over me?'--of course not using the words in their literal sense.
'Yes, sahib!' said the lad, and, to his master's astonishment, he took
up the pail, and emptied it over his employer!
S.
'PEEPS INTO NATURE'S NURSERIES.'
The articles in _Chatterbox_ under this heading have aroused great
interest, and doubtless many readers would like to know more about these
fascinating subjects than there is room for in the columns of
_Chatterbox_. Mr. Pycraft, the author of these articles, is a well-know
authority on Natural History, and is constantly engaged in research at
the wonderful Natural History Museum at South Kensington, a place which
many _Chatterbox_ readers probably know well; and he has very generously
undertaken to give any further information, or answer questions, if
readers of _Chatterbox_ like to write to him personally about the
matter. Letters should be addressed to--
W. P. PYCRAFT, Esq.,
c/o The Editor of _Chatterbox_,
3 Paternoster Buildings, E.C.
Readers of _Chatterbox_ will probably be glad of this chance of
obtaining information direct from a first-rate authority.
THE GIANT OF THE TREASURE CAVES.
(_Continued from page 125._)
It so happened that Alan _had_ seen and heard everything. On leaving
Marjorie, he had succeeded in getting round the hedge, only to find that
it extended to another part of the rampart, and was strongly fortified
with barbed wire the whole way. It enclosed a portion of ground
completely cleared of trees and brushwood, thus enabling the sun to
shine upon the old walls unhindered by foliage. The grey, crumbling
stones seemed to spread its heat, and the grass at their base seemed
withered and brown. Alan's curiosity was aroused, and he determined to
climb the nearest tree. It was the only way to discover what the plot of
ground contained, and whether there were any reasons for all the care
which appeared to have been taken to give it the full benefit of the hot
summer sunshine.
Having selected a young oak which he considered might suit his purpose,
Alan began to climb. He had made but little way when the sound of some
body moving softly within the enclosure arrested his attention. He
paused, clinging to the trunk and listening anxiously. Presently the
movement ceased, and he wondered whether he had been heard. He could not
remain where he was, however. That would mean certain discovery. He must
either drop to the ground and get away, or stick to his original purpose
and trust to the foliage to conceal him. Deciding on the latter plan,
he crept slowly up till he reached the first branch strong enough to
support his weight. Here a bitter disappointment awaited him. His labour
had been in vain. Not a glimpse of the fenced-in ground would the dense
summer foliage allow him. He was afraid to change his position lest he
should be heard, and could only lie prone upon the bough, listening.
He had not long to wait.
A low murmur; a stir, as if some one was attempting to get through the
hedge. 'Can't do it,' came a whisper. 'Give me a leg up, and I will
manage it that way. Got the rope with you?'
Alan strained his ears for the answer, but none came. The men--there
were evidently two--were moving as quietly as possible, assisting each
other, and the result of their efforts soon became visible. Thomas's
head appeared above the hedge, his hand caught hold of a branch, and the
next moment he was close to Alan's tree. A minute later and his
companion joined him. Lucky indeed it was for Alan that the leaves
screened him so effectually, and that he was so securely placed that no
movement was required to maintain his position. The faintest rustle
would have betrayed him.
Thomas was holding a box in his hands, which he carried with the
greatest care. No time was wasted in talking. Their sole anxiety seemed
to be to get through the brushwood as quickly and noiselessly as
possible. Alan watched them as they sped along in the direction of the
Smuggler's Hole, in the woody hollow. He had no doubt whatever as to
their destination, and only waited till they were beyond earshot to jump
down and follow them. In his excitement, he forgot that Marjorie was
waiting for him.
Something had been stolen, and he alone could trace the thieves. It
mattered not whether it were jewels, or silver, or the merest trifle. He
meant to recover it: quietly, if he could; if not, then he must fight
for it. It must be of value, however. Had not Thomas received a handsome
offer for purloining it?
With beating heart, and quick but stealthy step, he followed the two
men, love of adventure spurring him on and blinding him to the real
dangers of the pursuit. He was pleased, too, that his enjoyment was not
wholly selfish: he would be of real service to some person--he would not
care even if it were to Peet himself. It was quite possible it was Peet.
He made such a fuss about the ruined summer-house, and was so rigid
about keeping the door shut, that no doubt he did have something he
valued there. It would be fun if Alan were to recover Peet's lost
property for him.
As Alan sped along, he tried to make up some plan for securing the box
and escaping with it. He knew neither man would hesitate to sacrifice
him in their efforts to get it back, and they were not likely to stick
at a trifle if he gave them trouble. He was quite alone; a boy against
two men. Still, the thought of giving up the pursuit never occurred to
him.
'It must be mind _versus_ matter,' he thought, as he chuckled at the
idea of outwitting Thomas.
It was not difficult to creep after the men down the rocky steps of the
Smuggler's Hole, though they appeared dark after the brilliant sunshine.
He was thankful, however, that he had been over the ground before with
Marjorie, and had a pretty correct notion of the whereabouts of the
dangerous places.
By the time he had reached the cave, the men were sitting on the rocks
at the highest part, the tide being still too high for them to go very
far down the cave. It was well for Alan that he had their light to guide
him, for he could not venture on one for himself. Indeed, he had to keep
on the darkest side, close to the wall, for fear of being seen. The men,
he was glad to perceive, had so little suspicion that they were being
watched that they never even turned their heads or lowered their voices.
The box had been placed upon a flat rock just behind them for safety. To
get near it was now Alan's aim.
The faint sound of the receding tide and the voices of the two men alone
broke the stillness. The slightest noise would be heard therefore, the
rolling of a pebble, a slip on the green, slimy seaweed. As he gradually
crept nearer with the utmost caution, Alan listened to the talk of the
men.
'I'm not sure this was the best way to come,' said the one Alan took to
be a foreigner. 'We shall be hindered by the tide. How much longer shall
we have to sit here?'
'About a hour, or perhaps a hour and a half,' returned Thomas. 'And when
we are on the beach, what do you mean to do? We can't get away without a
boat, anyhow.'
'I have made my arrangements. Jean Marie Fargis is up in these parts. He
has fished now and again in English waters, and run before the wind at
the first sign of danger. I knew the cut of his rig the other day when
he was cruising round about.'
'Fishing?' said Thomas, incredulously.
'Well, he calls it so, and really I don't know myself what he is after.
He will get into trouble one of these days with the coastguard people, I
tell him. But that's nothing to us. I saw him, and went out to him, and
he's to take us off if he can.'
'And supposing he can't?'
'Then we must get to Tyre-cum-Widcombe somehow, and slip down to the
nearest port. If you had been a little quicker in your part of the
business, we should have got off more easily, for he was waiting for us
a bit higher up the coast, where there were fewer eyes to see.'
'I couldn't get the key,' returned Thomas in an aggrieved tone. 'It took
me some time before I could find out where it was. I had to watch Peet
close, and at last, thinks I, I'll climb the oak in the garden of his
house, and see if I could catch him putting it away. I could see right
into his windows, and it wasn't long before I saw all I wanted to, and
had the key safe.'
'But, man, there's the passage you told me about. It's close by, isn't
it?'
'I tried that way once,' said Thomas, with an unmirthful laugh. 'I'm not
going to try it again in a hurry, not I. Why, I couldn't 'a been
half-way down--no, nor yet a quarter--when a big stone came right down
on me shoulder and knocks me flat. Mother did wonder why I couldn't move
my arm without pain for quite a long time. I crawled back the way I had
come. Master Peet was always saying the roof wasn't safe, but I didn't
believe him. But I have had enough of it now. I preferred finding the
key, even if it was slower.'
There was a pause. The faint ripple of the tide was followed by the hiss
of the water as it surged round the rocks and fell back. Not daring to
move in the silence, Alan stood still.
'The game's worth the candle, I suppose?' said Thomas, presently.
'I should just think so!' returned his companion, his voice growing
hard. 'I have not had time or light to examine the box, but I trusted
you to see that it contained all we wanted. Of course, if it does
not---- '
'I put in all I could see,' began Thomas, sullenly.
'Then we have a great prize--the only specimen known, and we shall see
our money back for that. As to the rest, why--until I can examine things
for myself, I can't tell you anything. I should like to get off before
the loss is discovered, and--well, how safe are we here? I should not
wish to be caught like a rat in a trap while we are waiting for the tide
to go down.'
'We're as safe here as anywhere,' returned Thomas, in the same sullen
tone. 'Now, tell me,' he continued, with some irritation in his voice,
'have you got to pay that boat and the crew out of our profits in this
business?'
His companion gave a low chuckle of amusement.
'There is not much that Jean Marie Fargis will not do for me, my
friend.'
'That's the skipper, I suppose?'
'It is. He got into an ugly scrape not many years ago, and people have
not forgotten it. I pulled him out of it, and started him in another
walk of life. He is not like to forget, even if I would let him. So he's
useful, you see.'
'I see. All the same, I expect this business will cost a pretty penny if
Fargis is afraid of you.'
'You will get your pay, never fear.'
'But if the coastguard sees him fishing in British waters?'
'Then his orders are--cut and run. He can meet us at Havre or
Cherbourg.'
'That's where he come from, is it?'
'No, it isn't. They are some of his places of call in his fishing trade.
He lives at Tout-Petit--quite a small place, further south. Go there,
man, if ever you find it wise to disappear, and mention my name to
Fargis. He will see you are all right till you can look round.
By-the-by, I hear the Earl's daughter that lives here is an heiress. Is
that so? Hullo! what's that?'
Both men sprang up at the noise, and crept cautiously forward to listen.
It had sounded like a stifled cry, and a splash, but so faint that in
the stillness which followed they thought themselves mistaken. Their
movement give Alan his chance.
(_Continued on page 142._)
[Illustration: "'Give me a leg up.'"]
[Illustration: "Concealment was impossible."]
STORIES FROM AFRICA.
V.--THE STORY OF A RETRIBUTION.
We have had two stories of cruel captivity among the Moors of North
Africa, and back in the fifteenth--even in the sixteenth--century, such
things seem easy to believe. The hard thing to realise is that, not a
hundred years ago, in days which our own grandparents might almost
remember, Christian captives were still toiling under the whips of their
Moorish taskmasters in the port of Algiers, with the prospect of torture
and death before them if they tried to escape and failed. But the cup of
Moorish cruelty and evil-doing was very nearly full, the day of
retribution was drawing near, and to England fell the honour of striking
the first blow.
It was in the spring of the year 1816, when the great cloud which had
overhung all Europe had been dispersed by the battle of Waterloo, that
the English Admiral, Lord Exmouth, appeared before the port of Algiers,
and, in the name of his nation, sent in a demand for the abolition of
Christian slavery and the cession of the Ionian Islands. The Turks have
always been skilful in putting off the day of submission, and the reply
was that the Dey must communicate with his lord, the Sultan of Turkey,
before he could make a definite answer. Those unpleasant visitors, the
English gunboats, were thus got rid of for three months; but,
unfortunately for him, the Dey had not learnt wisdom from the warning.
On the Ascension Day following, the crews of a Neapolitan fishing fleet
landed at Bona, on the north coast of Africa, to join in the festival
service. The pirates of Algiers swooped down upon the defenceless
fishermen, and massacred numbers of them on the spot without any
provocation. Then, as if to show that the act was one of open defiance,
they trampled on and insulted the British flag, and imprisoned the
English Vice-Consul.
The news set England aflame, the story of the Bona massacres was told
from mouth to mouth, the sufferings of the Christian captives were
described in burning words in the House of Commons, and soon the news
reached the proud Citadel of the Sea that Lord Exmouth was once more
upon his way.
It must have been anxious work for the European consuls in Algiers,
knowing that the tyrant, driven to bay, was likely enough to vent his
wrath upon those in his power. The English Consul was a married man,
with children too to consider, and he determined, if possible, to get
his wife and little ones out of the evil place before harm befell them.
An English vessel, the _Prometheus_, was in the harbour, and, though the
Dey had forbidden the Consul and his family to leave the city, the
Captain of the _Prometheus_ had a scheme for conveying them safely on
board. He himself landed on the pretext of conferring with the Dey, and,
when he returned to his ship, the Consul's wife and little daughter,
disguised as sailors, left the city under his charge. But there was
another member of the family who was less easily disposed of, namely,
the baby, a very unlikely passenger for a man-of-war's boat, and
certain to be detected by the Moorish guard, who watched the crew
re-embark.
With many misgivings and in grievous anxiety, the Consul's wife had been
induced to leave the little one behind her, the Captain assuring her
that he would be on shore again on the following day, and that he had
concocted a plan for bringing the baby back with him.
So the boat of the _Prometheus_ put in again on the morrow, watched,
doubtless, with eager eyes by the anxious mother and daughter on board
the vessel. The little one was drugged into a heavy sleep, and laid at
the bottom of a big basket, with vegetables skilfully piled above him.
One of the British sailors took the precious burden, and the Consul
strolled in front of it towards the harbour. There was nothing
remarkable in the sailors wishing for a few fresh vegetables to vary the
ship's fare, or in the English Consul seeing his countrymen to their
boat. But the Moorish guard had grown suspicious, as men are likely to
do who know that their lives will certainly pay for any lack of
vigilance. And so the sharp eyes that watched the English tars preparing
to embark noticed some rather unusual movements amongst the cabbages
that were being carried so carefully; and when a dismal howl arose from
under the green stuff and a little arm disturbed the vegetables,
concealment was impossible. The basket and its contents were seized by
the guard and carried before the Dey, and the Consul and the sailors
from the _Prometheus_ were arrested and imprisoned.
It was terrible news, indeed, which reached the poor mother, waiting on
board for her husband and child. Life in Algiers must have taught her,
only too well, the lengths to which Moorish cruelty could go, and the
tyrant who had defied the English nation was not likely to be deterred
by fear of consequences from avenging himself on his prisoner. The very
approach of the English ships might mean the sword or the bow-string, or
a yet more horrible death by torture. Some comfort the poor lady
received next day, when her baby was sent her, alive and well. Even the
cruelty of the Dey of Algiers had stopped short of hurting the child;
but the Consul, heavily ironed, was in the tyrant's dungeon, awaiting,
with many another luckless captive, the sentence from which the English
Admiral might be too late to save them. And, meanwhile, Lord Exmouth,
who had been joined at Gibralter by a Dutch squadron, arrived before the
Citadel of the sea, and sent in his demand for immediate release of all
Christian prisoners. The Admiral had made his arrangements with the
utmost care, and, when the time allowed for answer passed without any
reply, he boldly sent his flag-ship, the _Queen Charlotte_, straight for
the strong fort at the end of the pier which guarded the harbour. As the
troops flocked to the walls to watch the advance of the fleet, the
Admiral himself shouted and signed to them to retire under cover, while
he anchored right before the enemy's guns. The fort fired first; then a
broadside from the _Queen Charlotte_ crashed with terrible effect into
its walls.
Lord Exmouth had come there with the intention of doing his work
thoroughly: and very thoroughly he did it, for eight long hours of that
hot August day. When darkness fell, the famous forts, built by the
hands of thousands of luckless captives, were a mass of ruins. The
arsenal, the storehouses, and the fleet in the harbour had been utterly
destroyed. With the dawn, a boat, bearing the flag of truce, carried the
Admiral's terms to the beaten city. Every captive was to be immediately
surrendered, Christian slavery to be abolished, all ransoms paid during
the past year to be restored, and the Consul and sailors delivered
unhurt, and with due compensation. Three guns were to be fired in token
that all demands had been conceded, otherwise the bombardment would
re-commence.
Three hours passed, slow hours indeed to those waiting at the harbour's
mouth. Then across the water came the boom of three guns, the knell of
the old reign of tyranny and cruelty, the message of joy and release to
many an anxious heart. The prison doors were opened; the English Consul
and his fellow-prisoners, half expecting to be led to execution, found
themselves restored to those they loved. Hundreds of Christian slaves,
many of them too dazed and bewildered by the sudden change to realise
their freedom, thronged the rescuing ships, gazing back upon the
shattered fortifications which their hands had helped to build. And
fervent indeed must have been the thanksgivings which, by Lord Exmouth's
order, went up from the decks of the English ships, for the success of
the 'conflict between his Majesty's fleet, and the enemies of mankind.'
MARY H. DEBENHAM.
THE MYSTERIOUS VISITOR.
Who's that slamming the garden door?
I have heard it three times three!
And though to the window I run to look,
He's hiding away from me.
The tree-tops laugh in the windy sky,
And the maker-of-mischief, hovering nigh,
Is hiding away from me.
Who's that rattling the window-pane?
I have heard it three times three!
Yet every time I glance that way
There's nothing at all to see.
But the leaf of a rose bush blown about,
While the culprit true, with a noisy shout,
Is hiding away from me.
Who's that whistling and calling loud
Over my chimney high?
'Tis the maker-of-mischief I cannot see
Abroad in the blue, blue sky.
Hark! he is shaking the window-pane!
Now he is up in the clouds again,
Sweeping the blue, blue sky.
Oh, slam as you will my garden door,
And whistle your blithest lay;
I love your company, though unseen,
Dear maker-of-mischief gay.
I love to see your clouds go by,
And the tree-tops waving against the sky,
Oh, wind of the wild March day!
HOW TO OBTAIN FOOD.
When Napoleon the First was a student at the Military College of
Brienne, the examiners asked him the following question:--
'Supposing you were in a besieged town, on the verge of starvation, how
would you obtain food?'
'From the enemy!' was the prompt answer of the future Emperor.
THE PICTURE-CLEANERS.
'Oh, dear! I do wish Mother and Father were back again. It is horrid to
be without them,' exclaimed Sydney.
'Just horrid!' echoed Ella.
'They will be so pleased with you when they _do_ come,' observed Millie,
their elder sister, sarcastically.
'Oh!' said Syd, cheerfully, 'they know we can't be like dolls in a
shop-window. And we have really been good these days, haven't we, Ella?'
'Rather!' agreed she, emphatically.
'You were pulling each other's hair half an hour ago,' went on Millie,
and, longing to finish her story in peace, she rose, frowning, and left
the room, saying, 'The nicest game to play at would be that of being
quiet, good children, instead of troublesome little monkeys. I wonder
you never try it.'
The two, left alone, looked at each other, and burst into a merry laugh.
'What a funny game!' exclaimed Sydney. 'Shall we try it?'
'I don't know how to,' answered Ella gravely.
It did present some difficulty, almost as much, indeed, as being really
good, and the children silently reflected for some moments.
'We must sit perfectly still with folded hands, looking as stiff as
pokers,' said Syd at last.
'But sometimes good children _can_ do nice things,' observed Ella,
gravely.
'I wonder what?' said Syd, doubtfully.
'Well!--Well! sometimes, for instance, they give pleasant surprises.'
'Ella, you're a brick!' exclaimed her brother admiringly. 'That's a
splendid idea! Now let's think what surprise we can prepare for Father
and Mother when they arrive this evening.'
'Let's tidy the nursery,' proposed Ella.
'Too great a surprise,' Millie would have observed, had she been there
to hear. 'Too stupid,' exclaimed Sydney instead. 'Anybody can do that.'
'Let's learn a bit of poetry to recite when they come.'
'What nonsense!'
'Let's pretend to be other people's children, and when Father and Mother
are sorry, let's tell them it's not true.' This was a great stretch of
imagination for Ella, but Syd shook his head. 'They would never believe
it,' said he. Then there was silence for a moment, and light came.
'I've got it! I've got it!' shouted Syd, starting up excitedly. 'Let's
brighten up those old pictures in the gallery for them. We have time to
paint at least two of them before dark. Dingy old things! One of them is
older than our great-great-great-grandmother, and she's never been
touched, I believe. It's a shame to neglect old people like that. Hurry
up, Ella. Get out the paints; the oil ones.'
[Illustration: "Soon the two little mischief-makers were busy at work on
the pictures."]
The girl eagerly obeyed, and soon the two little mischief-makers were
busy at work on the old family pictures. They could not understand the
value or the beauty of the mellow browns and dark colours of the
portraits, and they only acted with the intention of giving their
parents a pleasant surprise. But they forgot that it is possible to do
much harm through heedlessness and ignorant haste as well as wilfully.
[Illustration: "Piggy lifted the heavy lid to feed upon the cheese,"]
But how happy they were! 'The old lady, now she's got some pink in her
checks, and wears such a lovely sky-blue gown, is almost as nice as
mother when she's going to a party,' said Ella, admiringly, 'but I am
not pleased with the gentleman yet. Can't we make him smarter, Syd?'
'Let's cut a button-hole in the picture, and stick a nice carnation in
his coat. Be quick, Ella.'
* * * * *
There could be no doubt about the surprise. Never were parents more
taken aback than Ella's and Syd's, when they saw the wonderful
transformation made in their ancestors. Mother gasped some inarticulate
words, but Father simply remained speechless and aghast, for several of
the valuable old pictures were badly damaged, and the children's
heedless behaviour meant a serious loss to him.
'Surprises are not pleasant things at all,' sobbed Ella, shortly
afterwards, in bed.
'That beastly game!' growled Syd, hiding his face in the pillow, ashamed
of the tears he could not restrain. 'I knew nothing nice could come of
it. It's just like Millie to let us get into a scrape.'
Perhaps he was unjust, but Millie was not particularly happy either. It
was tiresome to have to look after wild children, and much more amusing
to read; but now the story-book was locked away, and Mother did not seem
to think that Millie had even _played_ at being good. So that this
'pleasant surprise' had only one good result, and that was not the one
which was expected. All three children learnt that it was much better to
_be_ good than simply to _play_ at it.
GLIMPSES OF HEDGEHOG LIFE.
A boy who was on a visit to the country once said to me, 'I do so want
to find a hedgehog; please tell me where to look for one.' All I could
reply was, 'It is not very easy to find a hedgehog. The likeliest place
to pop upon one is near some hedgerow; you know he is called _hedge_hog,
or hedgepig. But he much prefers darkness to light, and takes excursions
after sunset.'
It may be remarked that hedgehogs must be somewhere in the daytime; this
is true, but the difficulty is to discover their hiding-place, which is
usually a hole or a thick clump of herbage. A search in the dark with a
lantern has been tried, and has been successful, but not often; still,
those who know how, manage to secure these animals, for they are to be
bought in the London streets. People buy them to keep indoors, as
killers of blackbeetles, or perhaps they are turned out to destroy
garden insects. Somebody who has had them in his garden remarks that it
is no easy task to find them, even though you know every corner, for
they have such artful ways.
There are some people who think hedgehogs may do harm amongst garden
plants, turning up roots occasionally in their hunts after insects,
perhaps even nibbling young shoots; and this is quite possible. Piggy is
of a greedy nature, certainly, and if he has the range of a kitchen
swarming with blackbeetles, he will feed on them until he makes himself
ill. Odd, too, are the noises he produces when he is 'on the warpath.'
The sounds come partly from himself, but also partly from things he
clatters against during his wanderings. One night, a gentleman who had
a hedgehog heard a very peculiar noise in his kitchen; he went to see
what it was, and found that the animal had stormed a cheese-dish. It had
lifted the heavy lid to feast upon the cheese inside, making the cover
rattle on the edge of the dish. We should not, perhaps, fancy a hedgehog
capable of gymnastic feats, but it is an animal with rather a liking for
a wall-climb, and has been known to mount one that was nine feet high,
aided by creepers on the wall. Another has been noticed to climb an
ordinary wall, laying hold of little projections. Upon a search for a
missing hedgehog, he was found at the bottom of the stairs, having made
a nest under the stair-carpet. Another time, the same hedgehog travelled
up to a bedroom, and kept still all day; some one went to bed early, but
woke suddenly on hearing a noise, and, jumping out of bed, stepped on
the animal's back. In a home, Piggy usually becomes amiable, and will
shut up his spines to be stroked.
THE REWARD OF A GENIUS.
Dismay and indignation were expressed most obviously on the faces of the
group of boys wending their way homewards.
'I'd like to know what "Simmy" expects us to do?' said Crowther,
moodily. (Had he heard the remark, Dr. Simpson-Martyn--irreverently
nicknamed 'Simmy'--would probably have 'expected' two hundred lines the
next morning, for disrespect.)
'Learn crochet and fancy work,' suggested Harvey, helpfully.
'Form an "anti-games" league,' said another.
'Or promote a debating society where your humour and intelligence might
be displayed,' added Howard.
'If you chaps would use that brilliance in trying to find a way out of
this hole, we might arrive at something definite,' said Crowther,
returning to his grievance. '"Substitute some athletic pursuit involving
less danger to the general public: something more conducive to the
preserving of law and order,"' he quoted, bitterly, with a clever
imitation of the fussy little Doctor's pompous manner. 'Fancy giving up
hare-and-hounds for some "pursuit" like croquet, or ping-pong,' and
Crowther's scowl deepened.
'It was jolly hard that we should be throwing down the scent just as old
Simmy's trap drove along. I wonder he isn't ashamed to own an animal,
supposed to be a horse, that is frightened at the sight of a few
fragments of paper.'
'I suppose he would have no objection to our continuing the pursuit of
our favourite pastime, providing no "element of danger," such as paper,
was introduced?'
Britt, the common corruption of Leslie's nickname of 'Encyclopædia
Britannica,' spoke with the drawl that usually meant the origination of
some new scheme.
'What's the idea?' asked Harvey, coming briefly to the point.
'It is only in the region of the town that Doctor Simpson-Martyn has
forbidden us to scatter the dangerous element, is it not?' Britt asked,
very calmly, ignoring his questioner. Then he ducked just in time to
avoid a well-aimed book.
'Oh, dry up, Britt, and come to the point,' exclaimed the irritated
Harvey, but Crowthar nodded in answer to Britt's remark.
'Well, why not make a chalk mark, or something of that kind, on the
pavement or walls, as long as we are in the town, and use the paper when
we are out of bounds? Of course, it won't be so exciting, and not half
such sport, but it is better than nothing, seems to me.'
The group considered thoughtfully.
'It seems a pretty tame idea,' said Harvey, without enthusiasm.
Britt was not in the least disturbed by this cold reception. 'Suggest a
better one,' he rejoined, promptly; but Harvey's ideas did not seem to
be numerous.
Crowther's brow had cleared. He had great faith in Britt's schemes: they
were almost always successful.
'Can any one suggest anything better?' he asked, but the challenge was
unanswered.
'Then we will try your dodge, Britt,' said Crowther, decisively, and
before parting, the boys laid all their plans accordingly.
The following day was fixed for the run, and promptly at two o'clock the
hare and hounds assembled. A good deal of chaff was directed by those
who had come to see the start at the bulky lump of chalk that formed
part of the scent, but Britt's good-humour was endless. His confidence
in the use of the chalk was fully justified, for the chase proved one of
the season's most exciting outings, having a spice of originality in
addition to its pleasure, and Britt's ingenuity was rewarded by a good
hearty cheer from the hounds who had followed him so closely.
(_Concluded on page 151._)
THE GIANT OF THE TREASURE CAVES.
(_Continued from page 135._)
Without allowing himself to hesitate a second, Alan sprang, as he hoped,
noiselessly forward, seized the box, which was far lighter than he had
imagined it would be, and ran towards the steps to the Smuggler's Hole.
Unfortunately for him, the loose stones rattled and scattered under his
flying feet, and the men were after him. For a time he managed to keep
well ahead, though he could feel he was not increasing the distance
between himself and his pursuers. He had excellent training, a natural
fleetness of foot, and a light wiry build in his favour; but the enemy
had longer legs, and a perfect acquaintance with the cave and steps. It
was too dark for recognition, and neither of the men was likely to be
very scrupulous should they succeed in catching him.
Up the steps dashed Alan, his breath coming in gasps, and the real
difficulties of his enterprise dawning on him for the first time. It had
been begun in a spirit of amusement, but it bid fair to end in
something very different. But Alan would not drop the precious box. It
was a matter of honour now to save it at all costs. What it contained he
could not imagine, and he had no time for thinking. He could already
hear the panting of the man who had followed closest on his tracks; he
was even struck by one of the flying pebbles sent whirling away by his
heavy feet. He himself was getting spent. The steps were surely steeper
than they had ever been before. He had thought nothing of them the other
day, when he and Marjorie were here exploring! Could it have been only
the other day? It seemed ages ago. Now he was trying vainly to struggle
up to level ground, to the friendly shelter of the Wilderness, and home.
He had come to the turn, and in his relief that the greater part of the
steps had been scaled, he sprang forward with renewed hope. The
momentary carelessness cost him dear. He stumbled and fell. The box was
shot out of his hand by a blow from a projecting angle, and as he spun
along the rocky ground, he suddenly felt himself falling, falling, till
he came a heavy thud on a soft, sandy floor.
He lay still for a while to collect his senses. Then the keen sting of
disappointment prevented him from realising his position. The box was
gone! All his labour had been thrown away! Whatever it contained was at
the mercy of the men. They had no one to prevent their carrying it off
beyond hope of saving. Oh, what a fool he had been! And he had been
priding himself on keeping ahead of them!
He could not get over his anger.
He was not badly hurt, however, and it was time to see where his folly
had landed him. The prospect was not cheering. He was lying in a 'round
hole,' as he called it afterwards, with a sandy bottom, while all around
him the mighty rocks towered to immense heights. A strip of sky was just
visible, and a star or two glimmered in the blue. He knew that stars
could be seen sometimes, even in daylight, from great depths, but the
remembrance of this was by no means comforting. Was he, then, at the
bottom of a deep, narrow shaft? If so, how was he to get out again? Not
a soul, except perhaps Thomas, knew of its existence, and Thomas was not
in the least likely to betray his knowledge. In all probability, too,
the men had fled with his box, and would be heard of no more, since they
were now aware that their doings were known to at least one person.
For some moments Alan felt appalled as he glanced again at the height of
his prison walls. The full force of his position came over him.
'Marjorie will give the alarm,' he thought, dismally, 'but they will
never know where to look for me. If I'm to get out, it must be by my own
efforts.'
He felt very unequal to the task of climbing those grim precipices,
frowning so blackly down on him; but the daylight would soon be on the
wane, and no time could be lost in vain regrets. Rousing himself, he got
up, but found he had not escaped without some severe bruises, which
would prove serious drawbacks to an awkward climb. It was miraculous
that he had not met with worse injuries from so great a fall; only the
soft sand and the smoothness of the walls had saved him. But this same
smoothness was the chief hindrance to his escape. There was not a
loophole of any sort or kind by which he could raise himself--not a twig
or ledge to give him a hold. With increasing anxiety he scanned the
walls still more closely, but, even though his eyes had become
accustomed to the gloom, it was too dark to make out a single projecting
edge, or the minutest crevice which could raise his hopes of escape. In
despair, and with a sickening sense of dread, he sank down again on the
sand. If Thomas had wished to put him out of the way, he could not have
done so more completely, thought the boy, with bitterness.