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8/8/2019 Boys Own Paper August 23, 1913
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B R O U G H T UP BY H A N D .
The baby Kbinoceros here seen was photographed at Mr. Tarlton's farm in South Africa, where he was kept after being captured by Mr. Paul Ralney, theAmerican biff-game hunter. Master Rhino became much attached to the natire boy shown in the picture; he ate, with him, played with him, and eyen sleptwith him. He was brought to the Zoological Gardens, London, accompanied by his black friend.
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738 the "Boy'sOwn Paper.
Under the Edge of
the Earth:A S t o r v o f T h r e e C h u m s an d a S t a r t l i n g Q u e s t s
By F. H. BOLTON,
Author of " In tlie Heart of the Silent Sea" etc.
H, m y d ear
sir, you must
be a wizard !
Y o u h a v e
been r igh t ly
named! There
' i no o th er
' o r d f o r
y o u ! "
H e c t o r
Brant smi led .
" O h , I hopethere is, " he
a n s w e r e d :
" bu t tha t will
d o to go o n
with. Th e questi on is, are you satisfied ? "
" Satisfied ! " Mr . Hutton leaned back
in his chair and gave vent t o a queer l i t t le
laugh.
It was as t h o u g h he wished t o feel con
v i nc e d , and d o u b t e d in sp i te of himself.
Mr. Brant sto oped forwar d across the tab le
at which he was sit t ing.
" A n d y e t there's someth ing—just the
least shade of —wh at shall we say ? "
H e smiled in his customar y f rank way,
the s i n Ic his b o y s k n ew so well, tha t sp o k e
a b o v e al l things of his own conf idence in
himself. Mr. Hutton , looking at him, felt
his respect for the good man increase : felt
even a l i t t le ashamed tha t he was unable
t o fol low qui te so enthusiastically in his
lead . Yet he need have had no such fee ling ;
the business instinct was fo r the m o m en t
u p p erm o s t in the worthy gent leman, but
i t would not long remain s o.
" Yo u must think me the veriest b o o r ! "
he exclaimed. " You make a d i sco v ery
o n ly last night . In your k indly cour te sy
y o u send me word without delay, for which
I cannot t hank you enough . You have this
morning taken me into you r own inner most
secret , a secret yo u are rightly guarding
with the utmost jealousy . Yo u show me
eve ryth ing, content merely t o take the word
of one who is little more than a st ranger to
y o u , as to 8 lence in th e matter. A n d I repay
your confidence with do ub t and hesita tion."
" No n s en s e! " r epl i ed Brant. " You wrong
yourse l f . I h av e n o right t o ex p ec t y o u
t o h av e the s a m e c o n l d e n c e in the matter
as I have . Beside s, for what you have seen
y o u have expressed the fullest wonder and
admirat ion . W e have looked this morning
u p o n the very spot young Morris and I saw
last n i g h t ; the apparatus was left exactly
as I had fixed it then . Bu t , of course, t o-
d a y we saw n o sign of the figure we t o o k
y es t e rd ay for your son . And naturally—•
quite natura lly—you ask yourself, ma y the y
not possi bly have b een mistaken 1"
Mr . Hutton flushed a l i t t le uneasily.
Bran t had put the matter blunt ly , but he
fel t bound in h o n es ty t o ad m i t the correct
ness of the assumpt ion .
" I co n fes s , " he said , " tha t someth ing
of the sort was in my mind. P ray bear
wi th me, my dear s i r : r em em b er how
s t range a thing I have been shown to-day ,
and natural ly how anxious I a m to go all
the w a y with you as q u ick ly as possible.
But, first and fo rem o s t , the question arises
P A R T I I I .
O H A P T E E X X I I . — T O T H E S O U T H .
in m y mind : at tha t distan ce, under those
condi t ions , wo u ld it be possible t o swear
t o any particular identity ? And , sup
posing the person proven , are we sure of
the place ?
H e looked at the Wizard eager ly . H e
was waiting to be c o n v i n c e d : i t meant so
m uc h to him and his.
" I w.l l answer your quest ions back wards ,"
was the ready rep ly . " A s t o p l a c e : I
m a y say tha t I have made a s tu d y of the
figures whi ch should g ive me the areas Irequire, and have reached , I beLeve, to
quite sufficient accuracy. I in tended last
night t o place the south por t ion of the
Pata gonia n Shingle Desert under obser
vation, and, without testing the result my
self, I al lowed young Morr is , w h o k n ew
noth ing of my plan, t o descr ibe what he
saw, al l unpractised as he was. I was at
o n ce co n v in ced , f ro m hi s descr ip t ion , that
I had s t ruck the district I required . As
regards the first question, whether I co u ld
guara ntee ide ntity , my answer is qualified.
R e m e m b e r , sir, in this case, the very appear-
• anee in su ch a desolate region o f a y o u n g
fellow dressed apparently l ike an ordinary
Engl ish youth in a walking cost ume must
g iv e rise to speculation in on e's m in d . T h e
figure was cap les s. Well , tha t is what might
be exp ect ed under quit e easily presumable
c ond i t i ons . Morris , in his excitement, cried
' L o o k this w a y ! ' But speaking for my-
self, with better kn owl edg e, and pract ice,
I a m co n v in ced tha t he was quite unablo
t o m ak e proof from facial features. For all
tha t , the whol e co nto ur suggested itself in-
c on t r ove r t i b l y t o both of us as Dennis , and
Dennis o n ly . W e must n o t forget tha t i t
is fa r f rom improbable tha t the vessel o n
which he is said t o have been placed ma y
have been dr iven down t o these southern
regions . Mr. H u t t o n " — h e b r o u g h t his
hand sharply do wn upon the tab le, to
emphasise h is words—" I a m as cer tain tha t
last night I saw the image of you r son as I
am to-day tha t I see you ! "
There was silence for a few minutes ; b o th
were wrapt in thoug ht. Th e sti l lness was
again broken b y Brant .
" Y o u may reasonably ask," he said ,
c o m i n g ou t of a brown study , " w h y , if I
found Dennis yesterday , I cannot again to -
d a y . " Mr. Hutton nodded. That had
certainly been in his m in d . " T h e q u es t io n
w o u ld be fair. And my answer would be,
t h a t at present m y apparatus is far f rom
perfect . I t works s lo w ly , and to cause it
t o r ev o lv e in order t o catch figures, so to
speak , is at present imposs ible. The thing
is not yet co m p le t e . I t might be ch an ce
t h a t showed us last night the exact spot in
which—•—"
" No t ch an ce , " interrupted Mr. H u t t o n
in a serious voice ; " not chance, sir . I take
i t quite other. I accep t the sign : I need
n o longer to be co n v in ced . An d n o w I am
r ead y to do my par t . "
" Meaning tha t you will a t t empt t o reach
the lad ? "
" Meaning tha t , God willing, I will reach
the lad ! A n d if I co u ld have your help
H e spoke tentatively, but. Brant m aking
no reply, he pu t the matter in a m o re
direct form.
" I shall charter my own vessel," he said,
" an d shal l p ick m y co m p an y . Wh at d o
y o u say to confirming your discovery, Mr.
Brant 1 Will yo u go with me on this great
errand ? "
I t was an unexpected offer, and t o o k
the Wizard by surprise for the m o m en t .
Th en the unrivalled chance of confirming
al l the details of his discovery at first handappealed to him with overwhelming fo rce .
H e made quick reply.
" There is nothing would g ive me greater
pleasure, should it be pract icable to ar-
range for my absence for a term or two from
m y work. T h e chances, as yo u say, of
working out my own proofs would be gre at:
though I trust the desire to lend you all the
assistance in my power would be an equal ly
st rong mot ive."
F o r the m o m en t the matter was left at
tha t . An x io u s t o lose n o t ime in setting
out for the solitary land where he now
believed his son to be a lonely wanderer,
Mr . Hutton left th e master after this inter
v iew, in order t o make his arrangements
fo r a vessel t o take hi s party out . He had
no intention of making a large company.
Captain, second in co m m an d , and crew,
together with one o r two others of his o w n
personal selection, would suffice. A n d if Mr.
Brant would consent, and cou ld arrange t o
a c c om pa ny the small search party, he felt
he should have in h im a worthy and reliable
helper.
N o r had he forgot ten the y o u n g lad w h o
during these last weeks of bereavement had
been so much in his com pan y, and for whom
he conceived a strong affection. Once Mr.
Hu t to n had m ap p ed out his course h e
lost no t ime in making hi s paths straight,,
and b efore nightfall of this memorable day
he had go t into touch with several ship
owners who might have a suitable craft for
chartering, and had fixed upon his own
immediate personnel.
Le ona r d Morris had received a visit from
h im in the early after noon of the same day .
Sum m one d to the Head's private reception
ro o m , he had found the father of his
missing com rad e awaiting h im.
" W e l l , Morris ," was his greeting, "we-
seem to have made a move, eh ? Hav e y o u
seen Mr. Brant to-da y ? "
" I saw him just before din ner ; he to ld
m e about your plan. I t ' s splendid to think
we shall find Dennis at last."
" I hope so ," answered the father, " b u t
i t 's a tough jo b yet , my lad. So m u ch
m a y happen in that far-away, un-get-at-able
land before we're there. W e must act
quickly , and trust that i t may all come out
r igh t ."
H e paused. Morris looked at him with
some constraint, w ondei ing whether there
was more to be said. Mr. Hutt on seemed
t o be watching him, and even waiting for
him t o make some observat ion. There was
an air of d o u b t in that good gent leman 's
face .
" I had a long letter to-day, gir, from m y
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Under the Edge of the Earth. 739
lather ; he's a missionary out in India, y ou
will remem ber. He says he's awfully sorry
to hear abou t Dennis. It 's a nice letter. I
have n't seen him since I was a little bit
of a kid ; but he writes so dec ent ly, just as
if he knew dear old De n himself. I—I
thought you might l ike to know."
" Thank y ou, Leonard, my b oy, t hank
you 1" The good man's eyes moistene d a littleas he spo ke. " By the by , yo u were go ing
out there shortly, I beli eve ? "
" I was to have gone ab out the midd le
of next year, bu t" —h e flushed and hesi
t a t ed—" it seems a beastl y thing t o say,
but the t ruth is, I haven' t been lookin g
forward to it at all since —sinc e "
H e s topped , then added d isconnected ly
" It's made an awful difference, Mr
Hu t to n ! "
" Ay e, to us all ," sighed the g o o d man ;
" to us all , Leona rd. But, please God,
things will be brighter soon . I hop e in a
fe w days to have a vessel and c re w at my
command, and then "
Morris looked at him as he paused again,
in the same sta te of apparent dou bt." Yes, sir ? "
" Wha t do yo u say to going awa y with
u s ? "
The lad 's face flushed.
" 1 ? " he exclaime d. " I ? I 'd g iv e any
th ing to go—anyth ing . Y ou don ' t mea n
it, really, sir ? "
" Nothing would g ive me greate r plea sure,
m y bo y, if yo u can get the c ons ent of youv
friends."
" I f ! " cried Morris. " I f ! i ' l l have the
consent . An d we'll find old Den nis, and
have him home safe and sound before long ,
s i r ."
Matters m o v ed with quic k feet the n ext
fe w days. Hav ing ready co mm an d in busi
ness circles Mr. Hutt on found c ompa rati velylittle difficulty in obta ining t he vessel a nd
crew he wanted, and in the Morning Hope,
of Liverpoo l , under Captain Pearson, he
g o t all he desired. Th e secre t of the
Wizard was, howev er, his secret st i l l :
outsi de Morris and Mr. Hu tto n no ne had
been admitted to i ts part icip atio n; and the
world at large had to be con ten t with tha t
convenient formula, " there was reason t o
be l i e ve " that the missing lad might be
found cast aw ay on some shore in the far
South Atlantic.
Huber t Ken ned y sat at his desk in t he
office of the Lunechester and L onm out h
Ba nk ; his eyes were on his books, but his
heart was elsewhere. The day before, he
had heard from Morr is of the pr opos edexpedi t ion , and although he had loyally
congratulated his chu m on the chance of
going out t o try to trace Hu tto n, the dull
ness of his own position seemed to become
the more pronoun ced, thinking of the ac tive
days in store for the other s.
" I wish to gracious I had half a chance
to jo in the chase ," he was thinki ng. " I
signed the pact as well, but my share's t o
be sto ppin g at ho me, and wishing the rest
of them good luck ! "
H e cast up a colu mn, an d inke d in his
total .
" Well, anyway, I do wish them good
luck, with all my "
T he messenger appro ached him.
"
You 're wanted in the manager'sro o m ,
sir."
" Wha t's u p now ? " he wonde red, rising
from his seat.
When he returned hi s face was as tho ugh
the sun were shini ng upo n it. He finished
the work upon which he had been engaged,
put away his books, and rose.
" Well, good-bye, you cha ps, " he said,
and gladness radia ted from him . " I' m off
to South Ame ric a ! "
The y looked at him in amazement, scarcely
believing their ears.
" Ye s, " he said, " the Dire ctor, Mr. H utto n,
has got wind of Den nis Hut ton being there,
and he 's going out for him, and I 'm g oing
t o o . "
T h e y cam e up to him ; th ey shoo k hands
with him ; they congr atulate d hi m right
loyal ly ." Good luck to your journey, old fellow ! "
they said.
" Tha nks ! Tha nks ! " he answ ered . " I
hope we shall have the best of luck . I feel
we shall. It ' l l be a glad day w hen we co m e
across old Denn is aga in."
An d so, quic kly, with no unnec essary
" dias cope " was ready tw o or three d a y s
before sailing.
H e made several a t t empts also to o n ce
more obta in a sight of the miss ing la/) thro ugh
his large inst rument . T h e trials were, how
ever , unsucces sful, ow ing to lack of time,
pr oba b l y , for conduct ing the e xper im ent
wit h sufficient thor ough nes s. All his spar e
time he had to devo te to perfecting the" d i a s c o p e , " and maki ng his arra ngemen ts
fo r the long a bse nce , and , as he had to ld
Mr . Hu tt on, the l ocat ing of a figure in an
u n k n o wn area was a matter of considerable
difficulty at present with him.
It was on the last day before the par ty
t ravel led to Li verpo ol to j o in the ship, tha t
T' ship's lost, and you knows it !' . . . He saw his mistake too late, and tried to cover
his confusion." (See p. 740.)
delay, the little par ty was got together for
the mom ent ous search. Even Mr. Brant ,
after som e arra nging, had been enab led t o
accede to the earnest req uest tha t he would
a c c om pa ny Mr. Hut ton on the jour ney ;
and during the fortnight or so before all
was in readiness, he had spent ev ery ava il
able minute in his underground ro o m , at work
upon a small portable apparatus, by means
of which he hoped to utilise in some measure
his new disc over y on the jour ney. He ha d
long had the idea that a modificatio n of
field-glasses, with the com po si ti on , of wh ich
he held the secret, proper ly adjuste d inside,
in conjunction with reflecting prisms, should
be possible for obtainin g vision through
opa que obje cts in a restricted area, and his
Bra nt m ad e his one false m o v e . W e hear
of men who never make mistakes, and read
of the m, bu t we do not see them : the y
are of too rare a species . And Hector
Brant , despite his reserve and self-control,
was ill-advised to visit Smith of the Pretty
Poll,with a
v iewto forci ng a confession fromtha t cunnin g scoundr el. Nat urally neither
Mr . Hut ton n or the others had given the
fellow a thought of late : their minds had
been too much occup ied with the scheme for
reaching and saving the poor boy so far a wa y
from help. There would be t ime enoug h
after wards t o think of justice and retrib ution^
the main thing was the lad's safety.
But , the "d ia sc op e" made and successfu l ly
tested, i t had occur red to Brant tha t n»
8/8/2019 Boys Own Paper August 23, 1913
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740 The "Boy's Oban Taper.
mig ht possi bly succe ed where others ha d
fai led, in extor t ing informa tion from the
man wh om al l along the y had suspecte d,
with no means of prov ing guil ty. He felt a
strong dCsire, perhaps not unnatural , to get all
the confirmation p ossible to just i fy the search
abo ut to be mad e. An d seeing, as he passed
Picker ton 's Yard tha t last evening, tha t
th e Pretty Poll was at the wharf, he ac ted
up on the impulse of the mo me nt and
rjoarded her.
The affable Mr. Smith was below, i t being
af ter working hours in the yard, and on
Brant ' s appeari ng o n dec k he stuck his head
through the h a tch . I t was get t ing dusk,
but he was able to recogn ise his visi tor and
gave him a cur t " G o o d e 'en ," wonder ing
if there we re to be mor e dealin gs in figure
head s, or the lik e.
" I want a wo rd with yo u, " said B r a n t ;
" are you alone ? "
T h e fellow came on deck.
" T ' missus and kids is b e l o w , " he said.
*' We c ou l d ta lk here ."
Whe reu po n the other to ok the bull by
the horns on the instant .
" L o o k here ! " he sai d. " I ma y as well
tel l you t h a t i t has bec om e kn ow n where
tha t yo un g lad Hut ton , wh o has been
missing so long, has got to ."
The man 's manner changed a t this.
His rough a t t empt at civi l i t y was at once
a ba ndone d .
" Is it ? " he said sneering ly. " Th at ' l l
be a' reet , then. Happen ye're sat isf ied
n o w . Seemi n'ly every other chap in t '
t ow n ' s after him. Bu t what do ye wa nt
to c o m e t o ta lk t o me for ? I ' m non e so
anxious to know where t ' lad is ."
" Y o u ma y as well keep qui et ," retor ted
Brant . " Y o u kn ow as well as I do t h a t th e
game 's up so far as you 're conc erne d. Yo u
had far bet ter ow n up, a nd no more beat ing
abo ut the bush. I 'v e only dro ppe d in to
tel l yo u there isn't mu ch yo u can hide any
longer. Fr om the t ime I heard a b o u t tha t
clumsy bi t of a t t empt at bu rgl ing at Burn -
brae, when you wanted to get hold of—•—''
(To be continued.')
It was th e ver iest bluff on his part, bu t
i t answered. The fellow was evidently dis
concer ted .
" Yo u' re a leear ! " he blurt ed out. " Yo u
can ' t prove nothing."
" I can prove more t han you imagine ,"
was the confident reply. " An d when youn g
Hu t to n ' s back "
" T' ship's lost , and y ou knows i t ! "
" Wh at ship ? "
He saw his mistake too late, a nd t r ied to
co v e r his confusion by foul words.
" W e l l , " said Brant , " yo u ma y bluster
as muc h as yo u l ike. Bu t you ma y rest
assured I kno w enoug h to settle your hash,
or shall ve r y s oon . "
A n d waiting for no reply, he turned an d
left the fellow staring at him uneasily. That
single slip was all he need ed, tha t involun
t a ry admiss ion tha t the sto ry of the Condor
was no my th.
But for all that , it was a false move on
th e part of the Wiz ard , for which the price
was exacted later.
^0 ^0
I N T H E G Y M N A S I U M .
A N o t a b l e S i d e o f P u b l i c S c h o o l L.ife.
11 H E Gym nas ium has dur ing the past
hal f -dozen years begun to o c c u p y a
fa r greater plac e in the curri culu m of ou r
ch ief schools t h a n i t ever did previous to
tha t t i m e . The author i t ies of near ly every
g rea t school have recognised t h a t it is of
supreme impor tance tha t boy s should have
their bod i l y de ve l op me nt as muc h at
tended to as their
men ta l one . In fact ,
though i t has taken
us som ethi ng like
two thousan d years,
o r n e a r l y s o , t o
thoroughly under
s t and the maxim, we
are at length begin
ning to comprehend
t h a t t h e f a m o u s
I Si o m a n s a t i r i s t
Ju v en a l was not
far off kno win g what
he talked ab out
when he wrote tha tthe finest th ing in
all life was Mens
sana in eorpore sano
— " A sound mind in
a sound b o d y . "
Though ou t doo r ,
a nd e ve n i n d o o r ,
games may al l tend
to promote this t rue
develo pment of the
body , y e t th e finest
aids towards tha t
desirable consumma
tion are undoubtedly
achieved by the
physical training a lad gets under efficient
an d skilled tuiti on an d over sigh t in thegymnas ium. The re a g o o d t eacher wi l l
t ake care tha t no set of muscles is
develop ed undul y a t the expen se of o thers ,
which i s a commo n danger when a l l a boy ' s
recrea t ion dep end s on his l o v e and prac t ice
o f s o m e p ar t icu la r spor t , which may
mater ia l ly he lp one par t of the b o d y , but
not sufficiently assist another to i ts hig hest
g o o d .
By GEORGE A. WADE, B.A.
Ma ny of our big schools have no w
splendid g ymnasi a, with ex cel lent in
structors in the m, and it is to gi ve so me
l i t t le account of several of these tha t this
art icle is penn ed. Fo r thou gh no schoo l
to-day can be cons idere d fu l ly equipp ed
fo r its wor k if it d oe s not pos sess a good
Photo by F. W. Parrott.
Langworthy Gymnasium, Manchester Grammar School.
g y m . , y e t t he re are a few tha t have out
str ipped the rest- in thei r notable provis ionfo r this branch of educat ion fo r thei r
boys.
I suppose there can be l i t t le ques t ion
tha t the Lan gwor thy Gymn as iu m a t
M a nc he s t e r G r a m m a r Schoo l is one of the
very largest in the ki ng do m, so far as
scholas t i c ones are conc erned. A nd
cert ain ly it is on e o f the v er y finest f or its
equipment and the good uses to which i t
is put . Wh en one rememb ers tha t some
th in g l ike close on 1,000 boy s have to
undergo phys ica l t ra ining at the L ang -
wort hy Gymn asi um every week, one can
easi ly guess what a t reme ndou s amount
o f exce llent w ork goes on there, and what
an imp o r tan t part this gym. plays in the
bod i ly health an dwelfare of Manches
ter youths.
Another splendid
g y m . is tha t of
R o s s a l l S c h o o l ,
which is 95 feet long,
b y 45 feet wide, and
40 feet high . It is
certainly on ly ex
c e l l e d ( i f t h a t )
a m o n g s t E ngl ish
school gyms, by the
Bedford one . It has
a very large gallery
fo r specta tors ; and,
besides the ordinar y
a p p a r a t u s work,sterling instruction
is given in it to all
B o s s a l l i a n s i n
fencing, boxing, and
singlestick.
Gymnastics are
c o m p u l s o r y a t
Rossall for all boys
in the lower school,
but optional in the
higher, except that,
when ba d weathe r
quite prevents out-
d o o r g a m e s , the
captains organise
their player s into divisions, and all these
have to take gymnastic exercise for acertain time to kee p the m in for m. This
g y m . is ope n eve ry afternoo n in winter, and
frequen tly in the morni ng to o. There is an
annual competi t ion during the Lent Term in
gymn ast ic exe rcises and box in g, also house
compet i t ions , and the great contest to
provid e the " Schoo l Eight ," which exci tes
immen se r ivalry. For Rossal l is regularly
represented at Ald ers hot , and always does
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In the Gymnasitim. 741
Rossall School Gymnasium.
very well, tho ugh her men have no t ye t
had the pleasure of car ryin g off the Pu bl ic
Schools Shield.
Westmin ster is prou d of her gymn asiu m,
though it is a curious place as compared
with some of the most mode rn and beauti
ful examples of gym s. Fo r West
minster ' s one is r ight in the solidfoundat ions of the grand old A b b e y , being
on e of the crypt-rooms, with their immense
stone pi l lars and wondrous cei l ings, tha t
within the last few years have be en opened
out by the author i t ies of the A b b e y for
public use and inspect ion.
Here, in this ap ar tmen t nex t the C hapel
o f the P y x and the Chapter Hou se, the
boys of St . Pete r ' s practi se th e b ar
exercises, swing the Indian clubs , c l imb
the rope , and d o all such feats in a wa y
tha t would have made former Westmi nsters
stare indee d had they seen such perf orm
ances carried out at the old school. W e s t -
minster star ted la te in the g ym. wo rld ;
but, thou gh she has onl y wit hin recent
years sent her compan ies to Alde rsh ot . shehas onc e or tw ic e late ly go t to t he finals
in bo xin g and fenci ng, and she q uite
expects to be able now to cope with all
rivals.
Sherborne has always held a good place
a m ongs t ou r " g ym na s t i c " s c hoo ls . N o t
on ly has she an exc elle nt gy m. open t o
all her boys , but she encourages them in
eve ry way to make the best use of it. Fo r
some reason not easy to state offhand the
Dorse t School has never failed to possess
a fine set of boxers, and their success in
the chief compet ition s has been quite equ al
to those of any other great sch o o l ; i nde e d ,
we might t ru thfu lly say, superior to t hem,
when we take the long period of y ears
into account .In the Alder shot competi t io ns Sherb orne
ha s taken both second and th ird places,
and her teams have made a good showing
there in most years. As to bo xi ng at
Aldershot , when you learn tha t dur ing
th e past eighteen years Sherborne has five
times won the silver medal for tha t branch
o f sport , and twice besides the bro nze
meda l , yo u wil l be able yours elf to ga uge
her proficiency therein . An d , in 1905,
Sherb orne also got into the semi-final
round of the fen cing bouts, whic h was
something ra ther new for the schoo l , but
promises much l a te r o n .
Hai ley bur y is as thor ough as most
schoo ls in what she under takes , andwhen she deci ded to build a fine gym
nasiu m about 1887, she was for tunate in
get t ing one of her o wn sons wh o had
ma de a big name as an arch itec t, Mr .
Reg inal d Blomfi eld, to supervise i ts design
and erect ion. Mr . Blomfield did his wor k
as a real labour of love for the old
" Schoo l with the D o m e , " and his success
has been more and mo re visi ble eve r since
the gymnasium was opened some twent y-
five years ago.
Ev ery bo y, as soon as he arr ives at t h i s
H e r t f o r d schoo l , has to set ou t on the
gym na s t i c p a th , and he rece ives definite
teaching th e r e in from skil led tu tors unti l
he has put in at least a year of go"od w o r k ,
and can sat isfactori ly pass the prescr ibed
elementary tes ts . If he does n't m anage
tha t , he has to continue the regular lessons
till he doe s !Jus t as Sherb orne is kn own as t he
" bo xin g " school amo ngs t i ts gymn ast i c
brethren , so Hai ley bur y may well be cal led
t he " f e n c i n g " schoo l . Fo r not only has
i t won the chief comp eti t ion at Alders hot
in tha t d ep ar tmen t before to-day , but
such splendi d expon ent s of fenc ing as
C. F. Clay, E. B. Mi lnes , R. Me r iva le .
etc . , al l came from Haileyb ury. Moreover ,
this f ine schoo l won the P ub lic S choo ls
Shie ld in 1890, wa s fou rth in 1889, and
seco n d in 1891 ; and in mor e recen t years
it has fre que ntl y rea ch ed the final or semi
final in the boxing competi t ions.
Several of our chief sc hools no w go in
very strongly for what may be cal led the
" W e i gh t s a nd M e a s u r e s " busi ne ss ,i.e.
fo r t ry ing to br ing th e i r bo ys up , as a
whole, to the s tan d ard of specif ied weig hts,
and mea sure s of hei ght, as set ou t for
defini te ages, accord ing to th e i r own l ight s
in the matter . Probably Lore t to i s one
of the very greates t of these, sinc e every
b oy is weig hed and measured t wice or mor e
each t e r m in the gy m. at the Edi nbu rgh
schoo l , and if he does not come up to the
s tan d ard list the fo lk wh o are in cha rge
o f hi m soon want to kn ow the wh y and
the wherefore .
Then Lore t t o ' s exce l lent gymnas i um and
her playing-field s are bro ugh t s trongl y
into evidence wi th that said you th, and th e
result will so on appe ar in the accounts'
w h i c h are kept of his improvement
towards those regulat ion s tan d ard s o f
weigh t and measurement .
N e x t t o Lo r e t t o , perhaps H a i l e ybu r y
and Ch r is t ' s Hospi ta l a re mos t par t icu lar
in this respect of " weigh ts and
meas ures ," and the bo ys at both those
schoo ls are made to go thr oug h the
g y m . to some tu n e i f they do n' t get the m
selves into form and up to the s tan d ard ,
so m eh o w or o ther , wi tho ut t h a t a dde d
assistance.
(To be concluded.)
In the Gymnasium at Haileybury College.
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742 The Boy's Ofoun Taper.
\H E Learue of Friendship was founded last
year with a view to its forming a bond o!
union between
" B.O.P." the
ideals are those
which for sostood for all that
purest and best
ont binding its
definite vows
on its supporters
manly, Christian
workers for good
to be slackers or
lookers-on. On
each member
bearinghis name
the League regis -
who desire some
tion badges have
in the shape of
or coat, watch-
and tie - pins,
•ale at 7d . each post free.
readers of the
world over. Its
of the paper
many years hasis highest and
in life, with-
memoers to any
the League calls
to lead a clean,
life, .to be active
in the world, not
merely passive
being enrolled,
receives a card
and number on
ter. For those
form of recogni-
been prepared
brooches for cap
chain pendants,
these being on
Applications for
membership and for badges should be ad
dressed to the Editor, " B.O .P. ," 4 Bouverie
Street, London, E .C. , and envelopes should be
clearly marked " L. O. F. " on the top left-hand
corner.
* * *In last month 's c lub ta lk I had something
to say on the matter of personali ty and
influence ; this m ont h I am brought back
somewhat to the subject by a correspond
en t who sends me an extra ct from his
" C o m m o n p l a c e B o o k . " I t is nothing new
tha t he, send s, for the story has be en to ld
befo re , but it is so rema rka ble an inst ance
o f the far-reaching effects of a simp le de ed
t h a t it is well wort h re-telling. He re is the
st or y as C. M. P. has set it do wn .
Shun not fellowship, Ie«t you forget your frienis andlearn to hate yourself." (Sadaihe.)
I am obl ige d to C. M. P. for this striking
little story , which carries its own m oral .
T h a t t r ac t thr own o nto a hospital bed
was like a stone cast into a great pool ,
mak ing ever-wid ening circles in the water
tha t i t has distur bed. So doe s ever y one
of our act ions for g o o d or ill make itself
felt on the min ds of othe rs. I am no t
g o in g to enlarge up on this ; I can see some
club member s get t ing rest less. Col igny 's
wonderful exp erien ce shal l speak for i tself .
* * *
A no t he r interesting communica t ion in
my post-b ag is from a Canadian reader.
Writ ing from a prairie town ship in Sask.,
he forward s me a photo grap h and a brief
acc oun t of the taming of an " ou tl aw "
horse , t h a t is , a genuine buc kjum per .
He writes from Sask., I have said, and I
hope no " B.O.P."-i te wil l need to have this
in terpreted for him. The co lon ies ha ve co m e
t o o close to us within recen t year s for Alia ..
Sask., Man., Ont . , a nd other contr act io nsof province-names to be unintel l igible.
A n d yet 1 have k nown many people
to be puzzled in this di rec t ion. W as i t
not the late Andr ew Lang who confessed
to being " floored " by the Americ an " Ga. ,"
which stands for the State of Georgi a ?
" Pa ." for Penns ylvan ia is equa lly
unil luminating , and i t is matter fo r
congra tula t ion tha t our colonia l nomen
clature has not ev o lv ed ugly abbrevia t ions
of this kind. But this is a digres sio n ; let
us " cu t the g ag and co m e to the 'osses."
Mr. C. Murr, of Kinders ley, Sask., wants
us to admire his photog raph of a buc k-
jumper in the course of being broken in.
* * *
Th e tamin g of an " out law " is no light
matter . When I was in Canada myself,
I s a w a " c ow - pu nc h e r " astride of one
such bronco , and it was a neve r-to-b e-
forgotte n sight . I t was an exhibi t ion of
fancy r iding that could only bo equalled
on an Austral ian " stat ion ." Th e " bronco-
buster ," as the buck- jumping c o w b o y styles
himself, has t o set the or dina ry laws of
horsemans hip at defiance. He sits in his
saddle in an unorthodox way, very oftenhalf sideways and slouching over the horn.
H i s arms fly up and d ow n while the animal
is in motion, and the latter is directed more
b y the mov eme nt of the hands than by
any thi ng else. T he long reins—these are
separate and s ome eight feet in lengt h—
trail on the gro und , when the rider has
di smounted, so that they will trip up the
horse should he step on them. An "o ut la w"
ha s little or no use for reins as a part of
his eq ui pm en t; he is not to be directed
in any wa y by such mea ns.
* * *
" Bron co-b ust in g " is the chief past ime
of the c o w b o y on a Canadia n ranch. On
bi g ranches chron ic bu ck er s" are keptfo r no other purpose than to entertain
" c o w - p u n c h e r s " from neighbouring distr icts ,
and other visi tors. And these " outlaw s."
be i t understood, are not simply raw, wild
hor ses ; they are more dangerous than th e
prair ie-bred bronco that has never felt the
to uch of bit or bridle, for the y are animals
tha t are incorrigible and whose tempe r
i s bey ond oont rol . The y are " s ho w"
horses in fact, and their fame is widespread.
A t certain t own s in the Nort h-wes t there
are held regular meetings, when the
c ha m pi on buckjumpers from various ranches
enter th e lists in very real r ivalry. To
carry off the chief hon ours of the da y is to
be accl aimed a hero amo ng heroes. At
Medici ne Hat , Alta . (near the international
boundary l ine) , there have been famous
buc kjum ping meetings. No dou bt several
of my Canadian readers have witnessed
one such contest . To those who have not
been so fortunate Mr. Murr 's photo graph
will be e loquent .
* * *
Colonial and other boys abroad who wish
to joi n th e Leag ue are often in difficulty, I
find, as to the best met hod of forw ardin g
the mone y for the Club badges . Stamps
other than English ones are not acce ptab le,
and it will be best for would-be members
in this position to obtain an In ternational
C o u p o n for the necessary amo un t fro m the
Pos t Office in their t ow n .
T H E O L D Boy.
" A youn g Frenchman, who had been
w ounde d at t he sie ge of Sain t Quentin, was
languishing o n a pal let in the hospi tal
when a visitor left a t r ac t on his bed . Th e
l i t t le pam phl et lay on the cove rlet for
som e t ime befo re i t caught the sick man' s
e y e . Then he read i t and was converted
b y i t . Yo u ma y see the mon ume nt of tha t
ma n before the Church of the Consist ory in
Paris , s tandin g with a Bibl e in his h an d;
he is known in history' as Admi ral Coli gny,
the leader of the Refo rmat ion in Franc e.
But the t r ac t had not yet finished its work.
It was read by Co lig ny' s nurse, a ' sister
o f mer cy, ' who peniten t ly placed i t in the
h an d s of the L ad y Abbe ss, and she, too ,
was con ver ted by i t . She f led from Fra nce
to the Palat inate , where she met a young
Hol lander and became his wife. T h e
influence whic h she had up on that ma n
reach ed out into the Ref orma tion on the
entire continent of Europe, for he was
Will iam of Orang e. Ho w far ' yo n little
candle ' threw i t s beams 1 W h o k n o w s
wha t the po wer of a little t ract may be ? " Taming an "Outlaw,"
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743
\J He stood with his hands in his pockets,
look ing ruefully into his open desk, too dazed
fo r the moment to do more than utter that
o n e woeful exclama tion. I t was as thoug h
he had been struck sharp ly across the face
and the pain had numbed him.
He bad entered the empty clas s-room a
fe w minute s befor e with light heart a nd
springy step. Ther e was no hin t of disaster
ahead of him . H e had gone s traight to his
locker , to which he had applied the Chubbs'
ke y that was a special i ty of his—Ba rlow
liked speci aliti es; he was that sort of boy.
T h e common locks were good enoug h for the
others ; b ut not for him . It was no t that
he was suspicio us : it was only" tha t every
thing belonging to him must ha ve i ts dis
t inct ive air . Henc e the name given him by
genial but quizzical comra des.
He had no thoughts of things untow ard
when ho lifted the slo ping lid of the de sk.
Bu t the first g lance withi n ma de his heart
s i ck . In feverish frenzy he threw the cover
r ight bac k, and turned hi s b o o k s and papers
over . After which the full weight of his
misfortune had pressed upon him, and,
thrusting his hand s into his po cke ts, he ha d
•stood staring down upon his property, dully
and in despair, that single sorro wful " Oh ! "
being all he had to say.
In spite of the recent hasty turning ove r
of his things the cont ents of the d esk were
in good order. Anyone cou ld see with half
an eye that this was the lock er of a lad w hose
habits were metho dical . Ther e was one
excep t ion , howev er, to the general t idiness,
and that the cause of the b o y ' s present
consternat ion. For, so m eh o w , a bott le of
red ink had t ipped ove r, and, beco min g
uncorked, had sent i ts contents over the
various papers and books in the desk.
T o one of such neat habits as Barlow this of
itself might well be the cause of dis may and
dis gus t ; but i t was the further d i s c ove r y ,
after the rapid lifting of discolo ured ob
jects, that dealt him the disquiet ing blow.
Und er a bat ch of papers was a car db oar d
wra ppe d roun d in white tissue paper, whic h
was disfigured by a large and not ye t dr y
spla sh of the pen etra ting red fluid. T hi s
oute r cover ing he had anxi ously pulled off o n ly to disclo se a water-col our, across the
face of whi ch ran a long, disfiguring stain,
in the red d ampn ess of whi ch so me of the
co lours of the picture had run. It had
been a cleve r little ske tch, that was plain
eno ug h; a clever l i t t le sketch, ruined b y
that fatal blot .
The b oy stoo d for a few momen ts si lent ly
frowning upon his tarnished prope rty.
Then he slowly withdrew his hands from his
p o ck e t s , and tried to remedy as far as
possible the damag e done . He t o o k up the
water-colour once more and l o o k ed at it
careful ly.
" What a blundering ass I must have
been ! " he said angri ly . " Well , it 's a
gone case . It ' s all TJ.P. no w ! "
He tore the cardboard v iciously across ,
and flung it from him , se nd ing it flying o ve r
the interven ing desks.
" Half t i me !" excla imed a voice . " H e l l o ,
B ea u ; yo u, of all cha ps, to get flinging
things about in tha t careless way ! "
Barlow looked u p scowling , as a tall, thin
youth entered the ro o m . Th e torn pi cture
was in the latter 's hands , he having caught
i t dexterous ly , and thereby p robab ly savedhimself from a nasty cut across the eyes.
" Sorry ! " he ex clai med, " but I feel as
if I cou ld kick mysel f ."
" Shall I do it for y ou ? " ask ed the othe r,
with counterfei ted sol ici tude . The n, glancin g
at the card he had caug ht, he gav e ve nt to
a long whist lo of surprise.
" My gracious ! " he excl aime d. " I t
surely isn' t the on e ? Do n' t tell me it 's the
one, Bea u, o ld ma n ! "
* ' Yes , i t is ! " answered B arl ow bit ter ly.
" I t 's the p icture I 've spent al l m y spare
t ime ov er ; and I feel about the si l l iest owl
ou t . L o o k here ! "
H e tu rned angri ly to his desk , and taking
up a large piece of blot t in g-pap er began to
dry the ink where it still lay red and damp
upon the papers and w o o d -w o rk , l i f t ing out
with fastid ious fingers the ove rtu rne d and
dr ipping bot t l e . The other boy l o o k ed
sympa thet i cal ly from ove r the edg e of the
locker , then , transferring his gaz e to t he
ruined drawing, he spoko again.
" I say, old man, who did i t ? "
" Ba h ! " snorted Ba rlo w. " W h o did i t ,
inde ed ? / di d, of cou rse . I mu st hav e left
the beast ly bott le not properly corked, and
shaken i t ov er in slam ming the l id d o w n , th e
last t ime I was here. Do n' t speak to me,
F e r r e t ; I feci s i c k , utter ly s i c k . "
H e looked i t , to o. Th e long th in l a d w ho m
he had addressed as " F e r r e t " nodde d h i s
head sagely.
" H ' m ! " he said . " So 'd I after all that
fag. I t had t o go in to-da y, h ad n ' t it ? "B ar lo w no dd ed . Th en, hav ing finished
his drying operat ions, he replaced his things,
and lo cki ng his desk, wrapp ed the offending
inkp ot in the blot t ing-p aper. This he was
ab ou t to fling int o the fire at the farther e nd
of th e ro o m when Pi lk ington, alias " The
Ferret ," stayed his arm.
" H ol d hard , you mug ! " he excla imed
with unpolished earnestness. " Wh at are
y o u up to ? "
By F. H. BOLTON,
Author of " Under the Edge of the Earth," etc.
" Goi ng to pi tch the rot ten thi ng a way,
of c ou r s e . "
" Do n' t yo u ! " was the eager reply.
" Y o u g iv e i t to me."
Wai t ing for no conse nt , he stretched out
his hand and t o o k tho bott le from tho
as toni shed Bar low.
" Yo u shouldn ' t be so jo l ly i m pu l s i ve , "
he said reproachfu lly. " Yo u neve r can
tel l how things '11 shape them selve s."
" I can tell one thing," a nswered B arlow ,
with a wh ole lo ad of regret in his voice.
" I ' v e lost a term's wor k, and at least a
chance of a certificate, if I didn't pull oft
the prize. Ah , w e l l ! "—wi th a brave show
of acce pting thi ngs— " perhaps, af ter al l , I
shouldn ' t have co m e within a mi le of the
winner, and then I should have boen quite
as sick as no w. Still, I 'm a jo l ly careless
i d i o t ! "
" Yo u mightn ' t be , " was the enigmat ic
answe r ; " don ' t be too cock-sure , o ld m an.
K i c k yourself , by al l means, when you know
y o u deser ve i t , but do n' t begin t i l l yo u' re
c e r ta i n you do . "
'" Beau " B ar low s tared in solemn amaze
m e n t .
" Yo u always were an eccen tr ic sort of a
cha p," he said, shruggin g his shoulder s.
" Ke ep the si l ly t hing, if you l ike, in me mo ry
of m e . "
" Ri gh t O ! " retorted the F e r r e t ; " but
y o u ' v e been a th ump ing lot to o pre
matu re already. I oug ht to hav e sto ppe d
y o u . Yo u might jus t ope n up you r desk
a ga i n . "
" W e l l , of all the "
" Never mind that , I ' m n ot such an owl
as yo u think I a m. "
'" Gla d to hear it ! "
" L o o k here, Be au, " said th e Ferret , "do
t ak e the thing a bi t seriously. I ' m not
so dead sure about this thing as you are, b y
a jo l ly long cha lk, I can tel l yo u. W e' l l
hav e you r desk ope n, and reconstruct the
case . "
" Wh at ' l l we do ? " asked Bar low in
some surprise. He had opene d his desk
half mechanical ly as he spoke.
" W e' l l recons truct the case. I t 's a
French dodge. We' l l put things back as
the y were "B ar lo w slam med the l id do wn and locked
it again.
" Yo u mess up your own desk," he said
test i ly, " i f yo u want to play at being
detect iv e. I ' ve had enou gh of havi ng my
thinas al l spoi l t . "
Pilkington shrugged his shoulders.
" O h , a l l r i g h t ! " he e xc l a i m e d ; " ha ve
it yo ur ow n way . I onl y wanted to t ry and
p ro v e that perhaps yo u have n't been so
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744 The "Boy's Oban Taper,
muc h to bla me as yo u mak e out . Fac t is "
—he lowered his voice ; there were footsteps
approac hing the ro om in which the two boys
were stan ding —" I ' m not by any means dead
sure tha t bot tle was spilt by careles sness."
" Bos h ! " retorted B arlo w poli tely.
The conversat ion was hurriedly ended as
a th ird yo uth entered the roo m : a good-
look ing , fair-haired lad." Hel lo, Bea u, my bu ck ," he said, flinging
d o w n the bo oks he had been carrying, up on
the slo pin g desk ; " finished t he magnum
opus ? "
" I finished it yes ter day ," said Barl ow
quiet ly, as Pi lkington tu rned and unostenta
tious ly place d the rescue d ink -bot tle in his
o wn locker .
" Well, good luck to yo u ! I suppo se yo u
k n o w yo u' ve got a r ival ? "
" I t wo uld n't be much of a compet i t io n if
I h a d n ' t ! " laughed Barlo w a l i t t le bit terly.
" There's something in that ," a dm i t t e d
the other with a ch uck le. " It isn ' t m u c h
cat ch to be first in a race of on e. Bu t w he n
a paper like the good old ' B. O. P. ' offers a
prize, wheth er it 's for a water -col our, or
anythin g else, yo u can bet you r bot tom
dollar i t isn ' t goi ng to be a wal k-o ver for th e
winner. Yo u needn 't stare at me lik e t h a t ;
I kn ow I ' ve got a bi t mixe d in m y me ta
phors ; howe ver, that ' s neither here nor
there, as the chap said when he looked in the
wron g places for the tanner he 'd d r oppe d .
Wh at I mean is , yo u' ve got a r ival among st
th e fellows here ."
T h e Ferret was apparently busy get t ing
his bo ok s fom his des k; yo u would h ave
said the conve rsat io n held no interest fo r
him . As a matter of fact , howev er, he was
listening with every ear in his head.
" An d what 's mor e," cont inue d the new
co m er , " the begg ar hasn' t tu rned out half
a bad sort of a picture, after al l. Y o u ' l l
have to look out , Beau. Wh o do yo u th ink
it is ? "
" Graha m, I supp ose, " answered Bar low
carelessly. Th e sub ject was of no special
interest to him , and h e was anxi ous to end
the conversa t ion.
" Grah am," snorted the other. " That
wre tched daube r ! Wh y, you could turn ou t
a better s how than he could with your eyes
s h u t ! He ma y be hav ing a sho t for t he
prize, he 's fo o l enou gh ; but he 's n o rival.
Wh at do yo u say "
The loud r inging of the schoo l bell broke
in upon their talk.
" H e l l o ! " cried Barl ow ; " I didn' t kno w
it was so lat e."
H e tu rned aw ay , glad of the ex cuse to
hurry off. The Ferret, withdrawing his books,shut his desk.
" Who did you say was running old Beau
close ? " he asked casua lly.
" T he fel low didn 't gi ve me t ime to say
any one ," was the reply, " but wh at do
y o u th ink of ' Th e L ou t ' ? "
" Didn't know he was an art ist ," was the
contempt uous reply . " A n y h o w , I wouldn ' t
g ive muc h for his chances against B eau ."
H e spo ke carelessly enoug h, but as the
other tu rned away he nodded his head
sagely.
" I th ink ," he muttered to himself, " the
case '11 bear reco nstr ucti ng. "
I N T O the small picture painted for the
water -colour compet i t ion announced by
th e Boy's Own Paper Barlow had put his
whole heart. No r among st his friends had
there been any secret of his en deavou r.
Whilst in no way making the affair a th ing
fo r c o m m o n chatter , he had , on the othe r
hand, never at te mpted to hide his act io n.
Thi s was Ba rl ow all ove r. He pract ised a
mod erat e reserve in his ow n affairs, such as
makes for strength of characte r ; bu t there
was no trace of secret ivenes s in him , whic h
eats into the soul , and ma kes for povert y.
A t Pi lkington 's earnest request , however,
he had kep t sile nce regard ing the ruin of
his w ork : all the mor e readil y be cause of
his ow n sore feelings in the matter . T h e
Ferret had returned to the a t tack when thecoas t wa s once mo re clear, and after s ome
little diff icul ty had persuade d Bar low to
al low him to " reconstruct the case ."
" J u s t show me how
y o u found things," he
asked, as they stood
again in the deserted 'Jl
class-room.
" A l l a n y h o w , "
answered Ba rlow some
what tes
t i l y . " I 'm
b o t h e r e d
i f I c a n
" Ye s, but I see farther, my b oy ; I see
what' s missing. Whe re' s the cor k ? "
" Where 's the " began Barlow, then
turned red with vexa tion . " W e l l , I ' m
bother ed ! Where is the cork ? Wh y, I 'm
a bigger ass than I tho ugh t I was ! "
" Th e fates fo rbid ! " retorted the Ferret
in m o ck earnestness.
" An d yet ," contin ued Barlow , who-was lifting his papers carefully out
again, " I coul d hav e swo rn I did c o r k
that beastly bottle before I put it away.
" He turned angrily to his desk . . . lifting out with fastidious fingers the overturnedand dripping bottle." (.See p. 743.)
remember how they were—something l ike
thi s ."
T o the best of his me mo ry he arranged
the now emp ty inkp ot and the papers as he
had found them on tha t unpleasant opening
of his locker.
" An d no w yo u' ve seen things," he said
with a bit ter smile, " much good may i t do
y o u . "
" Quite so ," agreed the Ferret, " and you
as well. W e do n' t all see the sam e thin gs,
thoug h, rememb er. For instance "
H e looked quiz zica lly at his friend and
laughed.
" G o on, " exc la im ed Bar low, " don ' t mind
me ! Wh at have yo u nosed out no w ? W e
can both see the same things in front of
us , I should hope ."
I never could have shoved i t in uncorked.
Ah ! "
He remo ved a pi le of exercise book s from
the corn er of the lock er, and disc lose d the
missing cork behin d them .
" Her e it is ! " he excl aim ed. " I must
have thrown i t there in m y first flurry."
" Just so ," answered Pilkington, tak ing
possession of the small ob ject , and, after acasual glance, putt ing it into his pocket
with a kno wing smile. " Well , m y son„
y o u shal l hear something from me about
this before you' re man y weeks older.
There's more in it than meets the eye."
For two or three days Barlow heard
noth ing mo re upon the subject , and he was
wil l ing enough to let i t drop . The unwonted
presence of stains upon his usually neat
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"Beau" Barlotv and " The Lout/' 745
exercises and text-books drew more than on e
comment , but these he put aside, calmly
remarking that he had had an accident
through his own carelessness, and let t ing it
g o at that . After all, he, and he alone, was
to blame, and he alone was the sufferer.
He shrugged his shoulders occasionally in a
whimsical way, and promised to himself
more care in tho future. Ag ain , a characteristic of the lad. " Better luck " would have
been the expression of most b o y s ; with
Barlow it became a quest ion outside the
mythical realm of " l uc k . "
When, therefore, having considered the
affair a closed chapter , he found Pi lk ington
a few days later at his elbow anxious to
reopen it, and subject it to very considerable
revision, hewas not best pleased.
" L o o k here, Ferret," he e xc l a i m e d , " y o u
just drop i t . I 'm quite sore enough,
without having i t rubbed in any further.
I 've owned up to being an ass, and tha t
settles i t . "
Pi lkington nodded.
" Y ou ' r e an ass all right enough," he said
c om pl a c e n t l y ; " but not the kind of assy o u th ink you are ."
An d he made his report .
" Y o u say you must have put that ink-
bott le on the edge of your b o o k in a hurry,
and just stuck the cork in anyhow. Then
yo u s lammed down the l id, and everything
go t jerked about , and the ink got spilt and
played Jack ' s delight with thin gs."
U8F
" W el l ? And what d o you say 1"
queried Barlow sarcast ical ly.
" Tha t yo u did nothing of the sor t , "
repl ied the Ferret tr iumphantly . " Look
h e r e ! "
He opened hi s own locker as he s poke .
On the edge of s om e books was the small
bott le, with the cork carelessl j ' placed in
the mouth." H a ng i t a l l ! " excla imed Bar low
impat ient ly . " I d i dn ' t say I shoved it
away quite so s l opp i l y as that.'"
T h e Ferret smi led knowingly .
" A ll right," he sa id ; " just you put it as
y o u th in k you did . T h e r e n o w " — a s
Bar low co mp li ed —" min d you r f ingers ! "
He slammed the l id to with violence .
" A n d I d i dn ' t try to w a ke the dead,
either," sa id Bar low.
Pilkington l i f ted the l id again.
" Th e r e you a r e ! " he c r ie d . " W i t h all
that s lamming it hasn' t fal len. Do you
th in k i t would have done with your way of
shutting the desk 1 No , m y son, I 've
somethi ng else up my sleeve. Tha t picture
wasn't spoil t b yy o u . "Bar low tu rned red.
" It must have been," he said. " It jo l ly
well must hav e been ! "
The very force with which he said it
showed how much he would have fel t , had
he had reason t o th in k differently. Pi lking
ton shook hi s head.
" N o , it mu s tn ' t , " he r e t o r t e d ; " a nd i t
(To be concluded.)
wasn't, either. I ' v e shown you how
difficult it wou ld be with one slam to dis lodge
the thing, if it were put away anyway
decent ly : if it were put l ike you'd put it,
at all events ! But that's not all. L o o k at
the cork."
" Well , what's wrong with i t ? " queried
Bar low, turning the small objec t over and
o v e r ; " I don 't see anyth ing ou t of the wa y. "" Neither d o I, " was the surprising reply.
" B u t there woul d be, if that bott le had co m e
uncorked b y being t ipped over. It w oul d
be sopped in red, and i t isn't. Only the en d
that sticks in the neck's red : the top's no t
been touched. How's tha t s tr ike you ? "
" Bother you, Fer re t ! " excla imed the
otfler, " I wish to goodness yo u ' d kept
you r old nose out of this. I'd ten t imes
rather I 'dmade the mess myself than "
" Tha n th ink i t had been done out of spite,
eh ? I'l l bet you would , Beau, it 's y o u al l
o v er , " answered Pilki ngton with genuine
feeling. " But we ' ve got t o look at things
in the face, an d I warrant I know who 's done
it , too. I t 's the Lou t , or I ' m a D u t c h m a n ! "
" Oh, no ! " was the quick reply. " H e ' sa rough cub, I ' l l a d m i t ; but y o u ' v e g o t
nothing to go on , in making such a state
ment . I don ' t be l i eve he, or anybody e l se ,
w o u ld d o such a thing purpose ly , and I
d o n ' t see ho w they cou ld, even if they had
wanted to. I t wa s an accident , and t h a t
settles th e matter ."
" H 'm ! " said the Ferret, " does i t ? '*
Through Afghan
Or , L a r i K h a n o f -the Di am on d St ar .
By J. CLAVERDON WOOD,
Author of "Sinclair of the Scouts"
" Jeffrey of the White Wolf Trail," etc.
R I G A D I E R S H E L -
TO N sa w that the
p o s i t i o n was
rapidly becoming
hopeless, and an
early r e t r e a t
would be neces
sary if his force
was to be broug ht
off without i rre
parable disaster.
His reserve,under
Major Kershaw,
had been expos ed
t o v i g o r o u s
attacks from an
enemy more than
ten times their number , and had suffered
very severely. I t was not in a posi t ion to
advance to the Brigadier 's aid, nor was
Shelton able to retreat upon the reserve
without calling down upon himself a furious
and concentrated attack from the Ghazees.
B y this time horses with a new l imber
had gallo ped from the cantonments , and
Sergeant Mulhall wa s now able to re t reat
with the gun, if such a course was nece ssary.
Shel ton ' s force wa s near the ext remi ty of
the hill, and had formed a square. Th oAfghan s were all aroun d him, and thou san ds
barred his wa y t o where his reserve was
fighting and to the c an ton men ts.
The m om e n t the Ghazees saw the square
falling bac k, the y charg ed wit h furious
cries and wild courage. Hack ing, st abbing,
whirling their jezai ls , and plunging their
weapons into horse and man, they broke
the square, and for the ne x t ten minutes
C H A P T E R X X X V I . — T H E M A S S A C R E IN T H E G O R G E .
an awful scene of disaster was seen. Th e
Sepoys, especial ly, seemed to lose al l cou rage
and s trength to resist, and they were mowed
d o w n almost without resistance. Th o field-
p iece rattled off the hill at full gallop, and
was proceeding down a steep place when it
was overtur ned, and later be c a m e a t rophy
fo r the Afghans .
When Shelton's broken column staggered
back upon the reserve it was manifest tha t
the day was ended so far as the Bri t ish were
concerned. The Afghans had oc c up i e d
the whole of the heights, the B e y m a r o o
vil lage was strongly held b y them, and
al ready their horsemen were gathering in
prepara t ion for a sweeping movement on
the plain, so soon as Shel ton 's broken force,
t rying to reach the cantonments, were at the
mercy of their swift ly moving cavalry.
Reinforcements were n o w being sent
f rom the cantonments , and the only hope
fo r the retreating Brit ish was tha t they
m i gh t get through the gorge in safety,
keep back the pursuing Ghazees, and be
well on the w a y to the cantonments before
the Afghan caval ry could del iver it s charges
upon the demoral i sed t roops . Wi thout
muc h semblanc e of order the Bri t ish poure d
d o w n the road to the gorge, unheeding thereproaches and threats of their officers,
and for the time being heedless of everything
save escape from the sharp knives of the
bloodthi r s ty Ghazees , w h o followed, like
hungry wolves , upon the trail of the w or n -
out men.
The road through the gorge was a well-
made one , though nar row. Th e r oc ks on
each side of it stood high, ascending b y
irregular little pla teaux to the s um m i t
ab o v e . Too prec ipi tous to be de s c e nde d
in a hurry , they offered an obs tac le which
even the l ight-footed Afgha n mountain eer
cou ld n o t qu i c k l y o v erco m e . He was
compel led , therefore, t o pursue his e ne m y
b y the road. At one corner, where the
road wound round an outjut t ing huge mass
of r oc k , a lo w wall had bee n built t o pr o t e c t
wayfarers from a rather prec ipi tous descent
to where a m oun t a i n s tream rushed along.
The wall ran for about thi r ty yards and wa sbui l t about three yards from the edge of
the precipice.
F o r a distance o f mor e t han three hundred
yards the wal l commanded a clear view of
the roa d before the corn er was tu rned . B o b
had hidden his horses in a wild clump of trees
a bou t a hundred yards from the ent rance
of the gorge , and there A m r a n was in
charge . B o b had then marched up the gorge,
bu t on receiving word from the Major t h a t
the reserves were wait ing about a mile
farther on, and tha t Brigadier Shelton
had t ak en possession of the r idge, he thou ght
he could not do b e t te r than return to the
horses, and perhaps a t tack the B e y m a r o o
vil lage or post himself somewhere where
hi s thi r ty men would be of service.As the daylight sh owed him the posi t ion
he saw that , in case of a retreat, the wall
at the bend of the gorge was a strategical
point of the highest importance. First
of all, to give confidence to a retreating
force, and so prevent panic at a dangerous
corner which might easily be blocked, and
second ly to interpose an effectual barr ier
between pursuers and pursued. B o b
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746 The Boy's Obvn Taper.
gathere d his men about him , and exp lain ed
briefly what he mean t to do—e ithe r t o
attack Bey mar oo or to co v e r th e retreat,
if necessary.
H e sent a man off to scou t towa rds the
village and t o repor t if the Afgh ans were
reinforcing it f rom Kabul. He himself
t h e n proc eede d to inspec t the wall. Ther e
was ample space behind it for the men to
m o v e about freely, and the stones of which
it was built offered plenty of loopho les
l o r firing thro ugh. Wh en the scou t returned
-and said that the Afgh ans in mu ltitude s
were thro ngin g towar ds the scene of conflict,
B o b decided to t ak e up his position behind
the wall.
While the roa r of the firing wa s goi ng on
u p o n the hills he made his men t ak e
•a heart y breakfast. Th ey had sto cke d
their wallets and ve ry soon made them
se lves comfo rtabl e. Pipes were lighted,
muskets attende d to, and ammun itio n
placed ready to hand. Bo b sent word
t o Major Kershaw tha t he was preparing
t o defen d the go rg e in case the da y wen t
against them, and indicated the precise
s po t where he had placed his thi r ty men.
T he Majo r sent bac k a Union Ja ck, and
told hi m to use it a s a sign al in ord er to
warn retreating men that British soldiers
were guarding the dangerous corner.
After a few hours B ob saw a hors eman
riding at furious speed d o w n the gorge.
H e put u p the flag an d the man re ined
in his horse.
" It's an awful business up there, sir,"
he sai d; " the A fgha ns are in tens of
thousan ds, and all around our men. Th ey
hav e capt ured the horses and li mber of
the field gun, and will have the gun befor e
long . I ' m off for another Horse Artiller y
gun , and fresh horses and limber. Near ly
all the officers are killed, and the me n are
dishe artened . H the y have to re t reat it
will be a massacr e, for the Afg hans ar e
like wild beasts."
H e struck the spurs into his horse and
dashed off. It seemed no time before
the sound of hoofs warned Bob that horsemen
were co m in g . Som e artillerymen, bending
low in their saddles , swe pt past wi th a
gu n limber, and disap peare d up the gorge.
Then fugitives, streaming with blood , a nd
look ing wild-eyed and terror-stricken,
began to limp past. An hour or so
afterwards the retreat beg an in earnest.
B o b stuck up the flag and called upon
the Sep oys to halt, but he might as well
have spoken to the wind. The y simply
s tared at him with unmeaning gaze and
hurried on. T he y were fol lowed by the
main b o d y of the retreating force, and the
g o rg e wa s c ro w d ed with a t error-str icken
mass of fugitives. It was not part of an
ar my bu t a mo b in wild panic. There
were no officers amo ng them. These came
last of all and almost on their heels were
the Afghans. Presently Brigadier Shelton,
co v e red with blood , and with the rage of
warfare blazing in his eyes , came along.
His sword was broken and his helmet had
been kno cke d off. Bo b wav ed the flag
an d leaped upon the wall.
• " It' s all right, sir," he shou ted. " I
ha ve thi r ty men posted here. Wi th g o o d
luck we can hold the pass long enough
t o enable you to get into something like
orde r on the plain."
" God bless you, Laurie, this is a terri ble
business. If I do not see yo u again, fare
well ! " He wa ved his hand a nd hurried
rou nd the corne r, and the next minute the
Ghazees appeared not two hundred yards
a w a y .
The y were bounding along^ yelling out
curses upon the Feringhees, and brandishing
their knive s and sabres. Bo b wen t cold
as he saw the c ro w d rushing towards
him. Givi ng the wo rd to his men, a rapid
fire br oke out, which after five minutes
effectually stopped the first rush of the
Ghazees. De ad men lay across the r oad
and a few wou nded men limped back into
shelter.
" W e mus t hol d th em for half an h our,
m e n , " gaspe d B ob , " or all will be lost.
W e are not lik ely to be reinforced, for the
arm y is to o demoralised to do anyt hing
unti l i t gets near the cantonments . Don 't
waste a shot, and remember what I have
to ld y o u . "
His men needed no encouragement.
T h e y were natural ly cour ageou s and full
of fight, a nd the sig ht of the br oke n refugees
had filled th em with the rage of battle.
A continuous fire blazed out f rom the wall,
and terrible execut ion was wro ugh t upon
the c ro w d ed ranks of the Ghazees.
A British cheer f rom th e rear made Bob
turn. Captain Trevor, with some forty
men arme d with jezails, had co m e to his
assistance. The y form ed across the roa d
and their rapid and accurate fire helped to
ke e p back the thronging Afghans. Seventy
determin ed men, well posted, prov ed what
co u ld be don e eve n against t hous ands of the
e ne m y . The magnificent marksmanship of
B o b ' s troopers and tha t of the jezail m en
mad e it impossible for the Afghans to break
through . Men were now discerned climbing
along the precipitous rocks ab o v e , but as
y e t they were well out of range, and in
any case co u ld no t do much in the wa y of
reprisals.
In a lull Bo b sent a ma n off to order
Am ra n to bring up the horses, and as m an y
others as he co u ld lay hands on, in order
tha t when the time of retreat came, the
little force might escape rapidly d o w n th e
gorge. Before long the scou t returned ,
and said tha t Amr an was waiting abo ut one
hundred yards f rom the corner.
" Tell him to picke t the horses so tha t th e
pegs may be pulled out in an instant. Station
them in a line d o w n th e gorge, and not more
than t w o abreast . When the men retire
th ey will go two at a tim e and take th e
horses at the far end look ing towa rds the
cantonments. D o you understand ? "
" Rig ht y ou are, sir," said the man as
he darted away .
" How much longer can we hold them,
Lauri e ? " s aid T rev or. " Th e firing on
the plain is hea vy now and is well sustained.
Our men are reinforced f rom the camp,
I expe ct, and are makin g a good s tan d . "
The b o o m in g of hea vy guns was no w heard
f rom the plain, which tol d the anx ious
warden s of the gor ge tha t the Horse Artillery
were making g o o d practice.
" The pressure is decreasing, I th ink ."
replied Bo b ; " the Af ghan s are goi ng bac k
so as to advance f rom the hills upon our men.
Ther e is a broa d road betwe en the tw o
heights. Th e Ghazee s will not turn back
until they clear the gorge, but we can hold
the m if we are qui ck and resolut e."
A n d now a sharp fire broke out f rom th e
Afghans, who had sent their jezailmen to
the front. A rou gh sangar was thr own u p
before them, and behind this the marksmen
tried to pick off the defenders. Several of
the la t ter receiv ed flesh wou nds . How eve r,
the y had been well trained by Bo b, and
ex p o sed themselves very little.
W h i le th e thirty behind the wall kept
the e nemy at bay, Trevo r's men began to
b lock the gor ge with stones. Th ey had
plen ty near at hand and in a short time a
ra ther formidable barrier had been erected,
l eaving a narr ow space, thro ugh whi ch
B o b ' s me n cou ld retreat, after wh ich it
co u ld be b lo ck ed by a heavy boul der.
A t length Bo b felt that the time had come
to make a m o v e . It wo uld be foolish to
wait too long , for the plain woul d then be
cleared of the British, and Afgha n horse
men woul d be ready to pic k up any stragglers
or destroy a small force.
" I suggest that the best runners among
your men," he said to Trevor, " retire
d o w n the gor ge as quic kly as they can run.
W e have about thirty-five horses. By
holding on to the stirrup leathers th e rest
of your men can get away with my oVn
t roop, running beside the horses. Let
your men g ive a sharp five minutes' attack
now, an d afte rward s clear off. I will put
fifteen of my men where yo u are standing.
W e will hol d the wall and the barr icade
until the time has co m e for the fifteen to
clear. The n with seven men at the barr icade
and seven behind the wall I will continue
the firing until you have got well off.
Fina lly , I will send the rest of my men from
the barricade, and, when the end comes, we
will bolt, with the few who remain , for the
horses, and the Gh azees can follow when
they ar e ready . D o yo u app rov e ? "
" Capital, Laurie! I understand your
pla n. W e will get on to the plain , and
fo rm up there in square until yo u get out
of th e g o rg e . "
Then for a short ti me a vigorous fire
was kept up, so accu rate that not a Ghazec-
cou ld sh ow himself upon the road . Onby
the men behind the sangar dared venture
f rom the shelter of the walls of the gorge.
Wa vi ng his hand, T rev or sent off his men.
and imme diat ely fifteen of B o b ' s t roop took
their plac es an d op en ed fire. T hen in theii
turn they s lippe d awa y, and ran t o the
horses , and hurried d o w n to the ent rance.
B o b ' s seven men t o o k their places, and
the firing was kept up as rapidly as wa s
needed. Four men o n ly were left a few
minutes later, and Bo b led them from th e
wall, behind the barricade, and pushed the
boulder into its place, thus blocking the
g o rg e for a time. Th ey fired a number
of shots f rom the barricade, and then raced
d o w n t o their horses. Am ran was waiting.
The picket pins were dragged up, and
B o b gal loped d o w n the pass, emerging
upon the plain amid cheers from Trevor 's
men and the rest of the tro op.
Th e jezailmen now formed up in a c ompa c t
b o d y , while the mount ed infantry men
rapidly closed up behind them, and an
advance was made upon the tower known
as Zoolficar 's Fort. Hardl y had they
proceeded a hundred pa ces, when the
Ghazees were seen rushi ng ou t o f the
entranc e of the gorge. The men wen*
swung round, and fire was opened upon
them b y the jezailmen. A chief, Osman
Khan, rode out of the gorge, but led hit-
followers towards Bey maroo, and thus
B o b and his men were allow ed to ma rch
towards the cantonments unmolested.
Osma n Kha n was a near kinsman of
Akbar ' s , and a Barukzye Sirdar of notable
achiev ement s. H e was one of those who
had sworn a blood feud agains t Shah
Shujah and was as acti ve in Afghan
d ip lo m acy as in warfare. Th o next day
a letter was received from Osman . In it
he reminded Sir William Macna ghten that
he cou ld easily have destroyed the whole
of Brigadier Shelton's force had he been
so minded, but that he had checked the
ardour of his followers and prevented an
attac k whic h was to have been made on
the cantonments. He retired, he said,
because the Afghan chiefs did not desire
to proceed to extremities, their sole desire
being tha t the British should qui etly
evacu ate the coun try , leaving them to
govern i t according to their rules, and
under a monarch of their ow n choosing .
Tha t evening a form al dem and was made
[b y
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AT OUR REGATTA.
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748 The "Boy's Obvn Taper.
by the Sirdars t ha t the British should
deliver up Shah Shujah and his family;
la y do wn all arms, and make a n uncon
dit ional surrender. The y promise d • t ha t
when this was done an effort would be
made to spare their l ives, and th ey woul d
be al lowe d to leave the country on condit i on
that they never returned to it. The se
insulting and dishonourable terms stung
ev e ry Brit on to the quick, and the po orest
spir i ted among them v o w e d that they
would gladly perish in conflict ra ther
than bo parties to a peace which was
to be purchased by the sacrifice of manly
dignity and courage.
But the energies of the Afghans never
slackened, and from morning to night a nd
from night to mornin g the beleagu ered
and half-starve d garrison were allo wed
no rest. Fr om every gate of Ka bu l armed
Afghans swept ove r the plain, destroy ing
bridges, waylaying c o n v o y s of provisions,
sniping sentries, and taking long shots
at anyon e they cou ld see who belonged
to the British force.
SI R 'W I L L I A M
H f t C N A S H T E N
{From a drawing in the National Portrait Gallery.)
C H A P T E R X X X V I I .
A K » A B K H A N B A I T S A T R A P .
E S P I T E t h e
efforts of Bob
and his t roo p,
and the Com
missariat officers,
f o o d * had go t
d o w n to a very
l ow condi t ion ,
both as to quan
t i ty and quali ty,
and the horses,
c a m e l s , a n d
y ab o o s (Afghan
ponies) wereweak a nd starv
ing. General
Elphinstone was
abso lutel y inca pabl e of dealing wit h the
situation, an d as winter closed in he con
sidered t ha t there was nothing left but to sur
render. He besought Macnag hten to f ind out
some wa y of co min g to terms with the Chiefs.
Akbar Khan and Osman Khan, with other
Sirdars of the Ba ruk zye s, and as ma ny of
the chiefs as they cou ld influence, had
plan ned out the whol e sche me of the future
d ev e lo p m en t of the unfo rtuna te a nd trag ic
business, and they m o v ed as quietly as a
player moves his pieces on a chessboard.
Thej ' were relentless in the calmness with
which they advanced to the complete
destru ction of the British, and bega n to
herd in Genera l Elphin ston e a nd all his
followers, as quie tly as the slaug hterme n
drive a herd of cattle th rou gh th e gates of
the sham bles. A nd the terrible climat e
aided them. To withstand such fierce
cold, the weakly sons of the hot plains of
Hindo stan required abun dant cl othing,
plen ty of warm shelter, and a good supply
of sustaining f o o d . Instead of these
necessaries of life, they had little f o o d , worn-
out clothin g, and shelters which har dly
deserved the n ame.
Th e Sepoys lost heart, and simply sl ipped
out of life by the door of sheer wea kness.
E v e n the Briti sh had lost the greater part
of their ini t iat ive, and al low ed the A fghans
to harry the m here and there, and toterrorise by con stan t attac ks. Th e horrible
barbarities practi sed by the Afgh ans upon
the wou nde d and de ad, st il l further s hook
the conf iden ce of tho troo ps, and b y th e
middle of Dec emb er the army was nothing
more than a disheartened, demor al ised mo b
of half-starved, shiftless weaklings.
An d yet to energetic men there wa s
plenty of exci te ment, and muc h of everything
to win, if cou rage and enterp rise were p ut
forth to snatch at it. B o b ' s t roop never
suffered from starvation, because they were
on the lo ok-out for f o o d , wood, and clothing
ev e ry hour of the day. Bo b had ordered
them to keep a sharp eye upon the Afghan
sharps hooter s, w ho lined the walls of the
gardens and crept out to a t tack isolated
posts. He wanted to get for his men a
plentiful sup ply of thic k felt cloa ks, an d h e
knew t ha t the Afgha n marksman always
wra pp ed himself up in the wind-resisting
Herat cloth.
W h e n clo th was ob tain ed in sufficient
quanti ty, Bo b cut the surplus cloaks into
wide strips for leggings, and als o man u
factured a kind of Turkoman boot , which
kep t the frost fro m crippling the feet of
his men . In the ruins, where his tents were
put up , he alwa ys con tri ved to have a fire
burning , and iron pots of hot tea were
constantly kept ready for his men.
T h ey made huge gloves of the felt, which
they hung round their necks with cords,
so t ha t the hands might be kept warm
before the muske ts were used. A man
with shivering b o d y and numbed fingers
is no t likely to do muc h in the w ay of
accurate sho oting, and a gloved hand is too
cu m b ro u s . But with warm gloves, easily
sl ipped off an d on , the m en cou ld fire with
precision and in comfor t .
On ly once had Bo b seen Akb ar K han ,
and t ha t was at a great distance . Th e
chief recognised him, howev er, and w ave d
his hand before he gal loped away . At
length, on Dec embe r 11, a ru mour ran
through the camp t ha t Sir Will iam Mac
naght en wa s to meet the Sirdars, near th e
Seeah S ung Hills , in order to prop ose, a
t r ea ty of peace. The chiefs were seen
making for the appointed place, and Bob
sa w that Akbar Khan and Afzul Ali rodeat the h ead of the line.
H e felt sure t ha t any terms granted by
these men wo uld be of the mo st severe an d
insulting character. An d he was corr ect
in his anticipations, for never had a British
arm y been before subjected to so degrading
a situation. Th e British were to eva cua te
Ghuznee, Kanda har, Kab ul , Jel lalabad and
all Afghan territory, and no British force
was ever to return unless called for by the
Afghans. Shah Shujah, with his family,
mus t leave for British territo ry und er th e
promise of a pension from the Afghans, or
if he desired, he might continue to live, but
not to rule, in Kab ul . The army before
Ka bu l was to be al lowe d to retreat to India
b y way of the Kh ybe r, and provisions
would be al lowed for the journey, and
t ranspor t waggon s given, if required, and
the Amee r Dos t Mo ha mme d and al l the
Afghan exiles were to return to the country.
W h e n Shah Shujah heard t ha t he was
to be depo sed, and left helpless in Kab ul
or c onde m ne d t o exile, he at first refus ed
to con sen t to the terms, but finally ga ve
a re luctant acquiescence . T he Ar my then
prepared to evac uate the Bala Hissar
and the canto nment s. Th e troop s marc hed
out of the fortress and p roce eded to j o in
the main b o d y on the plain. Th ey were
dogged and fol lowed by Afghans , wh o
jeered and spat at them . An y dela y was
the signal for a nearer approach of the
Ghazees, and several sick men were dragged
away and ki l led.
On December 21 various hostages were
hand ed o ver to the cus tod y of the Chiefs,
as a guarantee that th e t r ea ty would be
o b se rv ed in i ts integri ty. Ak ba r Kh an
had st ipulated t ha t Brigadier Shelton
should be one of these, but Shelton posi t ive ly
refused to put himself into their hands .
T he next da y Bo b received a summ ons
from Sir Will ia m Macna ghten t o the effect,
that he was wanted at once in the Envoy 's
residenc e. It was abo ut an hour after
nightfal l . Bob t o o k his men with him,
and, after some delay, was admit ted to
the presence of Sir Will ia m. The En vo y
was alone . A letter lay on the table before
him.
' ' Yo u kno w the wri t ing of Akb ar Kh an,Mr . Laur ie ; i s that his signature ? " H e
pointed to the docu men t. Bo b examined
it and said with out a mo me nt 's hesitation,
" Certainly, sir, I know it w el l . "
" Re ad it for yourself, Mr. Laurie, bu t
remembe r, i t must be kept an absolute
secret . Yo u see what Akbar Kha n suggests
to me . Fo r the purpo ses of his ow n ambi tion
he is willing to co-operate with us, and
promises that A m cn o o lah Khan, the prime
m o v e r in this rebellion, shall be seized
and give n up to us as a prisoner. T w o
regiments are to be placed in Mah moo d
Kh an 's fort and in the Bal a Hissar. T he
uppe r citadel will be held by us. Shah
Shujah will con tinu e to rule, but A kb ar
Khan st ipulates that he himself shall be
his Prime Minister . Amp le provisions.stores,
and a mmu nit ion will be supplied to us by
A kba r Kh an , and ou r troo ps will be allow ed
to remain in and around Kabul , until
Spring op ens the Passes for us, and the
weather promises an easy journ ey to India.
If I agree, Akb ar Kh an is willing to pl ay
false to his fell ow-c oun trym en, and will
see that the plot turns ou t well. Now , Mr .
Laurie, you kno w Akb ar Khan, what d o
yo u think of his offer ? "
H e gazed on Bob's face with great
eagerness, and was clearly anxious to sign
the paper and return it to the Princ e. Bob-
waited a few minutes and then said :
" This is a t rap , Sir Will i am, and a v ery
shal low one. Akb ar Kha n and no t
A m en o o lah Kh an , is the head of all th erebell ious outbreak in Kab ul . He has been
working for nearly twelve mont hs in secret
p lot t ing . He hates Shah Shujah too muc h
to serve him in any capacity, and would
sweep him a way w itho ut a shade of
co m p u n c t io n . H e is tryin g to tes t y o u r
sincerity on the mat te r of the t reaty which
has been arranged, and if you sign that
paper, and go to meet the Prince to-mo rrow ,
yo u will have signed your death warrant
and given yourself over to the executioners.
On th o face of it such an offer looks like
the essence of simpl icity , bu t do not be
mistaken, Sir Will iam, Akb ar Khan is
tho most wily of all the Afg hans , as he is
the bravest, and his appa rent guilelessness
is on ly the b ait to a dead ly t r ap . "
" I d o not think so, Mr. Lau rie ; yo u
forget t ha t Akb ar Kha n is ambit ious an d
grasping. H e kno ws that Shujah is but.
a puppe t, wh o in his ow n strong hand s
cou ld be mad e to dan ce to any mu sic Ak bar
decided . H e wan ts supreme pow er, and'
this is a quick way to it. At the same
time, do you not see t ha t he would also
secure the gratitu de an d possib le friendshi p
of the Bri t ish Go ve rnm en t? W e are here
pen ned in, in a hopele ss posi tion . Th e
General can suggest nothing, and the arm y
is powerless. Kand ahar, Ghuznee, and
Jel lalabad m ust not be surrendered, and
if we have a respite till the spring, an
arm y will hav e been sent up to our assistance
and w e shall be able to dictate ter ms again.
I have thought ov er this , and mad e u pm y mind to sign the agreement, and to
m o rro w Ak ba r Kh an will ratify it in th e
presenc e of the chiefs wh o are in the p lo t. "
" Very well, Sir Willi am, I am onl y in
a posi t ion to offer advice because I know
A kba r Khan so well. T o me the proposal
is an absurdi ty, and base d up on absolut e
ignorance of the forces which are raging
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Through Afghan Snoters. 749
in Kabul at this present mom ent . If you
d o sign it, I wish you would allow me
to deliver i t into the hands of Ak ba r K ha n
fo r yo u. I should like to see his face when
he reads tha t letter, and sees you r signature. ' '
" There is no objection to tha t , Mr.
Laur ie. Captai n Skinner, on e of the
hostage s, brou ght it to me , but if yo u
desire it, possibly the matter may be
arranged. Bu t I am incline d to think tha t
it is unnecessary."
" Perhaps so , Sir Wil lia m, but I shoul d
like to see Ak ba r Kh an . I cou ld tell then
wha t was going on behind t he v e i l . "
A mounted escort t o o k Captain Skinner
and Bob to the fort on the Kohist an Ro ad .
Here they were received by a large b o d y of
Afghan horsemen, who escorted them through
the Kohistan Gat e to the palac e of Akba r
Khan. Bo b had placed the large Star in
his turban, but wore his ordin ary un iform
under his Herat cloak.
As the horse men cante red through the
.streets, crowd s of Afghans watch ed them by
the light of torch es, whic h were carried by
the armed me n wh o guard ed the cit y.
Akba r's troope rs were not very gentle in
their methods . If a man chanced to get
in the way, they either slashed at him with
their whips or rode over him. Nothi ng
was allo wed to interfere w ith the progress
of the troop. The leaders shouted out
the name of Ak ba r Khan a nd if tha t d id
not clear the way, the shoulders and hoofs
of the horses did.
At length the troop swung into the
courty ard of Akba r Kha n's palace, and B ob
dismount ed. An arm ed servant led him
along a handsomely furnished corridor,
and he was shown into a spacious apartment .
Akbar Khan, Afzul Ali , and Amenoo lah
Kha n were standing to gether , absorbe d in a
whispered consulta tion. Th e escor t had
been seen from the w indo ws, and the three
•chiefs were speculating as to the nature of
Macnaghten's reply.
Akbar Kh an started when he recognised
Bob, but on the instant he repressed tho
words of gree ting whi ch were rising to his
lips. The eyes of Afzul Ali glea med as he
saw the Diamond Star scintillating in the
turban of the young soldier.
" I wish to see Akb ar Kha n, " said Bob ,
speaking in Push too. " I am the bearer
•of a letter from the British Envoy, Sir
William Macnaghten ."
" I am Mahome d Akba r Kha n, " replied
the Sirdar, with a hau ghty gesture. " Give
me the letter."
Bo b handed the docum ent and Akba r
Khan brok e the seal, and rap idly sw ept
his eyes ove r the writte n wor ds. Wh en
he saw the signature at the end, a male vole nt
light seemed to illumine his countenance.
It was like the light ning flash wh ic h brig hten s
the darkness for an instant, or like the
brilliant gleam which shines from the g lowing
heart of a furnace, and is immedi ate ly
hidde n by the closing of the mas sive doors .
F o r a moment Bob seemed to look into the
heart of Ak ba r Khan , and in it he read
nothing b ut cruelty, treachery, and death.
A kba r Khan handed the letter to the
chiefs. Th ey read it without a chan ge of
countenance and gave it back in silence.
" Yo u can return to the Bri t i sh Envoy,"
said Ak bar Kha n, " and g ive him this
verbal answer to his communication. I
shall meet him on the plains to-morrow,
and this affair will be sett led."
Bo b saluted and turned to leave the ro o m .
A kba r K h a n followed him across the
threshold.
" T h o u fo o l , Lar i K ha n ! " he hisse d in a
tense whisper, " wh y dost thou thrust t h y '
head withi n the jaw s of the lion ? I s aw
thee in the c amp some days ago and knew
tha t tho u wert making thyself busy. I
wish I had deman ded thee for a host age
instead of that dog Shelton. I would have
sent thee to Ghari Ghil zai out of harm 's w ay .
Afzul Ali has marked thee by the Star in
thy turban. Ride in the middle of the
escort when thou returnest to the camp,
and accept no f o o d or drink while th ou art
in the pala ce here. Get do wn qui ckl y, the
escort have received their instructions from
me. Nay, wait thou in this ro o m , I will
se e the Khan wh o com man ds the horseme n
and will g ive him a strict charge concerning
thee."
H e pushed Bo b into a small ro o m and
hurried d own the corr idor. In a few
minutes some servants cam e in and placed
refreshment s a nd fruit on a table , and with
drew. B o b t o o k a piece of an Afg han
swe etme at, whic h is a very fa vourite
delicacy in Kabul, and was on the point
of placing it in his mouth when Akbar
returned. The Sirdar immedia tely snatc hed
the swee tmea t out of his han d.
" Di d I not wa rn thee ? " he said.
" Whe re is thy caution, Lari Kha n ? D o
y o u think Afzul Ali is aslee p ? Carry this
with thee to the courtyard and fling it to
th e street dogs. Yo u will learn so mething ."
H e hand ed the morsel bac k to Bo b, and
le d him towar ds the cour tyar d. At the
gate a number of stalwart Afreedees had
placed themselves, as though to see the
Feringhee messenger mount and be g o n e .
W h e n Bo b ap p eared there was a gener al
loosening of weapon?, and the hands concealed
beneat h the clo aks gripp ed the hafts of
the long Afghan knives . Akba r Kha n
st rode forward and , b locking the doo rwa y
so tha t B o b co u ld not pass through, he
cal led up the escort .
" W h i p me these Afreedee s out of the
courtyard," said Akbar in a sharp t o n e , "an d
se e tha t they are kept at a g o o d dis tance
f rom th e officer w h o re turns with thee.
(To be continued.)
R e m e m b e r tha t thou art respon sible for
his safety, a nd w oe to thee if a hair of
his head is injur ed. "
While the soldie rs wer e hustling the
Afreedees out of the courtya rd, B ob t o o k
off hi s t u rban and sho wed his white s haven
crown. Ak b ar Kh an looked at it for a
m o m e n t , a n d then burst out into a roar
of laughter. His face l ighted up with
wonder ful genialhVy, an d hi s tee th shone
like i v o ry .
" B y Allah ! " he said, wh en he co u ld
cont rol his mir th, " th ou ar t s have n like
an egg . The re is no t a hair to injure, even
though a man sought it with a lantern."
A n d hi s b o d y shoo k wi th uproar ious
merr iment . Jus t then a dog trot ted across
the cour tya rd . Ak bar t o o k the piece of
sweetmeat ou t of B o b ' s hand and th rew
it to the animal . It snappe d it up, an d
m o v e d aw ay. The next minute an appallin g
howl was heard, an d the dog was seen
writhing in tor ture upon the ground. To
st op the noise a soldier str uck it wi th his
sabre, but no t before B ob had seen tha t
the p o o r brute had been pois oned .
" Afzu l Ali meant tha t for thee, Lari
Khan ; he thinks tho u art a dog, and tha t
is ho w he wou ld have dispo sed of the e."
" Man y thanks, my lord , " rep l ied B ob ;
" I was a fo o l , but I will be wiser in future .
Farewell ." He swung himself into the
saddle, and in the very heart of the e scort ,
and gu arde d like a king, he was escorted
ba c k to the c antonments .
H e wen t straight to the Residency .
Sir Wil lia m Mas awaitin g him.
" Well , Laurie, I see you have returned.
D i d you see Akb ar K han ? " ho asked
as Bob en tered .
" I di d, sir . He was with Afzu l Ali
and Ameno ola h Kha n. I gave h im your
letter, and saw all t h a t I needed to see.
H e means mischie f of the deadliest kind.
Hi s face for an instant was like an open
b o o k , and in i t I read treachery, triump h,
and venge ance . He has trapp ed yo u, of
tha t I have not the slightest doubt, and if
y o u mee t him to -mo rr ow, i t will be to go
into impri sonme nt, or perhaps , through
the gate s of assas sinati on, to the deat h
which he has decreed for everyone within
this ca mp . I can easily forecast what will
be the ou tco me of the letter he has received.
H e will call the Chiefs ar oun d him, and
swear t h a t the British intend treache ry,
a nd tha t th e t reaty they have made with
the Afghan s is wor th nothin g. In proof
he will ic ad the letter signed by your name,
and e ver y man will swear to have reveng e
upon yo u, and upon the British. Ke epout of his wa y to- mor row , Sir Will iam,
or death wi l l leap out upon you ."
" Wh a t is to be will be, Laur ie, but I
t hank yo u for the service yo u have rendered
and the warn ing you have g iven me ."
The Lahore Gate, Kabul.
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750 The "Boy's Otern Taper.
A HARD ROW.
CnEERFUL IDIOT : " What do you think is the best food for an oarsman to train on, Willie,my lad ? "
WILLIE : " Don't know. What ? "CHEERFUL IDIOT: "Why, bloaters."
WILLIE : " Get along with you I What good is a bloater ? "OHBERPUL IDIOT : " It gets them used to the hard row1 See ? "J
" B L A C K A N D W H I T E D A Y S . "
T h e H a l f - H o l i d a y .
By ROBERT J. 0OL EN8 O, M. D , (" UMNYAIZA.")
FO B us lads Saturday was our da y of
days , a lways looked forward to from
the beginn ing of the week. On Satu rd ay
our schoo l-wor k ended at noo n, and we were,
fo r the rest of the dayli ght , free to enjoy
ourse lves p re t ty much where and how we
l iked.
Whe the r we went alone or with our bla ck
co m p an io n s , th is enjoyment usual ly took
the fo rm of som e sport , such as t rapping or
fishing. T he la t ter , from some inheri ted
or innate reason, was alw ays my f avouri te
pastime, and I still prefer g o o d fishing t o
any other ou tdo or form of recreat ion, p ro
v id ed t ha t the fish to be ca ugh t are avai labl e
as f o o d . Th e nat ive lads fished for the mer e
pleasure of catch ing, since onl y those l iving
on the coa st , or brough t up from chi ldh ood
to eat fish, can bear eve n the o do ur of it.
Other nat ives declare t ha t f ish are " me re ly
snakes ," of al l l iving creatures to them
the most abhor rent . A nat iv e cook in my
service in la ter years could not have c o o k e d
the m ha d it not bee n for his great affec tion
fo r me . It was a sight to see him with
face tu rned to the bree ze, and the frying -
pan held out at arm ' s length behind him,so t ha t the hateful od ou r shoul d not u pset
his st om ac h ! Bu t Kaffirs dwel ling on t he
coa st woul d eat fish and shellfish with
a v i d i t y .
Our black co mp an io ns ' idea of fishing
was somewhat crude, as was our own when
we first l earned it from th em — " Pull y ou r
line out with a jerk at the first nib bl e, "
was the mo tt o, " an d send the fish, if not
large enough to smash your tackle, flying
overhead into the rushes be h i nd you , " t h a t
was our earl iest meth od. An d man y a rod
and line were bro ken , an d ma ny a fair-sized
fish lost by such unskilful ang ling .
R o d s were to be had from any where
arou nd us, viz. , sapl ings of mulber ry, acacia
and " ser inga ." Fish ing lines were usual ly
ma de of stri ng— of fine whip cor d at best .
B u t th is was rarely procu rable, for the tow n
in which i t could be bought was five miles
away . Hoo ks were our greates t want for
the same reason. Wh en obtai ned the y
were usually of large size and prov ide d
with an eyel et for a t tach men t of the line,
and they were dear. Wh en there was no
eye let hole we had s om e difficulty in fasten
ing the line to th em, as we had not y et
learne d to wh ip it on with th r ead . Be n t
pins had often to be our substi tu te for hooks
unti l I found t h a t large needl es bent in a
candle flame, and th en tempered whilst red
hot in co ld water, were stronger and sharper.
Suc h barbless h ook s justified our " pull ey-
haul ley " man ner of striking and lugging
out the fish, or oth erwi se they usuall y go t
off the hoo k. Oh ! shall I eve r forg et the
be a u t y t ha t dr op pe d off my first bent n eed le!
Wi th such hook s a running line was of no
use, nor rings on the rod, alt hou gh later,
when we could procu re hooks, we adv anc ed
to a yard or (w o of extr a running line at the
b u t t , and a ring on the tip of the rod .
Gut was a great luxur y, onl y seen when
it came already at tached to the hooks we>
had bought in the dis tan t town. In la ter
years, howe ver, we made many a s trand
from the si lkworm.
It m ay no t be out of place here to de scri be
ho w this is done.
W h e n our silkworms were fully mature,
they becam e pinkish-coloured and semi-
t ranslucent , and were restless, wan derin g
ab out to find a corn er in which to sp in
their cocoons . They were then thrown into
vinegar, and, as soon as life was extinct,,
were torn ope n and th e silk organ s t ak en
out—transparent semi-sol id bodies, in shape
like a pear dou ble d on itself, or the Persian
flower on an old-fashioned shawl. The se
were unfolded and qu ickly stretched out
t o their ful lest extent . The quicker t h i s
was done the longer the resulting thread of
gut , as the material hardens very rapidly,
bearing a yellow tag of its envelope left
adherent to either e nd of the strand. A f t e r
being pegged out on a board and sundried,
these strands were ready for use—and better
gut I have never found.
There was always sufficient bait to be had,
since, in default of worms, a few grasshoppers,co u ld be caught even dow n on the r iver 'a
brink. But , as a hunt for them d elaye d
operat ions, we general ly caught a supply
before starting where they were mor e plenti
ful. T h e latter sort was a large soUtary
species (iqwagi) flying po wer ful ly wh en
k ick ed up, and for a distance of fifty yards
before it alight ed again on some little bare
spo t. It had to be chase d and pressed
hotly from point to point before i t could
be captured.
W o r m s were our mos t favo urite bait, b ut
the y were ver y difficult to get, ex ce pt after
rain, or in the rainy season. At other t ime s
the gr oun d was dry , and as hard as i ron,
covered with large worm-c asts also of a
sto ny hardne ss. It was useless digg ing atrand om. One had to go out in the early
morning, and, as quickly as possible, dig
up from beneath so me moist and more or
less recent cast in the slender hope t ha t it
might be possible to seize hold of the retir ing
tail-end of a wo rm. If so cau ght and k ept
pat ient ly on the stretch, th e rest of the
creature somet imes fol lowed entire, but
usual ly it was but a frag menta ry affair.
W e discovered later, t ha t dough, made of
whe ate n flour, wa s a good bait for our river ,
and saved us muc h t ime and trouble. This
we kneaded u p with som e cot ton- wool to-
make i t adhere better to the hook.
A r m e d with this primitive fishing-tackle,
and a few worm s or grasshoppers, we mad e
haste to reach the river two miles away,
keeping a sharp watch on the sky for the
thunder storms which in hot weather were
c o m m o n . If the clou ds were very threaten
ing, we knew we should be stopp ed b y o ur
elders, so mad e shift to get far away be
fore such a disaster happe ned. I t would have
been a terrific storm indeed which would
have prevented us from starting for our
beloved sport. Often, in t ruth, if we
thought storms were brewing, we wonld
" cut " our mi dd ay meal, so as to be on
our way and safe from pursuit, an d then ,
if the heavens did fall, we were glad enough
of the po nies and esco rt, sent to rescue us
from the sava ge fury of the eleme nts. Fo r
such thunderstorms were dangerous from
the torrential rain, the massive hailstones,
and incessant lightning they often brought.
Our way to the river led partly along
Kaffir foo tpat hs, in which one had to walk
in single file, an d partly over th e open " ve ldt ."
If we ca me acros s ripe grou nd-m edlar s on
our way through the grass, we woul d pause
to pluck and eat them. Bu t onl y for a
mom ent , for our one and o nly aim was to
go as s traight and as fast as possible to the
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" BlacK and White Days." 751
river, and, arriving there, to "c o l l a r " the
most fav our ite fishing stand s, and to be th e
first into the water with our line.
W i t h what feverish anxiety we rushed
d o w n that last sloping ridge, and crushed
underfoo t sweet-smellin g herbs and rushes
on the river's brink ! Wi th wha t fumb lin g
fingers we straighten ed o ut our lines, and,
impali ng a fat grassho pper, or the sec tion of a worm upon our hook—earthworms that
were somet imes nearly an inch thick, and
a yard long— cast it am on g the ye l low foam
blobs that sailed around an eddy in t ha t
great pool ! How closely we watched for
the first shu dder of ou r float—if we indulged
in the refi nem ent of a float—made of a
fragment of dry reed, or the det ermi ned
straightening out of our drifting line, a bit
of string on which depe nd ed all our ho pes !
An d then, if the fates were k ind , with
what a rush a living bar of silver was torn
ou t of i ts native element high ab ov e our
head s, to fall flapping an d od or ou s up on us,
or amids t the scen ted herba ge far behin d !
Al l rods were cast aside, all ran t o the spo t
to gaze with env y, or handle the prize !E v e r y one rushed ba ck to his pos t and tack le
with newer ho pe ! Ma ny a sma ll fish was
so dealt with, bu t few larger on es could be
thus hoisted sky high.
These fish were chiefly those which arc
locally called " scale-fish, " bu t are in r eality
tw o species of barbel, closely allied to our
ow n barbel , and a diminutive perch or
"ruff. " There were also eels— some huge
and spot ted eels, and mon str ou s catfish,
locally misnamed " barb el ." Such were
never hauled out with our feeble tack le, but
with nightlines, or in the after year s wh en
ou r fishing was mo re skilfu l an d mo re
worthy of the n ame.
These barbel were very hard to despatch,
fo r their enor mous ugly heads were a mass
of plates of bone , on which a stone m ade
no impression. The y were hideou s creatures,
al though g o o d as food, not unlike gigantic
t ad p o le s , all head and little b o d y , with great
fleshy whiskers sticking ou t like t entacl es
around their wide , flat mou ths , and wit h tin y,
b ead y eyes . I caught one once , whe n I was
an older lad, which was about four feet long .
I had better tackle then —thou gh co arse.
I was alone on t ha t occas ion , and had no
float on my line, and had th row n the h o o k ,
baited with a wor m, into my favourite d eep
hole for a final try , as the sun ha d set a nd
night was rushing on. Not hin g seeme d to
happ en, so I raised my rod to depart, an d
found m y h o o k was fast in somethi ng—a
rook or roo t pro bab ly. I pulled on the rock ,
and it steadily m o v e d out to mids t ream.Had I at last hoo ked tho leviathan of my
dream s ? Or, perh aps , it was a water-
tortoise ! I had caught such before—nast y
stinking things ! Bu t it see med mor e act ive
than a tortoise woul d hav e been. I increased
th e strain, and little by little broug ht the
creature to the surface, and saw it was a
large catfish ! Th is fish was lump ish and
h eav y and strong . It t o o k me quite twe nty
minutes to play and pull it out on to a rocky
ledge, a m t h e r five to get the hook out of its
h ideous mouth, and yet another five t o
hammer it into quietude with a large stone—
I always made a point of ki l l ing my catch.
I packed up my tackle, and slinging the
monster on a cord over my shoulders, began
to toi l up the rock y pro mon tor y in the dusk.
It was more than dusk, it was dark, and
the fireflies we re bli nki ng out am on gs t the
thick reeds, and in the blackness below me.
I was tired and cold , and began to feel
deso late and " eeri e." Bats were whisk ing
around me. A " whip -poo r-wi l l " was
reiterating its sorrowful notes in a thicket
somewhere near, and a bro wn owl flopped
into the grass in fron t of me . I began t o
c r a v e for huma n symp ath y, and for my
cheerful h o m e . J u s t then t ha t hideous
barbel on my shoulders gave a cough ing
grunt, and sm ot e my ankl es with its tail.
I was so s tar t led t ha t I leapt and dropped
it, and when I tu rned round there it lay
all alive, with s tar ing beady eyes , a n d
quiverin g tentacles. I hamm ered i t into
silence again with anothe r stone, but b orei t " pic k- a-b ack " no mo re , dragging i t
throu gh the grass. So I go t hom e at last,
but ha d to driv e a knife beh ind its hea d
into the spinal c o r d , to kil l i t outri ght .
T o return to earl ier day s. As we sto od
there motion less, half hidden by tall reeds
and lush undergrowth heavy with aromatic
scents , there were many ob ject s of inter
est beside our floats am id th e foamf lake s
ci rc l ing around the eddy—the large black
and white speck led kingfisher (isiqula) c o u l d
be seen chattering , as i t hung susp ended
with quivering wings o v e r the water and
(To be
peer ing d o w n into i ts myst erio us depth s,
then falling like a spoar upo n its prey .
D u c k s in pairs and strings would stream
pulsing by, near enou gh to scrutinise us
closely, but out of gun-s hot. Lo ng l ines
of ibis (inkankane) flying hig h an d u t te r in g
their peculiarly human cry of Hip-hip-hip-
hurrah , a chorus in which al l joine d, would
sw in g onward to their roos t ing-placesmiles away. White-headed fishing eagles
(izinkwazi) with their high-pi tched, melodious-
c ry , half scream, half whistle, c o u l d bc -
seen si t t ing in watch.
If we were very still, otters {imtini) o c c a
s ional ly clim bed out al l drippin g on to the-
jut t ing ro cks, or could be detect ed al l
but submer ged— like unto large water-rats,
passing d o w n the curren t . Thei r peculiar
o d o u r was often str ong in the air, a nd t ha t
also of the marsh ich neum on (umvnzi), s ince
b o t h of these made ou r favo urite spit of
r o c k i ts dining-table.
concluded.)
Our Rote Book.
T H E " S T E A D F A S T " T R A I N I N G
S H I P .
THE accompanying photograph shows the newtraining ship for boys, the Steadfast, which has beenanchored in the Thames at Kingston. Mr. PercyThorn, to whom we are indebted for the photograph,sends ns the following particulars:—" The vesselis 100 feet in length, the height from deck to mast-
A Ne w Training Ship.
dead is 75 feet, and she is 19.6 across her beam.She is a training ship for poor boys, who are taughtin the class-room in the evenings from 6 to 8 and
S to 9.30, after their day-school. Boys are taught(luring these hours from the age of thirteen, andare given two years' training. The class-room isquite large and is Gtted with electric light. Nextto it is the cook's galley where the boys learn theculinary art. The SteadfjM, whose hull, it maybe added, is painted black and white, was formerlya training ship near Gravesend."
j r j r
A T R U E K N I G H T .
SOME time ago King George conferred the honourof knighthood upon Doctor George Turner. Hisname when printed among those who had receivedthe King's favour meant Uttle to the public. Hehad not been in the limelight, and most personswondered what he had done that commended himso strongly to the King. Had he shown great couragein war, or great wit in society, skill in letters orpre-eminence in science, or was it just a whim of his Majesty to place an unknown among the names of the truly great ?
The newspapers soon unravelled the mystery, andidentified him as the medical officer in Cape Colonywho for twelve years rendered services to the cause of humanity which have never been adequately recognised,except by a very few. It was he who completed thesystem of inoculation against the rinderpest, begunby Dr. Koch, and produced a curative and preventiveserum. It was he who, during the Boer war. when theravages of typhoid were so severe, undertook thesupervision of the military hospitals and concentrationcamps at constant risk of his own life. It was hewho, coming across a leper asylum at Pretoria, with
about fifty Dutch and forty native patients, gaveall his spare time to work among the poor creatures,doing all he could to alleviate their lot.
For three years he laboured without extra pay of any sort. He saw the lepers early in the morning,and when he came home in the evening. In additionhe made as many post-mortem examinations aspossible. He was in his laboratory at dawn in orderto have time for work. A visitor who watched himmoving among the patients in the asylum bearswitness to the passionate devotion with which he wasregarded by all the inmates.
On reaching the age limit he retired to pursue hisstudies into the bacteriological side of leprosy. It hasalways been the ambition of his life to find someremedy for the disease.
There is nothing in the world so inspiring as thethought of such men as Doctor Turner, workingwithout hope of glory or money, and desiring only toprotect posterity from the diseases which have causedso much suffering.
Sir George Turner is now a leper. He contractedthe disease in trying to relieve the sufferings of others y
men and women whom he scarcely knew. Already hisright arm is useless. He is living in solitude, compilingthe information which he has gathered. Knighthoodis small reward for him. Proportionate reward cattnever come to him in this life.
* ¥ *K N O W N A S " T H E S A N D B O W . "
ONE of the prettiest sights to bo witnessed in.travelling through Arizona, we are told , is the sand-bow, which invariably follows the much-dreaded sandstorms of that region.
Of course, everybody has seen a rainbow, which issimply a reflection of light on the particles of moisture
in the atmosphere. Well, the sandbow is caused bythe reflection of light on peculiar sand particles which,are left floating in the air after the storm.
This sandbow is not so brilliant as the rainbow,nor are the second or third bows often seen withinthe first so distinct as in the regular rainbow ; but the-sight is just as impressive and wonderful ; and whenone first sees the sandbow, he cannot help wonderingwhether his eye is deceiving him, so out of place doesit seem.
If we could examine the sand of the sandbow, wewould find out, so the scientists say, that it is not anordinary sand that so refracts and reflects the light,but peculiarly polished uniform spherules which havea decidedly pearly lustre, these particles being asthey are because of constant friction or rubbingtogether while swirled through the air during the.sandstorm.
¥ ¥ ¥
D E A T H O F A " B . O. P . " W R I T E R .
WE regret to have to record the death of Mr. Ravenoi-Bullen, who passed away at his home in Petrolea,Ontario, Canada, on May 3, 1913. The late Mr. Bullenwas the author of several stories in the " B.O.P .," of which " The Floating Gourd ," in our 33rd volume ,and " The Mystery of Cabin No . 7," will, perhaps,be best remembered. He was educated at UniversityCollece School. London, and spent a great part of his-life at Bampton. Oxfordshire. He went out to Canadaeventually to look after some mining interests andsubsequently became associated with the productionof crude petroleum in the oil-fields of Ontario.
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752 The "Boy's Oban Taper.
Our Open Column.
A I M H I G H !
mHERE'S a jolly good maxim for youngsters,
X While still they are learning at school,
It will help them along if they're timid,And keep them from playing the.fool;
Don't be frightened that others will beat you,
For every big prize have a try ;
Though the odds may seem heavy against you,
Have faith in yourself and—Aim High I
'Tis the same, too, when schooldays are over,
And into the world you then go;
Though your choice be profession or business,
Be steady, but never too slow;
Don't be nervous at getting a tumble,
Success will be yours by and b y ;
Though the goal's far above, keep on striving ;
Have faith in yourself and—Aim High !
Though you come down some terrible croppers,
Just smile and continue the fight;There is room up above for you somewhere,
• If only you strike the path right.
To a stiff brae a stout heart is needed,
Don't throw up the sponge with a cry;
Set your teeth and determine you'll conquer,
Have faith in yourself and—Aim High !
When a friend or companion you' re choosing,
Be sure that the metal rings true;
For the chap with foul speech or bad habits
Is not the right fellow for you.
Read good books, your mind needs cultivation,
The kind that will live and not die;
Leave the dross and the filth to the rotter,
Through life be your motto—Aim High IHAROLD DORNINQ.
F L A G S A N D F L A G S .
By RAYMOND RAIPE.
TN these Imperial times the British flag is kep t very
much a-flying. The surface of the entire globe is
dotted with it. And there are certain more out-of-the-
way interesting facts concerning British flags that
everyone ought to know, simply because they are such.
If you read these brief notes you will become posted
as to some peculiar flag-lore.
The Royal Standard is, of course, now strictly
reserved for the use of the Royal Family. When
the King goes on board a warship, his presence is
denoted by the flying at once of the Royal Standard,
the flag of the Lord High Admiral and the Union
Jack. That is a sight to be watched for I Those
versed in such matters are aware that the Royal
Standard and the Standard of the Prince of Wales
do not return the salutes 'that naval etiquette requires
shall be rendered to them.
On occasions of national or other rejoicing, the
appropriate flag for private individuals to adopt
is the Union Jack. It should, however, be flown the
right way up ; that is to say, with one of the broad
sections of the diagonal white St. Andrew's cross
pointing to the apex of the flagstaff. Often enough
the Union Jack is to.be seen flying upside down.
In the British Army, when two flags of the same
kind, but different sizes, are issued for use, the smaller
is intended to be flown in rough weather. Gales
play havoc with even British bunting, and the rule
makes for economy.The White Ensign, with its left-hand top corner
Union Jack, being the Navy's national flag, the Blue
Ensign—same design—is used for boats connected
with the Admiralty and other official departments.
For all ships and boats belonging to any British
subject that are engaged in the purposes of merchant
shipping, the Red Ensign—same design—is the proper
national colours. British ships signalling for a pilot
may also use a Union Jack with a white border.
But if any British ship fly any other national colours,
or any colours properly belonging to ships of the Na vy, a
heavy penalty may be imposed, up to even a fine of
five hundred pounds . Any naval or military officer,
or any officer of customs, may board any such ship,
and seize and carry away the offending colours.
There are, however, exceptions to this rule relating
to pleasure yachts. Certain yacht clubs hold Admiralty
warrants permitting their members to fly the Blue
Ensign, and most of the members do so lly it on their
yachts, some also on their private flagstaff's ashore.
But in such cases the flag is usually modified by
showing in its fourth or bottom right-hand quarterthe particular emblem of the club. The members
of the Royal Yacht Squadron, which, dating back to
1812, has its station at Cowes, I. of W., enjoy the
still prouder privilege of flying the AVhite Ensign.
Arctic and Antarctic exploration ships nowadays
fly a plain white flag, usually shown in conjunction
with the ship's own national flag ; Japan has thus
made use of the emblem in seeking the South Pole.
The banner is, of course, symbolical of the "unsullied
regions of the remote unknown."
Two forbidding emblems that we may hope the
reader will never have the misfortune to sail under
are the " quarantine " and the dreaded " plague " flags.
The one is just a plain square of yellow. The other,
used to denote that cholera, yellow fever or plague
is on board, is yeliow in its first and fourth quarters,
black in the second and third. Any ship having any
of these illnesses amongst passengers or crew is by
law required to fly this flag from sunrise to sunset when
within three miles of the British coast.
The Union Jack being the national emblem and
consequently " everybody's colours,'* as it may be said,
the British Army is provided with a special Union Jack
of its own. This, a very picturesque production,
shows the Royal cypher in a garland on a blue shield,
surmounted by a crown, and it is flown when a general-
officer-commanding embarks on one of his Majesty 'sships for purposes of military duty.
Finally, if, being by the sea, you espy a heavily-
laden craft displaying a large red flag with or without
a big letter P in its centre, you will know that supplies
of petrol or other explosive or inflammable liquid fuel
are being taken to the submarines. The flag means
" Keep clear. We are dangerous neighbours," and
other ships very wisely give it a wide berth.
Speaking generally , when flags are intended w> be
used emblematically, strict care should be exercised
to use them correctly. If meant merely to be decorative
a little more latitude is allowable . Still, it is safest,
in these matters, to be somewhat punctilious. For
there are certain flags that, displayed under certain
circumstances, might prove to be as disastrously out
of place as would the pirate's " skull and cross-bones "
at a garden party.
NAUTIQUS.—TJQ reply to your query with referenceto going to sea in the Merchant Service, a veryimportant point to notice is the change which hasrecently occurred in the training of officers, and inthe requirements now exacted by the Board of Trade and shipping companies. Until recent yearsmost officers served their apprenticeship in sailingships and got what is called an ordinary certificate,which enabled them to go in sail or steam ; nowthe majority go to sea in steamers and get steam" tickets " only. But the tendency is to raise thestandard in navigation and nautical astronomy.A good preparation for seafaring is to learnone modern language, mathematics, mechanicsand magnetism thoroughly. Officers are nowrequired to be conversant with the use and explanation of many modern inventions, as azimuth findersand other delicate instruments. The correction of the compass for deviation by deviascope is a fine art.Morse code signalling by lamp, semaphore, doubleand single flags, is now compulsory in all grades of officers. Many steamship companies carry apprentices ; four years is the usual term, but two yearsin a training ship counts one year sea time. Notwithstanding the increase of steamers and theelimination of sailing ships, several large passengercompanies prefer sailing ship men. Indeed, theWhite Star Company have fitted out the Merseysea-going training ship in order to train younggentlemen to become officers in steamers. Incidentally it may be noted that there is a demand forofficers just now. The pay is constantly increasing.
MTLES.—The red beading down the legs of infantrysoldiers' trousers dates from 1834. Previous to
that year non-coms, and privates wore their trouserswithout ornamentation.
AN ILFORD READER.—The rubbings of the coins,which you send, are too indistinct to be of use. Seethe article on " Coins and Coin Collecting," in theOctober monthly part; this may help you toidentify some of them. If you can send betterrubbings for our expert to report upon, so muchthe better.
G. HODGKJNSON.—It would be unwise to go in forswimming in opposition to your doctor 's advice.We do not know of the ear-plugs in question, andshould not recommend any such device withoutfurther knowledge of your condition. The doctoris the best person to consult on the matter.
A. E . SMITH.—The best time for the exercise is beforebreakfast, after you have had your tub. Bo carefulnot to overdo it, as it is a somewhat fatiguing formof exercise.
R. Hn.LHOUSE.-l. The 1911 and 1912 vols, areout of print. 2. We have not reprinted any of the Coloured Plates you mentio n; they aro onlyobtainable in the volumes in which they wereoriginally issued. 3. Try the " Principia Grseca,"which any bookseller can order for you. 4. Thereare many excellent manuals on cricket, but none
that can help you very particularly. See whatWilfred Rhodes says in the articles he has beenwriting in the " B.O .P." 5. Dr. Arthur Stradling,the writer on natural history, died some years ago.'
WlLTSHHiE.—A leveret is an even more interestingpet than a rabbit. It should be kept in a hutchand fed regularly and carefully in the same wayas your former pets. Leverets can be taught littletricks with the exercise of patience.
W . L. BlGWOOD.—See Vol. XXIV., p. 638, for articleon " My Land Boa t and How I made it." Weshall be recurring to this subjeot in the next volume.
NOGO.—Thanks for letting us see the sketches. Theyare not quite good enough for reproduction, butcertainly show promise. You should attend artclasses, if you do not already do so, and studytechnique.
ORIENTAL STAR.—We have no information on thesubject. Write to the Lancet or the British Medical Journal, if your own doctor is unable to furnish youwith the required particulars.
H. WAYMARK.—Your best course is to get in touchwith a firm of engravers and apply for a post. Youmust expect to begin at the beginning, arid you mayhave to serve some time without wages. ThePost Office Directory contains a list of the firms.
W . JACKSON.—You are not likely to keep them longin captiv ity . Throw them back into the pond afteryou have had the excitement of catching them.Their natural food is small insects which you couldnot easily procure for them.