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.. meta::
   :PG.Id: 53700
   :PG.Title: Tales from the Works of \G. \A. Henty
   :PG.Released: 2016-12-08
   :PG.Rights: Public Domain
   :PG.Producer: Al Haines
   :DC.Creator: \G. \A. Henty
   :DC.Title: Tales from the Works of \G. \A. Henty
   :DC.Language: en
   :DC.Created: 1915
   :coverpage: images/img-cover.jpg

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TALES FROM THE WORKS OF \G. \A. HENTY
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   .. _`CAUGHT IN THE CYCLONE`:

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      :alt: CAUGHT IN THE CYCLONE

      CAUGHT IN THE CYCLONE

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      Tales from the Works

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      of

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      \G. \A. Henty

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      BLACKIE & SON LIMITED
      LONDON AND GLASGOW
      1915

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      BLACKIE & SON LIMITED
      *50 Old Bailey, London*
      *17 Stanhope Street, Glasgow*

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      BLACKIE & SON (INDIA) LIMITED
      *Warwick House, Fort Street, Bombay*

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      BLACKIE & SON (CANADA) LIMITED
      *1118 Bay Street, Toronto*

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      *Printed in Great Britain by Blackie & Son, Ltd., Glasgow*

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   BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

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George Alfred Henty, war correspondent and author,
was born at Trumpington, near Cambridge, on December
8, 1832.  He was educated at Westminster School and
Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.  Leaving Cambridge
without a degree, he went to the Crimea during the war
with Russia and served in the purveyor's department of
the army.  On being invalided home he was appointed
purveyor to the forces, and in 1859 he went to Italy to
organize the hospitals of the Italian legion.  After his
return he held similar home appointments for a time,
but he resigned his commission later and engaged in
mining operations in Wales and Sardinia.  In 1865 he
began his career as war correspondent for the *Standard*
newspaper, and in this capacity went through the
Austro-Italian, Abyssinian, Franco-German, Ashanti, and
Turco-Servian campaigns.  He was also in Paris during the
Commune, and he accompanied Edward VII when, as
Prince of Wales, he visited India.  He described two of
these campaigns in *The March to Magdala* (1868) and *The
March to Coomassie* (1874).  His death took place on his
yacht in Weymouth harbour on November 16, 1902.

Henty wrote several novels of the orthodox type, but
his reputation rests upon his stories for boys, which are
full of adventure and are mostly based on famous
historical events.  Among them are:* Out on the Pampas*
(1868); *The Young Franc-Tireurs* (1871), a Story of the
Franco-German War; *The Young Buglers*, a Tale of the
Peninsular War (1879); *In Times of Peril*, a Tale of
India (1881); *Under Drake's Flag* (1882); *With Clive in
India* (1883); *Facing Death* (1883), treating of
coal-mining; *The Young Colonists* (1884), a Story of the
Transvaal Revolt and the Zulu War; *The Lion of the
North* (1885), a Story of Gustavus Adolphus; *St. George
for England*: a Tale of Cressy and Poitiers (1885); *In
Freedom's Cause*: a Story of Wallace and Bruce (1885);
*The Young Carthaginian* (1886), a Story of Hannibal;
*With Wolfe in Canada* (1886); *Orange and Green*: a Tale
of the Boyne and Limerick (1887); *Bonnie Prince Charlie*:
a Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden (1887); *The Cat of
Bubastes* (1888), treating of Life in Ancient Egypt;
*Captain Bayley's Heir* (1888); *By Pike and Dyke* (1889),
a Story of the Dutch War of Independence; *One of the
28th*: a Tale of Waterloo (1889); *Tales of Daring and
Danger* (1889); *A Chapter of Adventures* (1890); *By
Right of Conquest* (1890), a Story of the Conquest of
Mexico; *The Tiger of Mysore* (1895), a Story of Tippoo
Sahib; *Through Russian Snows* (1895), a Tale of
Napoleon's retreat from Moscow; *The Reign of Terror* (1896);
*With Moore at Corunna* (1897); *Both Sides the Border*
(1898), a Story of Hotspur and Owen Glendower; *In the
Irish Brigade* (1900); *With Roberts to Pretoria* (1902);
*With Kitchener in the Soudan* (1903); and *With the Allies
to Pekin* (1904).

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   CONTENTS

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`THE MATE'S STORY`_, from "The Plague Ship"

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`THE EXPLOSION IN THE VAUGHAN PIT`_, from "Facing Death"

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`THE RED CAPTAIN`_, from "One of the 28th"

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`A WIFE'S STRATAGEM`_, from "In Freedom's Cause"

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`KINDNESS REWARDED`_, from "Captain Bayley's Heir"

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`A BATTLE WITH WOLVES`_, from "The Young Carthaginian"

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`A CYCLONE IN THE BAY OF BENGAL`_, from "A Chapter of Adventures"

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`THE FLOOD IN PINE-TREE GULCH`_, from "Tales of Daring and Danger"

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`A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE`_, from "Tales of Daring and Danger"

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`THE BLACK DEATH`_, from "St. George for England"

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`THE WHITE SHIP`_, from "The Reign of Terror"

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`THE CHILD'S RETURN`_, from "With Wolfe in Canada"

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`THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA`_, from "With Clive in India"

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.. _`THE MATE'S STORY`:

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   THE MATE'S STORY.

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   FROM "THE PLAGUE SHIP."

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   (*By kind permission of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.*)

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[Mr. Thompson, at one time second mate of the whaling
ship *The Two Brothers*, was telling his three nieces the story
of his last voyage in that ship.  At Singapore, on her way
home from the South Seas, she had taken on board, as
passengers, a Mr. Williams and his wife and daughter.
Mr. Williams had been working for twenty years among the
Papuans as missionary.  On the homeward voyage they had
been blown down by a hurricane among the Malay Islands,
and had been attacked by the Malays, but had beaten them
off.  Having told the story of that engagement, Mr. Thompson
went on—]

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The breeze for the next ten days was
steady and favourable.  We were fairly on
our way now, and began to hope that our
ill-luck was at an end, and that we were
going to make a fast and comfortable
homeward run.  Ten days after we had left the
island the look-out reported a sail.  We
were taking a slight breeze along with us,
and we came up fast to the ship, which was
lying becalmed.

"What can she be doing, Mr. Wilson?"
the captain said.  "She has got nothing
above her topsails, although she must see
that we are bringing down a breeze with us."

"Can't make her out, sir," Mr. Wilson
replied.  He fetched a glass from the
companion and raised it to his eye.  "Her
ensign's reversed, sir," he exclaimed.  "She is
in distress somehow."

We bore down to her, and the skipper
threw the barque up into the wind within a
hundred yards of her.  Till we got close we
could not see a soul on deck, but now a
head appeared above the bulwark.

"What's the matter with you?" the captain shouted.

"We have got fever on board.  The
captain and both mates are dead.  There are
only seven of us left alive, and two of them
have got it.  For God's sake help us!"

The men had shown themselves brave
enough in their fight with the Malays, but
standing as they were by the bulwark,
watching the strange ship, there wasn't one
but shrank back when he heard that hail.
And well they might, for when the Indian
fever gets on board a ship there is no saying
what may come of it.  There were white
faces on the poop too, and I reckon that
there wasn't one of us who didn't feel a cold
thrill run through him.

"What's to be done?" the captain said in
a low voice, more as if he was asking the
question of himself than us.

At first no one spoke, and then Mr. Williams said:

"Our duty is clear.  God has sent us here
to their aid, and whatever be the risk, we
must run it; we cannot sail away and leave
them to perish."

"It is a terrible choice to have to make,"
the captain said huskily.  "I am responsible
for the lives of all on board this ship,
passengers and crew.  I know what these fevers
are; they go right through a ship.  There
are but seven men alive now on yonder
vessel; another day or two there may not be
one.  If we have dealings with them, their
fate may be ours."

"We are all in God's hands," the clergyman
said quietly.  "I have over and over
again risked the lives of my dear ones in His
service, and I am ready to do so again.  You
agree with me," he said, turning to his wife
and daughter, "that, however great the danger,
it is our duty to aid these poor creatures?"

Mrs. Williams glanced piteously at her
daughter, and her lip quivered, but she bowed
her head in assent, while Jane exclaimed:

"Of course, father; who could hesitate
for a moment?"

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   THE MATE'S STORY.—II.

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The skipper looked at the rest of us.  Not
one of us but would rather have met a score
of prahus, crowded with Malays thirsting for
our blood, than have boarded that ship; but
after Jane Williams had spoken not one but
was ashamed to say what he thought.  At
last, seeing none of the others would speak,
I answered:

"If the ladies are ready to take the risk,
sir, it is not for us men to draw back.  As
Mr. Williams says, we are all in God's hands,
so let us do our duty."

"So be it," the captain said solemnly; and
turning to the men, who were clustered in
the waist, he ordered a boat to be lowered.

There was a general shout of "No! no!
It will be throwing away our lives!"

Then an old sailor came forward.

"My mates have asked me, captain, to
speak for them, and say that they are of one
mind that it will be just throwing away our
lives to board that ship.  We are ready to
obey you, Captain Peters, to do our duty
like men in storm or calm, but we won't
have the plague brought on board this ship."

There was a general chorus of assent, and
some of the men sprang to the braces, and
prepared to haul the yards aft and put her
on her course again.  We looked at the
captain for orders.  There were but three of
us, for the trader and the parson couldn't be
reckoned upon in a fight against the crew,
and the passenger mate was still laid up with
his leg.

"Men," the skipper said, "remember that
there are seven sailors like yourselves on
board that ship who must die if you don't
go to their rescue.  Think what your feelings
would be if you were in their case, and a
ship came up within hailing distance, and
sailed away and left you to die."

"It comes to this, sir," the spokesman
said.  "Like enough they will die anyhow,
whether they stop there or whether they
come on board.  It ain't a case of saving
their lives, for maybe they wouldn't be saved
after all; we should be just throwing away
our lives for nothing."

Maybe the skipper was somewhat of the
same opinion.  Anyhow there was no good
trying to use force, for they were eight to
one against us.  He half turned round, and
wouldn't, I think, have said any more, when
Jane Williams stepped forward to the poop
rail.

"Men," she said, "my father has told me
so much of English sailors, how brave they
are, how ready to risk their lives for others,
that I cannot think you really mean to sail
away and desert these poor people.  We are
ready, my father, mother, and I, to run the
risk; surely you will do the same."

The men stood silent a minute, and then,
one after another, turned away, as if they
could not stand her pleading face.  But I
could see that they were still determined
not to risk having the plague on board.  The
sailor said a word or two to his mates and
then turned to her.



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   THE MATE'S STORY.—III.

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"There is not a man of this crew, Miss,"
he said, "but would do anything for you.
Not one but would risk his life for you in a
right-down manful fight.  But we are not
ready to die like dogs, and that when maybe
no good whatever would come of it; and we
don't hold that, just on the chance of saving
seven lives, we are called upon to risk losing
thirty."

Jane turned round with a different expression
on her face.  I never saw any one look
like it, and never shall again; but it seemed
to me that her face all shone, and she said:

"Then, father, we at least can do our duty,
and our place is there."

Her father understood her.

"You are right, Jane, quite right, my
child.  Captain, will you give us one of the
boats?  I and my wife and daughter will
go on board that ship.  Will you leave our
things at the Cape when you touch there,
for us to pick up, if it is God's will we ever
reach the land?"

The captain stood like one dumb; then I
said: "Captain Peters, as it seems that there
are no officers on board the ship, I will, if
you will give me permission, go on board her
also and take charge."

"Very well, Mr. Thompson; if such is your
wish I shall certainly not oppose it, and I
honour you for the proposal."

"Can you spare me four men, sir, if I can
get them to volunteer?"

The captain nodded, and I turned to the men.

"My lads," I said, "Mr. Williams, his wife
and daughter, are going on board that ship;
they are going to leave *The Two Brothers*
for good, and to throw in their lot with
those poor wretches there.  With the
captain's permission I am going to take
command of her, and I want four volunteers to
go with me.  I want no men with wives and
children dependent upon them, for we shall
be taking our lives in our hands.  I want
four men who have no one to grieve for them
at home if they die in doing their duty.  I
want four true English hearts who will
imitate the example set them by these ladies."

Eight of the men stepped forward at once.
Sailors are curious creatures.  There wasn't
one of them but had shrunk from the idea,
of the introduction of fever on board *The
Two Brothers*; but to go on board the
pest-stricken vessel was an act of heroism which
they were ready to perform.  Besides, though
they had refused to respond to the appeal of
Jane Williams, and had held together as a
body, there was not one of them who did
not at heart feel ashamed at being beaten
in courage by a girl.  The eight men who
stepped forward were, I believe, the only
unmarried men among the crew, and I
believe that had I asked them there wasn't a
man but would have gone.

I chose four of them, and in a few minutes
they had got their kits out of the fo'castle
and placed them in one of the boats.  The
steward brought the boxes from the passengers'
cabin, and the captain ordered a barrel
of vinegar and a keg of powder to be hoisted
into the boat.  Just as the men were getting
ready to lower her from the davits, the sailor
who had acted as spokesman came forward.

"Captain Peters, the men wants me to
say as they have changed their minds and
are ready to go off and bring those men on
board.  It isn't in nature for men to stand
by and see themselves beaten by two women."

We had a short consultation, but Mr. Williams
pointed out that the plan arranged
was the best, as only those who went on
board the ship were running a risk; while
if the men were brought on board *The Two
Brothers* the whole crew might be carried off.

"Thank you, men, for your offer," he said
to them, when we had talked it over; "but
the other plan is clearly the best, and I ask
each and all of you to offer up a prayer to
Almighty God that He will protect us in
this work which we undertake for His sake."

The clergyman uncovered, as did every
man on board, and you could have heard
a pin drop as he prayed.  Then those who
were to go took their places in the boat,
and as the skipper handed in the ladies,
every man stood bareheaded.  Not a word
was said.  I don't think any one could
have trusted himself to speak.  I gave the
word, the boat was lowered, and the falls
unhooked.

"God bless you all!" the captain said in
a broken voice.

There was a sort of murmur from the rest,
and I don't believe there was a dry eye on
the ship as we rowed away.



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   THE MATE'S STORY.—IV.

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"Now, lads," I said as we got near the
vessel, "you must remember that the best
preservative against the fever is to keep up
your spirits.  You must make up your minds
that you have come on board to fight it, and
you don't mean to be beaten, and with God's
help and protection I think that we shall
win the day.  You were all cheery and
confident when those Malays were coming on
to attack us; we must fight the fever in just
the same spirit."

A rope was thrown as we came alongside,
and I mounted on to the deck; just as I did
so there came a cheer from *The Two Brothers*.
It was a strange sort of cheer, but we
understood that while our messmates wanted to
say good-bye to us, their voices were too
much choked to come out clear and strong.

"Give them a cheer back, lads," I said;
and though there were only six men, the
shout we gave was a deal louder and heartier
than that of the whole crew of *The Two
Brothers*; the ladies waved their handkerchiefs.
Then we heard the skipper's voice
across the water giving orders; the yards
swung round, and *The Two Brothers* began
to slip through the water again on her
course.  Then I jumped down from the rail
on to the deck of the vessel.  Four men
were standing there.  They looked ghastly
and shrunken, as if they had scarce strength
enough to haul at a rope.

"Now, my lads," I said, "I have been
sent on board to take the command here.
I have four hands with me, and two ladies
and a clergyman have been brave enough to
come to nurse and help you.  Where are the
others?"

"The two who are down with the fever
are in their bunks; the other man is seeing
after them."

"Are there any dead on board?"

"Yes; the captain and first mate are lying
dead aft.  One died yesterday, the other
two days ago.  There are two or three
forward.  It seemed no use to bury them."

The tone in which the man spoke showed
how thoroughly he had lost heart.

"Well, my lads," I said, "now you have
got to bestir yourselves.  I shall not let my
men come on board till the ship's cleared of
dead.  After that they will come and make
things tidy and shipshape.  Just fetch up an
old sail and some needles; get some shot
out of the rack.  First of all I will give you
each some quinine."

Two bottles were handed me up from the
boat, and then I cast off the rope.

"Drop behind a hundred yards or so," I
said to the men, "and don't come up until
I hail you."

The thought that help was at hand cheered
up the five sailors, and they set about the
work with a will.  One of them happened
to be the sail-maker, and when the others
brought up the bodies from the cabin he
sewed them up roughly in canvas, with a
couple of shot at their feet.  As fast as they
were done up we hove them overboard.  In
an hour it was finished.  Then I hailed the
boat, and when it came up told the men to
come on deck.

"Mr. Williams," I said, "I shall let you
tow behind for a bit until I have got things
pretty straight."

Then we set to work in earnest.  I flashed
off a lot of gunpowder in the cabins and
fo'castle, and then sluiced everything with
vinegar and water.  We washed down the
floors and decks and everything we could
get at.  Then, when we had done everything
we could to get the ship sweet, we hauled
the boat alongside, got our passengers up,
hoisted up the boat, squared our sails, and
laid her head on her course.



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   THE MATE'S STORY.—V.

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We rigged up a sort of awning, and
brought the two sick men out of the fo'castle,
and slung cots for them under it, and the
two ladies at once took charge of them.
Then we set to work to get up a little tent
for the ladies on the poop.  We rigged an
awning over the fo'castle for the rest of us,
for I thought it better that no one should
sleep below.

That night one of the sick men died, but
the next day the other showed signs of
mending.  This was hopeful, for not one of
those who had caught the fever before had
recovered.  The next day two men of the
original crew were down with it.  I can't
tell you how the two ladies nursed those
sick men; if they had been their own
brothers they could not have done more for
them.  The parson helped them.

At first our hands were pretty full, as you
may guess, and it was a good thing it was
so, for the men had no time to think or to
wonder whose turn was to come next.  All
hands were on duty during the day, and at
night I divided them into two watches, four
men in one and three in the other.

I kept on deck all night, and managed to
get a sleep in the daytime.  Night and
morning all hands mustered for prayers; and
often, as we went about our work during
the day, we could hear Jane Williams
singing a hymn, as she sat beside the sick men.
The calmness of the two ladies did more
even than work to keep up the men's heart
and courage; and even the three of the old
crew still on their feet picked up and grew
hopeful.  Neither of the two men last
attacked died; and when four days more
passed without anyone else sickening, we
began to think that the fever had lost its
power.

But one morning, just as the dawn was
stealing over the sky, Mrs. Williams came
out from the little tent on the poop, and
hurried up to me as I was pacing up and
down by the rail.  There was no need for
her to speak.  It was light enough to see
that her face was pale and her lips quivering,
and her hands in a sort of restless flutter.
I knew at once that Jane Williams was
down with the fever.  It seemed to me as if
her voice sounded from a long way off as
she said:

"Will you call my husband, Mr. Thompson?
I fear that our Jane is ill."

It was light enough, but I stumbled
against things half a dozen times as I made
my way forward and sent the parson to his
child.  All that day the ship seemed under
a spell.  The men moved about without
speaking a word, and I am sure there wasn't
one of them who wouldn't have given his
life for hers.  It was late in the evening
when Mr. Williams came forward, and
taking my hand said:

"Jane wishes to speak to you."

Her mother came out of the tent as I
went in.  I moved up to the side of the cot
on which Jane was lying, and took her hand,
but I couldn't have spoken if my life
depended on it.  She smiled quietly up at me.

"I wanted to say good-bye, Dick.  I
know what you have wished for, but you
see God has settled it otherwise, and He
knows what is best for us.  Do not grieve,
dear; we shall meet again, you know!"

She died that night.  Before morning a
strong breeze sprang up and freshened to a
gale.  I didn't think we should live through
it, short-handed as we were, and cared
nothing whether we did or not; but I had
to do my duty.  We had to cut away many
of the sails, for we were too weak to handle
them.  At last we got her under snug canvas.
We ran four days before the gale, and
when it died out got sail on again, and made
our way safely to the Cape.

The gale had blown the last of the fever
away, and by the time we reached the Cape
the three sick men were all fit for duty
again.  When we got there we fumigated
and whitewashed her, and shipped some
fresh hands and brought her home.

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Uncle Dick stopped.  The story was told.
To him it was ended when Jane Williams
died.  The three girls were crying quietly,
and not a word was spoken till the eldest
rose from her seat, and putting her hands
on his shoulders, stooped and kissed him.

"And that is the reason, Uncle Dick,"
she said, "why you never married?"

"I suppose so, Bessy.  I have waited.
You know she said we should meet again!"





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.. _`THE EXPLOSION IN THE VAUGHAN PIT`:

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   THE EXPLOSION IN THE VAUGHAN PIT.

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   FROM "FACING DEATH."

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[Jack Simpson was a young collier working at the Vaughan
pit in Lancashire.  By careful attention to his work, and by
private study of the science of mining, he had raised himself
to the position of "viewer" or underground foreman.  The
mine having been found to be badly ventilated and dangerous,
steps were being taken to put it right.  But, as the events of
the following story show, it was too late.]

.. vspace:: 2

One day, when Jack came up from his
rounds at ten o'clock, to eat his breakfast
and write up his journal of the state of the
mine, he saw Mr. Brook (the owner of the
mine) and the manager drive up to the pit
mouth.  Jack shrank back from the little
window of the office where he was writing,
and did not look out again until he knew
that they had descended the mine; he did
not wish to have any appearance of thrusting
himself forward.

For another hour he wrote; and then the
window of the office flew in pieces, the chairs
danced, and the walls rocked, while a dull
heavy roar, like distant thunder, burst upon
his ears.

Jack leaped to his feet and rushed to the
door.  Black smoke was pouring up from
the pit's mouth, sticks and pieces of wood
and coal were falling in a shower in the yard;
and Jack saw that his worst fears had been
realized, and that a terrible explosion had
taken place in the Vaughan pit.

For a moment he stood stunned.  There
were, he knew, over three hundred men and
boys in the pit, and he turned faint and sick
as the thought of their fate came across him.
Then he ran towards the top of the shaft.

The bankman lay insensible at a distance
of some yards from the pit, where he had
been thrown by the force of the explosion.
Two or three men came running up with
white scared faces.  The smoke had nearly
ceased already; the damage was done, and
a deadly stillness seemed to reign.

Jack ran into the engine-house.  The
engineman was leaning against a wall, scared
and almost fainting.

"Are you hurt, John?"

"No!"

"Pull yourself round, man.  The first
thing is to see if the lift is all right.  I see
one of the cages is at bank, and the force of
the explosion is in the upcast shaft.  Just
give a turn or two to the engine and see if
the winding gear is all right.  Slowly."

The engineman turned on the steam; there
was a slight movement, and then the engine
stopped.

"A little more steam," Jack said.  "The
cage has caught, but it may come."

There was a jerk, and then the engine
began to work.

"That is all right," Jack said, "whether
the lower cage is on or not.  Stop now, and
wind it back, and get the other cage up again.
Does the bell act, I wonder?"

Jack pulled the wire which, when in
order, struck a bell at the bottom of the
shaft, and then looked at a bell hanging over
his head for the answer.  None came.

"I expect the wire's broken," he said, and
went out to the pit's mouth again.

The surface-men were all gathered round
now, the tip-men, and the yard-men, and those
from the coke-ovens, all looking wild and pale.

"I am going down," Jack said; "we may
find some poor fellows near the bottom, and
can't wait till a head-man comes on the
ground.  Who will go with me?  I don't
want any married men, for you know, lads,
there may be another blow at any moment."

"I will go with you," one of the yard-men
said, stepping forward; "there's no one
dependent on me."

"I, too," said another; "it doesn't matter
to any one but myself whether I come up
again or not."

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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—II.

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Jack brought three safety-lamps from the
lamp-room, and took his place in the cage
with the two volunteers.

"Lower away," he shouted, "but go very
slowly when we get near the bottom, and
look out for our signal."

It was but three minutes from the moment
that the cage began to sink to that when it
touched the bottom of the shaft, but it seemed
an age to those in it.  They knew that at
any moment a second explosion might come,
and that they might be driven far up into
the air above the top of the shaft, mere
scorched fragments of flesh.

Not a word was spoken during the descent,
and there was a general exclamation
of "Thank God!" when they felt the cage
touch the bottom.

Jack, as an official of the mine, at once
took the lead.

"Now," he said, "let us push straight up
the main road."

Just as they stepped out, they came across
the bodies of two men, and stooped over
them with their lamps.

"Both dead," Jack said; "we can do nothing
for them."

A little way on were some waggons thrown
together in a heap, and broken up; the body
of a pony; and that of the lad, his driver.
Then they came to the first door—a door no
longer, not a fragment of it remaining.  In
the door-boy's niche the lad lay in a heap.
They bent over him.

"He is alive," Jack said.  "Will you two
carry him to the cage?  I will look round
and see if there is any one else about here;
beyond, this way, there is no hope.  Make
haste!  Look how the gas is catching inside
the lamps, the place is full of fire-damp."

The men took up the lad, and turned to
go to the bottom of the shaft.  Jack went
a few yards down a cross road, and then
followed them.  He was in the act of turning
into the next road to glance at that also,
when he felt a rush of air.

"Down on your faces!" he shouted, and,
springing a couple of paces farther up the
cross-road, threw himself on his face.

There was a mighty roar—a thundering
sound, as of an express train—a blinding
light, and a scorching heat.  Jack felt
himself lifted from the ground by the force of
the blast, and dashed down again.

Then he knew it was over, and staggered
to his feet.  The force of the explosion had
passed along the main road, and so up the
shaft, and he owed his life to the fact that
he had been in the side road and off its
course.  He returned into the main road, but
near the bottom of the shaft he was brought
to a standstill.

The roof had fallen, and the passage was
blocked with fragments of rock and broken
waggons.  He knew that the bottom of the
shaft must be partly filled up, that his
comrades were killed, and that there was no
hope of escape in that direction.  For a
moment he paused to consider; then, turning
up the side road to the left, he ran at
full speed from the shaft.

He knew that the danger now was not so
much from the fire-damp—the explosive
gas—as from the even more dreaded
choke-damp, which surely follows after an explosion.

Many more miners are killed by this
choke-damp, as they hasten to the bottom of the
shaft after an explosion, than by the fire
itself.  Choke-damp, which is carbonic acid
gas, is heavier than ordinary air, and thus
the lowest parts of a colliery become first
filled with it, as they would with water.

In all coal-mines there is a slight, sometimes
a considerable, inclination, or "dip" as
it is called, of the otherwise flat bed of coal.
The shaft is almost always sunk at the lower
end of the mine, as by this means the whole
pit naturally drains to the well at the bottom
of the shaft.  From there it is pumped up
by the engine above.  The loaded waggons,
too, are run down from the workings to the
bottom of the shaft with comparative ease.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—III.

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The explosion had, as Jack well knew,
destroyed all the doors which direct the
currents of the air, and the ventilation had
entirely ceased.  The lower part of the mine,
where the explosion had been strongest,
would soon be filled with choke-damp, and
Jack was making for the old workings, near
the upper boundary line of the pit.  There
the air would remain pure long after it had
become poisonous elsewhere.

It was in this quarter of the mine that
Bill Haden (Jack's adopted father) and some
twenty other colliers worked.

Presently Jack saw lights ahead, and
heard a clattering of steps.  It was clear
that, as he had hoped, the miners working
there had escaped the force of the explosion,
which had, without doubt, played awful
havoc in the parts of the mine where the
greater part of the men were at work.

"Stop! stop!" Jack shouted, as they came
up to him.

"Is it fire, Jack?" Bill Haden, who was
one of the first, asked.

"Yes, Bill; didn't you feel it?"

"Some of us thought we felt a suck of air
a quarter hour since, but we weren't sure;
and then came another, which blew out the
lights.  Come along, lad; there is no time
for talking."

"It's of no use going on," Jack said; "the
shaft's choked up.  I came down after the
first blow, and I fear there's no living soul
in the new workings.  By this time they
must be full of the choke-damp."

The men looked at each other with blank faces.

"Have you seen Brook?" Jack asked eagerly.

"Yes, he passed our stall with Johnstone
ten minutes ago, just before the blast came."

"We may catch him in time to stop him
yet," Jack said, "if he has gone round to
look at the walling of the old workings.
There are three men at work there."

"I'll go with you, Jack," Bill Haden said.
"Our best place is my stall, lads," he went
on, turning to the others; "that is pretty
well the highest ground in the pit, and the
air will keep good there as long as
anywhere—maybe till help comes.  You come along
with us, mate," he said, turning to the man
who worked with him in his stall.

As they hurried along, Jack, in a few
words, told what had taken place, as far as
he knew it.  Five minutes' run brought them
to the place where the masons were at work
walling up the entrance to some old workings.
They looked astonished at the newcomers.

"Have you seen Mr. Brook?"

"Yes, he and the manager have just gone
on.  There, don't you see their lights down
the heading?  No?  Well, I saw them a
moment since."

"Come along," Jack said.  "Quick!  I
expect they've met it."

At full speed they hurried along.  Presently
they all stopped short; the lights
burnt low, and a choking sensation came on
them.

"Back, Jack, for your life!" gasped Bill
Haden; but at that moment Jack's feet
struck something, which he knew was a body.

"Down at my feet; help!" he cried.

He stooped and tried to raise the body.
Then the last gleam of his light went
out—his lungs seemed to cease acting, and he
saw no more.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—IV.

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When he came to himself again he was
being carried on Bill Haden's shoulder.

"All right, dad!" he said.  "I am coming
round now; put me down."

"That's a good job, Jack.  I thought you
would scarce come round again."

"Have you got either of the others?"

"We've got Brook; you had your arm
round him so tight that Ned and I lifted
you together.  He's on ahead; the masons
are carrying him, and Ned is showing the
way.  Can you walk now?"

"Yes, I'm better now.  How did you
manage to breathe, dad?"

"We didn't breathe, Jack; we're too old
hands for that.  When we saw you fall we
just drew back, took a breath, and then
shut our mouths, and went down for you
just the same as if we'd been a groping for
you under water.  We got hold of you both,
lifted you up, and carried you along as far
as we could before we drew a breath again.
You're sharp, Jack, but you don't know
everything yet."

And Bill Haden chuckled to find that for
once his practical experience taught him
something that Jack had not learned from
his books.

Jack now hurried along after Bill Haden,
and in a few minutes reached the place fixed
upon.  Here the miners were engaged in
restoring Mr. Brook, who was just beginning
to show signs of life.  It was not until
Mr. Brook was able to sit up that they
began to talk about the future.

Jack's account of the state of things near
the shaft was listened to gravely.  The fact
that the whole of the ventilation had been
put out of order, and the proof given by the
second explosion that the mine was somewhere
on fire, were understood.  It sounded
their death-knell.

Gallant and unceasing would be the efforts
made under any other circumstance to
rescue them.  But the fact that the pit was on
fire, and that fresh explosions might at any
moment take place, would make it an act of
simple madness for their friends above to
try to clear the shaft and headings, and to
restore the ventilation.

The fact was further made clear by a
sudden flicker of the lamps, and a faint
shake, followed by a distant rumble.

"Another blast," Bill Haden said.  "That
settles us, lads.  We may as well turn out
all the lamps but two, so as to have light as
long as we last out."

"Is there no hope?" Mr. Brook asked
presently, coming forward after he had
heard from Haden's mate the manner in
which he had been so far saved.

"None, master," said Bill Haden.  "We
are like rats in a trap; and it would have
been kinder of us if we had let you lie as
you were."

"Your intention was equally kind," Mr. Brook
said.  "But is there nothing that we
can do?"

"Nothing," Bill Haden said.  "We have
got our dinners with us, and might make
them last, a mouthful at a time, to keep life
in us for a week or more.  But what would
be the use of it?  It may be weeks—ay, or
months—before they can stifle the fire and
make their way here."

"Can you suggest nothing, Jack?" Mr. Brook
asked.  "You are the only officer of
the pit left now," he added with a faint
smile.

Jack had not spoken since he reached the
stall, but had sat down on a block of coal,
with his elbows on his knees and his chin
on his hands—a favourite attitude of his
when thinking deeply.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—V.

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The other colliers had thrown themselves
down on the ground; some sobbed as they
thought of their loved ones above, some lay
in silence.

Jack answered by rising to his feet.

"Yes, sir, I think we may do something."

The men raised themselves in surprise.

"In the first place, sir, I should send men
in each direction to see how near the
choke-damp has got.  There are four roads by
which it could come up.  I would shut the
doors on this side of the places it has got to,
roll blocks of coal and rubbish to keep them
tight, and stop up the chinks with wet mud.
That will keep the gas from coming up, and
there is air enough in the stalls and
headings to last us a long time."

"But that would only prolong our lives
for a few days, Jack, and I don't know
that would be any advantage.  Better to
be choked by the gas than to die of
starvation," Mr. Brook said; and a murmur
from the men showed that they agreed with him.

"I vote for lighting our pipes," one of the
miners said.  "If there is fiery gas here, it
would be better to finish with it at once."

There was a general expression of approval.

"Wait!" Jack said; "wait till I have
done.  You know, Mr. Brook, we are close
to our north boundary here, in some places
within a very few yards.  Now the 'Logan,'
which lies next to us, has been worked out
years ago.  Of course it is full of water, and
it was from fear of tapping that water that
the works were stopped here.

"A good deal comes in through the coal
in No. 15 stall, which I expect is nearest to
it.  Now if we could work into the 'Logan,'
the water would rush down into our workings,
and, as our pit is a good deal bigger
than the 'Logan' ever was, it will fill the
lower workings and put out the fire, but
won't reach us here.

"Then we can get up through the 'Logan,'
where the air is sure to be all right, as the
water will bring good air down with it.  We
may not do it in time, but it is a chance.
What do you say, sir?"

"It is worth trying, at any rate," Mr. Brook
said.  "Bravo, my lad! your clear
head may save us yet.

"Now, lads," Mr. Brook continued, "Jack
Simpson is master now, and we will all work
under his orders.  But before we begin,
boys, let us say a prayer.  We are in God's
hands; let us ask His protection."

Every head was bared, and the men stood
reverently while, in a few words, Mr. Brook
prayed for strength and protection, and
rescue from their danger.

"Now, Jack," he said when he had finished,
"give your orders."

Jack at once sent off two men along each
of the roads to find how near the choke-damp
had approached, and to block up and
seal the doors.  It was necessary to strike
a light to relight some of the lamps, but this
was a danger that could not be helped.

The rest of the men were sent round to
all the places where work had been going
on, to bring in the tools and dinners to
No. 15 stall, to which Jack himself, Bill
Haden, and Mr. Brook proceeded at once.

No work had been done there for years.
The floor was covered with a black mud,
and a close examination of the face showed
tiny streamlets of water trickling down in
several places.  It was therefore determined
to begin work in No. 15.

"You don't mean to use powder, Jack?"
Bill Haden asked.

"No, dad; without any ventilation we
should be choked with the smoke, and there
would be the danger from the gas.  When
we think we are getting near the water we will
put in a big shot, so as to blow in the face."



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—VI.

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When the men returned with the tools
and the dinners, the latter done up in
handkerchiefs, Jack asked Mr. Brook to take
charge of the food.

"There are just twenty of us, sir, without
you, and nineteen dinners.  So if you divide
among us four dinners a day it will last for
five days, and by that time I hope we shall
be free."

Four men only could work at the face of
the stall together, and Jack divided the
twenty into five sets.

"We will work in quarter-of-an-hour shifts
at first," he said; "that will give an hour's
rest to a quarter of an hour's work, and a
man can work well, we know, for a quarter
of an hour.  When we get done up we will
have half-hour shifts, which will give two
hours for a sleep in between."

The men of the first shift set to work
without an instant's delay.  The vigour and
swiftness with which the blows fell upon
the face of the rock told that the men who
struck them were working for life or death.

Jack took the others into the next stalls
and set them to work to clear a narrow strip
of the floor next to the upper wall.  They
were then to cut a little groove in the rocky
floor to catch the water as it slowly trickled
in, and lead it to small hollows which they
were to make in the solid rock.  The water
coming through the two stalls would, thus
collected, be ample for their wants.

Jack then started to see how the men at
work at the doors were getting on.  These
had already nearly finished their tasks.  On
the road leading to the main workings
choke-damp had been met with at a distance of
fifty yards from the stall; but upon the
upper road it was several hundred yards
before it was found.

On the other two roads it was over a
hundred yards.  The men had torn strips off
their flannel jackets and had thrust them
into the crevices of the doors, and had then
plastered mud from the roadway thickly on.
There was now no reason to fear any new
rush of choke-damp, unless, indeed, an
explosion should take place so violent as to
blow in the doors.

This, however, was unlikely, as, with a
fire burning, the gas would ignite as it came
out; and although there might be many
smaller explosions, there would scarcely be
one so serious as the first two which had
taken place.

The work at the doors and the water
being over, the men all gathered in the stall.
Then Jack insisted on an equal division of
the tobacco, of which almost all the miners
possessed some.

Now that they were together again, all the
lamps were put out save the two required
by the men at work.  With work to be done,
and a hope of ultimate escape, the men's
spirits rose, and between their spells they
talked, and now and then even a laugh was
heard.

Mr. Brook, although unable to do a share
of the work, was very valuable in aiding to
keep up their spirits, by his hopeful talk,
and by stories of people who had been in
great danger in many ways in different parts
of the world, but who had at last escaped.

Sometimes one or other of the men would
propose a hymn, and then their deep voices
would rise together, while the blows of the
sledges and picks would keep time to the
swing of the tune.

On the advice of Mr. Brook the men
divided their portions of food, small as they
were, into two parts, one to be eaten every
twelve hours; for as the work would
proceed night and day, it was better to eat,
however little, every twelve hours, than to
go twenty-four without food.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—VII.

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The first twenty-four hours over, the
stall—or rather the heading, for it was now
driven as narrow as it was possible for four
men to work at once—had greatly advanced;
indeed it would have been difficult even for
a miner to believe that so much work had
been done in the time.

There was, however, no change in the
appearances; the water still trickled in, but
they could not see that it came faster than
before.  As fast as the coal fell it was
removed by one of the men who were next for
work, so that there was not a minute lost
from this cause.

During the next twenty-four hours almost
as much work was done as during the first;
but upon the third there was a decided
falling off.  The scanty food was telling upon
them now.

The shifts were lengthened to an hour to
allow longer time for sleep between each
spell of work; and each set of men, when
relieved, threw themselves down exhausted,
and slept for three hours, until it was their
turn to wake up and remove the coal as the
set at work got it down.

At the end of seventy-two hours the water
was coming through the face much faster
than at first.  The old miners, accustomed
to judge by sound, were of opinion that the
wall in front sounded less solid, and that
they were coming to the old workings of the
Logan pit.

In the three days and nights they had
driven the heading nearly fifteen yards from
the point where they had begun.  Upon the
fourth day they worked carefully, driving a
borer three feet ahead of them into the coal,
as in case of the water bursting through
suddenly they would all be drowned.

At the end of ninety hours from the time
of striking the first blow the drill which,
Jack holding it, Bill Haden was just driving
in deeper with a sledge, suddenly went
forward, and as suddenly flew out as if shot
from a gun, followed by a jet of water driven
with tremendous force.

A plug, which had been prepared in readiness,
was with difficulty driven into the hole;
two men who had been knocked down by
the force of the water were picked up much
bruised and hurt; and with thankful hearts
that the end of their labour was at hand all
prepared for the last part of their task.

After an earnest thanksgiving by Mr. Brook
for their success thus far, the whole
party partook of what was a heartier meal
than usual, consisting of the whole of the
remaining food.  Then choosing the largest
of the drills, a hole was driven in the coal
two feet in depth, and in this an unusually
heavy charge was placed.

"We're done for after all," Bill Haden
suddenly exclaimed.  "Look at the lamp!"

Every one present felt his heart sink at
what he saw.  A light flame seemed to fill
the whole interior of the lamp.  To strike a
match to light the fuse would be to cause
an instant explosion of the gas.  The place
where they were working being the highest
part of the mine, the fiery gas, which made
its way out of the coal at all points above
the closed doors, had, being lighter than air,
mounted there.

"Put the lamps out," Jack said quickly;
"the gauze is nearly red-hot."  In a moment
they were in darkness.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—VIII.

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"What is to be done now?" Mr. Brook
asked after a pause.

There was silence for a while—the case
seemed desperate.

"Mr. Brook," Jack said after a time, "it
is agreed, is it not, that all here will obey
my orders?"

"Yes, certainly, Jack," Mr. Brook answered.

"Whatever they are?"

"Yes, whatever they are."

"Very well," Jack said, "you will all take
your coats off and soak them in water, then
all set to work to beat the gas out of this
heading as far as possible.  When that is
done as far as can be done, all go into the
next stall, and lie down at the upper end;
you will be out of the way of the explosion
there.  Cover your heads with your wet
coats, and, Bill, wrap something wet round
those cans of powder."

"What then, Jack?"

"That's all," Jack said; "I will fire the
train.  If the gas explodes at the match it
will light the fuse, so that the wall will blow
in anyhow."

"No, no," a chorus of voices said; "you
will be killed."

"I will light it, Jack," Bill Haden said;
"I am getting on now, it's no great odds
about me."

"No, dad," Jack said; "I am in charge,
and it is for me to do it.  You have all
promised to obey orders, so set about it at
once.  Bill, take Mr. Brook up first into the
other stall; he won't be able to find his way
about in the dark."

Without a word Bill did as he was told,
Mr. Brook giving one hearty squeeze to the
lad's hand as he was led away.  The others,
accustomed to the darkness from boyhood,
proceeded at once to carry out Jack's
instructions, wetting their flannel jackets and
then beating the roof with them towards the
entrance to the stall; for five minutes they
continued this, and then Jack said:

"Now, lads, off to the stall as quick as
you can; cover your heads well over; lie
down.  I will be with you in a minute, or—"
or, as Jack knew well, he would be dashed
to pieces by the explosion of the gas.

He listened until the sound of the last
footstep died away—waited a couple of minutes,
to allow them to get safely in position
at the other end of the next stall—and then,
holding the end of the fuse in one hand and
the match in the other, he murmured a prayer,
and, stooping to the ground, struck the match.

No explosion followed; he applied it to
the fuse, and ran for his life down the narrow
heading, down the stall, along the horse road,
and up the next stall.  "It's alight," he said
as he rushed in.

A cheer burst from the men.  "Cover
your heads close," Jack said as he threw
himself down; "the explosion is sure to fire
the gas."

For a minute a silence as of death reigned
in the mine; then there was a sharp cracking
explosion, followed by another like thunder,
and, while a flash of fire seemed to surround
them, filling the air, firing their clothes, and
scorching their limbs, the whole mine shook
with a deep roaring.

The men knew that the danger was at an
end, threw off the covering from their heads,
and struck out the fire from their garments.
Some were badly burned about the legs, but
any word or cry they may have uttered was
drowned in the tremendous roar which continued.

It was the water from the Logan pit rushing
into the Vaughan.  For five minutes the
noise was like thunder; then, as the pressure
from behind decreased, the sound gradually
grew less, until, in another five minutes, all
was quiet.



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   THE VAUGHAN PIT.—IX.

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Then the men rose to their feet.  The air
in the next stall was clear and fresh, for as
the Logan pit had emptied of water, fresh
air had of course come down from the
surface to take its place.

"We can light our lamps again safely
now," Bill Haden said.  "We shall want
our tools, lads, and the powder; there may
be some heavy falls in our way, and we may
have hard work yet before we get to the
shaft, but the roof rock is strong, so I
believe we shall make our way."

"It lies to our right," Jack said.  "Like
our own, it is at the lower end of the pit,
so, as long as we don't mount, we are going
right for it."

There were, as Haden had expected, many
heavy falls of the roof, but the water had
swept passages in them, and it was found
easier to get along than the colliers had
expected.  Still it was hard work for men
weakened by hunger; and it took them five
hours of labour clearing away masses of
rock, and floundering through black mud,
often three feet deep, before they made their
way to the bottom of the Logan shaft.  Then
they saw the light far above them—the light
that at one time they had never expected to
see again.

"What o'clock is it now, sir?" Bill Haden
asked Mr. Brook, who had from the beginning
been the time-keeper of the party.

"Twelve o'clock exactly," he replied.  "It
is four days and an hour since the pit caught
fire."

"What day is it, sir? for I've lost all count
of time."

"Sunday," Mr. Brook said after a moment's thought.

"It could not be better," Bill Haden said;
"for there will be thousands of people from
all round to visit the mine."

"How much powder have you, Bill?" Jack asked.

"Four twenty-pound cans."

"Let us let off ten pounds at a time,"
Jack said.  "Just damp it enough to prevent
it from flashing off too suddenly; break
up fine some of this damp wood and mix
with it, it will add to the smoke."

In a few minutes the powder was ready,
and a light applied; it blazed furiously for
half a minute, sending volumes of light
smoke up the shaft.

"Flash off a couple of pounds of dry
powder," Bill Haden said; "there is very
little draught up the shaft, and it will drive
the air up."

For twenty minutes they continued flashing
powder.  Then they stopped and allowed
the shaft to clear altogether of the smoke.

Presently a small stone fell among
them—another—and another, and they knew
that some one had noticed the smoke.

[It was indeed true.  Their smoke signal
had been seen and understood, and before long
they were all drawn safely to the surface.

It may be imagined what excitement there
was.  Women crowded about Jack, calling
down blessings on him for saving their
husbands, and sons, and sweethearts, from death.
And Mr. Brook was not slow to recognize
his bravery and skill.  He knew that if
Jack's suggestions had been attended to, the
explosion might not have happened; and so the
young collier was made manager of the mine.]





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE RED CAPTAIN`:

.. class:: center large bold

   THE RED CAPTAIN.

.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "ONE OF THE 28TH."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Ralph Conway, a young officer of the 28th Regiment, was
stationed with a detachment on the south coast of Ireland.
News was obtained that a notorious gang, led by a ruffian
known as the Red Captain, was in hiding among some cliffs.
The news came from a woman whose husband had, against
his will, been forced to join the band.

.. class:: small

Captain O'Connor, Lieutenant Desmond, and Ralph started
quietly before daylight in hopes of surprising the gang before
they could get news from their friends inland of the intended
attack; while it was arranged that a revenue-officer, with a
boat-load of men, should cut off their escape by sea.]

.. vspace:: 2

Daylight was faintly breaking when they
reached the edge of the cliff.  Ralph, with
ten men, was posted at the spot where a
slight track was visible, going down into a
sort of gulley.  Captain O'Connor then
proceeded with half the company to the right,
Desmond taking the remainder to the left;
each posting men at intervals along the
edge of the cliff, and placing parties of four
at every point where there appeared the
smallest probability of an ascent being made.

All were ordered to load at once.  They
were to seize anyone coming up the cliff,
and in case of resistance to fire without
hesitation.  The two officers then returned to
the spot where they had left Ralph.  It was
now nearly broad daylight.  Leaving the
soldiers they went a short distance to a
point where the rocks fell away precipitately,
and from here had a clear view of the face
of the cliffs.

"We had better wait here for a time," the
captain said.  "The chances are that before
long one of them will come out from their
hiding-place, and perhaps make his way up
to the top to look round.  If he does, that
will give us an indication as to the direction
at any rate of their hiding-place.  Now, I
will take the ground in front; do you watch
to the left, Conway, and you to the right,
Desmond.  We had better lie down, for on
this jutting point we may catch the eye of
anyone down there before we can see him.
Keep a sharp look-out, lads; it will save us
a world of trouble if we can see one of them."

For half an hour they lay quiet, then
Desmond suddenly exclaimed:

"There is a man among those fallen rocks
half-way up the side.  There! he is gone.
Perhaps we shall see him again in a moment."

For five minutes they lay with their eyes
fixed on the rocks that Desmond pointed
out, but there were no signs of life.

"Are you sure you were not mistaken,
Desmond?" O'Connor asked.

"Quite certain.  He suddenly appeared
by the side of that gray boulder, stood there
for a moment, and sunk down again.  I
expect he must have got a view of one of the
men somewhere along the top."

"We will wait another ten minutes,"
O'Connor said, "and then we will take a
party to the spot and search it thoroughly.
There is the coast-guard boat, so there is no
fear of their getting away by water."

Another quarter of an hour passed.

"It is no use waiting any longer.  Go
along the line, one each way, and bring ten
men from points where they can be spared.
We will leave them at the top of the path
and take the party there down with us.
There are only four or five of them, and ten
men besides ourselves are ample for the
business."

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE RED CAPTAIN.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

The arrangements were soon made.  Before
starting on the descent O'Connor said
to the men: "We wish to take the fellows
who are hiding down there alive if possible.
They are the gang of the fellow known as
the 'Red Captain,' and have committed a
score of murders; but if it is absolutely
necessary you will of course fire.  There is
one man among them who is there on
compulsion, and is less guilty than the rest.  He
is a fair-haired man, and I should think you
would notice the difference between him
and the others.  Whatever resistance they
make it is not probable that he will join in it.

"At any rate, do not fire at him unless it
is absolutely necessary to save your own lives.
Now see to your priming before we start,
and fix bayonets.  Mind how you climb over
these rocks, because if any of you fall, your
musket may go off and shoot someone in
front of you.  Wherever it is possible scatter
out abreast of each other, so as to prevent the
possibility of accident.  Now, then, march!"

Leading the way, Captain O'Connor
descended the little track.  It extended but
a short distance.  Beyond that a chaos of
fallen rocks—the remains of an old
landslip—stretched away to the shore.

"There is no working along this
side-ways, Desmond," Captain O'Connor said,
after they had climbed along for some little
distance.  "We had better make straight
down to the shore, follow that for a bit, and
then mount again to the spot where you
saw the man."

It was difficult work, but at last the party
reached the shore.  Lieutenant Adcock, who
was in command of the boat, had watched
the party making their way down the rocks,
and now rowed in to within a few yards
of them.

"Good morning, lieutenant!" Captain
O'Connor said.  "I think we have got them
fairly trapped; but doubtless they would
have made off if they hadn't seen you on
the watch outside.  It's that notorious
scoundrel the Red Captain of Galway who
is, I hear, hiding here with his gang."

"Indeed!" the revenue-officer said; "that
will be a capture worth making.  Shall I
come ashore with four of my men?  I
expect they are more accustomed to climbing
about among the rocks than yours are, and
I should like to lend a hand."

"Do, by all means," Captain O'Connor
replied.  "I see you have got ten, and six
will be quite enough in the boat, even if
they do manage to get down and embark,
which I don't think they will.  Your men
are all armed, I suppose?"

"Yes; they have all carbines and cutlasses.
Now, coxswain, I leave you in charge.  Row
out a quarter of a mile, and if any boat
pushes off you are to stop it and arrest all
on board.  They will almost certainly resist,
and in that case you must use your arms.
Now, the four bow-oars get out and step
ashore."



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   THE RED CAPTAIN.—III.

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When the lieutenant and his four men
had landed, the boat again pushed off, and
the party on shore made their way along
over the rocks at the edge of the water,
until they were opposite the rock where
Lieutenant Desmond had seen the man
appear.  Then the ascent was commenced.
The four officers went first, the men
following in a line.

"Bear a little to the left," Captain
O'Connor said; "it is likely to lie somewhere in
that direction.  The man we saw would
have been making towards the path and not
from it.  Keep a sharp look-out between
these great rocks; there is no saying where
the entrance to their hiding-place may be."

Almost as he spoke there was a sharp
crack of a rifle, and the bullet struck the
rock on which he was standing.

"Come on, lads!" he shouted, "the sooner
we are there the less time they have got to
fire;" and with a cheer the men hurried
forward, scrambling recklessly over the rocks.
Again and again puffs of smoke darted out
from the rocks in front; and one of the
soldiers fell, shot through the heart.

"Don't stop to fire!" Captain O'Connor
shouted as a yell of rage broke from the
men; "you will do no good, and it will only
give them more time."

A dozen more shots were fired.  One of
the coast-guard men was shot through the
shoulder; but this was the only casualty, for
the quick movements of the men as they
scrambled over the boulders disconcerted
the aim of those above.  Breathless and
panting the four officers gained the spot
from which the shots had been fired, the
men close up behind them; but not a soul
was to be seen.

"Wait a moment till you get breath,
lads," their leader said.  "They can't be far
from here.  We will find their hiding-place
presently, never fear."

As they stood panting there was a shout
from above.  The soldiers were standing
along the edge of the cliff, looking down
upon the fight.  Sergeant Morris waved his arm.

"They have made away to your left, sir!"
he shouted at the top of his voice.  "We
have just caught sight of them among the rocks!"

In two or three minutes Captain O'Connor
led the way in that direction.

"Keep your eyes sharply about, lads.  No
doubt the place is cunningly hidden.  Search
among every clump of bushes between the rocks."

Presently the sergeant shouted down again
from above:

"I think you are far enough now, sir!
We did not catch sight of them beyond that!"

For an hour the search continued, but
without avail.

"They must be here somewhere, lads,"
Captain O'Connor said.  "We will find them
if we have to stop here a week, and have
provisions brought down from the village.
It's pretty evident there is no opening
between the great rocks or we must have
found it.  We must examine the smaller
boulders.  They may have one so placed
that it can be dropped down over the
entrance.  That flat slab is a likely looking
place, for instance.  Three or four of you
get hold of it and heave it up."

The men gathered round to lift it.  Ralph
stooped down and peeped under as they did so.

"Hurrah!" he shouted, "there is an opening here."

Several of the others now got hold of the
stone.  It was up-ended and thrown
backwards, and the entrance to a passage some
three feet high and two feet wide was
revealed.



.. vspace:: 3

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   THE RED CAPTAIN.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

"I can smell a peat fire!" one of the men
exclaimed.

"This is the entrance, no doubt," Captain
O'Connor said.  "See, the bottom is
evidently worn by feet.  The passage must
have been used for a long time; but it's an
awkward place to follow desperate men into."

"It is, indeed," Lieutenant Adcock agreed.
"They could shoot us down one by one as
we go in.  They would see us against the
light, while we should be able to make out
nothing."

"Surrender in there!" Captain O'Connor
shouted.  "You can't get away; and I
promise you all a fair trial."

His summons was followed by a taunting
laugh; and a moment later there was a sharp
sound within, and a rifle-bullet struck the
side of the entrance and flew out.

"It would be throwing away one's life to
go in there," Captain O'Connor said.  "At
any rate we have got them secure, and they
must come out in time.  But it would be
madness to crawl in there on one's hands and
feet to be picked off by those scoundrels at
their ease.  Now, lads, two of you stand by
this entrance.  Keep out of the line of fire,
and be ready with your bayonets to run
anyone through who comes out.  Let the rest
scatter and search round this place.  They
may have another entrance.  If so, we must
find it.  In the first place, it may be easier
of entry; in the second, they might escape
from it after dark."

Again the search began.

"Do you think it is likely to be higher up
or lower down, O'Connor?" Lieutenant Desmond asked.

"There is no saying, Desmond.  But as
the passage seems to go straight in, I should
fancy above rather than below."

For a long time they searched without
success; then Ralph, who had gone higher up
the rocks than the rest, came upon a clump
of low bushes growing between some large
boulders.  There was nothing suspicious
about them, and he was just turning away
when he perceived a slight odour of peat
smoke.

Silently he made his way down to the
captain.

"I have found another entrance," he said.
"At any rate I think so; for I certainly
smelt smoke.  If we go quietly we may take
them unawares."

Captain O'Connor passed the word along
for the men to gather silently, and Ralph
then led the way up to the clump of bushes.

"Yes, I can smell the peat plainly enough.
Now, Conway, do you search among the
bushes.  Carefully, lad; we don't know what
the place is like."

Cautiously Ralph pushed the bushes aside.
He saw at once that these had been carefully
trained to cover a large hole.  This was
about three feet wide, and descended at a
sharp angle, forming a sloping passage of
sufficient height for a man to stand upright.
Captain O'Connor knelt down and looked in.

"This looks more possible," he said; "but
it's very steep.  I should say it is not used
by them, but acts as a sort of chimney to
ventilate the cavern and let the smoke out.
At any rate we will try it; but we must take
our boots off so as to get a better hold on
the rocks, besides we shall make less noise.
Blunt and Jervis, do you go down to the
other entrance again.  It is likely enough
that they may try to make a bolt that way if
they hear us coming.  Keep a sharp look-out
down there, and be sure no one escapes."

"Don't you think, Captain O'Connor, that
it will be a good thing to enter from there
also the moment a row is heard going on
within.  Their attention will be taken up
with your attack, and we may get in without
being noticed."

"That's a very good idea, Conway; and
you shall carry it out.  Take two more men
with you, and make your way in as soon as
you hear us engaged.  But remember that it
is quite possible we may not be able to get
down.  This passage may get almost
perpendicular presently; and though I mean to go
if possible, even if I have a straight drop for
it, it may close up and be altogether
impracticable.  So don't you try to enter till you
are quite sure they are engaged with us,
otherwise you will be only throwing away
your life."

"I understand, sir," Ralph said as he
turned to go off.  "If you get in you can
reckon on our assistance immediately; if not,
we shall make no move."



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.. class:: center

   THE RED CAPTAIN.—V.

.. vspace:: 2

Ralph now took up his station at the
mouth of the cavern with his six men, and
lay down just in front of the opening listening
attentively.  He could hear a continued
murmur as of many voices.

"Get ready, lads, to follow me the instant
you see me dive in," he said.  "I am sure by
the sound there are more than four men in
there, and Captain O'Connor may want help
badly."

Grasping a pistol in his left hand, and his
sword in his right, Ralph listened attentively.
Suddenly he heard a shout, and then the
discharge of a gun or a pistol.

In an instant he threw himself forward
along the low narrow passage.  He had not
gone more than three or four yards when he
found that it heightened, and he was able to
stand upright.  He rushed on, keeping his
head low in case the roof should lower again,
and after a few paces entered a large cabin.
It was dimly illuminated by two torches
stuck against the wall.  In a moment a
number of figures rushed towards him with
loud shouts; but before they reached him two
of the soldiers stood by his side.

"Fire!" he shouted as he discharged his
pistol; and at the same moment the soldiers
beside him fired their muskets.

A moment later he was engaged in a fierce
hand-to-hand conflict.  Several firearms had
flashed off almost in his face.  One of the
soldiers fell with a sharp cry, but those who
were following rushed forward.  Ralph
narrowly escaped having his brains dashed out
by a clubbed rifle, but springing back just in
time he ran his opponent through before he
could recover his guard.

Just at this moment a big man with a shock
of red hair and a huge beard levelled a
blunderbuss at him.  It flashed across him that
his last moment had come; when a man
behind leapt suddenly upon the ruffian's back
and they fell to the ground together, the
blunderbuss going off in the fall and riddling
a soldier standing next to Ralph with slugs.

For two or three minutes a desperate
struggle went on between Ralph and his
six men and those who attempted to break
through them.  Sturdily as the soldiers
fought they had been driven back towards
the entrance by the assailants, armed with
pikes and clubbed guns.  There was no
sound of conflict at the other end of the cave,
and Ralph felt that the attack there had for
some reason failed.

"Shoulder to shoulder, lads!" he shouted.
"We shall have help in a minute or two."

He had emptied both his double-barrelled
pistols.  His sword had just broken short in
his hand while guarding his head from a
heavy blow.  He himself had been almost
struck to the ground, when there was a rush
of men from behind, and the rest of the
soldiers poured in.

"Give them a volley, lads!" he shouted;
"and then charge them with the bayonets!"

The muskets rang out, and then there was
a shout of "We surrender! we surrender!"  A
minute later the men were disarmed.



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   THE RED CAPTAIN.—VI.

.. vspace:: 2

There was still a desperate struggle going
on on the ground.

"Here, lads," Ralph said to two of his
men.  "Secure this red fellow, he is their
leader.  One of you bring a torch here."

The light was brought.  It was seen that
the man who had sprung upon the Red Captain's
back had pinioned his arms to his sides,
and held them there in spite of the efforts
of the ruffian to free himself.  Two of the
soldiers took off their belts and fastened them
together, passed them between the back of
the man and his captor, and then strapped
his arms firmly to his side.  The man who
held them then released his grip.

"Stand over him with fixed bayonets, and
if he moves run him through.  Now, where's
Captain O'Connor?"

"I don't know, sir.  He and Mr. Desmond
and the lieutenant went down the hole in
front of us.  We were following when the
naval officer shouted up to us to run round
to this entrance and make our way in there,
for he could go no further."

"I am here, Conway," a faint voice said
from the other end of the cabin; "but I
have broken my leg, I think, and Desmond
has knocked all the wind out of my body."

Ralph hastened to the spot from whence
the voice came, and found Captain O'Connor
lying on the ground, and Lieutenant
Desmond insensible beside him.

"What has happened?" Ralph exclaimed.
"Have they shot you?"

"No.  Hold the torch up and you will
see the way we came."

The soldier did so, and Ralph, looking
up, saw a hole in the top of the cave twenty
feet above.

"You don't mean to say you came through
there, O'Connor?"

"I did, worse luck to it?" O'Connor said.
"The passage got steeper and steeper, and
at last my foot slipped, and I shot down,
and came plump into the middle of a peat
fire; and a moment later Desmond shot
down on to the top of me.  We scattered
the fire all over the place, as you can imagine;
but I burnt my hands and face, and I believe
the leg of my breeches is on fire—something
is hurting me furiously."

"Yes, it is all smouldering!" Ralph
exclaimed, putting it out with his hands.

"Have you got them all?" Captain
O'Connor asked.

"Every one; not one has made his escape.
It would have fared badly with us, though,
if Lieutenant Adcock had not sent down the
men to our assistance."





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.. _`A WIFE'S STRATAGEM`:

.. class:: center large bold

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "IN FREEDOM'S CAUSE."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[This story concerns the interesting period of Scottish
history when Robert the Bruce was slowly wresting Scotland
from the power of England.  The great Edward I. ("Longshanks,
the Hammer of the Scots") had died, and his son,
Edward II., had succeeded him, and was advancing to Scotland
with the immense army that was to meet destruction at
Bannockburn.

.. class:: small

Archie Forbes, a Scottish gentleman who had fought under
Wallace and Bruce, was made prisoner by the English and
taken to Berwick Castle, where he was confined in a cage fixed
outside the wall, and opening into a small cell in which he
passed the night.  During the daytime he remained in the
cage in sight of the passers-by.]

.. vspace:: 2

The position of the cage was about twenty-five
feet above the moat.  The moat itself
was some forty feet wide, a public path ran
along the other side, and people passing here
had a full view of the prisoner.  There were
still many of Scottish birth in the town, in
spite of the efforts which Edward had made
to convert it into a complete English colony;
and although the English were in the
majority, Archie was subject to but little insult
or annoyance.

Although for the present in English
possession, Berwick had always been a Scotch
town, and might yet again by the fortune
of war fall into Scottish hands.  Therefore
even those most hostile to them felt that
it would be prudent to refrain from any
demonstrations against the Scottish prisoners;
since in the event of the city again
changing hands a fearful retaliation might
be dealt them.

Occasionally a passing boy would shout
out a word of contempt or hatred, or throw
a stone at the prisoner, but such trifles were
unheeded by him.  More often men or women
passing would stop and gaze up at him with
pitying looks, and would go away wiping
their eyes.

Archie, after the first careful examination
of his cell, at once abandoned any idea of
escape from it.  The massive bars would
have defied the strength of twenty men, and
he had no instrument of any sort with which
he could cut them.  There was, he felt,
nothing before him but death; and although
he feared this little for himself, he felt sad
indeed as he thought of the grief of Marjory
and his mother.

The days passed slowly.  Five had gone
without an incident, and but two remained.
He knew that there was no chance of any
change in the sentence which Edward had
passed, even were his son (Edward II.)
more disposed than Edward himself had
been towards merciful measures to the Scots.
That this would be the case Archie had no
warrant for supposing.

The new king's time would be too closely
engaged in the affairs of state, the arrangement
of his father's funeral, and the details
of the army advancing against Scotland, to
give a thought to the prisoner whose fate
had been determined by his father.

Absorbed in his own thoughts Archie
seldom looked across the moat, and paid no
heed to those who passed or who paused to
look at him.

On the afternoon of the fifth day, however,
his eye was caught by two women who were
gazing up at the cage.

In a moment he started violently and
almost gave a cry, for in one of them he
recognized his wife, Marjory.  The instant
that the women saw that he had observed
them they turned away and walked carelessly
and slowly along the road.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Archie could hardly believe that his
eyesight had not deceived him.  It seemed
impossible that Marjory, whom he deemed
a hundred miles away, in his castle at
Aberfilly, should be here in the town of Berwick,
and yet when he thought it over he saw that
it might well be so.

There was indeed ample time for her to
have made the journey two or three times,
while he had been lying in prison at
Port-Patrick awaiting a ship.  She would be sure,
when the news reached her of his capture,
that he would be taken to Edward at Carlisle,
and that he would be either executed there
or at Berwick.  It was then by no means
impossible, strange and wondrous as it
appeared to him, that Marjory should be in
Berwick.

She was attired in the garment of a peasant
woman of the better class, such as the wife
of a small crofter or farmer.  Remembering
that she had saved his life before at
Dunstaffnage, Archie felt that she had come
hither to try to rescue him.

Archie's heart beat with delight, and his
eyes filled with tears at the devotion and
courage of Marjory.  For the first time since
he had been hurried into the boat on the
night of his capture, a feeling of hope
entered his breast.

Momentary as the glance had been which
he had obtained of the face of Marjory's
companion, Archie had perceived that it was
in some way familiar to him.  In vain he
recalled the features of the various servants
at Aberfilly, and those of the wives and
daughters of the retainers of the estate; he
could not recognize the face of the woman
accompanying Marjory as belonging to any
of them.

His wife might, indeed, have brought
with her some one from the estates at Ayr
whom she had known from a child, but in
that case Archie could not account for his
knowledge of her.  This, however, did not
occupy his mind many minutes; it was
assuredly one whom Marjory trusted, and that
was sufficient for him.  Then his thoughts
turned wholly to his wife.

Anyone who had noticed the prisoner's
manner for the last few days would have
been struck with the change which had
come over it.  Hitherto he had stood, often
for hours, leaning motionless, with his arms
crossed, in the corner of his cage, with head
bent down and listless air, his thoughts only
being busy.  Now he paced restlessly up
and down his narrow limits, two steps each
way and then a turn, like a caged beast.
His hands were clenched, his breast heaved,
his breath came fast, his head was thrown
back; often he brushed his hand across his
eyes, and rapid words came from his lips.

The sun sank.  An hour later a jailer
brought his jug of water and piece of bread,
and then, without a word, retired, leaving,
as usual, the door into the cell open, but
carefully locking and barring the inner door.
Archie had a longer walk now, from the
front of the cage to the back of the cell, and
for three hours he paced up and down.



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   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

Sometimes he paused and listened attentively.
The sounds in the town gradually
died away and all became still, save that he
could hear the calls of the warder on the
battlement above him.  The night was a
very dark one, and he could scarcely make
out the gleam of water in the moat below.

Suddenly something struck him a sharp
blow on the face and fell at his feet.  He
stooped and picked it up; it was an arrow
with a wad of wool fastened round its point
to prevent it from making a noise should it
strike the wall or cage; to the other end
was attached a piece of string.  Archie drew
it in until he felt that it was held firmly,
then after a moment the hold relaxed
somewhat, and the string again yielded as he
drew it in.

Presently a stout rope, strong enough to
bear his weight, came into his hands.  At
the point of junction was attached some
object done up in flannel.  This he opened,
and found that it was a fine saw and a small
bottle containing oil.  He fastened the rope
securely to one of the bars and at once
commenced to saw asunder one of the others.

In five minutes two cuts had been noiselessly
made, and a portion of the bar five
feet long came away.  He now tried the rope
and found that it was tightly stretched, and
evidently fixed to some object on the other
side of the moat.  He grasped it firmly with
his arms and legs and slid rapidly down it.

In another minute he was grasped by
some strong arms, which checked his rapid
progress and enabled him to gain his feet
without the slightest noise.  As he did so
a woman threw her arms round him, and he
exchanged a passionate but silent embrace
with Marjory.

Then she took his hand and with noiseless
steps they proceeded down the road.
He had, before starting, removed his shoes
and put them in his pockets.  Marjory and
her companion had also removed their shoes;
and even the keenest ears upon the battlements
would have heard no sound as they
proceeded along the road.

Fifty yards farther and they were among
the houses.  Here they stopped a minute
and put on their shoes, and then continued
their way.  Not a word was spoken until
they had traversed several streets and
stopped at the door of a house in a quiet
lane; it yielded to Marjory's touch, she and
Archie entered, and their follower closed
and fastened it after them.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

The moment this was done Marjory threw
her arms round Archie's neck with a burst
of tears of joy and relief.  While Archie
was soothing her, the third person stirred
up the embers on the hearth and threw on
a handful of dry wood.

"And who is your companion?" Archie
asked, after the first transports of joy and
thankfulness were past.

"What! don't you recognize Cluny?"
Marjory asked, laughing through her tears.

"Cluny! of course!" Archie exclaimed,
grasping his follower's hand in his.  "I only
caught a glimpse of your face and knew that
it was familiar to me, but in vain tried to
recall its owner.  Why, Cluny, it is a long
time since you went dressed as a girl into
Ayr.  And so it is my good friend who has
shared my wife's dangers."

"He has done more than that, Archie,"
Marjory said, "for it is to him that I owe
my first idea of coming here.  The moment
after the castle was taken and it was found
that you had been carried off in a boat by
the English, Cluny started to tell me the
news.  Your mother and I were beside
ourselves with grief, and Cluny, to comfort us,
said, 'Do not despair yet, my lady; my lord
shall not be killed by the English if I can
prevent it.

"'The master and I have been in a good
many dangers, and have always come out of
them safe; it shall not be my fault if he does
not slip through their hands yet.'  'Why,
what can you do, Cluny?' I said.  'I don't
know what I can do yet,' he replied; 'that
must depend upon circumstances.  My lord
is sure to be taken to Carlisle, and I shall go
south to see if I cannot get him out of prison.

"'I have often gone among the English
garrisons disguised as a woman, and no one
in Carlisle is likely to ask me my business
there.'  It was plain to me at once that if
Cluny could go to your aid, so could I, and
I at once told him that I should accompany
him.  Cluny raised all sorts of objections,
but to these I would not listen.  I brought
him to my will by saying, that if he thought
my being with him would add to his
difficulties I would go alone, but that go I
certainly would.  So without more ado we got
these dresses and made south.

"We had a few narrow escapes of falling
into the hands of parties of English, but at
last we crossed the frontier and reached
Carlisle.  Three days later we heard of your
arrival; and the next morning all men were
talking about your defiance of the king, and
that you had been sent to Berwick for
execution at the end of the week.  So we
journeyed hither and got here the day after you
arrived.

"The first step was to find a Scotchwoman
whom we might trust.  This, by
great luck, we did.  Mary Martin, who lives
in this house, is a true Scotchwoman, and
will help us to the extent of her power; she
is poor, for her husband, who is an Englishman,
had for some time been ill, and died
but yesterday.

"He was, by what she says, a hard man
and a cruel, and his death is no grief to her,
and Mary will, if she can, return with her
daughter to Roxburgh, where her relations
live, and where she married her husband,
who was a soldier in the English garrison
there."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—V.

.. vspace:: 2

"But, Marjory," Archie said, "have you
thought how we are to escape hence?  Though
I am free from the castle I am still within
the walls of Berwick, and when, to-morrow,
they find that I have escaped, they will
search every nook and corner of the town.
I had best without delay try and make my
way over the walls."

"That was the plan Cluny and I first
thought of," Marjory replied; "but owing
to the raids of the Douglas on the border,
so strict a watch is kept on the walls that it
would be difficult indeed to pass.  Cluny has
tried a dozen times each night, but the
watch is so vigilant that he has each time
failed to make his way past them, but has
been challenged and has had several arrows
discharged at him.

"The guard at the gates is extremely
strict, and all carts that pass in and out are
searched.  Could you have tried to pass
before your escape was known you might
no doubt have done so in disguise, but the
alarm will be given before the gates are
open in the morning, and your chance of
passing through undetected then would be
small indeed.

"The death of the man Martin suggested a
plan to me.  I have proposed it to his wife,
and she has fallen in with it.  I have promised
her a pension for life if we should succeed,
but I believe she would have done it even
without reward, for she is a true Scotchwoman.
When she heard who it was that
I was trying to rescue, she said at once she
would risk anything to save the life of one
of Scotland's best and bravest champions;
while, on the other hand, she cares not
enough for her husband to offer any objection
to my plans for the disposal of his body."

"But what are your plans, Marjory?"

"All the neighbours know that Martin
is dead; they believe that Cluny is Mary's
sister and I her niece, and she has told them
that she will return with us to Roxburgh.
Martin was a native of a village four miles
hence, and she was going to bury him with
his fathers there.  Now I have proposed to
her that Martin shall be buried beneath the
wood store here, and that you shall take his
place in the coffin."

"It is a capital idea, Marjory," Archie
said, "and will assuredly succeed if any plan
can do so.  The only fear is that the search
will be so hot in the morning that the soldiers
may even insist upon looking into the coffin."

"We have thought of that," Marjory said,
"and dare not risk it.  We must expect
every house to be searched in the morning,
and have removed some tiles in the attic.
At daybreak you must creep out on the roof,
replace the tiles, and remain hidden there
until the search is over.  Martin will be
laid in the coffin.  Thus, even should they
lift the lid, no harm will come of it.

"Directly they have gone Cluny will bring
you down, and you and he will dig the grave
in the floor of the woodshed and place Martin
there.  Then you will take his place in the
coffin, which will be placed in a cart already
hired, and Cluny, I, Mrs. Martin, and her
daughter, will then set out with it."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—VI.

.. vspace:: 2

Soon after daybreak the quick strokes of
the alarm-bell at the castle told the inhabitants
of Berwick that a prisoner had escaped.
Archie at once betook himself to his place
of concealment on the roof.  He replaced
the tiles; and Cluny carefully removed all
signs of the place of escape from within.  A
great hubbub had by this time arisen in the
street.  Trumpets were blowing, and parties
of soldiers moving about in all directions.
The gates remained unopened, orders being
given that none should pass through without
a special order from the governor.

The sentries on the wall were doubled,
and then a house-to-house search was commenced,
every possible place of concealment
being rummaged from basement to attic.
Presently the searchers entered the lane in
which Mrs. Martin lived.  The latch was
ere long lifted, and a sergeant and six
soldiers burst into the room.  The sight which
they beheld quieted their first noisy
exclamations.  Four women in deep mourning were
kneeling by a rough coffin placed on trestles.
One of them gave a faint scream as they
entered, and Mary Martin, rising to her feet,
said:

"What means this rough intrusion?"

"It means," the sergeant said, "that a
prisoner has escaped from the castle, one
Archibald Forbes, a pestilent Scotch traitor.
He has been aided by friends from without,
and as the sentries were watchful all night,
he must be hidden somewhere in the town,
and every house is to be searched."

"You can search if you will," the woman
said, resuming the position on her knees.
"As you see, this is a house of mourning,
seeing that my husband is dead, and is
to-day to be buried in his native village, four
miles away."

"He won't be buried to-day," the sergeant
said; "for the gates are not to be opened
save by special order from the governor.
Now, lads," he went on, turning to the men,
"search the place from top to bottom.
examine all the cupboards and sound the
floors, turn over all the wood in the shed,
and leave not a single place unsearched
where a mouse could be hid."

The soldiers scattered through the house,
and were soon heard knocking the scanty
furniture about and sounding the floors and
walls.  At last they returned, saying that
nothing was to be found.

"And now," the sergeant said, "I must
have a look in that coffin.  Who knows but
what the traitor Scot may be hid in there!"

Mrs. Martin leaped to her feet.

"You shall not touch the coffin!" she said;
"I will not have the remains of my husband
disturbed."  The sergeant pushed her roughly
aside, and with the end of his pike prised
up the lid of the coffin, while Mrs. Martin
and the other three mourners screamed
lustily and wrung their hands in the greatest
grief.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A WIFE'S STRATAGEM.—VII.

.. vspace:: 2

Just as the sergeant opened the coffin and
satisfied himself that a dead man really lay
within, an officer, attracted by the screams,
entered the room.

"What is this, sergeant?" he asked angrily.
"The orders were to search the houses, but
none were given you to trouble the inmates."

Mrs. Martin began to complain of the
conduct of the soldiers in wrenching open
the coffin.

"It was a necessary duty, my good woman,"
the officer said, "seeing that a living
man might have been carried away instead
of a dead one; however, I see all is right."

"Oh, kind sir!" Mrs. Martin said, sobbing,
"is it true what this man tells me, that there
is no passage through the gates to-day?  I
have hired a cart to take away my husband's
body; the grave is dug, and the priest will
be waiting.  Kind sir, I pray of you to get
me a pass to go out with it, together with
my daughter, sister, and niece."

"Very well," the officer said kindly, "I
will do as you wish.  I shall be seeing the
governor presently to make my report to
him; and as I have myself seen the dead
body, can vouch that no ruse is intended.
But assuredly no pass will be given for any
man to accompany you; and the Scot, who
is a head and shoulders taller than any of
you, would scarcely slip out in a woman's
garment.  When will the cart be here?"

"At noon," the woman replied.

"Very well; an hour before that time a
soldier will bring you the pass.  Now,
sergeant, have you searched the rest of the
house?"

"Yes, sir, thoroughly; and nothing
suspicious has been found."

"Draw off your men, then, and proceed
with your search elsewhere."

No sooner had the officer and the men
departed than Cluny ran upstairs, and removing
two of the tiles, whispered to Archie that
all was clear.  The hole was soon enlarged.
Archie re-entered and the pair descended to
the woodshed which adjoined the kitchen.
There, with a spade and mattock which
Cluny had purchased on the preceding day,
they set to work to dig a grave.  In two
hours it was completed.  The body of John
Martin was lowered into it, the earth
replaced and trodden down hard, and the
wood again piled on to it.

At eleven o'clock a soldier entered with
the governor's pass, ordering the soldier at
the gate to allow a cart with the body of
John Martin, accompanied by four women,
to pass out from the town.

At the appointed time the cart arrived.
Archie now took his place in the coffin.
Then some neighbours came in and assisted
in placing the coffin in the cart.  The driver
took his place beside it, and the four women,
with their hoods drawn over their heads, fell
in behind it, weeping bitterly.

When they arrived at the gate the officer
in charge carefully read the order, and then
gave the order for the gate to be opened.
"But stop," he said; "this pass says nothing
about a driver, and though this man in no
way resembles the description of the doughty
Scot, yet as he is not named in the pass I
cannot let him through."  There was a
moment's pause of consternation, and then
Cluny said:

"Sister Mary, I will lead the horse.
When all is in readiness, and the priest waits,
we cannot turn back on such a slight cause."  As
the driver of the cart knew Mary Martin,
he offered no objection, and descended from
his seat.  Cluny took the reins, and, walking
by the side of the horse's head, led it through
the gates as these were opened, the others
following behind.  As soon as they were
through, the gates closed behind them, and
they were safely out of the town of Berwick.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`KINDNESS REWARDED`:

.. class:: center large bold

   KINDNESS REWARDED.

.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "CAPTAIN BAYLEY'S HEIR."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[The daughter of Captain Bayley, a wealthy old Indian
officer, made a marriage much beneath her, and was disowned
by her father.  Her husband dies, and when in the extremity
of poverty she meets with an accident in the streets of London.
She is taken in and kindly cared for by John and Sarah Holl,
the former being a dustman.  The lady dies, and her infant is
brought up by John Holl and his wife as their own.  The
child is one day run over by a passing cart and grows up a
cripple.

.. class:: small

An accident leads to the discovery of his parentage.  Captain
Bayley at once recognizes him as his heir, and by the advice
of the doctors he calls in determines to take him to some
foreign baths which might bring about a cure.]

.. vspace:: 2

Before starting abroad, Captain Bayley
carried out his plan for rewarding John and
Sarah Holl for the kindness they had shown
to Harry.  After consultation with his
grandson, he had concluded that the best plan of
doing so would be to help them in their own
mode of life.  He accordingly called upon
the dust-contractor for whom John Holl
worked, a man who owned twenty carts.  An
agreement was soon come to with him, by
which Captain Bayley agreed to purchase his
business at his own price, with the whole of
the plant, carts, and horses.  A fortnight
after this John's master said to him one day—

"John, I have sold my business; you are
going to have a new master."

"I am sorry for that," John said, "for we
have got on very well together for the last
fifteen years.  Besides," he added thoughtfully,
"it may be bad for me; I am not as
young as I used to be, and he may bring
new hands with him."

"I will speak to him about you, John,"
his master said; "he is a good sort of man,
and I daresay I can manage it.  The thing
is going to be done well.  Three or four new
carts are to be put on instead of some of the
old ones, and there are ten first-rate horses
coming in place of some of those that are
getting past work.  The stables are all being
done up, and the thing is going to be done
first rate.  Curiously enough his name is the
same as yours, John Holl."

"Is it, now?" John said.  "Well, it will be
odd to see my own name on the carts, 'John
Holl, Dust Contractor.'  It doesn't sound
bad, either.  So you will speak to him?"

"Yes, I will speak to him," his employer
answered.

Three days later John received a message
from his master to the effect that the new
owner would take possession next day, and
that he was to call at the office at eleven
o'clock.  He added that his new employer
said that he wished Mrs. Holl to go round
with her husband.

John and Sarah were greatly puzzled with
the latter part of this message, until they
thought that probably their late employer
had mentioned that Mrs. Holl went out
charring and cleaning, and that he might
intend to engage her to keep the office tidy.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   KINDNESS REWARDED.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Accordingly, at eleven o'clock on the
following day, John and Sarah presented
themselves at the office at Chelsea.  As they
entered the yard they were greatly amused
at seeing all the carts ranged along, in the
glory of new paint, with "John Holl, Dust
Contractor," in large letters on their sides.
A boy was in the office, who told them that
they were to go to the house.  The yard was
situated near the river, and the house which
adjoined it was a large old-fashioned building,
standing in a pretty, walled garden.
They went to the back-door, and knocked.
It was opened by a bright-looking servant-girl.

"Is Mr. Holl in?" Sarah asked.

"You are to be shown in," the girl said,
and ushered them into a large, old-fashioned
parlour, comfortably furnished.

John and Sarah gave a cry of surprise,
for, sitting by the fire, in his wheeled box,
just as in the olden time, was Harry.

Scarce a day had passed since he had left
them without his coming in for half-an-hour's
chat with them, but his appearance here
struck them with astonishment.

"What are you doing here, Harry?" Mrs. Holl
asked.  "Do you know our new master?"

"Yes, mother, I know him.  Captain
Bayley has had some business with him, and
asked me to come down here to see him.
You are to sit down until he comes."

"But that will never do, Harry.  Why,
what would he think of us if he comes in
and finds us sitting down in his parlour just
as if the place belonged to us?"

"It's all right, mother, I will make it right
with him; he's a good fellow, is the new
master—a first-rate fellow."

"Is he, now?" John asked, interested, as
he and Sarah, seeing nothing else to do, sat
down.  "And his name is John Holl, just
the same as mine?"

"Just the same, John, and he's not unlike
you either.  Now, when I tell you what
a kind action he did once, you will see the
sort of fellow he is.  Once, a good many
years ago, when he wasn't as well off as he
is now, when he was just a hard-working
man, earning his weekly pay, a poor woman
with a child fell down dying at his door.
Well, you know, other people would have
sent for a policeman and had them taken off
to the workhouse, but he and his wife took
them into their house and tended the lady
till she died."

"That was a right-down good thing," John
said, quite unmindful of the fact that he too
had done such an action.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   KINDNESS REWARDED.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

Sarah did not speak, but gave a little
gasping cry, and threw her apron, which she
wore indoors and out, over her head; a sure
sign with her that she was going to indulge
in what she called "a good cry."  John
looked at her in astonishment.

"And more than that, John," Harry went
on; "they kept the child, and brought him
up as one of their own; and though
afterwards they had a large family, they never
made him feel that he was a burden to them,
though he grew up a cripple, and was able
to do nothing to repay them for all their
goodness.  Well, at last the boy's friends
were found.  They had lots of money, and
the time came at last when they bought a
business for John Holl; and when he came,
there the cripple boy was, sitting at the fire,
to welcome them, and say, 'Welcome, father! and
welcome, mother!'" and Harry held out
his hands to them both.

Even now John Holl did not understand.
He was naturally dull of comprehension, and
the loud sobbing of his wife so bewildered
and confounded him that it divided his
attention with Harry's narrative.

"Yes, Harry," he said, "it's all very nice.
But what's come to you, Sarah?  What are
you making all this fuss about?  We shall be
having the new master coming in and finding
you sobbing and rocking yourself like a mad
woman.  Cheer up, old woman.  What is it?"

"Don't you see, John," Sarah sobbed out,
"don't you see Harry has been telling you
your own story?  Don't you see that it is
you he has been talking about, and that you
are 'John Holl, Dust Contractor'?"

"Me?" John said, in utter bewilderment.

"Yes, father," Harry said, taking his hand,
"you are the John Holl.  This house, and
the business, and the carts and horses are
yours; Captain Bayley has bought them all
for you.  He would not come here himself,
as I wished him, but he asked me to tell you
and mother how glad he was to be able to
repay, in a small way he said, your great
kindness to me; and how he hoped that you
would prosper here, and be as happy as you
deserve to be.

"You will be better off than your last
master, for he had to pay rent for this house
and yard, but, as grandfather has bought the
freehold of them all for you, you will have
no rent to pay.  Therefore I hope, even in
bad times, you will be able to get along
comfortably.  There, father, there, mother, dry
your eyes, and look sharp, for I can hear
voices in the garden.  Evan went to your
house after you had gone to bring all the
children round here in a cab.

"You will find everything in the house,
mother, and you must get a grand tea as
soon as possible.  I have got a servant for
you—for, you know, you must have a servant now."

The next minute the children came bounding
in, wild with delight, and a happier party
never assembled than those who sat round
the table of "John Holl, Dust Contractor,"
on the evening of his first taking possession
of his new property.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A BATTLE WITH WOLVES`:

.. class:: center large bold

   A BATTLE WITH WOLVES.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "THE YOUNG CARTHAGINIAN."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Malchus, a young officer of the guard of the great
Carthaginian general Hannibal, goes out with two companions on a
hunting expedition among the mountains of Spain.  After
a long day's sport they fail to find their camp, and decide to
sleep out in the woods.]

.. vspace:: 2

After eating their meal and chatting for
some time, Halcon and his companion lay
down to rest, Malchus volunteering to keep
the first watch.  For some time he sat quietly,
occasionally throwing logs on the fire from
the store which they had collected in
readiness.  Presently his attitude changed, he
listened intently and rose to his feet.  Several
times he had heard the howls of wolves
wandering in the woods, but he now made
out a long, deep, continuous howling; he
listened for a minute or two and then aroused
his companions.

"There is a large pack of wolves approaching,"
he said, "and by the direction of the
sound I judge they are hunting on the traces
of our footsteps.  That is the line by which
we came down from yonder brow, and it
seems to me that they are ascending the
opposite slope."

"Yes, and by the sound there must be a
very large pack of them," Halcon agreed.
"Pile up the fire and set yourselves to gather
more wood as quickly as possible; these
beasts in large packs are formidable foes."

The three men set to work, vigorously
cutting down brushwood and lopping off
small boughs of trees with their swords.

"Divide the fire in four," Halcon said,
"and pile the fuel in the centre; they will
hardly dare to pass between the fires."

The pack was now descending the slope,
keeping up a chorus of howls and short yelps
which sent a shiver of uneasiness through
Malchus.  As the wolves approached the
spot the howling suddenly ceased.

"They see us," Halcon said; "keep a
sharp look-out for them, but do not throw
away a shot; we shall need all our arrows
before daylight."

Standing perfectly quiet, the friends could
hear the pattering sound made by the wolves'
feet upon the fallen leaves; but the moon
had sunk now, and they were unable to
make out their figures.

"It seems to me," Malchus said in a
whisper, "that I can see specks of fire
gleaming on the bushes."

"It is the reflection of the fire in their
eyes," Halcon replied.  "See! they are all
round us!  There must be scores of them."

For some time the wolves approached no
closer; then, encouraged by the silence of
the little group standing in the centre of the
fires, two or three gray forms showed
themselves in the circle of light.  Three bows
twanged.  Two of the wolves fell, and the
third, with a howl of pain, fled in the
darkness.  There was a sound of snarling and
growling; a cry of pain, a fierce struggle, and
then a long-continued snarling.

"What are they doing?" Malchus asked
with a shudder.

"I believe they are eating their wounded
comrade," Halcon replied.  "I have heard
such is the custom of the savage brutes.
See, the carcasses of the other two have
disappeared already."

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BATTLE WITH WOLVES.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Short as had been the time which had
elapsed since they had fallen, other wolves
had stolen out, and had dragged away the
bodies of the two which had been killed.
This incident, which showed how extreme
was the hunger of the wolves, and how
noiseless were their motions, redoubled the
vigilance of the party.

Malchus threw a handful of brushwood on
to each of the fires.

"We must be careful of the fuel," Halcon
said.  "I would we had thought of this
before we lay down to sleep.  If we had
collected wood enough for our fires we should
have been safe; but I doubt much if our
supply will last till morning."

As the hours went on, the attitude of the
wolves became more and more threatening,
and in strong bodies they advanced close up
to the fires.  Every time that they did so
armfuls of fuel were thrown on the fires.  As
the flames leapt up brightly they each time
fell back, losing several of their numbers
from the arrows of the little party.  But the
pile of fuel was now sinking fast, and except
when the wolves advanced it was necessary
to let the fires burn down.

"It must want four hours yet of daylight,"
Halcon said, as he threw on the last piece of
wood.  "Look round as the fire blazes up
and see if you can make out any tree which
may be climbed.  I would that we had taken
to them at first instead of trusting to our
fires."

Unfortunately they had chosen a somewhat
open space of ground for their encampment,
for the brushwood grew thick among
the trees.

"There is a tree over there," Malchus said,
pointing to it, "with a bough but six feet
from the ground.  One spring on to that and
we are safe."

"Very well," Halcon assented; "we will
attempt it at once before the fire burns low.
Put your swords into your sheaths, sling
your bows and arrows behind you, and take
each a burning brand.  These will be better
weapons in such a case than swords or
spears.  Now, are you ready?  Now!"

Waving the burning brands over their
heads, the three Carthaginians dashed
towards the tree.

It seemed as if the wolves were conscious
that their prey were attempting to escape
them; for, with a fierce howl, they sprang
from the bushes and rushed to meet them;
and, heedless of the blazing brands, sprang
upon them.

Malchus scarce knew what passed in the
short fierce struggle.  One wolf sprang upon
his shield and nearly brought him to the
ground; but the sharp boss pierced its body,
and he flung it from him, at the same
moment that he dashed the brand full in the
face of another.  A third sprang upon his
shoulder, and he felt its hot breath in his
face.

Dropping his brand, he drove his dagger
deep into its side.  Then he hurled his heavy
shield among the mass of wolves before him,
took a bound into their midst, and grasping
the bough, swung himself into the tree and
sat there with his legs drawn up as a score
of wolves leapt up towards him with open
mouths.

He gave a cry of horror.  His two friends
were down, and a confused mass of
struggling bodies alone showed where they had
fallen.  For an instant he hesitated,
debating whether he should leap down and strive
to rescue them; but a glance below showed
him that he would be pulled down long
before he could reach the spot where they had
fallen.

Shifting himself along the arm until he
reached the trunk, he rose to his feet and
sent his arrows vengefully into the midst of
the struggling mass of wolves until he had
but three or four shafts left.  These he
reserved as a last resource.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BATTLE WITH WOLVES.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

There was nothing to do now, and he sat
down on the branch, and burst into tears
over the fate of his comrades.  When he
looked up again all was quiet.  The fierce
pack had devoured not only his comrades,
but their own fallen companions, and now
sat in a circle with their red tongues hanging
out and their eyes fixed upon him.  As the
fire gradually died out their forms disappeared;
but he could hear their quick breathing,
and knew that they were still on the
watch.

Malchus climbed the tree until he reached
a fork, where he could sit at ease, and there
waited for morning, when he hoped that his
foes would disappear.  But as the gray light
dawned, he saw them still on the watch; nor,
as the dawn brightened into day, did they
show any signs of moving.

When he saw they had no intention of
leaving the place, Malchus began to consider
seriously what he had best do.  He might
still be, for aught he knew, miles away from
the camp, and his friends there would have
no means of knowing the position in which
he was placed.  They would no doubt send
out all the soldiers in search of the party;
but in that broken wilderness of forest and
mountain, it was the merest chance whether
they would find the spot where he was
prisoner.

Still, it appeared to him that this was
the only possibility of his rescue.  The trees
grew thickly together, and he could easily
have climbed from that in which he was
stationed to the next, and might so have
made his way for some distance; but as the
wolves were watching him, and could see as
well by night as by day, there was no
advantage in shifting his position.

The day passed slowly.  The wolves had
for the most part withdrawn from beneath
the tree, but a few kept their station there
steadily.  Malchus knew that the rest were
lying beneath the bushes not far off, for he
could hear their frequent snarling, and
sometimes a gray head was thrust out, and a pair
of eager eyes looked hungrily towards him.

From time to time Malchus listened breathlessly
in hopes of hearing the distant shouts
of his comrades; but all was still in the
forest, and he felt sure that the wolves would
hear anyone approaching before he should.

Once or twice, indeed, he fancied by their
pricked ears and attitude of attention that
they could hear sounds inaudible to him;
but the alarm, if such it was, soon passed
away, and it might have been that they
were listening only to the distant footsteps
of some stag passing through the forest.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BATTLE WITH WOLVES.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

Night came again with its long dreary
hours.  Malchus strapped himself by his
belt to the tree to prevent himself from
falling.  In this way he managed to obtain a
few hours of uneasy sleep, waking up each
time with a start, in a cold perspiration of
fear, believing that he was falling into the
hungry jaws below.  In the morning a fierce
desire to kill some of his foes seized him,
and he descended to the lowest branch.

The wolves, seeing their prey so close at
hand, thronged thickly under it, and strove
to leap up at him.  Lying down on the
bough, and twisting his legs firmly under it
to give him a purchase, Malchus thrust his
sword nearly to the hilt between the jaws,
which snapped fiercely as a wolf sprang to
within a few inches of the bough.  Several
were killed in this way, and the rest,
rendered cautions, withdrew to a short distance.

Suddenly an idea struck Malchus.  He
took off his belt and formed it into a
running noose, and then waited until the wolves
should summon up courage to attack again.
It was not long.  Furious with hunger, which
the prey they had already devoured was only
sufficient to whet, the wolves again
approached and began to spring towards the
bough.

Malchus dropped the noose over the neck
of one, and with an effort hauled it to the
bough, and despatched it with his dagger.
Then he moved along the bough and hung
it on a branch some ten feet from the ground,
slashing open with his dagger its chest and
stomach.  Having done this he returned to
his place.

Six wolves were one after the other so
hauled up and despatched, and, as Malchus
expected, the smell of their blood rendered
the pack more savage than ever.  They
assembled round the foot of the tree, and
continued to spring at the trunk, making vain
endeavours to get at the supply of food
which hung tantalizingly at so short a
distance beyond their reach.

So the day passed as before without signs
of rescue.  When it became dark Malchus
again descended to the lowest bough, and
fired his three remaining arrows among the
wolves below him.  Loud howls followed
each discharge, and the sound of a desperate
struggle below.

Then he tumbled the six dead wolves from
their position to the ground below, and then
as noiselessly as possible made his way along
a bough into an adjoining tree.  From this
he passed into another, till he had attained
some distance from the spot where the wolves
were fighting and growling over the remains
of their companions, far too absorbed in their
work for any thought of him.

Then he dropped noiselessly to the ground
and fled at the top of his speed.  It would
be, he was sure, some time before the wolves
had completed their feast; and even should
they discover that he was missing from the
tree, it would probably be some time before
they could hit upon his scent, especially as,
having just feasted on blood, their sense of
smell would be dulled.

Several times he stopped and listened in
dread lest he should hear the distant howl,
which would tell him that the pack was
again on his scent.  All was quiet, save for
the usual cries and noises in the forest.  In
two hours he saw a distant glow of light,
and was soon in the encampment of his
friends.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A CYCLONE IN THE BAY OF BENGAL`:

.. class:: center large bold

   A CYCLONE IN THE BAY OF BENGAL.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "A CHAPTER OF ADVENTURES."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Jack Robson, Arthur Hill, Jim Tucker, are three midshipmen
on board the *Wild Wave*.  When in the Bay of Bengal
the appearance of the weather changes, and the captain orders
most of the sails to be taken in.]

.. vspace:: 2

"What is it all about?" Arthur Hill asked
his comrades, as the three boys gathered
together after the work was done.  "Why,
there is not a breath of wind.  Is it all done
for practice, do you think?"

Jim shook his head.  "I expect we are
going to have one of those cyclones
Mr. Timmins was speaking about the other day,
though I don't see any signs of it, except
the queer colour of the sky.  I expect the
glass must have been going down very fast.
There is the captain popping into his cabin
again.  Well, he is not long about it," he
added, as Captain Murchison hurried out
again and spoke to Mr. Timmins, who
immediately gave the order, "Furl mizzen and
main topsails!  Lower down the fore-stay-sail!"

"Well, there can't be more to do now,"
Jack said, when the order was carried out,
"unless we get to work to set them all
again."

"Look, Jack!" Arthur Hill said, grasping
his arm and pointing away on the starboard
beam.

A wall of black mist seemed to hang upon
the horizon, rising every moment higher and
higher.

"The squall is coming, lads!" the captain
shouted.  "When it strikes her, hold on for
your lives.  Carpenter, put a man with an
axe at each of the weather-shrouds.  We
may have to cut away before we have done
with it."

All eyes were now turned towards the
bank of cloud, which was rising with
extraordinary rapidity.  Small portions of the
upper line seemed at times to be torn off
and to rush ahead of the main body, and
then to disappear, suddenly blown into
fragments.  A low moaning sound was heard,
and a line of white could be made out at
the foot of the cloud-bank.  The water
around the ship was still as smooth as glass,
though there was a slight swell, which
swayed her to and fro, and caused the
shrouds and blocks to rattle.

Louder and louder grew the murmur.
Again the captain's voice was heard: "Hold
on for your lives, lads!" and then with a
scream and roar, as of a thousand railway
whistles, the gale struck the ship.  So
tremendous was the force, that although the
closely-reefed fore-topsail was the only sail
that the Wild Wave was showing aloft—for
the jib blew from the bolt-ropes the instant
the squall struck her—the vessel heeled over
and over until her lee-rail was under water.
Further and further she went, until the ends
of the yards were under water, and the sea
seemed to Jack, who was holding on by the
weather bulwark, as if it were directly under
his feet.

He thought that the ship was going to
capsize, and had not her cargo been well
stowed she must have done so.  She was
now almost on her beam ends, pressed down
by the action of the wind upon her hull
rather than her masts, and had it not been
that the boys had each at the last moment
twisted a rope round his body, they must
have dropped into the water, for the deck
afforded no hold whatever to their feet.
Jack felt completely bewildered at the noise
and fury of the wind.  He had thought that
after the gale they had passed through south
of the Cape, he knew what bad weather
was; but this was beyond anything of which
he had the slightest conception.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A CYCLONE.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Looking round he saw Mr. Timmins clinging
to the bulwarks, and making his way
along with the greatest difficulty until he
reached the sailor stationed with the axe at
the mizzen-shrouds.  He saw the man rise
from his crouching position, and, holding on
to the bulwarks, strike three blows on the
lanyards.  Then there was a crash, and the
mizzen-mast broke suddenly off four feet
above the deck, and fell into the sea.

Jack thought that the vessel lifted a little,
for he could see one more streak of the deck
planking.  Mr. Timmins looked round
towards the captain, who was clinging to the
wheel.  The latter waved his hand, and the
mate again began to make his way forward.

He passed the boys without a word, for
the loudest shout would have been inaudible
in the howling of the wind.  He stopped at
the main-shrouds again, the axe descended,
and the mainmast went over the side.  The
relief from the weight of the mast and the
pressure of the wind upon it was immediate;
the *Wild Wave* rose with a surge and her
lee-rail appeared above the surface, then she
rose no further.

Mr. Timmins looked back again at the
captain, but the latter made no sign.  He
could see that the pressure of the wind upon
the foremast was beginning to pay the vessel's
head off before it; as it did so she slowly
righted until, when fairly before the wind,
she was upon a level keel.  Then there was
a dull explosion heard even above the gale,
and the fore-topsail split into ribbons.

But the ship was now before the gale, and
was scudding, from the effect of the wind on
the bare pole and hull alone, at great speed
through the water.  As soon as she had
righted the lads threw off their lashings, but
still clung tight to the rail, and struggled aft
till they stood under shelter of the poop.

"This is something like!" Jim roared at
the top of his voice into Jack's ear.  Even
then his words could scarcely be heard.

Jack nodded.  At present, even had
conversation been possible, he would have had
no inclination for it, for he felt stunned and
bewildered.  It had all taken place in ten
minutes.  It was but that time since the ship
had been lying motionless on a still ocean.
Now she was rushing with one mast only
standing, before a furious gale, and had had
the narrowest possible escape from destruction.
As yet the sea had scarce begun to
rise, but seemed flattened under the terrific
pressure of the wind, which scooped hollows
in it and drove the water before it in fine spray.
Jack had read in the papers about tornadoes
in America, and how houses were sometimes
bodily lifted with their contents and
carried long distances, and how everything
above the surface was swept away as if a
scythe had passed over it.  He had heard
these accounts discussed by the fishermen,
and the general opinion in Leigh (Jack's
home) was that there was mighty little truth
in them.  The Leigh men thought they knew
what a gale was, and what it could do.
They knew that chimney-pots and tiles could
be carried some distance with the wind, that
arms of trees could be twisted off, and that
an empty boat could be carried a considerable
distance.  But that a house could be
bodily whirled away was going so far beyond
anything that came within their experience
as to be wholly disbelieved.

But Jack knew now as he looked round
that this and more was possible.  He felt
the whole vessel leap and quiver as each gust
struck her, and this with only one bare pole
standing, and he would have been scarcely
surprised now had the ship herself been lifted
bodily from the water.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A CYCLONE.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

As to walking along the deck, it would
have been impossible.  No man could have
forced his way against the wind, and Jack
felt that, were he to attempt to move from
the sheltered spot where he was standing,
he would be taken up and carried away as
if he were but a figure of straw.  Presently
Mr. Hoare came down from the poop and
dived into the cabin, making a sign to the
lads to follow him.  He stood there for a
minute panting with his exertions.

"The captain has sent me down for a
spell," he said.  "He and the first and Jack
Moore are all lashed to the wheel.  Sometimes
I thought that all four of us, wheel
and all, would have been blown right away.

"Well, lads, this is a cyclone, and you
may live a hundred years and never see such
another.  You had better stop in here, for
you might get blown right away, and can be
of no good on deck.  There is nothing to do.
The wind has got her and will take her where
it likes; we can do nothing but keep her
straight.  There will be a tremendous sea
before long.  The water at the upper part
of the bay is shallow, and we shall have a
sea like yours at the mouth of the Thames,
Jack,—only on a big scale.

"Our lives are in God's hands, boys; don't
forget to ask for help where alone it can be
obtained.  Now I must go up again.  Do
you know, lads, my sides fairly ache.  Once
or twice I was pressed against the wheel
with such force that I could scarcely breathe,
and if I had been pinned there by an elephant
butting me I could not have been more
powerless.

"That is right, steward, get me my
oilskin and sou'-wester from the cabin.  You
had better get a kettle on over the spirit-stove,
so that we can have a cup of hot cocoa
when we like.  Now, then, I am ready for
the fray again!" and buttoning himself closely
up Mr. Hoare went on deck again.

Jack Moore was the next to come down.
"Well, young gentlemen," said he, "this is
a gale and no mistake.  I have been at sea
over thirty years, and never saw anything to
be compared with it.  If you get through
this you need never be afraid of another, even
if you live to be white-headed!"

After Jack Moore had gone up Mr. Timmins
and the captain came down by turns.
Each took a cup of cocoa.  They said but
few words to the boys, and were indeed
almost too much exhausted by the struggle
through which they had gone to be able to
speak.  The boys gathered again under the
lee of the poop and watched the scene.  It
had changed considerably; the wind seemed
as violent as ever, but the sea was no longer
kept in subjection to it, and was now tossing
itself in a wild and confused manner.

Another half-hour and it had settled into
some sort of regularity, and was sweeping
before the wind in deep trough-like waves
with steep sides, resembling those to which
Jack had been accustomed at home, on a
gigantic scale.  Soon again these were broken
up, and were succeeded by a wild tumultuous
sea like a boiling cauldron.

The vessel was thrown violently from side
to side, taking water over, now on one beam
now on the other, and at times shaking from
blows as if she had struck upon a rock.  So
sharp and sudden were her movements that
the lads could not keep their feet, and again
made their way into the cabin.  Even here
it was necessary to shout in order to be
heard.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A CYCLONE.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

"What an extraordinary sea, Jim!  I
never saw anything like it before."

"That is what does it," Jim replied, pointing
to the tell-tale compass hanging from
the beams overhead.

Jack glanced at it.  "Why, we are running
due south!"

"Aye; and I expect we have been two or
three times round the compass already.  That
is what makes this frightful broken sea."

"Well, as long as we keep on running round
and round," Jack said, "there is no fear of
our running against the land anywhere."

Jim was further advanced in the study of
navigation.  "You forget," he said, "the
centre of the cyclone is moving along all the
time, and though we may go round and round
the centre, we are still moving in the same
direction as the cyclone is going, whatever
that may be."

For hours the storm raged without the
slightest signs of abatement.  The sea was
now terrific; the waist of the ship was full
of water.  Green seas swept over the vessel's
bows, carrying everything before them;
and pouring aft burst open the cabin door
and deluged the cabin.  By turns the boys
made their way to the door and looked out.

"Come out, you fellows!" Jim Tucker
shouted after one of these trips of
investigation.  "The men are coming out from the
fo'castle.  There is something to be done."

The boys came out and crawled a few
steps up the poop-ladder, holding on for life
as they did so.  They did not attempt to get
on to the poop, for they felt they would be
blown away if they exposed themselves there
to the full force of the wind.

Looking round, the scene was terrible.
The surface of the sea was almost hidden by
the clouds of spray blown from the heads of
the waves; a sky that was inky black hung
overhead.  The sea, save for the white heads,
was of similar hue, but ahead there seemed
a gleam of light.  Jim Tucker, holding on
by the rail, raised himself two or three feet
higher to have a better view.  A moment
was sufficient.

He sprang down again and shouted in his
comrades' ears, "Breakers ahead!"  It needed
no further words.  The light ahead was the
gleam of a sea of white foam towards which
the vessel was hurrying.  Nothing could be
done to check or change her course.  Had
the mizzen been standing an effort might
have been made to show a little sail upon
it, and bring her head up into the wind to
anchor; but even could this have been done
the cables would have snapped like
pack-threads.  There was nothing for it but
destruction.  Jack followed Jim's example—crawled
to the top of the gangway, and holding
on by the poop-rail raised himself to his
feet and looked forward.

Right across their bows stretched a band
of white breakers, and beyond through the
mist he could make out the line of a low
shore.  The lads descended again into the
waist, and with great difficulty made their
way forward to where the men were huddled
together round the entrance to the fo'castle.
They too had kept a look-out, and knew of
the danger into which they were running and
the impossibility of avoiding it.

"Is there anything to be done?" Jim
Tucker shouted.

A silent shake of the head was a sufficient
answer.  The vessel and all in her were
doomed.  The officers were now seen
leaving the helm and coming forward.  It was
a proof in itself of the hopelessness of the
prospect.  The vessel was indeed steering
herself straight before the gale, and as there
were no regular following waves there was
no fear of her broaching to.  The boats, that
had at the commencement of the storm been
hanging from the davits, were all gone or
useless.  One or two had been smashed to
pieces by heavy seas striking them; others
had been torn from their fastenings and
blown clean away.

The long-boat alone remained lashed amidships
on the deck.  Jack pointed to her, but
an old sailor shook his head and pointed to
the sea.  No boat could hope to live in it a
minute.  Once in the breakers it would be
swamped instantly.  The officers made their
way forward.

"It is all over, lads!" the captain shouted;
"but some of us may reach the shore on
pieces of the wreck as she breaks up.  We
will get the long-boat ready for launching:
some of you may cling to her.  Now, lads,
let us shake hands all round, and meet our
fate as British sailors should do—calmly and
bravely.  Perhaps—who knows?—some of
us may be saved yet."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A CYCLONE.—V.

.. vspace:: 2

The crew of the *Wild Wave* had been a
happy one.  Discipline had been good,
although every indulgence had been allowed
the men, and all were fond of their officers.
There was a silent hand-clasp all round, and
then some of the sailors followed the officers
to the boat.

As they did so they knew well that the
order was given merely to keep them
employed, for that the chance of anyone being
washed ashore and reaching it alive through
the tremendous surf was small indeed.  As
they cut away the boat's cover they looked
round, and a low cry broke from several of
them.  The ship was close to the broken water.

Every man clung to something and awaited
the shock.  In a few seconds it came.  As
she descended a wave there was a tremendous
shock, followed instantaneously by a
crash as the foremast went over the bow.
Another and another, accompanied each time
with the sound of rending timbers.

"Cut away the lashings of the boat!" the
captain shouted, drawing his knife and
setting the example.  As he did so he touched
Jack and pointed into the bottom of the
boat.  The lad understood him.  He was to
put in the plugs, which at ordinary times
were left out to allow any rain-water to
escape as it fell.  Jack in turn touched
Arthur, and the two climbed into the boat
to replace the plugs.

As they did so a fiercer gust than usual
struck the vessel.  The lashings of the
long-boat had just been cut, and the gale seized
it and raised it in the air as if it had been
made of paper.  Jack and Arthur uttered a
cry, and involuntarily clung for life to the
thwarts.  Over and over they were whirled.
Confused, giddy, scarce knowing what had
happened, they clung on.  It was a sort of
nightmare, and how long it lasted they knew
not.  Presently there was a terrific crash,
and they knew no more.

When Jack opened his eyes he lay for
some time wondering where he was and
what had become of him.  There were stars
in the sky overhead, but the light was stealing
over it, and he felt that it was daybreak.
There was a loud, dull, roaring sound in his
ears—a sound he could not understand, for
not even a breath of wind fanned his cheek.

At last slowly the facts came to his mind.
There had been a great storm, the vessel
was among the breakers, he had got into
the long-boat with Arthur to put in the
plugs, they had been lifted up and blown
away—and then suddenly Jack sat upright.

It was light enough for him to see that
he was still in the boat, but its back was
broken and its sides staved in.  Around
him was a mass of tangled foliage, and close
beside him lay Arthur Hill, the blood slowly
oozing from a terrible gash in his forehead.
Jack leaned over and raised him, and loudly
shouted his name in his ear.  With a sigh
Arthur opened his eyes.

"What is it, Jack?" he asked feebly.

"We are saved, old man.  We have been
blown right ashore in the boat, and we have
both got shaken and hurt a bit; but, thank
God, we are both alive."

"Where are we?" Arthur asked, looking round.

"As far as I can see," Jack replied, "we
are in the middle of a grove of trees that
have been blown down by the gale, and the
leaves and branches have broken our fall;
otherwise we must have been smashed up.
We must have been lying here for the last
ten hours.  It was just about six o'clock
when we struck, for I looked at the clock
in the cabin the last time we were down
there; and as the sun will be up before long,
it must be getting on for five now.  Now,
let us try to get out of this."

With the greatest difficulty, for they were
still weak and terribly shaken, the boys
made their way through the tangle of trees
and branches, into which they had so
providentially fallen.  Both uttered an
exclamation of surprise as they reached the edge
of the wood: the sea was nearly half a mile
away!  A tremendous surf was still breaking,
and for a quarter of a mile out a band
of white breakers extended along the shore.
There were no signs of the *Wild Wave*.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE FLOOD IN PINE-TREE GULCH`:

.. class:: center large bold

   THE FLOOD IN PINE-TREE GULCH.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "TALES OF DARING AND DANGER."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[A lad known as White-faced Dick in a mining camp in
California had received much rough kindness from a miner
called Red George.  Heavy rain had fallen among the hills,
and the channel, through which the stream running through
the valley had been diverted, was insufficient to carry away
the water that came down.  Dick, who was a weakly lad
altogether unfitted for the rough work of mining, had made
up his mind to go east to his native village.]

.. vspace:: 2

As he was sitting thinking it over his
thoughts came back to Pine-tree Gulch, and
he started to his feet.  Could he be mistaken?
Were his eyes deceiving him?  No; among
the stones and boulders of the old bed of
the Yuba there was the gleam of water, and
even as he watched it he could see it
widening out.  He started to run down the hill
to give the alarm, but before he was half-way
he paused, for there were loud shouts, and a
scene of bustle and confusion instantly arose.

The cradles were deserted, and the men
working on the surface loaded themselves
with their tools and made for the high
ground, while those at the windlasses worked
their hardest to draw up their comrades
below.  A man coming down from above
stopped close to Dick, with a low cry, and
stood gazing with a white scared face.  Dick
had worked with him; he was one of the
company to which Keel George belonged.

"What is it, Saunders?"

"They are lost," the man replied.  "I was
at the windlass when they shouted up to me
to go up and fetch them something from the
huts.  They had just struck the gold rich."

Dick understood at once.  Red George
and his mates were still in the bottom of
the shaft, ignorant of the danger which was
threatening them.

"Come on," he cried; "we shall be in time
yet," and at the top of his speed dashed
down the hill, followed by Saunders.

"What is it, what is it?" asked parties of
men mounting the hill.

"Red George's gang are still below!"

Dick's eyes were fixed on the water.
There was a broad band now of yellow with
a white edge down the centre of the stony
flat, and it was widening with terrible
rapidity.  It was scarce ten yards from the
windlass at the top of Red George's shaft
when Dick, followed closely by Saunders,
reached it.

"Come up, mates; quick, for your lives!
The river is rising; you will be flooded out
directly.  Every one else has gone!"

As he spoke he pulled at the rope by
which the bucket was hanging, and the
handles of the windlass flew round rapidly
as it descended.  When it had run out Dick
and he grasped the handles.

"All right below?"

An answering call came up, and the two
began their work, throwing their whole
strength into it.  Quickly as the windlass
revolved, it seemed an endless time to Dick
before the bucket came up, and the first man
stepped out.  It was not Red George.  Dick
had hardly expected it would be.  Red
George would be sure to see his two mates
up before him, and the man uttered a cry of
alarm as he saw the water, now within a few
feet of the mouth of the shaft.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE FLOOD IN PINE-TREE GULCH.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

It was a torrent now, for not only was it
coming through the dam, but it was rushing
down in cascades from the new channel.
Without a word the miner placed himself
facing Dick, and the moment the bucket was
again down the three grasped the handles.
But quickly as they worked, the edge of the
water was within a few inches of the shaft
when the next man reached the surface; but
again the bucket descended before the rope
tightened.  However, the water had began
to run over the lip—at first in a mere trickle,
and then, almost instantaneously, in a cascade,
which grew larger and larger.

The bucket was half-way up when a sound
like thunder was heard, the ground seemed
to tremble under their feet, and then at the
turn of the valley above, a great wave of
yellow water, crested with foam, was seen
tearing along at the speed of a race-horse.

"The dam has burst!" Saunders shouted.
"Run for your lives, or we are all lost!"

The three men dropped the handles and
ran at full speed towards the shore, while
loud shouts to Dick to follow came from the
crowd of men standing on the slope.  But
the boy still grasped the handles, and with
lips tightly closed still toiled on.  Slowly the
bucket ascended, for Red George was a heavy
man; then suddenly the weight slackened,
and the handle went round faster.

The shaft was filling, the water had reached
the bucket, and had risen to Red George's
neck, so that his weight was no longer on
the rope.  So fast did the water pour in that
it was not half a minute before the bucket
reached the surface, and Red George sprang
out.  There was but time for one exclamation,
and then the great wave struck them.
Red George was whirled like a straw in the
current; but he was a strong swimmer, and
at a point where the valley widened out, half
a mile lower, he struggled to shore.

Two days later the news reached Pine-tree
Gulch that a boy's body had been washed
ashore twenty miles down, and ten men,
headed by Red George, went and brought it
solemnly back to Pine-tree Gulch.  There,
among the stumps of pine-trees, a grave was
dug, and there, in the presence of the whole
camp, White-faced Dick was laid to rest.

Pine-tree Gulch is a solitude now, the trees
are growing again, and none would dream
that it was once a busy scene of industry;
but if the traveller searches among the
pine-trees he will find a stone with the words:

"Here lies White-faced Dick, who died
to save Red George.  'What can a man do
more than give his life for a friend?'"

Red George worked no more at the diggings.
After seeing the stone laid in its place,
he went east, bought a small farm, and settled
down there; but to the end of his life he was
never weary of telling those who would listen
to it the story of Pine-tree Gulch.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE`:

.. class:: center large bold

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE,

.. class:: center medium bold

   AND WHAT CAME OF IT.

.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "TALES OF DARING AND DANGER."

.. vspace:: 2

It was early in December that H.M.S. *Perseus*
was cruising off the mouth of the
Canton River.  War had been declared with
China in consequence of her continued
evasions of the treaty she had made with us,
and it was expected that a strong naval
force would soon gather to bring her to
reason.

In the meantime the ships on the station
had a busy time of it; chasing the enemy's
junks when they ventured to show themselves
beyond the reach of the guns of their
forts; and occasionally having a brush with
the piratical boats which took advantage of
the general confusion to plunder friend as
well as foe.

The *Perseus* had that afternoon chased
two government junks up a creek.  The sun
had already set when they took refuge there;
and the captain did not care to send his
boats after them in the dark, as many of the
creeks ran up for miles into the flat country.
As the creeks not unfrequently had many
arms or branches, the boats might, in the
dark, miss the junks altogether.

Orders were issued that four boats should
be ready for starting at daybreak the next
morning.  The *Perseus* anchored off the
mouth of the creek; and two boats were
ordered to row backwards and forwards off
its mouth all night to ensure that the enemy
did not slip out in the darkness.

Jack Fothergill, the senior midshipman,
was commanding the gig, and two of the
other midshipmen were going in the pinnace
and launch, commanded respectively by the
first lieutenant and the master.  The three
other midshipmen of the *Perseus* were loud
in their lamentations that they were not to
share in the fun.

"You can't all go, you know," Fothergill
said, "and it's no use making a noise about
it; the captain has been very good to let
three of us go."

"It's all very well for you, Jack," Percy
Adcock, the youngest of the lads, replied,
"because you are one of those chosen; and
it is not so hard for Simmons and Linthorpe,
because they went the other day in the boat
that chased those junks under shelter of the
guns of their battery.  But I haven't had a
chance for ever so long."

"What fun was there in chasing the
junks?" Simmons said.  "We never got
near the Chinese till they were close to their
battery.  Then just as the first shot came
singing from their guns, and we thought that
we were going to have some excitement, the
first lieutenant sung out 'Easy all,' and there
was nothing for it but to turn round and to
row for the ship.

"And a nice hot row it was—two hours
and a half in a broiling sun.  Of course I
am not blaming Oliphant, for the captain's
orders were strict that we were not to try to
cut the junks out if they got under the guns
of any of their batteries.  Still it was horribly
annoying, and I do think the captain might
have remembered what bad luck we had last
time, and given us a chance to-morrow."

"It is clear we could not all go," Fothergill
said, "and naturally enough the captain
chose the three seniors.  Besides, if you
did have bad luck last time, you had your
chance, and I don't suppose we shall have
anything more exciting now.  These fellows
always set fire to their junks and row for the
shore directly they see us, after firing a shot
or two wildly in our direction."

"Well, Jack, if you don't expect any fun,"
Simmons replied, "perhaps you wouldn't
mind telling the first lieutenant you do not
care to go, and that I am very anxious to
take your place.  Perhaps he will be good
enough to allow me to relieve you."

"A likely thing that!" Fothergill laughed.
"No, Tom, I am sorry you are not going, but
you must make the best of it till another
chance comes."

"Don't you think, Jack," Percy Adcock
said to his senior in a coaxing tone later on,
"you could manage to smuggle me into the
boat with you?"

"Not I, Percy.  Suppose you got hurt,
what would the captain say then?  And
firing as wildly as the Chinese do, a shot is
just as likely to hit your little carcass as to
lodge in one of the sailors.  No, you must
just make the best of it, Percy, and I promise
you that next time there is a boat expedition,
if you are not put in, I will say a good word
to the first lieutenant for you."

"That promise is better than nothing,"
the boy said; "but I would a deal rather go
this time and take my chance next."

"But you see you can't, Percy, and there's
no use talking any more about it.  I really
do not expect there will be any fighting.
Two junks would hardly make any opposition
to the boats of the ship, and I expect
we shall be back by nine o'clock with the
news that they were well on fire before we
came up."

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Percy Adcock, however, was determined
to go if possible.  He was a favourite among
the men, and when he spoke to the bow-oar
of the gig, the latter promised to do
anything he could to aid him to carry out his
wishes.

"We are to start at daybreak, Tom, so that
it will be quite dark when the boats are
lowered.  I will creep into the gig before that
and hide myself as well as I can under your
thwart, and all you have got to do is to take
no notice of me.  When the boat is lowered
I think they will hardly make me out from
the deck, especially as you will be standing
up in the bow holding on with the boat-hook
till the rest get on board."

"Well, sir, I will do my best; but if you
are caught you must not let it be known that
I knew anything about it."

"I won't do that," Percy said.  "I don't
think there is much chance of my being
noticed until we get on board the junks, and
then they won't know which boat I came off
in, and the first lieutenant will be too busy
to say anything.  Of course I shall hear
about it when I am on board again; but I
don't mind that so that I see the fun.
Besides, I want to send home some things to
my sister, and she will like them all the better
if I can tell her I captured them on board
some junks we seized and burnt."

The next morning the crews mustered
before daybreak.  Percy had already taken
his place under the bow thwart of the gig.
The davits were swung out, and two men
took their places in her as she was lowered
down by the falls.

As soon as she touched the water the rest
of the crew clambered down by the ladder
and took their places; then Fothergill took
his seat in the stern, and the boat pushed off
and lay a few lengths away from the ship
until the heavier boats put off.  As soon as
they were under weigh Percy crawled out
from his hiding-place and placed himself in
the bow, where he was sheltered by the bodies
of the oarsmen from Fothergill's sight.

Day was just breaking now, but it was
still dark on the water, and the boat rowed
very slowly until it became lighter.  Percy
could just make out the shores of the creek
on both sides; they were but two or three
feet above the level of the water, and were
evidently submerged at high tide.

The creek was about a hundred yards wide,
and the lad could not see far ahead, for it
was full of sharp windings and turnings.
Here and there branches joined it, but the
boats were evidently following the main
channel.  After another half-hour's rowing
the first lieutenant suddenly gave the order
"Easy all," and the men, looking over their
shoulders, saw a village a quarter of a mile
ahead, with the two junks they had chased
the night before lying in front of it.  Almost
at the same moment a sudden uproar was
heard—drums were beaten and gongs sounded.

"They are on the look-out for us," the first
lieutenant said.  "Mr. Mason, do you keep
with me and attack the junk highest up the
river; Mr. Bellew and Mr. Fothergill, do you
take the one lower down.  Row on, men."

The oars all touched the water together,
and the four boats leapt forward.  In a
minute a scattering fire of gingals and
matchlocks was opened from the junks, and the
bullets pattered on the water round the boats.
Percy was now kneeling up in the bow.  As
they passed a branch channel three or four
hundred yards from the village, he started
and leapt to his feet.

"There are four or five junks in that
passage, Fothergill; they are poling out."

The first lieutenant heard the words.

"Row on, men; let us finish with these
craft ahead before the others get out.  This
must be that piratical village we have heard
about, Mr. Mason, as lying up one of these
creeks; that accounts for those two junks
not going higher up.  I was surprised at
seeing them here, for they might guess that we
should try to get them this morning.  Evidently
they expected to catch us in a trap."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

Percy was delighted at finding that, in
the excitement caused by his news, the first
lieutenant had forgotten to take any notice
of his being there without orders: and he
returned a defiant nod to the threat conveyed
by Fothergill shaking his fist at him.  As
they neared the junks the fire of those on
board redoubled, and was aided by that of
many villagers gathered on the bank of the
creek.

Suddenly from a bank of rushes four
cannons were fired.  A ball struck the
pinnace, smashing in her side.  The other
boats gathered hastily round and took her
crew on board, and then dashed at the
junks, which were but a hundred yards
distant.  The valour of the Chinese evaporated
as they saw the boats approaching, and
scores of them leapt overboard and swam
for shore.

In another minute the boats were alongside
and the crews scrambling up the sides
of the junks.  Only a few Chinamen attempted
to oppose them.  These were speedily
overcome, and the British had now time to look
round, and saw that six junks crowded with
men had issued from the side creek and were
making towards them.

"Let the boats tow astern," the lieutenant
ordered.  "We should have to run the
gauntlet of that battery on shore if we were to
attack them, and might lose another boat
before we reached their side.  We will fight
them here."

The junks approached, those on board
firing their guns, yelling and shouting, while
the drums and gongs were furiously beaten.

"They will find themselves mistaken,
Percy, if they think they are going to frighten
us with all that noise," Fothergill said.  "You
young rascal, how did you get on board the
boat without being seen?  The captain will
be sure to suspect I had a hand in concealing you."

The tars were now at work firing the
matchlocks, with which the deck was strewn,
at the approaching junks.  As they took
steady aim, leaning their pieces on the
bulwarks, they did considerable execution
among the Chinamen crowded on board the
junks, while the shot of the Chinese, for the
most part, whistled far overhead.  But the
guns of the shore battery, which had now
been slewed round to bear upon them, opened
with a better aim, and several shots came
crashing into the sides of the captured junk.

"Get ready to board, lads!" Fothergill
shouted.  "Don't wait for them to board
you, but the moment they come alongside
lash their rigging to ours and spring on
board them."

The leading junk was now about twenty
yards away, and presently grated alongside.
Half a dozen sailors at once sprang into her
rigging with ropes.  After lashing the junks
together they leaped down upon her deck,
where Fothergill was leading the gig's crew
and some of those rescued from the pinnace,
while Mr. Bellew, with another party, had
boarded her at the stern.  Several of the
Chinese fought stoutly, but the greater part
lost heart at seeing themselves attacked.
Many began at once to jump overboard, and
after two or three minutes' sharp fighting,
the rest either followed their example or
were beaten below.



.. vspace:: 3

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   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

Fothergill looked round.  The other junk
had been attacked by two of the enemy, one
on each side, and the little body of sailors
were gathered in her waist, and were
defending themselves against an overwhelming
number of the enemy.  The other three
piratical junks had been carried somewhat
up the creek by the tide that was sweeping
inward, and could not for the moment take
part in the fight.

"Mr. Oliphant is hard pressed, sir."  He
asked the master: "Shall we take to the
boats?"

"That will be the best plan," Mr. Bellew
replied.  "Quick, lads, get the boats
alongside and tumble in; there is not a moment
to be lost."

The crew at once sprang to the boats and
rowed to the other junk, which was but some
thirty yards away.

The Chinese, absorbed in their contest
with the crew of the pinnace, did not
perceive the new-comers until they gained the
deck, and with a shout fell furiously upon
them.  In their surprise and consternation
the pirates did not pause to note that they
were still five to one superior in number, but
made a rush for their own vessels.

The English at once took the offensive.
The first lieutenant with his party boarded
one, while the new-comers leapt on to the
deck of the other.  The panic which had
seized the Chinese was so complete that they
attempted no resistance whatever, but sprang
overboard in great numbers and swam to the
shore, which was but twenty yards away,
and in three minutes the English were in
undisputed possession of both vessels.

"Back again, Mr. Fothergill, or you will
lose the craft you captured," Lieutenant
Oliphant said; "they have already cut her free."

The Chinese, indeed, who had been beaten
below by the boarding party, had soon
perceived the sudden departure of their captors.
Gaining the deck again they had cut the
lashings which fastened them to the other
junk, and were proceeding to hoist their
sails.  They were too late, however.

Almost before the craft had way on her,
Fothergill and his crew were alongside.  The
Chinese did not wait for the attack, but at
once sprang overboard and made for the
shore.  The other three junks, seeing the
capture of their comrades, had already hoisted
their sails, and were making up the creek.
Fothergill dropped an anchor, left four of
his men in charge, and rowed back to Mr. Oliphant.

"What shall we do next, sir?"

"We will give those fellows on shore a
lesson, and silence their battery.  Two men
have been killed since you left.  We must
let the other junks go for the present.  Four
of my men were killed and eleven wounded
before Mr. Bellew and you came to our
assistance.

"The Chinese were fighting pluckily up to
that time, and it would have gone very hard
with us if you had not been at hand.  They
will fight when they think they have got it
all their own way.  But before we land we
will set fire to the five junks we have taken.
Do you return and see that the two astern
are well lighted, Mr. Fothergill; Mr. Mason
will see to these three.  When you have done
your work take to your boat and lay off till
I join you.  Keep the junks between you
and the shore, to protect you from the fire
of the rascals there."

"I cannot come with you, I suppose,
Fothergill?" Percy Adcock said, as the
midshipman was about to descend into his boat
again.

"Yes, come along, Percy.  It doesn't
matter what you do now.  The captain will
be so pleased when he hears that we have
captured and burnt five junks, that you will
get off with a very light scolding, I imagine."

"That's just what I was thinking, Jack.
Has it not been fun?"

"You wouldn't have thought it fun if you
had got one of those matchlock balls in your
body.  There are a good many of our poor
fellows just at the present moment who do
not see anything funny in the affair at all.
Here we are; clamber up."



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   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—V.

.. vspace:: 2

The crew soon set to work under Fothergill's
orders.  The sails were cut off the masts
and thrown down into the hold; bamboos,
of which there were an abundance down
there, were heaped over them, a barrel of
oil was poured over the mass, and the fire
then applied.

"That will do, lads.  Now take to your
boats and let's make a bonfire of the other
junk."

In ten minutes both vessels were a sheet
of flame, and the boat was lying a short
distance from them waiting for further operations.
The inhabitants of the village, furious
at the failure of the plan which had been laid
for the destruction of the English, kept up
a constant fusillade.  This, however, did no
harm, for the gig was completely sheltered
by the burning junks close to her from their
missiles.

"There go the others!" Percy exclaimed
after a minute or two, as three columns of
smoke arose simultaneously from the other
junks, and the sailors were seen dropping
into their boats alongside.

The killed and wounded were placed in
the other gig with four sailors in charge.
They were directed to keep under shelter of
the junks until rejoined by the pinnace and
Fothergill's gig, after these had done their
work on shore.

When all was ready the first lieutenant
raised his hand as a signal, and the two
boats dashed between the burning junks and
rowed for the shore.  Such of the natives
as had their weapons charged fired a hasty
volley, and then, as the sailors leapt from
their boats, took to their heels.

"Mr. Fothergill, take your party into the
village and set fire to the houses; shoot down
every man you see.  This place is a nest of
pirates.  I will capture that battery and then
join you."

Fothergill and his sailors at once entered
the village.  The men had already fled; the
women were turned out of the houses, and
these were immediately set on fire.  The tars
regarded the whole affair as a glorious joke,
and raced from house to house, making a
hasty search in each for concealed valuables
before setting it on fire.  In a short time the
whole village was in a blaze.

"There is a house there, standing in that
little grove a hundred yards away," Percy said.

"It looks like a temple," Fothergill replied.
"However, we will have a look at it."  And
calling two sailors to accompany him, he
started at a run towards it, Percy keeping
by his side.

"It is a temple," Fothergill said when they
approached it.  "Still, we will have a look
at it, but we won't burn it; it is as well to
respect the religion, even of a set of piratical
scoundrels like these."

At the head of his men he rushed in at
the entrance.  There was a blaze of fire as
half a dozen muskets were discharged in
their faces.  One of the sailors dropped
dead, and before the others had time to
realize what had happened they were beaten
to the ground by a storm of blows from
swords and other weapons.

A heavy blow crashed down on Percy's
head, and he fell insensible even before he
realized what had occurred.

When he recovered, his first sensation was
that of a vague wonder as to what had
happened to him.  He seemed to be in
darkness and unable to move hand or foot.  He
was compressed in some way that he could
not at first understand, and was being
bumped and jolted in an extraordinary
manner.



.. vspace:: 3

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   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—VI.

.. vspace:: 2

It was some little time before he could
understand the situation.  He first
remembered the fight with the junks, then he
recalled the landing and burning the village;
then, as his brain cleared, came the recollection
of his start with Fothergill for the
temple among the trees, his arrival there,
and a loud report and flash of fire.

"I must have been knocked down and
stunned," he said to himself, "and I suppose
I am a prisoner now, and one of the fellows
must be carrying me on his back."

Yes, he could understand it all now.  His
hands and his feet were tied, ropes were
passed round his body in every direction,
and he was fastened back to back upon the
shoulders of a Chinaman.  Percy
remembered the tales he had heard of the
imprisonment and torture of those who fell
into the hands of the Chinese, and he bitterly
regretted that he had not been killed
instead of stunned in the surprise of the
temple.

"It would have been just the same feeling,"
he said to himself, "and there would
have been an end of it.  Now, there is no
saying what is going to happen.  I wonder
whether Jack was killed, and the sailors."

Presently there was a jabber of voices;
the motion ceased.  Percy could feel that
the cords were being unwound, and he was
dropped on to his feet; then the cloth was
removed from his head, and he could look
round.

A dozen Chinese, armed with matchlocks
and bristling with swords and daggers, stood
around; and among them, bound like himself
and gagged by a piece of bamboo forced
lengthways across his mouth and kept there
with a string going round the back of the
head, stood Fothergill.  He was bleeding
from several cuts in the head.  Percy's heart
gave a bound of joy at finding that he was
not alone.

Then he tried to feel sorry that Jack had
not escaped, but failed to do so; although
he told himself that his comrade's presence
would not in any way alleviate the fate which
was certain to befall him.  Still the thought
of companionship, even in wretchedness, and
perhaps a vague hope that Jack, with his
energy and spirit, might contrive some way
for their escape, cheered him up.

As Percy, too, was gagged, no word could
be exchanged by the midshipmen, but they
nodded to each other.  They were now put
side by side and made to walk in the centre
of their captors.  On the way they passed
through several villages, whose inhabitants
poured out to gaze at the captives; but the
men in charge of them were evidently not
disposed to delay, as they passed through
without a stop.  At last they halted before
two cottages standing by themselves, thrust
the prisoners into a small room, removed
their gags, and left them to themselves.



.. vspace:: 3

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   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—VII.

.. vspace:: 2

"Well, Percy, my boy, so they caught you
too?  I am truly sorry.  It was my fault for
going with only two men into that temple;
but as the village had been deserted and
scarcely a man was found there, it never
entered my mind that there might be a
party in the temple."

"Of course not, Jack; it was a surprise
altogether.  I don't know anything about it,
for I was knocked down, I suppose, just as
we went in, and the first thing I knew about
it was that I was being carried on the back
of one of those fellows.  I thought it was
awful at first, but I don't seem to mind so
much now you are with me."

"It is a comfort to have someone to speak
to," Jack said, "yet I wish you were not
here, Percy; I can't do you any good, and I
shall never cease blaming myself for having
brought you into this scrape.  I don't know
much more about the affair than you do.
The guns were fired so close to us that my
face was scorched with one of them, and
almost at the same instant I got a cut across
my cheek with a sword.

"I had just time to hit at one of them,
and then almost at the same moment I got
two or three other blows, and down I went;
they threw themselves on the top of me and
tied and gagged me in no time.  Then I was
tied to a long bamboo, and two fellows put
the ends on their shoulders and went off
with me through the fields.  Of course I
was face downwards, and did not know you
were with us till they stopped and loosed
me from the bamboo and set me on my feet."

"But what are they going to do with us,
do you think, Jack?"

"I should say they are going to take us to
Canton and claim a reward for our capture,
and there I suppose they will cut off our
heads or saw us in two, or put us to some
other unpleasant kind of death.  I expect
they are discussing it now."

Voices were indeed heard raised in angry
altercation in the next room.  After a time
the din subsided and the conversation
appeared to take a more amiable turn.

"I suppose they have settled it as far as
they are concerned," Jack said; "anyhow,
you may be quite sure they mean to make
something out of us.  If they hadn't they
would have finished us at once, for they must
have been furious at the destruction of their
junks and village.

"As to the idea that mercy has anything to
do with it, we may as well put it out of our
minds.  The Chinaman, at the best of times,
has no feeling of pity in his nature; and after
their defeat it is certain they would have
killed us at once had they not hoped to do
better by us.  If they had been Indians I
should have said they had carried us off to
enjoy the satisfaction of torturing us, but I
don't suppose it is that with them."

"Do you think there is any chance of our
getting away?"

"I should say not the least in the world,
Percy.  My hands are fastened so tight now
that the ropes seem cutting into my wrists,
and after they had set me on my feet and
cut the cords off my legs I could scarcely
stand at first, my feet were so numbed by
the pressure.  However, we must keep up
our pluck.  Possibly they may keep us at
Canton for a bit, and, if they do, the squadron
may arrive and fight its way past the forts,
and take the city before they have quite
made up their minds as to what kind of death
will be most appropriate to the occasion.  I
wonder what they are doing now?  They
seem to be chopping sticks."

"I wish they would give us some water,"
Percy said.  "I am frightfully thirsty."

"And so am I, Percy.  There is one comfort,
they won't let us die of thirst; they
could get no satisfaction out of our deaths
now."



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   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—VIII.

.. vspace:: 2

Two hours later some of the Chinese
re-entered the room and led the captives
outside, and the lads then saw what was the
meaning of the noise they had heard.  A
cage had been manufactured of strong
bamboos.  It was about four and a half feet
long, four feet wide, and less than three feet
high; above it were fastened two long
bamboos.  Two or three of the bars of the cage
had been left open.

"My goodness! they never intend to put
us in there," Percy exclaimed.

"That they do," Jack said.  "They are
going to carry us the rest of the way."

The cords which bound the prisoners' hands
were now cut, and they were motioned to
crawl into the cage.  This they did.  The
bars were then put in their places and securely
lashed.  Four men went to the ends of the
poles and lifted the cage upon their shoulders.
Two others took their places beside it, and
one man, apparently the leader of the party,
walked on ahead.  The rest remained behind.

"I never quite realized what a fowl felt in
a coop before," Jack said, "but if its sensations
are at all like mine they must be
decidedly unpleasant.  It isn't high enough to
sit upright in, it is nothing like long enough
to lie down, and as to getting out one might
as well think of flying.  Do you know,
Percy, I don't think they mean taking us to
Canton at all.  I did not think of it before,
but from the direction of the sun I feel sure
that we cannot have been going that way.
What they are up to I can't imagine."

In an hour they came to a large village.
Here the cage was set down and the villagers
closed round.  They were, however, kept a
short distance from the cage by the men in
charge of it.  Then a wooden platter was
placed on the ground, and persons throwing
a few copper coins into this were allowed to
come near the cage.

"They are making a show of us!" Fothergill
exclaimed.  "That's what they are up
to; you see if it isn't.  They are going to
travel up country to show the whites whom
their valour has captured."

This was, indeed, the purpose of the pirates.
At that time Europeans seldom ventured
beyond the limits assigned to them in the
two or three towns where they were permitted
to trade, and few, indeed, of the country
people had ever obtained a sight of the
white barbarians of whose doings they had
so frequently heard.

Consequently a small crowd soon gathered
round the cage, eyeing the captives with the
same interest they would have felt as to
unknown and dangerous beasts.  They laughed
and joked, passed remarks upon them, and
even poked them with sticks.  Fothergill,
furious at this treatment, caught one of the
sticks, and wrenching it from the hands of
the Chinaman, tried to strike at him through
the bars, a proceeding which excited shouts
of laughter from the bystanders.

"I think, Jack," Percy said, "it will be
best to try and keep our tempers and not to
seem to mind what they do to us; then if
they find they can't get any fun out of us
they will soon leave us alone."

"Of course, that's the best plan," Fothergill
agreed, "but it's not so easy to follow.
That fellow very nearly poked out my eye
with his stick, and no one's going to stand
that if he can help it."

It was some hours before the curiosity of
the village was satisfied.  When all had paid
who were likely to do so, the guards broke
up their circle, and leaving two of their
number at the cage to see that no actual harm
was caused to their prisoners, the rest went
off to a refreshment house.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—IX.

.. vspace:: 2

The place of the elders was now taken by
the boys and children of the village, who
crowded round the cage, prodding the
prisoners with sticks; and, putting their hands
through the bars, pulled their ears and hair.
This amusement, however, was brought to
an abrupt conclusion by Fothergill suddenly
seizing the wrist of a big boy and pulling his
arm through the cage until his face was
against the bars.  Then he proceeded to
beat him with his own stick until the guard,
coming to his rescue, poked Fothergill until
he released his hold.

The punishment of their comrade excited
neither anger nor resentment among the other
boys, who yelled with delight at his
discomfiture; but it made them more careful in
approaching the cage, and though they
continued to poke the prisoners with sticks
they did not venture again to thrust a hand
through the bars.  At sunset the guards
again came round, lifted the cage, and carried
it into a shed.  A platter of dirty rice and
a jug of water were put into the cage; two
of the men lighted their long pipes and sat
down on guard beside it, and, the doors
being closed, the captives were left in peace.

"If this sort of thing is to go on, as I
suppose it is," Fothergill said, "the sooner
they cut off our heads the better."

"It is very bad, Jack.  I am sore all over
with those prods from their sharp sticks."

"I don't care for the pain, Percy, so much
as the humiliation of the thing.  To be stared
at and poked by these curs as if we were
wild beasts, when with half a dozen of our
men we could send a hundred of them scampering,
I feel as if I could choke with rage."

"You had better try and eat some of this
rice, Jack.  It is not very nice, but I
daresay we shall get no more until to-morrow
night, and we must keep up our strength if
we can.  At any rate, the water is not bad,
that's a comfort."

"No thanks to them," Jack growled.  "If
there had been any bad water in the
neighbourhood they would have given it to us."

For three weeks the sufferings of the
prisoners continued.  Their captors avoided
towns, where the authorities would probably
at once have taken the prisoners out of their
hands.

No one would have recognized the two
captives as the midshipmen of the *Perseus*.
Their clothes were in rags—torn to pieces
by the thrusts of the sharp-pointed bamboos,
to which they had daily been subjected.  The
bad food, the cramped position, and the
misery which they suffered had worn both
lads to skeletons.  Their hair was matted
with filth; their faces begrimed with dirt.

Percy was so weak that he felt he could
not stand.  Fothergill, being three years
older, was less exhausted; but he knew that
he, too, could not support his sufferings for
many days longer.  Their bodies were covered
with sores, and try as they would they
were able to catch only a few minutes' sleep
at a time, so much did the bamboo bars hurt
their wasted limbs.

They seldom exchanged a word during
the daytime, suffering in silence the
persecutions to which they were exposed; but at
night they talked about their homes and
friends in England, and their comrades on
board ship, seldom saying a word as to their
present position.  They were now in a hilly
country, but had not the least idea of the
direction in which it lay from Canton or its
distance from the coast.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—X.

.. vspace:: 2

One evening Jack said to his companion,
"I think it's nearly all over now, Percy.
The last two days we have made longer
journeys, and have not stopped at any of
the smaller villages we passed through.  I
fancy our guards must see that we can't last
much longer, and are taking us down to
some town to hand us over to the authorities
and get their reward for us."

"I hope it is so, Jack; the sooner the
better.  Not that it makes much difference
now to me, for I do not think I can stand
many more days of it."

"I am afraid I am tougher than you,
Percy, and shall take longer to kill, so I
hope with all my heart that I may be right,
and that they may be going to give us up to
the authorities."

The next evening they stopped at a large
place, and were subjected to the usual
persecution; this, however, was now less
prolonged than during the early days of their
captivity, for they had now no longer strength
or spirits to resent their treatment, and as
no fun was to be obtained from passive
victims, even the village boys soon ceased to
find any amusement in tormenting them.

When most of their visitors had left them,
an elderly Chinaman approached the side of
the cage.  He spoke to their guards and
looked at them attentively for some minutes,
then he said in pigeon English, "You officer
men?"

"Yes!" Jack exclaimed, starting at the
sound of the English words, the first they
had heard spoken since their captivity.
"Yes, we are officers of the *Perseus*."

"Me speeke English velly well," the Chinaman
said; "me pilot-man many years on
Canton river.  How you get here?"

"We were attacking some piratical junks,
and landed to destroy the village where the
people were firing on us.  We entered a
place full of pirates, and were knocked down
and taken prisoners, and carried away up
the country; that is three weeks ago, and
you see what we are now."

"Pirate men velly bad," the Chinaman
said; "plunder many junk on river and kill
crew.  Me muchee hate them."

"Can you do anything for us?" Jack
asked.  "You will be well rewarded if you
could manage to get us free."

The man shook his head.

"Me no see what can do, me stranger
here; come to stay with wifey; people no
do what me ask them.  English ships attack
Canton, much fight and take town, people
all hate English.  Bad country dis.  People
in one village fight against another.  Velly
bad men here."

"How far is Canton away?" Jack asked.
"Could you not send down to tell the English
we are here?"

"Fourteen days' journey off," the man
said; "no see how can do anything."

"Well," Jack said, "when you get back
again to Canton let our people know what
has been the end of us; we shall not last
much longer."

"All light," the man said, "will see what
me can do.  Muchee think to-night!"  And
after saying a few words to the guards, who
had been regarding this conversation with
an air of surprise, the Chinaman retired.

The guards had for some time abandoned
the precaution of sitting up at night by the
cage, convinced that their captives had no
longer strength to attempt to break through
its fastenings or to drag themselves many
yards away if they could do so.  They therefore
left it standing in the open, and, wrapping
themselves in their thickly-wadded
coats, for the nights were cold, lay down by
the side of the cage.

The coolness of the nights had, indeed,
assisted to keep the two prisoners alive.
During the day the sun was terribly hot,
and the crowd of visitors round the cage
impeded the circulation of the air and added
to their sufferings.  It was true that the cold
at night frequently prevented them from
sleeping, but it acted as a tonic and braced
them up.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—XI.

.. vspace:: 2

"What did he mean about the villages
attacking each other?" Percy asked.

"I have heard," Jack replied, "that in
some parts of China things are very much
the same as they used to be in the Highlands
of Scotland.  There is no law or order.  The
different villages are like clans, and wage
war on each other.  Sometimes the government
sends a number of troops, who put
the thing down for a time, chop off a good
many heads, and then march away, and the
whole work begins again as soon as their
backs are turned."

That night the uneasy slumber of the lads
was disturbed by a sudden firing; shouts and
yells were heard, and the firing redoubled.

"The village is attacked," Jack said.  "I
noticed that, like some other places we have
come into lately, there is a strong earthen
wall round it, with gates.  Well, there is
one comfort—it does not make much
difference to us which side wins."

The guards at the first alarm leapt to their
feet, caught up their matchlocks, and ran to
aid in the defence of the wall.  Two minutes
later a man ran up to the cage.

"All lightee," he said; "just what me hopee."

With his knife he cut the tough withes
that held the bamboos in their places, and
pulled out three of the bars.

"Come along," he said; "no time to lose."

Jack scrambled out, but in trying to stand
upright gave a sharp exclamation of pain.
Percy crawled out more slowly; he tried to
stand up, but could not.  The Chinaman
caught him up and threw him on his shoulder.

"Come along quickee," he said to Jack;
"if takee village, kill evely one."  He set
off at a run.  Jack followed as fast as he
could, groaning at every step from the pain
the movement caused to his bruised body.

They went to the side of the village
opposite to that at which the attack was going
on.  They met no one on the way, the
inhabitants having all rushed to the other side
to repel the attack.  They stopped at a small
gate in the wall, the Chinaman drew back
the bolts and opened it, and they passed out
into the country.  For an hour they kept
on.  By the end of that time Jack could
scarcely drag his limbs along.  The
Chinaman halted at length in a clump of trees,
surrounded by a thick undergrowth.

"Allee safee here," he said, "no searchee
so far; here food;" and he produced from
a wallet a cold chicken and some boiled rice,
and unslung from his shoulder a gourd filled
with cold tea.

"Me go back now, see what happen.  To-mollow
nightee come again—bringee more
food."  And without another word he went
off at a rapid pace.

Jack moistened his lips with the tea, and
then turned to his companion.  Percy had
not spoken a word since he had been released
from the cage, and had been insensible during
the greater part of his journey.  Jack poured
some cold tea between his lips.

"Cheer up, Percy, old boy, we are free
now, and with luck and that good fellow's
help we will work our way down to Canton yet."

"I shall never get down there; you may,"
Percy said feebly.

"Oh, nonsense! you will pick up strength
like a steam-engine now.  Here, let me prop
you against this tree.  That's better.  Now
drink a drop of this tea; it's like nectar after
that filthy water we have been drinking.
Now you will feel better.  Now you must
try and eat a little of this chicken and rice.
Oh, nonsense! you have got to do it.  I am
not going to let you give way when our
trouble is just over.

"Think of your people at home, Percy,
and make an effort for their sakes.  Good
heavens! now I think of it, it must be
Christmas morning.  We were caught on the
second, and we have been just twenty-two
days on show.  I am sure that it must be
past twelve o'clock, and it is Christmas-day.
It is a good omen, Percy.  This food isn't
like roast beef and plum-pudding, but it is
not to be despised, I can tell you.  Come,
now, take some; that's a good fellow."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—XII.

.. vspace:: 2

Percy made an effort, and ate a few mouthfuls
of rice and chicken, then he took another
draught of tea, and lay down, and was
almost immediately asleep.

Jack ate his food slowly and contentedly
till he finished half the supply, then he too
lay down, and, after a short but hearty thanksgiving
for his escape from a slow and lingering
death, fell asleep.  The sun was rising
when he awoke.  He opened his eyes and sat up.

"Well, Percy, how do you feel this morning?"
he asked cheerily.

"I feel too weak to move," Percy replied
languidly.

"Oh, you will be all right when you
have sat up and eaten breakfast," Jack said
"Here you are; here is a wing for you, and
this rice is as white as snow, and the tea is
first-rate.  I thought last night after I lay
down that I heard a murmur of water, so
after we have had breakfast I will look about
and see if I can find it.  We should feel like
new men after a wash.  You look awful, and
I am sure I am just as bad."

The thought of a wash cheered Percy far
more than that of eating, and he sat up and
made a great effort to do justice to breakfast.
He succeeded much better than he had done
the night before, and Jack, although he
pretended to grumble, was satisfied with his
companion's progress, and finished off the
rest of the food.  Then he set out to search
for water.

He had not very far to go.  A tiny stream,
a few inches wide and two or three inches
deep, ran through the wood from the higher
ground.  After throwing himself down and
taking a drink he hurried back to Percy.

"It is all right, Percy, I have found it.
We can wash to our hearts' content; think
of that, lad."

Percy could hardly stand, but he made an
effort, and Jack half carried him to the
streamlet.  There the lads spent hours.  First they
bathed their heads and hands, and then
stripping, lay down in the stream and allowed
it to flow over them; then they rubbed
themselves with handfuls of leaves dipped in the
water; and when they at last put on their
rags again they felt like new men.

Percy was able to walk back to the spot
they had quitted, with the assistance only of
Jack's arm.  The latter, feeling that his
breakfast had by no means appeased his hunger,
now started for a search through the wood,
and presently returned to Percy laden with
nuts and berries.

"The nuts are sure to be all right; I expect
the berries are too.  I have certainly seen
some like them in native markets, and I think
it will be quite safe to risk it."

The rest of the day was spent in picking
nuts and eating them.  Then they sat down
and waited for the arrival of their friend.
He came two hours after nightfall with a
wallet stored with provisions, and told them
that he had regained the village unobserved.
The attack had been repulsed, but with severe
loss to the defenders as well as to the
assailants.  Two of their guards had been among
the killed.

The others had made a great clamour over
the escape of the prisoners, and had made
a close search throughout the village and
immediately round it, for they were
convinced that their captives had not had the
strength to go any distance.  He thought,
however, that although they had professed
the greatest indignation, and had offered
many threats as to the vengeance the government
would take upon the village, they would
not trouble themselves any further in the
matter.

They had already reaped a rich harvest
from the exhibition, and would divide among
themselves the share of their late comrades.
Nor was it at all unlikely that, if they were
to report the matter to the authorities, they
would themselves get into serious trouble for
not having handed over the prisoners
immediately after their capture.



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.. class:: center

   A BRUSH WITH THE CHINESE.—XIII.

.. vspace:: 2

For a fortnight the old pilot nursed and
fed the two midshipmen.  He had already
provided them with native clothes, so that
if by chance any villagers should catch sight
of them they would not recognize them as
the escaped white men.

At the end of that time both the lads had
almost recovered from the effects of their
sufferings.  Jack, indeed, had picked up
from the first, but Percy for some days
continued so weak and ill that Jack had feared
that he was going to have an attack of fever
of some kind.

His companion's cheery and hopeful chat
did as much good for Percy as the nourishing
food with which their friend supplied
them; and at the end of the fortnight he
declared that he felt sufficiently strong to
attempt to make his way down to the coast.

The pilot acted as their guide.  When
they inquired about his wife, he told them
carelessly that she would remain with her
kinsfolk, and would travel on to Canton and
join him there when she found an opportunity.
The journey was accomplished at
night, by very short stages at first, but by
increasing distances as Percy gained strength.

During the daytime the lads lay hid in
woods or jungles, while their companion
went into a village and purchased food,
they struck the river many miles above
Canton, and the pilot, going down first to a
village on its banks, bargained for a boat to
take him and two women down to the city.

The lads went on board at night and took
their places in the little cabin, formed of
bamboos and covered with mats, in the stern
of the boat, and remained thus sheltered not
only from the view of people in boats passing
up or down the stream, but from the
eyes of their own boatmen.

After two days' journey down the river
without incident, they arrived off Canton,
where the British fleet was still lying while
negotiations for peace were being carried on
with the authorities at Pekin.  Peeping out
between the mats, the lads caught sight of
the English warships, and, knowing that
there was now no danger, they dashed out
of the cabin, to the surprise of the native
boatmen, and shouted and waved their arms
to the distant ships.

In ten minutes they were alongside the
*Perseus*, when they were hailed as if restored
from the dead.

The pilot was very handsomely rewarded
by the English authorities for his kindness
to the prisoners, and was highly satisfied
with the result of his proceedings, which
more than doubled the little capital with
which he had retired from business.  Jack
Fothergill and Percy Adcock declare that
they have never since eaten chicken without
thinking of their Christmas fare on the
morning of their escape from the hands of
the Chinese pirates.





.. vspace:: 4

.. _`THE BLACK DEATH`:

.. class:: center large bold

   THE BLACK DEATH.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "ST. GEORGE FOR ENGLAND."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Sir Walter Somers, a young knight who had distinguished
himself under the Black Prince at Crecy and Poitiers,
married Edith Vernon; and, during a lull in the fighting with
France, settled down in his castle at Westerham.  He had a
deadly enemy in a knight who was a relation of his wife's,
and whom he had thwarted in an attempt made on her in
order to inherit the property.

.. class:: small

The terrible plague known in history as the Black Death
(1348-49), which carried off two-thirds of the population of
England, breaks out.  When the plague reaches the village,
Sir Walter goes down with his faithful retainer Ralph to
comfort the frightened people.]

.. vspace:: 2

They found the village in a state of panic.
Women were sitting crying despairingly at
their doors.  Some were engaged in packing
their belongings in carts ready for flight.
Some wandered aimlessly about, wringing
their hands, while others went to the church,
whose bells were mournfully tolling the knell
of the departed.

Walter's presence soon restored something
like order and confidence; his resolute
tone cheered the timid and gave hope to the
despairing.  Sternly he rebuked those
preparing to fly, and ordered them instantly to
replace their goods in their houses.  Then
he went to the priest and implored him to
cause the tolling of the bell to cease.

"There is enough," he said, "in the real
danger present to appal even the bravest,
and we need no bell to tell us that death is
among us.  The dismal tolling is enough to
unnerve the stoutest heart, and if we ring
for all who die, its sounds will never cease
while the plague is among us; therefore,
father, I implore you to discontinue it.

"Let there be services held daily in the
church, but I beseech you strive to cheer the
people rather than to depress them, and to
dwell more upon the joys that await those
who die as Christian men and women than
upon the sorrows of those who remain
behind.  My wife and mother will soon be
down in the village and will strive to cheer
and comfort the people, and I look to you
for aid in this matter."

The priest, who was naturally a timid
man, nevertheless nerved himself to carry
out Walter's suggestions, and soon the
dismal tones of the bell ceased to be heard in
the village.

Walter despatched messengers to all the
outlying farms, desiring his tenants to meet
him that afternoon at the castle, in order
that steps might be taken for common aid.
An hour later Dame Vernon and Edith came
down and visited all the houses where the
plague had made its appearance, distributing
their soups, and by cheering and comforting
words raising the spirits of the relatives
of the sufferers.

The names of all the women ready to aid
in the work of nursing were taken down,
and in the afternoon at the meeting at the
castle the full arrangements were completed.
Work was to be carried on as usual in order
to occupy men's minds, and prevent them
from brooding over the awful effects of the
plague.

Information of any case that occurred was
to be sent to the castle, where soups and
medicines were to be obtained.  Whenever
more assistance was required than could be
furnished by the inmates of a house, another
woman was to be sent to aid.  Boys were
told off as messengers to fetch food and
other things as required from the castle.

So, bravely and firmly, they prepared to
meet the pestilence; it spread with terrible
severity.  There was scarcely a house which
did not lose some of its inmates, while in
others whole families were swept away.  All
day Walter and his wife and Dame Vernon
went from house to house.  Although they
could do nothing to stay the progress of the
pestilence, their presence and example
supported the survivors, and prevented the
occurrence of any of the panic and disorder
which in most places accompanied it.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE BLACK DEATH.—II

.. vspace:: 2

The castle was not exempt from the
scourge.  First some of the servants were
seized, and three men and four women died.
Walter himself was attacked, but he took
it lightly, and three days after the seizure
passed into a state of convalescence.

Dame Vernon was next attacked, and
expired six hours after the commencement
of her illness.  Scarcely was Walter upon
his feet than Ralph, who had not for a
moment left his bedside, was seized, but he
too, after being at death's door for some
hours, turned the corner.  Lastly Edith
sickened.

By this time the scourge had done its
worst in the village, and three-fifths of the
population had been swept away.  All the
male retainers in the castle had died, and
the one female who survived was nursing
her dying mother in the village.  Edith's
attack was a very severe one.

Walter, alone now,—for Ralph, although
convalescent, had not yet left his bed,—sat
by his wife's bedside a prey to anxiety and
grief; for although she had resisted the first
attack, she was now, thirty-six hours after it
had seized her, fast sinking.  Gradually her
sight and power of speech failed, and she
lay quiet and motionless, and it seemed as
if life had already departed.

Suddenly Walter was surprised by the
sound of many heavy feet ascending the
stairs.  He went out into the ante-room to
learn the cause of this strange tumult, when
five armed men, one of whom was masked,
rushed into the room.  Walter caught up
his sword from the table.

"Ruffians!" he exclaimed, "how dare you
thus dishonour the abode of death?"

Without a word the men sprang upon him.
For a minute he defended himself against
their attacks, but he was still weak; his
guard was beaten down, and a blow felled
him to the ground.

"Now settle her!" the masked man exclaimed,
and the band rushed into the adjoining
room.  They paused, however, at the
door at the sight of the lifeless figure on the
couch.

"We are saved that trouble," one said;
"we have come too late."

The masked figure approached the couch
and bent over the figure.

"Yes," he said, "she is dead, and so much
the better."

Then he returned with the others to Walter.

"He breathes yet," he said.  "He needs
a harder blow than that you gave him to
finish him.  Let him lie here for a while,
while you gather your booty together; then
we will carry him off.  There is scarcely a
soul alive in the country round, and none
will note us as we pass.

"If we killed him here his body would be
found with wounds upon it, and even in
these times some inquiry might be made;
therefore it were best to finish him elsewhere.
When he is missed it will be supposed that
he went mad at the death of his wife, and
has wandered out and died, maybe in the
woods, or has drowned himself in a pond
or stream.  Besides, I would that before he
dies he should know what hand has struck
the blow, and that my vengeance, which he
slighted and has twice escaped, has
overtaken him at last."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE BLACK DEATH.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

After ransacking the principal rooms and
taking all that was valuable, the band of
marauders lifted the still insensible body of
Walter, and carrying it downstairs flung it
across a horse.  One of the ruffians mounted
behind it, and the others also getting into
their saddles, the party rode away.

They were mistaken, however, in supposing
that the Lady Edith was dead.  She was
indeed very nigh the gates of death, and had
it not been for the disturbance would
assuredly have speedily entered them.  The
voice of her husband raised in anger, the
clash of steel, followed by the heavy fall, had
awakened her dazed senses.

Consciousness had at once partly returned
to her, but as yet no power of movement.
She had heard the words of those who
entered her chamber as if they were spoken
afar off.

More and more distinctly she heard their
movements about the room, but it was not
until silence was restored that she came to
herself completely.  Then with a sudden rush
the blood seemed to course through her veins,
her eyes opened, and her tongue was loosed,
and with a scream she sprang up and stood
by the side of her bed.

She hurried into the next room.  A pool
of blood on the floor showed her that what
she had heard had not been a dream.  Snatching
up a cloak of her husband's which lay on
a couch, she wrapped it round her, and with
hurried steps made her way along the
passages until she reached the apartment
occupied by Ralph.  The latter sprang up in bed
with a cry of astonishment.

He had heard but an hour before from
Walter that all hope was gone, and thought
for an instant that the figure he saw was an
apparition from the dead.  The ghastly pallor
of the face, the eyes burning with a strange
light, the wild hair and disordered
appearance of the lady might well have alarmed
one living in even less superstitious times.
Ralph was beginning to cross himself hastily
and to mutter a prayer, when he was
recalled to himself by the sound of Edith's
voice.

"Quick, Ralph!" she said, "arise and
clothe yourself.  Hasten for your life.  My
lord's enemies have fallen upon him and
wounded him grievously, even if they have
not slain him, and have carried him away.
They would have slain me also had they not
thought I was already dead.  Arise and
mount, summon everyone still alive in the
village, and follow these murderers.  I will
pull the alarm-bell of the castle."

Ralph sprang from his bed as Edith left.
He had heard the sound of many footsteps
in the knight's apartments, but had deemed
them those of the priest come to administer
the last rites of the church to his dying
mistress.  Rage and anxiety for his master
gave strength to his limbs.  He threw on a
few clothes and rushed down to the stables,
where the horses stood with great piles of
forage and pails of water before them, placed
there two days before by Walter when their
last attendant died.  Without waiting to
saddle it Ralph sprang upon the back of one
of the animals, and taking the halters of four
others started at a gallop down to the village.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE BLACK DEATH.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

His news spread like wildfire; for the
ringing of the alarm-bell of the castle had
drawn all to their doors and prepared them
for something strange.  Some of the men
had already taken their arms and were
making their way up to the castle when they met
Ralph.  There were but five men in the
village who had altogether escaped the
pestilence; others had survived its attacks, but
were still weak.  Horses there were in plenty.
The five men mounted at once, with three
others who, though still weak, were still able
to ride.

So great was the excitement that seven
women, who had escaped the disease, armed
themselves with their husbands' swords and
leaped on horseback, declaring that, women
though they were, they would strike a blow
for their beloved lord, who had been as an
angel in the village during the plague.

Thus it was scarcely more than ten minutes
after the marauders had left the castle before
a motley band, fifteen strong, headed by
Ralph, rode off in pursuit, while some of the
women of the village hurried up to the castle
to comfort Edith with the tidings that the
pursuit had already commenced.  Fortunately
a lad in the fields had noticed the five
men ride away from the castle, and was able
to point out the direction they had taken.

At a furious gallop Ralph and his companions
tore across the country.  Mile after
mile was passed.  Once or twice they gained
news from labourers in the field of the
passage of those before them, and knew that
they were on the right track.

They had now entered a wild and sparsely
inhabited country.  It was broken and rolling,
so that although they knew that the men
they were pursuing were but a short distance
ahead they had not yet caught sight of them.
They hoped that, having no reason to dread
any immediate pursuit, these would soon
slacken their pace.  This expectation was
realized, for on coming over a brow they saw
the party halted at a turf-burner's cottage in
the hollow below.

Three of the men had dismounted; two of
them were examining the hoof of one of the
horses, which had apparently cast a shoe or
trodden upon a stone.  Ralph had warned
his party to make no sound when they came
upon the fugitives.  The sound of the horses'
hoofs was deadened by the turf, and they
were within a hundred yards of the marauders
before they were perceived; then Ralph
uttered a shout, and brandishing their swords
the party rode down at a headlong gallop.

The dismounted men leaped to their saddles
and galloped off at full speed, but their
pursuers were now close upon them.  Ralph
and two of his companions, who were mounted
upon Walter's best horses, gained upon them
at every stride.  Two of them were overtaken
and run through.

The man who bore Walter before him,
finding himself being rapidly overtaken,
threw his burden on to the ground just as
the leader of the party had checked his horse
and was about to deliver a sweeping blow at
the insensible body.

With a curse at his follower for ridding
himself of it, he again galloped on.  The
man's act was unavailing to save himself, for
he was overtaken and cut down before he
had ridden many strides; then Ralph and
his party instantly reined up to examine the
state of Walter, who was found to be still
breathing, and the two survivors of the band
of murderers continued their flight unmolested.





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.. _`THE WHITE SHIP`:

.. class:: center large bold

   THE WHITE SHIP.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "THE REIGN OF TERROR"

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Harry Sandwith was acting as companion to the sons of
a great French noble when the Revolution broke out.  The
marquis and his wife were massacred by the mob.  Their sons,
in trying to make their escape from the country, were seized
and put to death.  Harry Sandwith found himself left in
charge of the two daughters, who, accompanied by an old
nurse, travelled with him in disguise to Nantes.  Here they
lived in seclusion for a time, Harry trying to obtain a passage
for them in a smuggling craft.

.. class:: small

Nantes is in the hands of the Revolutionists, who, under
the direction of the infamous Carrier, the Commissioner from
Paris, are massacring wholesale all suspected of hostility.
There is much illness and distress in the town, and the ladies
by their kindness to the sick win the hearts of some of the
sailors, so that, finally, arrangements for escape are made.

.. class:: small

Before they can be carried out, however, the girls are seized
and thrown into prison.  The ordinary modes of execution
being found too slow to clear the prisons of the numbers of
those brought in daily under the charge of being aristocrats,
Carrier organized what are known in history as the Noyades.
He procured a number of boats, and had them moored in the
middle of the stream.  The prisoners—men, women, and
children—were placed on board.  Holes were cut in the bottom
to cause the craft to sink, while troops lined the river and fired
with artillery and musketry at those who endeavoured to swim
to shore.

.. class:: small

Harry, hearing of this infamous design, and learning which
craft the girls were to be placed on, determines to effect their
rescue.  He is taken on board the boat at night, and with the
assistance of the sailors prepares the hatchway of the cabin as
a means of escape.  The sailors then row off, and leave him to
himself.]

.. vspace:: 2

When left alone Harry blew out the other
candles, but left that in the lantern burning,
and threw himself down on the locker and
thought over every detail of the work for the
next day.  As he had said, the great danger
was of Virginie struggling and being too
frightened to follow his instructions.
Certainly he could fasten a rope round her, but
even then it might be difficult to manage her.
The next danger was, that other persons
might cling to the hatchway.  Harry felt the
long knife which was concealed in his breast.

"God grant I may not have to use it!" he
said; "but, if it must be, I shall not hesitate.
They would simply destroy us without saving
themselves, that is certain.  Therefore I am
justified in defending the girls, as I would
against any other enemy."

He knelt down and prayed for some time.
Then he replaced the piece they had cut out
from the hatch, fixed the beams beneath it,
and lay down again.  He was worn out by
the excitement of the day, and in spite of his
anxiety about the morrow he presently fell
off to sleep.

It was long before he woke.  When he
did so, he looked through one of the auger-holes
into the hold and saw the light streaming
down the open hatchway, and could tell
that the sun was already up.

He ate the food which Marthe had put
into his pocket just as he was starting; saw
that the bundles of corks were ready at hand,
and the ropes attached to them so placed that
they could be fastened on in an instant.
Then there was nothing to do but to wait.

The time passed slowly.  Presently he
heard the sound of drums and bugles, and
knew that the troops were taking up their
positions on the quays.  At last—it seemed
many hours to him—he heard the splash of
oars, and presently felt a slight shock as a
boat ran alongside the lugger.  Then there
were voices, and the sound of feet above as
persons mounted on to the deck.  There was
a scraping noise by the lugger's side, and
immediately afterwards another bump as the
second boat took the place of the first.

This, as far as Harry could hear, did not
leave the lugger.  There was a great hum of
talking on deck, principally in women's voices,
and persons so often stepped on the hatch,
that Harry was glad the beams gave a solid
support to it.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE WHITE SHIP.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

Half an hour passed, as well as Harry
could judge; then the boom of a cannon was
heard, and immediately two men leapt down
into the hold, knocked the six plugs out of
their place, and climbed up on deck again.
There was again the scraping noise, and
Harry knew the boat had pushed off this
time for good.  He watched the six jets of
water for a minute or two.  Then saying to
himself, "It is time," he knocked the beams
from their ledges, allowed the square of wood
to fall, lifted the hatch, and pushed it off its
combing, and clambered on to the deck with
the corks and ropes.

There were some fifty persons on board,
for the most part women and children, but
with two or three men among them.  They
were gathered near the stern, and were apparently
watching the scene ashore with astonishment.
He hurried aft, having no fear that at
this distance from the shore his figure would
be recognized from the rest, and if it were it
mattered not.  Two or three turned round
as the supposed sailor came aft, exclaiming:

"What does this mean?  Why are we put
here on board these white ships?  What are
they going to do with us?"

"Alas, ladies!" he said, "they have put
you here to die; they have bored holes in the
ships' bottoms, and in a few minutes they
will sink.  It is a wholesale execution."

As he began to speak one of the ladies in
the stern pushed her way through the rest.

"Oh, Harry, is it you!" she exclaimed as
he finished.  "Is it true, are we to die
together?"

"We are in God's hands, Jeanne, but there
is hope yet.  Bring Virginie forward with me."

At Harry's first words a panic had seized
all around; one or two ran to the hatchway
and looked down into the hold, and screamed
out that the water was rushing in; then some
cried to the distant crowd to send to save
them; others ran up and down as if demented;
while some threw themselves on their knees.

But the panic soon passed away.  All had
for weeks looked death in the face; and
though the unexpected form in which it
appeared had for the moment shaken them,
they soon recovered.  Mothers clasped their
daughters to their breasts for a last farewell,
and then all with bowed heads kneeled and
listened in silence to an old man who began
to pray aloud.

Jeanne, without another word, had taken
Virginie's hands and accompanied Harry
forward to the fore part of the deck.

"Jeanne, I am going to try to save you
and Virginie, but everything depends upon
your being cool and brave.  I need not urge
you, because I am sure of you.  Virginie,
will you try to be cool for Jeanne's sake and
your own?  If you do not we must all die
together."

"What are we to do, Harry?" Jeanne said
steadily; while Virginie clung to her sister,
sobbing bitterly.

"Fasten this bundle of corks between
Virginie's shoulders, high up—yes, there."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE WHITE SHIP.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

While Jeanne was doing this, Harry fastened
a rope to a ring in the side of the
hatch; then he tied the corks on to Jeanne's
shoulders, and adjusted the third bundle to
his own.

"Now, Jeanne," he said, "I will tell you
what we are to do.  You see this hatch;
when the vessel sinks it will float, and we
must float on our backs with our faces
underneath it, so that it will hide us from
the sight of the wretches on shore.  Even
if they put out in boats to kill any who may
be swimming or clinging to spars, they will
not suspect that there is anyone under this.
We may not succeed; an accident may betray
us, but there is a possibility.  At any
rate, dear, we shall live or die together."

"I am content," Jeanne said quietly.

"You know, Jeanne," Harry said, putting
his hands on the girl's shoulders, "that I love
you.  I should never have told you so until
we had got home if it hadn't been for this;
but though I have never said it, you know
I love you."

"I know, Harry; and I love you too with
all my heart—so much, that I can feel almost
happy that we are to die together."

As Jeanne finished speaking, there was
a sudden crash.  Impatient at the length of
time the vessels were in sinking, those ashore
had opened fire with cannons upon them, and
the shot had struck the lugger just above
the water.

With a little cry Virginie fell senseless on
the deck.

"That's the best thing that could have
happened," Harry said as Jeanne stooped
over her sister.  "Lie down on the deck,
dear, or you may be struck; they are firing
with muskets now.  I am going to lie down
too," he said in answer to her look, "but I
shall first twist this cord round Virginie so
as to keep her arms by her side, otherwise
when the water touches her she may come to
her senses and struggle.  That's all right."

Then he lay down on the deck between
the girls, with his head against the hatch and
holding the rope.

"Put your head on my shoulder, Jeanne,
and I will put my arm round you.  I will
hold Virginie the same way the other side.
Hold tight by me for a moment as we sink.
I may have to use my arms to get the hatch
over our faces.  Do not breathe while you
are under the water, for we shall, no doubt,
go down with the lugger, although I shall try
to keep you afloat.  When you are under the
hatch you will find you will float with your
mouth well out of water, and will be able to
breathe; the corks will keep you up."

"I understand, Harry; now let us pray
until the time comes."

Shot after shot struck the lugger, then
Harry felt her give a sudden lurch.  There
was a wild cry, and the next moment she
went down stern first.  She was so nearly
even with the water when she sank that there
was less downward suck than Harry had
expected, and striking out with his feet his
head was soon above the surface.

The cord had kept the hatch within a
couple of feet of him, and with some
difficulty, owing to the buoyancy of the corks,
he thrust himself and the girls under it.
The tarpaulin was old and rotten, and the
light penetrated in several places, and Harry
could see that, in the position in which they
were lying, the faces of both girls were above
the water.

It was useless to speak, for their ears were
submerged; but a slight motion from Jeanne
responded to a pressure of his arm, and he
knew that she was sensible, although she
had not made the slightest motion from the
moment the vessel sank.



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE WHITE SHIP.—IV.

.. vspace:: 2

Virginie had not, as he feared would be
the case, recovered her senses with the shock
of the immersion, but lay insensible on his
shoulder.  He could see by the movement
of Jeanne's lips that she was praying, and he
too thanked God that He had given success
to the plan so far, and prayed for protection
to the end.

With every minute that passed his hopes
rose; everything had answered beyond his
expectation.  The other victims had
apparently not even noticed what he was doing,
and therefore had not, as he feared might be
the case, interfered with his preparations,
nor had any of them striven to gain a hold
on the hatchway.

The sinking of the vessel, and the tearing
up of the water by the shot, would render
the surface disturbed and broken, and
decrease the chances of the floating hatch
attracting attention.  After ten minutes had
passed he felt certain that they must be below
the point where the troops were assembled.

The tide was running out strong, for the
time for the massacre had been fixed at an
hour which would ensure the bodies being
swept down to the sea.  Half an hour would,
he thought, take them past the bend, where
their friends would be waiting for them.

The time seemed endless, for although
Harry felt the coldness of the water but little
for himself, he knew that it must be trying
indeed for Jeanne.  As far as he could see
her face it was as white as her sister's; but
he had hold of one of her hands now, and
knew that she was still conscious.

At last he heard the sound of oars.  It
might not be one of the friendly boats; but
the probability was that it was one or other
of them.  Had they seen any other fisherman's
boat near the point, they would have
rowed high up so as to intercept the hatch
before it reached the stranger.  Harry could
not hear voices; for although the water had
conveyed the sound of the oars a considerable
distance, he could hear no sound in the air.

The oars came nearer and nearer, and by
the quickness with which the strokes followed
each other he knew that two boats were at
hand.  Then the hatch was suddenly lifted,
and as Harry raised his head above water
there was a loud cheer, and he saw Adolphe
and Pierre, one on each side, stretch out
their arms to him.

The girls were first lifted into Pierre's boat,
for Jeanne was as unable to move as her
sister; then Harry was dragged in, the rough
sailors shaking his hand and patting him on
the shoulder, while the tears ran down their
cheeks.

As soon as Jeanne was able to sit up she
began to chafe one of Virginie's hands, while
Harry took the other.

"Take off her shoes, Pierre, and soak a
cloth with the hot water and put it to her feet."

But with all these efforts it was not until
they were close to Pierre's village that
Virginie opened her eyes.  When they arrived
at the little causeway the two girls were
wrapped up in the peasants' cloaks which
Pierre had brought with him.  Jeanne took
Harry's arm, while Adolphe lifted Virginie
and carried her up.  Henriette was standing
at the door as Jeanne staggered in with Harry.

"That is right, Mademoiselle.  Thank God
who has brought you safe through the
danger.  Now, do not stop a moment, but come
in here and get into bed, it is all ready
for you.  The blankets have been before the
fire until the moment you landed; they will
soon give you warmth.  And do you,
Monsieur Sandwith, hurry up to the loft and
get on dry clothes."

[Finally they succeeded in getting on board
a smuggling lugger, and arrived safely in
England.]





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.. _`THE CHILD'S RETURN`:

.. class:: center large bold

   THE CHILD'S RETURN.


.. class:: center medium bold

   FROM "WITH WOLFE IN CANADA."

.. vspace:: 2

.. class:: small

[Squire Linthorne's son had married the daughter of an
ex-sergeant in the army, who kept a lodging-house at Southampton.
He had married her in defiance of his father, and in
spite too of the sergeant, who would not give his consent to
the marriage unless the squire also gave his approval.  The
young couple had fallen into poverty.

.. class:: small

The squire, who always intended finally to forgive his son,
travelled on the Continent, and on his return found a letter
from his dying son, dated from a place in the south of France.
He travelled there post-haste, but arrived too late; his son
and his young wife were both dead.  A child had been born,
but had been taken away by the wife's father, who had been
with them at the last.

.. class:: small

The squire had tried every means to obtain a clue to the
whereabouts of his granddaughter, but had failed, and had
settled down a solitary and broken-hearted man on his estate
near Sidmouth.  In the meantime the sergeant, who was
ignorant that the squire had ever at heart forgiven his son,
and who believed that he had refused to come to see him even
on his death-bed, had brought up the child.

.. class:: small

After the death of his daughter he had travelled the
country with a peep-show, taking the little one with him.  When
she was five or six years old he had placed her with a
school-mistress at Sidmouth, considering that although it would be
terrible to him to part with her, it was but right that the
squire should at least have the opportunity of taking his
granddaughter to live with him.  John Petersham, the squire's
old butler, undertook to introduce the little girl to his master.]

.. vspace:: 2

That evening the squire was sitting by
himself in the great dining-room.  The
curtains were drawn and the candles lighted,
for it was late in September, and the evenings
were closing in fast, and the squire was
puzzling over John Petersham's behaviour
at dinner.

Although the squire was not apt to observe
closely what was passing around him, he had
been struck with the old butler's manner;
that something was wrong with him was
clear.  Usually he was the most quiet and
methodical of servants, but he had blundered
several times in the service.  He had handed
his master dishes when his plate was already
supplied; he had started nervously when
spoken to.  Mr. Linthorne even thought that
he had seen tears in his eyes; altogether he
was strangely unlike himself.

Mr. Linthorne had asked him if anything
was the matter, but John had with almost
unnecessary earnestness declared there was
nothing.  Altogether the squire was puzzled.

Presently the door of the room quietly
opened.  The squire did not look up.  It
closed again as quietly, and then he glanced
towards it.  He could hardly believe his
eyes.  A child was standing there—a girl
with soft smooth hair and large eyes and a
sensitive mouth, with an expression fearless
but appealing.  Her hands were clasped
before her, and she was standing, in doubt
whether to advance.

There was something so strange in this
apparition in the lonely room that the squire
did not speak for a moment.  It flashed
across him vaguely that there was something
familiar to him in the face and expression,
something which sent a thrill through him;
and at the same instant, without knowing
why, he felt that there was a connection
between the appearance of the child and the
matter he had just been thinking of—John
Petersham's strange conduct.  He was still
looking at her when she advanced quietly
towards him.

"Grandpapa," she said, "I am Aggie Linthorne."

A low cry of astonishment broke from the
squire.  He pushed his chair back.

"Can it be true," he muttered, "or am I
dreaming?"

"Yes, grandpapa," the child said, close
beside him now, "I am Aggie Linthorne, and
I have come to see you.  If you don't think
it's me, grampa said I was to give you this
and then you would know;" and she held
out a miniature on ivory of a boy some
fourteen years old, and a watch and chain.

"I do not need them," the squire said in
low tones, "I see it in your face.  You are
Herbert's child, whom I looked for so long.
Oh! my child! my child! have you come at
last?" and he drew her towards him and
kissed her passionately, while the tears
streamed down his cheeks.

.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE CHILD'S RETURN.—II.

.. vspace:: 2

"I couldn't come before, you know," the
child said, "because I didn't know about
you, and grampa—that's my other
grandpapa, you know—did not know you wanted
me; but now he knows he sent me to you.
He told me I was to come because you were
lonely; but you can't be more lonely than
he is," she said, with a quiver in her voice.

"Oh! he will be lonely now!"

"But where did you come from, my dear,
and how did you get here, and what have
you been doing all these years?"

"Grampa brought me here," the child
said.  "I call him grampa, you know,
because I did when I was little, and I have
always kept to it; but I know, of course, it
ought to be grandpapa.  He brought me
here, and John—at least he called him
John—brought me in.  And I have been living
for two years with Mrs. Walsham down in
the town, and I used to see you in church,
but I did not know that you were my grandpapa."

The squire, who was holding her close to
him while she spoke, got up and rang the
bell, and John opened the door with a
quickness that showed that he had been
standing close to it, anxiously waiting a
summons.

"John Petersham," the squire said, "give
me your hand; this is the happiest day of
my life!"

The two men wrung each other's hands.
They had been friends ever since John
Petersham, who was twelve years the senior of
the two, first came to the house, a young
fellow of eighteen, to assist his father, who
had held the same post before him.

"God be thanked, squire!" he said huskily.

"God be thanked, indeed, John!" the
squire rejoined reverently.  "So this was
the reason, old friend, why your hand shook
as you poured out my wine.  How could
you keep the secret from me?"

"I did not know how to begin to tell you,
but I was pretty nigh letting it out, and only
the thought that it was better the little lady
should tell you herself, as we had agreed,
kept it in.  Only to think, squire, after all
these years! but I never quite gave her up.
I always thought somehow that she would
come just like this."

"Did you, John?  I gave up hope years
ago.  How did it come about, John?"

"Mrs. Walsham told me as I came out of
church to-day that she wanted to speak to
me, so I went down, and she told me all
about it, and then I saw him—"

John hesitated at the name, for he knew
that perhaps the only man in the world
against whom his master cherished a bitter
resentment was the father of his son's wife.

"It seems he never saw your advertisements,
never knew you wanted to hear anything
of the child, so he took her away and
kept her.  He has been here off and on all
these years.  I heard of him often and often
when I had been down into Sidmouth, but
never dreamt it was him.  He went about
the country with a box on wheels with
glasses—a peep-show they call it."

The squire winced.

"He is well spoken of, squire," John said,
"and I am bound to say he doesn't seem
the sort of man we took him for at all.  He
did not know that you wanted to have her,
but he thought it his duty to give her the
chance, and so he put her with Mrs. Walsham,
and never told her till yesterday who
she was.  Mrs. Walsham was quite grieved
at parting with her, for she says she is
wonderfully quick at her lessons, and has been
like a daughter with her for the last two
years."



.. vspace:: 3

.. class:: center

   THE CHILD'S RETURN.—III.

.. vspace:: 2

The child had sat quietly down in a chair
and was looking into the fire while the two
men were speaking.  She had done what
she had been told to do, and was waiting
quietly for what was to come next.  Her
quick ear, however, noticed that John Petersham
spoke of her old grandfather as though
he needed to be excused for something, and
she was moved to instant anger.

"Why do you speak like that of my
grampa?" she said, rising to her feet and
standing indignantly before him.  "He is
the best man in the world, and the kindest
and the nicest, and if you don't like him I
can go away to him again.  I don't want to
stay here, not one minute.

"You may be my grandpapa," she went
on, turning to the squire, "and you may be
lonely, but he is lonely too, and you have
got a great house and all sorts of nice things,
and you can do better without me than he
can, for he has got nothing to love but me,
poor grampa!" and her eyes filled with
sudden tears as she thought of him tramping on
his lonely walks over the hills.

"We do not mean to speak unkindly of
your grandfather, my dear," the squire said
gently.  "I have never seen him, you know,
and John has never seen him but once.  I
have thought all these years bitterly of him,
but perhaps I have been mistaken.  He has
ever been kind and good to you, and, above
all, he has given you back to me, and that
will make me think differently of him in
future.  We all make mistakes, you know,
and I have made terrible mistakes, and have
been terribly punished for them.  I daresay
I have made a mistake here; but whether
or no, you shall never hear a word from me
against the man who has been so kind to you."

"And you will let me see him sometimes,
grandpapa?" the child said, taking his hand
pleadingly.  "He said if you said no I must
do as you told me, because somehow you
are nearer to me than he is, though I don't
know how that can be; but you won't say
that, will you? for, oh! I know he is so
lonely without me, and I should never be
happy thinking of him all alone, not if you
were to be ever so kind to me and to give
me all sorts of grand things."

"No, my dear, I certainly shall not say
so.  You shall see him as often as you like."

"Oh, thank you, grandpapa!" she exclaimed
joyfully, and she held up her face
to kiss him.

The squire lifted her in his arms and held
her closely to him.

"John," he said, "you must tell
Mrs. Morcombe to get a room ready for my
grand-daughter at once, and you had better bring
the tea in here, and then we will think of
other things.  I feel quite bewildered at
present."





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.. _`THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA`:

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   THE BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA.


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   FROM "WITH CLIVE IN INDIA."

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[In 1756, when the British footing in India was by no means
assured, Calcutta was attacked by a native prince or nabob,
Suraja Dowlah, with a force of 50,000 men.  The whole
British force in Calcutta numbered 140 men, including sepoys,
and the governor was a weak and incompetent man.  The
defences of the town were quite useless owing to the fact that
buildings of all sorts had been allowed to be put up outside
the fort.  It was a simple matter for the enemy to take
possession of these and so command both fort and town.

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Mr. Drake, the governor, and Captain Michin, commander
of the forces, were cowardly enough to desert their charge
and seek safety on board a man-of-war in the harbour.  Upon
this a civilian, Mr. Holwell, was elected by the Europeans to
take command of the town, and Charlie Marryat, a young
officer, is put in command of the troops.]

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With daybreak the attack recommenced,
but the garrison all day bravely repulsed
every attempt of the enemy to gain a footing.
The fire from the houses was, however,
so severe, that by nightfall nearly half the
garrison were killed or wounded.  All day
the signals to the fleet were kept flying, but
not a ship moved.

All night an anxious watch was kept, in
hopes that at the last moment some
returning feeling of shame might induce the
recreants to send up the boats of the ships.
But the night passed without a movement
on the river, and in the morning the fleet
were seen still lying at anchor.

The enemy recommenced the attack even
more vigorously than before.  The men fell
fast, and, to Charlie's great grief, his friend
Mr. Haines was shot by a bullet as he was
standing next to him.  Charlie anxiously
knelt beside him.

"It is all over with me," he murmured.
"Poor little Ada.  Do all you can for her,
Marryat.  God knows what fate is in store
for her."

"I will protect her with my life, sir,"
Charlie said earnestly.

Mr. Haines pressed his hand feebly in
token of gratitude, and two or three minutes
later breathed his last.

By mid-day the loss had been so heavy
that the men would no longer stand to their
guns.  After a consultation with his officers
Mr. Holwell agreed that further resistance
was hopeless.  The flag of truce was therefore
hoisted, and one of the officers at once
started for the nabob's camp, with instructions
to make the best terms he could for
the garrison.  When the gates were opened
the enemy, seizing the opportunity, rushed
in in great numbers, and as resistance was
impossible the garrison laid down their arms.
Charlie at once hurried to the spot where
Ada was anxiously awaiting news with the
only other European lady who had not
escaped.  Both were exhausted with weeping.

"Where is papa, Captain Marryat?" Ada asked.

Charlie knew that the poor girl would
need all her strength for what she might
have to undergo, and at once resolved that,
for the present at least, it would be better
that she should be in ignorance of the fate
of her father.  He therefore said that for
the present Mr. Haines was unable to come,
and had asked him to look after her.

It was not until five o'clock that the nabob
entered the fort.  He was furious at hearing
that only five lacs of rupees had been found
in the treasury, as he had expected to
become possessed of a much larger sum.  The
whole of the Eurasians, or half-castes, and
natives found in the fort were allowed to
return to their homes.  Mr. Holwell was
then sent for, and after the nabob had
expressed his resentment at the small amount
found in the treasury, he was dismissed, the
nabob assuring him of his protection.

Mr. Holwell returned to his English companions,
who, one hundred and forty-six in
number, including the two ladies, were drawn
up under the verandah in front of the prison.
The nabob then returned to his camp.

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   THE BLACK HOLE.—II.

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Some native officers went in search of a
building where the prisoners could be
confined, but every room in the fort had already
been taken possession of by the nabob's
soldiers and officers.

At eight o'clock they returned with the
news that they could find no place vacant,
and the officer in command at once ordered
the prisoners into a small room, used as a
guard-room, eighteen feet square.  In vain
the Europeans protested that it was
impossible the room could contain them, in vain
they implored the officer to allow some of
them to be confined in an adjoining cell.

The wretch was deaf to their entreaties.
He ordered his soldiers to charge the prisoners,
and these, with blows of the butt-ends
of the muskets and prods of the bayonets,
were driven into the narrow cell.

Charlie's servant, Tim Kelly, kept close
to his master.  Mr. Haines' native servant,
Hossein, who would fain have shared his
master's fortunes, was forcibly torn from
him when the English prisoners were
separated from the natives.

The day had been unusually hot.  The
night was close and sultry, and the arched
verandah outside further hindered the
entrance of air, and this, with the heavy fumes
of powder, created an intolerable thirst.
Scarcely were the prisoners driven into their
narrow cell, where even standing wedged
together there was barely room for them,
than cries for water were raised.

"Tim, my boy," Charlie said, "we may
say good-bye to each other now, for I doubt
if one will be alive when the door is opened
in the morning."

On entering, Charlie, always keeping Ada
Haines by his side, had taken his place
against the wall farthest from the window,
which was closed with iron bars.

"I think, yer honour," Tim said, "that if
we could get nearer to the window we might
breathe a little more easily."

"Ay, Tim; but there will be a fight for
life round that window before long.  You
and I might hold our own if we could get
there, though it would be no easy matter
where all are struggling for life, but this poor
little girl would be crushed to death.  Besides,
I believe that what chance there is, faint as
it may be, is greater for us here than there.

"The rush towards the window, which is
beginning already as you see, will grow
greater and greater; and the more men
struggle and strive, the more air they
require.  Let us remain where we are.  Strip
off your coat and waistcoat, and breathe as
quietly and easily as you can.  Every hour
the crowd will thin, and we may yet hold on
till morning."

This conversation had been held in a low
voice.  Charlie then turned to the girl.

"How are you feeling, Ada?" he asked
cheerfully.  "It's hot, isn't it?"

"It is dreadful," she panted, "and I seem
choking from want of air; and oh, Captain
Marryat, I am so thirsty!"

"It is hot, my dear, terribly hot, but we
must make the best of it; and I hope in a
few days you will join your mamma on board
ship.  That will be pleasant, won't it?"

"Where is papa?" the girl wailed.

"I don't know where he is now, my child.
At any rate we must feel very glad that he's
not shut up here with us.  Now take your
bonnet off and your shawl.  We must be as
quiet and cheerful as possible.  I'm afraid,
Ada, we have a bad time before us to-night.
But try to keep cheerful and quiet, and
above all, dear, pray God to give you strength
to carry you through it, and to restore you
safe to your mamma in a few days."



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   THE BLACK HOLE.—III.

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As time went on the scene in the dungeon
became terrible.  Shouts, oaths, cries of all
kinds, rose in the air.  Round the window
men fought like wild beasts, tearing each
other down, or clinging to the bars for dear
life, for a breath of the air without.
Panting, struggling, crying, men sank exhausted
upon the floor, and the last remnants of life
were trodden out of them by those who
surged forward to get near the window.

In vain Mr. Holwell implored them to
keep quiet for their own sakes.  His voice
was lost in the terrible din.  Men, a few
hours ago rich and respected merchants,
fought now like maddened beasts for a
breath of fresh air.  In vain those at the
window screamed to the guards without,
imploring them to bring water.  Their prayers
and entreaties were replied to only with
brutal scoffs.

Several times Charlie and Tim, standing
together against the wall behind, where there
was now room to move, lifted Ada between
them, and sat her on their shoulders in order
that, raised above the crowd, she might
breathe more freely.  Each time, after sitting
there for a while, the poor girl begged to
come down again, the sight of the terrible
struggle ever going on at the window being
too much for her.

Hour passed after hour.  There was more
room now, for already half the inmates of
the place had succumbed.  The noises, too,
had lessened, for no longer could the parched
lips and throats utter articulate sounds.
Charlie and Tim, strong men as they were,
leaned utterly exhausted against the wall,
bathed in perspiration, gasping for air.

"Half the night must be gone, Tim,"
Charlie said, "and I think, with God's help,
we shall live through it.  The numbers are
lessening fast, and every one who goes leaves
more air for the rest of us.  Cheer up, Ada
dear, 'twill not be very long till morning."

"I think I shall die soon," the girl gasped.
"I shall never see papa or mamma again.
You have been very kind, Captain Marryat,
but it is no use."

"Oh, but it is of use," Charlie said
cheerfully.  "I don't mean to let you die at all,
but to hand you over to mamma safe and
sound.  There, lay your head against me,
dear, and say your prayers, and try and go
off to sleep."

Presently, however, Ada's figure drooped
more and more, until her whole weight
leaned upon Charlie's arm.

"She has fainted, Tim," he said.  "Help
me to raise her well in my arms, and lay her
head on my shoulder.  That's right.  Now
you'll find her shawl somewhere under my
feet; hold it up and make a fan of it.  Now
try to send some air into her face."

By this time not more than fifty out of
the hundred and forty-six who entered the
cell were alive.  Suddenly a scream of joy
from those near the window proclaimed that
a native was approaching with some water.
The struggle at the window was fiercer than
ever.  The bowl was too wide to pass
through the bars, and the water was being
spilt in vain; each man who strove to get
his face far enough through to touch the
bowl being torn back by his eager comrades
behind.



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   THE BLACK HOLE.—IV.

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"Tim," Charlie said, "you are now much
stronger than most of them.  They are faint
from the struggles.  Make a charge to the
window.  Take that little shawl and dip it
into the bowl or whatever they have there,
and then fight your way back with it."

"I will do it, yer honour," said Tim, and
he rushed into the struggling group.  Weak
as he was from exhaustion and thirst, he
was as a giant to most of the poor wretches
who had been struggling and crying all night,
and, in spite of their cries and curses, he
broke through them and forced his way to
the window.

The man with the bowl was on the point
of turning away, the water being spilt in the
vain attempts of those within to obtain it.
By the light of the fire which the guard had
lit outside, Tim saw his face.

"Hossein," he exclaimed, "more water,
for God's sake!  The master's alive yet."

Hossein at once withdrew, but soon again
approached with the bowl.  The officer in
charge angrily ordered him to draw back.

"Let the infidel dogs howl," he said.
"They shall have no more."

Regardless of the order, Hossein ran to
the window, and Tim thrust the shawl into
the water at the moment when the officer,
rushing forward, struck Hossein to the
ground: a cry of anguish rising from the
prisoners as they saw the water dashed from
their lips.  Tim made his way back to the
side of his master.  Had those who still
remained alive been aware of the supply of
water which he carried in the shawl they
would have torn it from him; but none save
those just at the window had noticed the
act, and inside it was still entirely dark.

"Thank God, yer honour, here it is," Tim
said; "and who should have brought it but
Hossein.  Shure, yer honour, we both owe
our lives to him this time, for I'm sure I
should have been choked by thirst before
morning."

Ada was now lowered to the ground, and
a corner of the folded shawl was placed
between her lips, and the water allowed
to trickle down.  With a gasping sigh she
presently recovered.

"That is delicious," she murmured.  "That
is delicious."

Raising her to her feet, Charlie and Tim
both sucked the dripping shawl, until the
first agonies of thirst were relieved.  Then
tearing off a portion in case Ada should
again require it, Charlie passed the shawl
to Mr. Holwell, who, after sucking it for a
moment, again passed it on to several
standing round.  In this way many of those who
would otherwise have succumbed were
enabled to hold on until morning.

Presently the first dawn of daylight
appeared, giving fresh hopes to the few
survivors.  There were now only some six or
eight standing by the window, and a few
standing or leaning against the walls around.
The room itself was heaped high with the dead.

It was not until two hours later that the
doors were opened and the guard entered,
and it was found that of the hundred and
forty-six English people inclosed there the
night before, only twenty-three still breathed.
Of these very few retained strength to stagger
out through the door.  The rest were carried
out and laid in the verandah.

When the nabob came into the fort in
the morning, he ordered Mr. Holwell to be
brought before him.  He was unable to
walk, but was carried to his presence.  The
brutal nabob expressed no regret for what
had happened, but loaded him with abuse
on account of the paucity of the treasure,
and ordered him and his friends to be placed
in confinement.

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