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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/30469-h.zip b/30469-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..dc4bc37 --- /dev/null +++ b/30469-h.zip diff --git a/30469-h/30469-h.htm b/30469-h/30469-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..b91e469 --- /dev/null +++ b/30469-h/30469-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,4115 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<HTML> +<HEAD> + +<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> + +<TITLE> +The Project Gutenberg E-text of A Tale of the Summer Holidays, +by G. Mockler +</TITLE> + +<STYLE TYPE="text/css"> +BODY { color: Black; + background: White; + margin-right: 10%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; + text-align: justify } + +P {text-indent: 4% } + +P.noindent {text-indent: 0% } + +P.poem {text-indent: 0%; + margin-left: 10%; + font-size: small } + +P.letter {text-indent: 0%; + font-size: small ; + margin-left: 10% ; + margin-right: 10% } + +P.transnote {font-size: small ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +P.finis { font-size: larger ; + text-align: center ; + text-indent: 0% ; + margin-left: 0% ; + margin-right: 0% } + +H3.h3left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H3.h3center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H4.h4center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5left { margin-left: 0%; + margin-right: 1%; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: left ; + clear: left ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5right { margin-left: 1%; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: right ; + clear: right ; + text-align: center } + +H5.h5center { margin-left: 0; + margin-right: 0 ; + margin-bottom: .5% ; + margin-top: 0; + float: none ; + clear: both ; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgleft { float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 1%; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgright {float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1%; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center } + +IMG.imgcenter { margin-left: auto; + margin-bottom: 0; + margin-top: 1%; + margin-right: auto; } + +</STYLE> + +</HEAD> + +<BODY> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Tale of the Summer Holidays, by G. Mockler + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Tale of the Summer Holidays + +Author: G. Mockler + +Release Date: November 13, 2009 [EBook #30469] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TALE OF THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + +</pre> + + +<BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-cover"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-cover.jpg" ALT="Cover art" BORDER="0" WIDTH="413" HEIGHT="622"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-003"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-003.jpg" ALT="Title" BORDER="0" WIDTH="362" HEIGHT="227"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-004"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-004.jpg" ALT="Fort" BORDER="0" WIDTH="360" HEIGHT="311"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-005"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-005.jpg" ALT="Title page" BORDER="0" WIDTH="346" HEIGHT="506"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR> + +<H1 ALIGN="center"> +A Tale of the Summer Holidays +</H1> + +<BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +by +</H3> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +G. Mockler +</H2> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +Thomas Nelson and Sons. +<BR> +1899 +</H3> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-007h"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-007h.jpg" ALT="Contents headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="219" HEIGHT="85"> +</CENTER> + +<BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +CONTENTS +</H2> + +<TABLE ALIGN="center" WIDTH="80%"> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">I. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap01">THE SECRET MEETING</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">II. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap02">A FRIEND IN NEED</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">III. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap03">HAL FINDS A FRIEND</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">IV. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap04">DISAPPOINTED HOPES</A></TD> +</TR> + +<TR> +<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top">V. </TD> +<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"> +<A HREF="#chap05">THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS</A></TD> +</TR> + +</TABLE> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-007t"></A> +<CENTER> +<A HREF="images/img-007t.jpg"> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-007t.jpg" ALT="Contents tailpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="324" HEIGHT="185"> +</A> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-008"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-008.jpg" ALT="Drusie with balls" BORDER="0" WIDTH="295" HEIGHT="230"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<H2 ALIGN="center"> +ILLUSTRATIONS +</H2> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-010"> +"<I>Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper.</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-030"> +"<I>Jumbo began to wash his face and ears.</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-051"> +"<I>I suppose you will own that you really are out this time?</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<H4> +<A HREF="#img-113"> +"<I>The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim.</I>" +</A> +</H4> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-010"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-010.jpg" ALT=""<I>Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper.</I>"" BORDER="2" WIDTH="470" HEIGHT="660"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 470px"> +"<I>Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper.</I>" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<HR ALIGN="center" WIDTH="60%"> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-011"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-011.jpg" ALT="Chapter I headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="311" HEIGHT="196"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap01"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER I. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +THE SECRET MEETING. +</H4> + +<IMG CLASS="imgleft" SRC="images/img-011-capt.jpg" ALT="dropcap-t" BORDER="0" WIDTH="100" HEIGHT="123"> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +wo days after the holidays began, the four younger members of the +Danvers family received a note summoning them to a secret meeting at +half-past seven the next morning in the summer-house. Drusie, who had +written and delivered the notes, including one to herself, was the +first to reach the appointed place; and when, a few minutes later, the +other three arrived, they found her seated at the rustic table with a +sheet of paper and a pencil before her, and a glass of water at her +elbow. +</P> + +<P> +"Good-morning," she said, rising and shaking hands with them all round. +"Helen, will you sit facing me, and Jim and Tommy at either side?" +</P> + +<P> +In a solemn silence they obeyed; and then seating herself again, she +took a sip of water. Not that she was thirsty, but she was rather +nervous. +</P> + +<P> +It was so long since the last meeting, and hitherto Hal had always been +the chairman. She stifled a sigh; it seemed so strange to hold a +secret meeting without him. +</P> + +<P> +"Go ahead," said Jim, encouragingly; "or would you like me to be +chairman, Drusie?" +</P> + +<P> +"Certainly not," she replied hastily. "I am the eldest here, and of +course I must be chairman. And you must be serious, Jim, for we have +got a lot to talk about this morning, and it won't do for Hal to come +out and find us here." +</P> + +<P> +"He is asleep and snoring," said Helen, in a tone of great contempt. +"He has learned a lot of silly things at school, and one of them is +never to get up until he is called." +</P> + +<P> +"Order, please," said Drusie, rapping on the table. "You must not +begin to discuss the subject until I have announced it." She rose, +gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, +we are met here this morning to discuss a question of paramount +importance." She paused, partly for breath and partly to take note of +the effect of her words. She was proud of that beginning, which she +had learned from the report of a missionary meeting. She was pleased +to observe that Helen and Tommy looked decidedly impressed, but Jim was +grinning. Frowning at him, she resumed: "I may say that the matter +affects us all very seriously, and it is one that ought to be taken up +by the nation at large. But I regret to say that the people of England +are only too apt to shirk their very obvious, their very obvious—" +</P> + +<P> +But at that point she stuck hopelessly fast. Though she had carefully +avoided glancing at Jim, she had seen his face out of the corner of one +eye, and the wide, fixed grin that ornamented it had put her out +dreadfully. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, come," he said, striking in; "aren't you laying it on rather +thick? Even though Hal has come back from school with so much side on +that he does not know what to do with himself, I don't see that the +nation at large is concerned." +</P> + +<P> +"No, of course not," Drusie acknowledged; "but it said that in the +paper, you know, and it seemed a nice beginning." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, suppose we skip that part," said Jim, "and get to the real +business, which is of course about Hal." +</P> + +<P> +"Very well," said Drusie, though she rather regretted her long +sentences. "I called this meeting to talk about Hal," she said, "and +to ask what you all thought about the birthday. You know we have been +busy making the ammunition to storm the fort with; but if he doesn't +want to defend it, it won't be much good preparing any more cannon +balls. Of course, one of us could defend it; but a fight without Hal +wouldn't be any fun at all. At least, that is what I think; but what +do you say?" +</P> + +<P> +This time Drusie had been heard with as much attention as she could +wish for. The matter really was a very serious one. In two days' time +it would be the twins'—Hal and Drusie's—birthday; and ever since they +had been big enough to throw straight, they had always celebrated this +double birthday with a big battle, followed by a feast in the +summer-house. Hal had always defended the fort, while Drusie led the +attacking party; and this year they had expected to have a really +splendid fight, for during the past fortnight they had spent all their +spare time in making ammunition, and the supply of cannon balls was +larger than ever before. +</P> + +<P> +But if Hal was not going to take part in the fight, all these +preparations would be thrown away. It was really very difficult to +know what he would or would not do, for he was so altered by his one +term at school that he hardly seemed like the same boy. He did not +tease or bully them, but he simply took as little notice as possible, +and spoke to them in a lofty, superior sort of way, as though he were a +very grown-up person and they very little children. Sometimes, +however, he quite forgot to be dignified and condescending, and then +Drusie hoped he meant to take part in the birthday fight as usual. And +the awkward part of it was that Drusie could not ask him his +intentions, as it was against their rules to say one word to him about +the fight until the very day on which it was to take place. +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose," said Helen, with a scornful little sniff, "he has grown +too grand to fight. He would call it baby-play." +</P> + +<P> +"What about the feast?" asked Jim. "Weren't you going to say something +about that too, Drusie?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh yes," she said; and after she had drunk a little more water she +rose to her feet again. The chairman was always supposed to finish the +glass of water, and that was a part of her duties that Drusie did not +much relish when the meeting was held before breakfast. Under pretence +of moving it out of her way, Jim drew the tumbler towards him, and when +she was not looking he filled it up from a jug which he had hidden +under the table the evening before. +</P> + +<P> +"The feast," she said earnestly, "is going to be a specially nice one. +I am making all the wine myself, and I taste it ever so many times a +day to see if it is still good. I won't tell you everything that is in +it; but you can guess how lovely it will be when I say that it was made +from apples, and pears, and prune juice, and sugar, and some tea that I +saved from breakfast. There are lots of other things in it, too," she +said, interrupting herself; "but that is a secret. The best of my wine +is that it hasn't cost anything, and so we shall have more money to +spend on other things. It is pocket-money day to-day, and it must all +go towards the feast. My sixpence and yours, Jim, and Helen's and +Tommy's threepences make one and sixpence. That is a lot of money, and +I am sure Hal will give us his shilling." +</P> + +<P> +"I don't think he will," said Jim, biting his lips to keep from +laughing as he saw Drusie look down with mingled surprise and dismay at +her nearly full glass; "he is hard up. He borrowed a penny half-penny +from me the other day, and hasn't paid it back yet; and he told me that +he had got rather a big bill in the village." +</P> + +<P> +"Well," Drusie continued, after she had bravely gulped down some more +water, "it doesn't matter very much if he doesn't give anything. We +have plenty. And now we must vote." Tearing the sheet of paper into +four pieces, she passed them round the table. "If you want to go on +preparing for the fight and the feast, you must each write 'yes;' if +you don't want to go on, you must write 'no.'" +</P> + +<P> +Then she sat down, feeling rather proud of the clear way in which she +had spoken, and made another attempt to finish her glass of water. +</P> + +<P> +Without the slightest hesitation Jim scribbled the word "yes" on his +piece of paper, and when Tommy saw what Jim had written he put "yes," +too. Helen took longer to make up her mind. She could not help +thinking that if they went on with the preparations for the fight, and +Hal refused to have anything to do with it, they would look very silly. +For at the bottom of her heart Helen was rather impressed by the airs +that Hal gave himself, and would have liked very much to imitate them. +But knowing well that the other three would vote for going on with the +fight, she, too, wrote "yes," and put her folded slip with the others +into the hat which Jim passed round. +</P> + +<P> +The chairman opened them hastily. +</P> + +<P> +"They are all 'yeses,' so we must go on with the preparations just the +same," she said, rising once more to address the meeting; "and if Hal +gives us his shilling after breakfast, it will mean that he is going to +defend the fort. That is all, I think. I now declare this meeting +ended." +</P> + +<P> +"Hear, hear!" said Jim. "But you must finish your water, Drusie. We +shan't think anything of you as a chairman if you leave a drop." +</P> + +<P> +"I keep on drinking all the time," said poor Drusie, giving her +tumbler, still nearly full, a glance of strong distaste. +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps you only sip it," said Jim gravely. "Shut your eyes, and take +big mouthfuls. You <I>must</I> finish it, you know." +</P> + +<P> +The sense of duty was strong in Drusie, and so she shut her eyes and +made one more heroic effort. The instant her eyes were closed, Jim +filled up her glass as she drank. He had hoped to make her finish the +entire jugful, but he shook so with suppressed laughter that instead of +pouring it into her glass he poured it on to her nose. +</P> + +<P> +"O Jim!" she said reproachfully, as the truth burst upon her; "how much +have I drunk?" +</P> + +<P> +"Four tumblers full," he said triumphantly. "You make a splendid +chairman, Drusie." +</P> + +<P> +She couldn't help laughing, too, when she saw the nearly empty jug. +She dried her face, scolded Jim, and then forgave him in the same +breath, for a sweeter-tempered child than Drusie never lived. After +that the meeting broke up, and a few minutes later the bell rang for +breakfast. +</P> + +<P> +Hal was already seated at the table when they reached the nursery. He +was a nice-looking boy, taller than Drusie by a couple of inches, and +well grown for his years, which would be twelve on the following +Tuesday. +</P> + +<P> +"Hallo!" he said, as they all trooped in; "what have you been up to? I +know," he said, catching sight of the tumbler now really empty at last +in Drusie's hand. "A secret meeting. You might have asked me. What +was it about?" +</P> + +<A NAME="img-020"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-020.jpg" ALT="Hal at table" BORDER="0" WIDTH="231" HEIGHT="251"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Drusie flushed up and looked guilty. She could not tell him that the +meeting had been about himself. But just then Helen interposed. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, you wouldn't have cared to come," she said. "You said yesterday +that secret meetings were baby things." +</P> + +<P> +So he had, but it nevertheless was a pity that Helen reminded him of it +just then. He had come down to breakfast that morning inclined to drop +back into his old place among them, and his tone and manner were +friendly and pleasant. But Helen's speech rubbed him up the wrong way +at once, and in an instant he became the lofty and contemptuous +school-boy brother again. +</P> + +<P> +"And so they are baby things, Miss Helen," he said; "but it is rather +amusing, you know, to watch babies at play. That is why I should have +liked to be told of this important secret meeting in time." +</P> + +<P> +That that was not the reason Drusie knew as well as he did. And he +felt rather ashamed when he saw the hurt expression that came to her +face. But Helen really must be taught that there was a great +difference between a little girl of eight who had never been away from +home in her life and a boy of twelve who had been to school. But it +was not always easy to snub Helen. +</P> + +<P> +"You are silly, Hal," she said. "Just because you have been to school +for one term, you fancy that you are too big to play with us. Such +nonsense." +</P> + +<P> +Well, of course, that led to a sharp answer from Hal. Helen replied +again, and a hot wrangle went on across the breakfast table. +</P> + +<P> +"Come, come, Master Hal," said nurse at last—for though Helen had +certainly begun this quarrel, it was generally Hal who had done so +since he came home—"what would your father and mother say if they were +at home and heard you? They would not think that you had been very +kind to your brothers and sisters since you came back." +</P> + +<P> +"I wish they were at home," said Hal, suddenly flaming out, "and then I +should have my meals with them, instead of being shut up with all of +you. I hate having my meals in the nursery. I am not a little boy any +longer, and I don't see why I should." +</P> + +<P> +There was a moment's dead silence after this outburst, and all the +others gazed wonderingly at Hal. They were astonished that he should +have dared to speak in that rebellious tone to nurse. She, however, +looked neither surprised nor angry. +</P> + +<P> +"Very well, Master Hal," she said; "if that is all your grievance, it +is easily put to rights. You shall have your meals in the schoolroom, +if you like. I can't let you have them in the dining-room, because it +would make extra work, and the parlour-maid is away. But Ann can +easily carry in what I send you from here." +</P> + +<A NAME="img-023"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-023.jpg" ALT="Tommy" BORDER="0" WIDTH="224" HEIGHT="261"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +That was not at all what Hal wanted. He was too proud, however, and +also far too sulky, to say any more on the subject. He was glad when +nurse rose and said grace, and he was at liberty to leave the nursery. +</P> + +<P> +"One minute, Master Hal," she said, as he was hurrying to the door; +"have you forgotten that this is Saturday and pocket-money day? Wait +while I get out my purse and pay you all." +</P> + +<P> +Drusie watched him anxiously. Would he remember the birthday feast, +and hand her the shilling, or would he keep it himself? Alas! Jim had +been right, and she wrong. He received the shilling with a muttered +word of thanks, and slipping it into his pocket left the room. +</P> + +<P> +"I wonder," said Tommy, in an awestruck, thoughtful voice, "what Hal +will do with a <I>whole</I> shilling? Will he spend it all at once, do you +think?" +</P> + +<BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-024"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-024.jpg" ALT="Chapter I tailpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="310" HEIGHT="236"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<HR ALIGN="center" WIDTH="60%"> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-025"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-025.jpg" ALT="Chapter II headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="300" HEIGHT="217"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap02"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER II. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +A FRIEND IN NEED. +</H4> + +<IMG CLASS="imgleft" SRC="images/img-025-capt.jpg" ALT="dropcap-t" BORDER="0" WIDTH="98" HEIGHT="145"> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +hough Hal's crossness at breakfast had made Drusie feel rather sad, it +was impossible for her to unhappy for long on such a beautiful morning; +and when Helen suggested that they should take a few of the rabbits +with them to the clover field she cheerfully agreed. +</P> + +<P> +"Punch and Judy and Toby went with us last time," she said, "and they +didn't behave very well, so we won't take them with us to-day. Let's +take Jumbo." +</P> + +<P> +Jumbo was the oldest of all the rabbits, and he belonged to Hal, which +was perhaps the reason that Drusie wished to take him. She thought it +would please Hal. +</P> + +<P> +Partly because Jumbo was so old, and partly because he was also very +bad tempered, he lived by himself in a comfortable, roomy hutch, with a +soft bed of hay at one end and a great wide space at the other, in +which he took his meals and looked out of the door at the other +rabbits. Helen, who did not care very much for Jumbo, declared that he +did that on purpose to aggravate them, for they all finished their food +long before he was half-way through his, and then they had nothing else +to do but to sit and watch him. And that made them feel hungry again. +He was sitting before his door now munching bran and oats, and at the +mention of his name he pricked up his long ears and sleepily blinked +his eyes. "H'm," said Helen, looking at him rather distrustfully; +"Jumbo too can be dreadfully naughty when he likes, and he rather looks +as if he meant it to-day." +</P> + +<P> +But that, Drusie said laughing, was all nonsense, for no rabbit could +have looked meeker or better-behaved than Jumbo that morning. So it +was decided that he should accompany them; and as Punch and Judy and +Toby scratched at their doors when they saw him on the ground, Jim said +it would be unkind not to take them as well. And Drusie declined to +leave Salt and Pepper behind, for they were always good. Thus, when +the four children started for the clover field, it was a very big party +of rabbits that went with them. But as Jumbo followed a great deal +better than many dogs do, and as all the other rabbits followed Jumbo, +the children had no trouble at all with them. +</P> + +<P> +The way to the clover field lay through their own garden, and then +across a big, sunny meadow. By the time they reached the meadow it was +growing very hot, and the children sauntered along under the shade of a +high hedge, and talked about the fight to be held on the following +Tuesday. +</P> + +<P> +Drusie felt more hopeful than she had done before breakfast, and she +was perfectly sure that Hal would defend the fort. She was full of +plans for making the fight a better and more exciting one than any they +had yet had, and she was suggesting a scheme by which Tommy could act +both as scout and advanced outpost, when a strong, delicious scent from +the clover field was wafted towards them on the soft summer, breeze. +</P> + +<P> +Jumbo smelt it, and lifting up his black nose gave one or two sniffs, +and then darting past them at a rate surprising in a rabbit of his age +made straight for the gap in the hedge; and, of course, after that +there was no more time for conversation, for where Jumbo went the other +rabbits followed. It was quite as much as the children could do to +keep them in sight, and when they scrambled through the gap five of the +six rabbits were sitting in a row contentedly munching away at the +juicy stalks and cool green leaves of the clover. But Jumbo would not +condescend to eat anything but pink, honey-filled flowers, and going +from plant to plant he sat up on his hind legs and bit off the stalk +just below the head. +</P> + +<P> +"Jumbo <I>is</I> a clever rabbit," said Helen admiringly; "the others don't +know the difference between the flowers and the leaves." +</P> + +<P> +Then suddenly they all burst out laughing. For Jumbo, getting tired +perhaps of sitting up so much on his hind legs, tried to support +himself against a stalk while he nibbled at the flowers. But the stalk +gave way, and Jumbo fell heavily across Pepper's neck, who, indignant +at such a liberty, gave a squeak and darted away. Jumbo, trying hard +to look as though he had tumbled down on purpose, began to wash his +face and ears in a very diligent manner. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-030"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-030.jpg" ALT=""<I>Jumbo began to wash his face and ears</I>"" BORDER="2" WIDTH="626" HEIGHT="480"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 626px"> +"<I>Jumbo began to wash his face and ears</I>" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +It was some time before the children thought of returning; but +presently Jim, who never cared to sit still for very long, said that +they might as well be going, and added that as the rabbits had been so +good they would give them an extra ramble, and take them home by the +lane that ran along the top of the hill. +</P> + +<P> +But that, as Helen remarked, was saying one word for the rabbits and +two for himself; for the lane bordered the land belonging to an old +gentleman, named Grey, who had lately come to live there, and from a +gate at the top of the hill a glimpse could be caught of the river, +where, too, a lovely pair of swans might be seen. Jim took a great +interest in these swans, and longed to get down to the water so as to +be close to them. But the gamekeeper was a surly fellow, and if he saw +the children lingering near he would tell them that his master +"couldn't abear boys nor girls either," and always was most severe if +any people were caught trespassing on his land. Thus Jim had never +dared to climb the gate. But Jumbo this morning was to give him an +excuse for so doing. When they reached it, the children paused to gaze +down at the river, which there broadened out into a sort of lake, with +a grassy islet in the centre. The six rabbits paused also. +</P> + +<P> +The clover they had eaten had made them feel rather sleepy, but now +they were beginning to recover from the effects of it, and now they +suddenly became quite frisky. Punch leaped over Judy's back, and then +chased her into the middle of the road and back again. Even old Jumbo +caught the infection, and though he very seldom condescended to take +any notice of the other rabbits, now he gave Toby a playful poke with +his nose, following it up by a bite on his ear that was not quite so +playful. Toby gave a loud squeak of pain, and Jumbo, afraid perhaps +that he might receive a bite in return, jumped through the bars and +scampered down the field. He was half-way to the river before the +children recovered from their surprise, and shouted to him to come +back. But the more they shouted the faster he ran. And that was not +the worst either, for the other rabbits were after him in a twinkling. +But quick as they were Jim was quicker. He had no intention of +allowing such an excellent opportunity of exploring the forbidden +ground to slip, and crying that it was of no use to call to Jumbo he +scrambled over the gate and rushed helter-skelter down the field, +taking great care, however, not to get in front of Jumbo, but running +behind him shouting and waving his hands. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-032"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-032.jpg" ALT="Jim climbing gate" BORDER="0" WIDTH="235" HEIGHT="260"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +To the interested onlookers at the gate, whom an uneasy fear of the +gamekeeper kept from entering the field, it really seemed much more as +though Jim were chasing Jumbo down the field than trying to capture him. +</P> + +<P> +But, perhaps, even if Jim had wished to catch Jumbo he could not have +done so, for the old rabbit was thoroughly enjoying his scamper, and +with his little, short tail cocked up and his long ears streaming +behind him he raced along like the wind. +</P> + +<P> +And then a dreadful thing happened. Some twenty feet from the river +the ground sloped very steeply, and such was the rate at which Jumbo +was going that, when he reached this part, he could not stop himself, +but tumbled head over heels, and rolling down the bank disappeared with +a big, loud splash into the water. +</P> + +<P> +Jim uttered a shout of dismay, which was echoed by all the others, who, +hastily climbing over the gate, came rushing pell-mell down the field. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, where is he? Oh, is poor darling Jumbo drowned?" Drusie gasped. +</P> + +<P> +But he was not drowned. Even as Drusie spoke his soft, black nose came +to the surface, and kicking vigorously he struck out for the opposite +bank. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, he can swim!" Drusie cried joyfully. "But don't go that way, +Jumbo; come here. Jumbo! Jumbo!" +</P> + +<A NAME="img-034"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-034.jpg" ALT="Drusie kneeling on bank of stream" BORDER="0" WIDTH="353" HEIGHT="236"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Kneeling down on the bank she called to him; but Jumbo had quite lost +his presence of mind, and, far too bewildered and alarmed to heed the +children's cries, he paddled away from them as fast as ever he could. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, what shall we do?" Drusie cried in great distress. "His long fur +will soon get so heavy that he will not be able to keep himself up. O +Jumbo darling, come here!" +</P> + +<P> +Jim was quite as frightened as she was. If only he had known how to +swim, he would have plunged in to the rescue at once. +</P> + +<P> +Then, as if matters were not already bad enough, they suddenly became +worse. The swans, which Jim had been so anxious to see, suddenly +sailed majestically round the bend of the small island, and came +towards the children, expecting crumbs. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-035"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-035.jpg" ALT="swans" BORDER="0" WIDTH="297" HEIGHT="182"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +But none of the children, not even Jim, had any attention to spare for +them, beautiful though they were. Their eyes were fixed on Jumbo, +whose breath was coming in quick, short pants, and whose poor, short, +little legs were growing more and more tired. +</P> + +<P> +Disappointed at not getting the crumbs, the swans slowly turned round +and were sailing away again when they caught sight of Jumbo, and with +angry hisses and long necks outstretched they bore down upon him as he +swam about half-way between the island and the bank. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, go to the island; it is nearer!" Drusie shrieked; "and O Jumbo, +make haste!" +</P> + +<P> +It almost seemed as if Jumbo understood what she said. At any rate he +began to swim towards the island as fast as ever he could. But +weighted with his long fur, and unaccustomed to swimming—for he had +never in his life before been in the water, and how he had learned to +swim always remained a mystery to the children—he yet struck out +valiantly. He knew that he was swimming for his very life, and he +never ceased paddling for one moment. +</P> + +<P> +The children watched the race in a state of frantic excitement, while +Jim ran up and down the bank looking in vain for something to throw at +the swans and drive them away. And now came a moment during which the +children literally held their breath. Jumbo was within two or three +yards of the island when the foremost of the two swans stooped its long +neck and made a savage grab at his hind legs. It seemed impossible +that the cruel beak could miss him, yet it did; for poor Jumbo was by +that time so exhausted that he suddenly sank and disappeared. The +angry, surprised swan dived his head down in search of him; but the +current, which swept round here with some force, carried Jumbo away, +and finally flung him, a bedraggled and most unhappy-looking rabbit, on +to a corner of the island. Drusie always declared afterwards that +Jumbo had dived and swum under water; but whether that was true or not, +saved he certainly was. Luckily for him the swans did not follow him, +but contented themselves with sailing majestically up and down between +the island and the bank, ready, if he showed the least sign of taking +to the water again, to pursue him. But Jumbo had had enough of +swimming to last him all his life, and preferred to stay where he was +rather than venture again into the river. +</P> + +<P> +But what was to happen next? They could not go home and leave Jumbo on +the island, and yet there seemed no way in which they could get at him. +And at any moment the cross gamekeeper might appear, and at this +thought Drusie glanced round uneasily. +</P> + +<P> +As she did so she gave a little jump, for running quickly towards them +was somebody who, she was afraid at first, might be the gamekeeper +himself. But a second glance showed her that the new-comer was only a +boy, and a very nice-looking boy too, with merry, dark-blue eyes and a +friendly manner. +</P> + +<P> +"Hallo!" he said, rather breathlessly. "Is anything the matter? I +heard a lot of shouting, and I came to see if anybody had tumbled into +the river. But you are all quite dry." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, we are all right," Drusie explained hurriedly. "But one of our +rabbits—Jumbo—has tumbled in, and the swans have chased him on to the +island, and we don't know how to get him back again." +</P> + +<P> +She pointed as she spoke to the island, and the boy, following the +direction of her glance, burst out laughing. +</P> + +<P> +"Is that a rabbit?" he said. "Why, it looks more like a drowned rat +than anything else." +</P> + +<P> +"Jumbo is very handsome when he is dry," Drusie said, inclined at first +to be a little offended. But his laughter was infectious, and Jumbo +did after all look so very much like a drowned rat that she could not +help laughing too. +</P> + +<P> +"I say, what a jolly lot of rabbits you have got!" the boy said, +looking down at the other five, who were busy nibbling away at the +grass, without seeming to care in the least what happened to Jumbo; +"but aren't you afraid of their running away?" +</P> + +<P> +"They generally behave beautifully," Drusie said, who, because the +other three were rather shy, was obliged to do all the talking herself; +"but something must have startled Jumbo when we were at the top of the +hill, for he set off at a tremendous scamper, and tumbled in +headforemost before we knew what was happening to him." +</P> + +<P> +"Poor old Jumbo!" said the boy, as he looked across at the shivering, +melancholy rabbit. "We must rescue him though, and that is easily +done." +</P> + +<P> +As he spoke he led the way along the bank to a spot where a thick clump +of willows grew; and moored to one of these trees was a small, light +canoe. +</P> + +<P> +"I'll paddle across in less than no time," he said, "and if the swans +do not interfere, I'll soon bring him safely back to you." +</P> + +<P> +The swans did not interfere, however, and Jumbo a minute or two later +was clasped in Drusie's arms. She almost cried over him in her joy at +his safety. +</P> + +<P> +Sitting down on the bank she began to dry him with her handkerchief; +but it was soaked through at once, and the boy suggested that they +should rub him with their hands. So Drusie placed him tenderly on the +grass, and they rubbed him until their arms ached; and no doubt Jumbo +ached too, for they all rubbed with a will. +</P> + +<P> +"But at any rate," Drusie said in a tone of satisfaction, "he won't +catch cold now, and he is so old that he might have had a dreadful +attack of rheumatism." +</P> + +<P> +Long before Jumbo was dry they had all become very friendly with their +new acquaintance. Jim and Helen and Tommy forgot to be shy, and they +all chatted away together as if they had known each other for quite a +long time. It was not until half an hour later, as, with Jumbo lying +comfortably in Drusie's arms, for she said he was too weak to walk, +they were all hurrying home, that they remembered they did not even +know what their new friend's name was, or where he lived. +</P> + +<P> +"Perhaps," said Helen, "he lives at the Grange, and Captain Grey is his +father." +</P> + +<A NAME="img-041"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-041.jpg" ALT="gamekeeper" BORDER="0" WIDTH="271" HEIGHT="282"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Captain Grey hasn't any children," Drusie said. "I heard nurse say +so." +</P> + +<P> +"Then perhaps he is staying there on a visit," Jim said. +</P> + +<P> +But Drusie did not think that that was likely either, for had not the +gamekeeper said that his master "could not abear boys"? And if that +was the case, he certainly would not have one staying in the house. +</P> + +<P> +But whoever he was, they all four agreed that he was an exceedingly +nice boy, and they hoped that they might meet him again. +</P> + +<BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-042"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-042.jpg" ALT="Chapter II tailpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="310" HEIGHT="269"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<HR ALIGN="center" WIDTH="60%"> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-043"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-043.jpg" ALT="Chapter III headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="249" HEIGHT="185"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap03"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER III. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +HAL FINDS A FRIEND. +</H4> + +<IMG CLASS="imgleft" SRC="images/img-043-capo.jpg" ALT="dropcap-o" BORDER="0" WIDTH="109" HEIGHT="116"> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +n their way through the garden they met Hal. Directly they saw him +his brothers and sisters rushed up and told him all about Jumbo's +adventures, and about the boy who had been so kind to them. Hal was +not greatly interested. He was looking pale and listless, and there +were heavy, dark lines about his eyes. When they asked him eagerly if +he knew who the boy could be, he shook his head and yawned, and said +that he was sure he did not know. +</P> + +<P> +"Come and have a game of cricket," he said, rousing himself a little. +"I have got my bat here, and the ball is somewhere about. Just have a +look for it, Tommy. We won't bother about stumps. This tree will do +quite well for the wicket." +</P> + +<P> +"All right," Drusie said, delighted to find that Hal was willing to be +friends again. "I should love a game; but we must put Jumbo and the +other rabbits away first.—Come along, Jim and Helen." +</P> + +<P> +She and Jim ran off at once, but Helen followed more slowly. She had a +shrewd suspicion that Hal merely wanted them to bowl and field for him, +and that he did not intend to allow them to bat. And she did not see +the fun of running about in the hot sun after his balls, if she was not +going to have any of the batting. +</P> + +<P> +But Drusie and Jim were too excited at the prospect of a game to listen +to her words of warning, and as soon as the rabbits had been hastily +bundled into their hutches they raced back to the tree where Hal was +waiting for them. +</P> + +<P> +"You shall bowl first, Jim," he said.—"Drusie, you can stand behind +the tree and be wicket-keeper, for, unless Jim has improved wonderfully +since I went away, most of his balls will be fearful wides.—Helen, you +go over there, and mind to throw the balls up sharp." +</P> + +<P> +"Then you are going in first," said Helen, "and we are not going to +toss?" +</P> + +<P> +But Hal was busy measuring out the distance at which Jim was to stand, +and did not hear her question. Or if he did, he evidently did not +consider it worthy of an answer. +</P> + +<P> +"Now then," Hal said, coming back; "I am ready. I am not going to make +any runs, you know, as it is too hot; but you others must send the ball +up promptly, or else it makes it slow work for me." +</P> + +<P> +Jim's bowling was not very difficult to deal with, and Hal knocked the +balls about pretty much as he pleased, and gave the fielders, and +especially Helen, plenty of running about. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, at this rate," Drusie said merrily, as she cleverly stopped a +ball that was a very bad "wide" indeed, "we shall never get you out." +</P> + +<P> +"No, I don't suppose you will," said Hal; and then he added +ungratefully, "That is the worst of playing with a set of girls; one +never gets any practice." +</P> + +<P> +Whether Jim was annoyed at being classed as a girl, and was therefore +put on his mettle, cannot be said for certain, but at any rate his very +next ball hit the tree fair and square, and with so much violence that +a piece of the rough elm bark was knocked off. +</P> + +<P> +"Hurrah!" shouted Drusie, clapping her hands; "bowled at last. Who +goes in next?" +</P> + +<P> +"Don't be in such a mighty hurry," said Hal, who was looking distinctly +angry. "I am not out—not a bit of it. Why, that ball was not +anything like in the middle of the tree. Who ever heard of a wicket a +yard and a quarter wide? You'll have to bowl better than that, Jim, to +get me out." +</P> + +<P> +"All right," Jim said, recovering himself. He had looked rather blank +for a moment when Hal declared so emphatically that he was not out. "I +suppose that ball was rather to one side of the tree. I will have +another try." +</P> + +<P> +But Helen was not so easily satisfied. +</P> + +<P> +"You said, Hal, that the tree was to be the wicket; you never said +anything about only counting the middle of the tree." +</P> + +<P> +"Did I say so?" he replied. "Well, I made a mistake. Of course, it +would be rather absurd to count the whole tree. I tell you what I will +do. I will hang my cap on this little twig here, and if the ball hits +that I am out. Now, are you satisfied?" +</P> + +<P> +They all, with the exception of Helen, hastened to say that they were, +and the game went on. A few minutes later he sent an easy catch, and +darting forward Helen caught the ball. +</P> + +<P> +"How about playing with girls now, Master Hal?" she cried. "I suppose +you will own that you are fairly out this time?" +</P> + +<P> +But he did nothing of the sort. +</P> + +<P> +"Pooh!" he said contemptuously; "that was a pure fluke. Any one could +have caught that; and so it does not count either. I am not going out." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, I say," Jim said in a remonstrating tone, "is that the way you +play at your school?" +</P> + +<P> +"Of course, it is not," said Hal. "Don't be a donkey, Jim. How often +am I to tell you that this is not a regular game, but just a sort of +knock up, you know?" +</P> + +<P> +"In which you get all the knocking up," Helen said indignantly. +</P> + +<P> +Hal laughed. +</P> + +<P> +"Now, don't get into a temper, Helen. I don't see what girls want to +play cricket for. It is not a girls' game. All they are good for is +just to field, and that sort of thing." +</P> + +<P> +At that Helen fairly choked with anger, Drusie opened her eyes very +wide, and Jim lay down on the grass and laughed quietly to himself. +Considering that both his sisters had been toiling on his behalf for +the last half-hour, it certainly was very cool of Hal to make such a +speech. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-048"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-048.jpg" ALT="Jim and Helen" BORDER="0" WIDTH="383" HEIGHT="262"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"I knew how it would be," Helen exclaimed passionately, as soon as she +could find her voice; "and I warned you two others, only you would not +listen. I knew perfectly well that Hal was not going to let us go in, +and I call it downright unfair, and I for one am not going to field for +him any more.—And you say," she added, turning indignantly to Hal, +"that girls can't play cricket. Well, they can. Father says himself +that Drusie plays awfully well for a girl, and I suppose he ought to +know." +</P> + +<P> +"For a girl," Hal said slightingly; "yes, that is just it." +</P> + +<P> +"Please don't quarrel," Drusie said quickly. "You may stay in if you +like, Hal, and I will bowl for you.—Jump up, Jim, and go and be +wicket-keeper." +</P> + +<P> +With a scornful sniff for what she considered to be great weakness on +Drusie's part, Helen returned to her place, where, in spite of her +declaration that she did not intend to play any more, she continued to +field. +</P> + +<P> +For a girl Drusie did bowl remarkably well, and Hal would have been the +first to own it, had he not perceived a sort of triumphant "told you +so" expression on Helen's face, which annoyed him greatly, and made him +withhold the praise which Drusie would have been so pleased to hear. +</P> + +<P> +She exerted herself to do her very best, and before many minutes had +passed she clean bowled him. There could be no doubt about it this +time, for the twig on which the cap had been hung was broken by the +force of the ball, and the cap fell to the ground. +</P> + +<P> +"Hurrah!" Helen shrieked, dancing about and clapping her hands. "How +about girls not being able to bowl now, Master Hal? I suppose you will +own that you really are out this time?" +</P> + +<A NAME="img-051"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-051.jpg" ALT=""<I>I suppose you will own that you really are out this time?</I>"" BORDER="2" WIDTH="464" HEIGHT="651"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 464px"> +"<I>I suppose you will own that you really are out this time?</I>" +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Hal looked not only mortified but exceedingly angry into the bargain. +</P> + +<P> +"You are a precious set, I must say," he said, looking contemptuously +at the excited capers which Helen was cutting. "One would think that +you had done something awfully wonderful by the way in which you are +going on. That is just like a girl. Let her do something which she +thinks rather clever, and there is no end to her airs." +</P> + +<P> +This was really rather severe on Drusie, who had neither said nor done +anything to justify Hal's scornful remarks. But he was too annoyed to +be fair, and as a punishment for what he chose to call Drusie's +bragging, he tucked his bat under his arm, and told them that he was +not going to play with them any more. +</P> + +<P> +"You can brag by yourselves," he said, "of your wonderful cricket. I +am not going to put up with you any longer. I am sick of you all. I +must say it is awfully hard on a fellow to come home and find that not +one of his brothers or sisters is worth playing with. A more +conceited, disagreeable lot I never met with." +</P> + +<P> +A dismayed silence followed this abrupt departure. It was broken by a +short, quick sigh from Drusie. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh dear, oh dear!" she said, looking after Hal as he marched off with +as much dignity as he could. "I do wish that I had not bowled him. If +I had guessed that it would make him so cross, I would have sent him +easy, baby-balls." +</P> + +<P> +"And got told for your pains that you could not bowl," Helen said with +much scorn. "I do wonder how you can be so silly, Drusie. I think it +serves Hal quite right. But I told you how it would be. I knew we +should not get our innings. You can't say that I did not warn you." +</P> + +<P> +"No, we certainly can't," Jim said with a chuckle. "You have had a +sort of 'I told you so' expression on your face ever since we began to +play. And you know, Helen, if you ask me, I think it is all your fault +that Hal went off in such a huff. He simply couldn't stand your being +so awfully delighted when Drusie bowled him." +</P> + +<P> +If Hal's sudden display of temper had struck dismay into the hearts of +his brothers and sisters, it had not left him particularly happy +either. Though he would not own it, even to himself, he had an +uncomfortable feeling that it was he who was conceited and +disagreeable. He was, however, full of excuses for himself, and when +his conscience pricked him he answered impatiently that nobody could be +expected to put up with the fearful airs that they had all been giving +themselves. +</P> + +<P> +Then, looking round to see that he was not being followed, he made his +way to a hiding-place he had discovered behind the summer-house, and +proceeded to employ himself there after a fashion of which nurse would +most strongly have disapproved. He remained until the dinner-bell +rang, when he crept out with a pale face and with every bit of his +appetite gone. +</P> + +<P> +He dined alone in the schoolroom, and nurse shook her head as his +plates were carried back to the nursery, for he had scarcely touched +anything that she had sent in to him. +</P> + +<P> +"I hope, Master Hal, you are not going to be ill," she said, as soon as +dinner was over. "What has come to you? You have not eaten anything." +</P> + +<P> +"I am not hungry," Hal muttered, flushing under her scrutinizing gaze. +"I have got rather a headache—that's all." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, don't run about much in the sun," nurse said, only half +satisfied. "You are looking very pale. Put on your straw hat too; +that little cap is of no use at all. And don't go eating any green +apples or gooseberries. I expect you have been in the kitchen-garden +this morning, and that is what is the matter with you." +</P> + +<P> +But it was neither green apples nor gooseberries which had given Hal +the very uncomfortable sensations from which he was suffering. That, +however, he did not explain to nurse; and feeling very wretched and +unhappy he wandered out into the garden, and flung himself under a big, +shady elm-tree. The others were nowhere in sight, and he felt injured +that they should, even after his conduct of the morning, have left him +to himself. +</P> + +<P> +"A nice, sociable set they are," he said moodily. "Oh dear, how I do +wish that I had somebody sensible to play with!" +</P> + +<P> +But though he chose to grumble, he knew perfectly well that he was not +just then in the humour to appreciate any society, however sensible, +and pillowing his head upon his arm he dropped off to sleep. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-055"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-055.jpg" ALT="Hal asleep" BORDER="0" WIDTH="352" HEIGHT="195"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Meanwhile, Drusie had planned a busy afternoon for herself and the +others, for they intended to go to the fort and make ammunition for +Tuesday. +</P> + +<P> +Few children had nicer grounds to play in than the Danvers children. +The garden was very large, and besides the lawn and the winding walks +among the shrubberies, which afforded such capital hiding-places when +they played hide-and-seek, there was the large kitchen-garden as well. +Beyond the kitchen-garden lay pleasant, sunny fields, at the foot of +which flowed a small stream that farther down joined the river in which +Jumbo had been so nearly drowned. On the other side of the stream lay +a long slip of land which Mr. Danvers always spoke of as a waste piece +of ground, and over which he sometimes threatened to send the plough. +But partly because the ground was really too poor to be of much good, +and partly because the children begged him to leave it alone, it had +never yet been disturbed, and the Wilderness, as they had named it, +remained theirs to all intents and purposes. +</P> + +<P> +That the Wilderness was a brambly place could not be denied. It had +originally been a grove of nut trees, and though some of these still +flourished and bore nuts that had not their equal for size and flavour +in all the country-side, they had for the most part been strangled by +blackberry bushes and briers, and smothered by masses of wild clematis. +</P> + +<P> +The fort stood in a corner of the Wilderness. Within a few yards of it +on one side was the stream; on the other and at the back it was +surrounded by densely-growing hawthorn bushes. But the front was open +and exposed to attack, for a cleared space in which only a few +scattered nut trees grew lay before it. +</P> + +<P> +This fort had once been a summer-house, but it had long since been +disused, and would, no doubt, have fallen into decay, had not the +children hit upon the idea of making it the scene of their pitched +battles, and had so propped it up and strengthened it that it was +impossible to take except by surprise. +</P> + +<P> +The door had been nailed up and so had the window, and entrance could +only be effected by scrambling up on the flat roof, and dropping +through a hole which had been made there for that purpose. Even that +hole could be closed by a hatch in time of need, and the besieged could +lie snugly inside and listen to the heavy firing without, secure in the +knowledge that as long as he chose to remain there none of the +besiegers could touch him. But then his flag would be in danger; and +by their rules of warfare, if the flag were captured or shot down, the +fort was held to have capitulated. +</P> + +<P> +For more than a week before Hal's return from school the others had +been busy getting the ammunition ready; they had dug up a quantity of +sand from the bed of the stream, which, when mixed with a little clay +and moistened with water, represented cannon-balls. As, however, they +had no cannon, these balls had to be thrown by hand; and as they +scattered when they struck, they appeared more formidable than they +really were. But still one had been known to bring down the flag, and +so win the day for the besiegers. +</P> + +<P> +The fort was mainly defended with a catapult loaded with mud pellets, +shot being strictly forbidden as too dangerous. To protect them the +besiegers wore a kind of helmet, which, though it gave them a somewhat +ludicrous appearance, saved them from many a nasty blow. These helmets +were neither more nor less than fine wire-gauze dish-covers, which they +tied across their faces and fastened at the back of their heads. But +the holder of the fort had to rely chiefly upon capture to win a +victory, and when his enemies approached too closely, a bold rush often +resulted in one of them being made prisoner. But, of course, even a +brief absence from the fort left the flag undefended, and there was +always a chance that, while one of the attackers was being pursued, +some of the others might steal up and succeed in going off with the +flag. +</P> + +<P> +So it will be easily understood that courage and skill, combined with a +spirit that was bold and yet not too rash, were required to hold the +fort. And as none of them possessed these qualities to the same extent +as Hal, it followed that none of them held the fort as well as he did, +or made such a good fight of it. +</P> + +<P> +Superintended by Drusie, they all worked very busily at the ammunition, +and as they kneaded cannon-balls and pellets they laid out a plan of +attack for the following Tuesday. Jim was of the opinion that they +never took enough advantage of the shelter afforded by the thick and +almost impenetrable bushes that grew on one side of the fort, and he +proposed that while two of them made an attack in the open air, he or +Drusie should lie concealed, and if Hal could be drawn out in pursuit +they might get a chance of slipping in during his absence. +</P> + +<P> +"He may have brought back some new dodges," said Drusie hopefully. "I +wonder if he has ever played a game of this sort at school? Do you +think he has, Jim?" +</P> + +<P> +Jim thought it was doubtful. +</P> + +<P> +"I believe they always play cricket in the summer term," he said. "But +this will be a splendid change for him." +</P> + +<P> +"I hope it will," said Drusie, with a sigh. "But I am simply not going +to think what we shall do if, after all our trouble, Hal turns up his +nose at a fight on Tuesday." +</P> + +<A NAME="img-060"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-060.jpg" ALT="Hal running" BORDER="0" WIDTH="270" HEIGHT="295"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +At tea-time Hal did not put in an appearance at all. +</P> + +<P> +"He ought to be hungry," nurse said, "for he did not eat much dinner. +I wonder where he can be?" +</P> + +<P> +Tea was over, and they had all gone out into the garden again for a +last stroll before bed-time, when they saw him come running across the +field, which was separated from the lawn by a sunk fence. Leaping +this, he rushed towards them, looking brighter and happier than he had +done since his return. +</P> + +<P> +"I say," he called out; "whom do you think I have met this afternoon? +I have had such a splendid time; just guess." +</P> + +<P> +They shook their heads; they could form no guess at all. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, you will hardly believe it, but Dodds is down here. Dodds +Major," he added, seeing that somehow his news did not produce as much +effect as he had anticipated. +</P> + +<P> +"Who is Dodds Major?" Drusie asked. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, how stupid you are!" Hal cried; "Why, I have told you about him in +my letters lots of times. He is out and away the nicest fellow in our +school. A big fellow, too, thirteen and a half, and simply splendid at +cricket. He is leaving at Christmas, and going to the college." +</P> + +<P> +"Does he live down here?" said Drusie. +</P> + +<P> +"No; he is staying at the Grange with his uncle, Captain Grey. He is +going to be here the whole holidays. Isn't it splendid for me?" +</P> + +<P> +"Why," said Drusie, with a sudden sinking of her heart, "will you be +much with him?" +</P> + +<P> +"Rather," said Hal; "as much as ever he will have me. Of course," he +added, with an important air, "he is jolly glad, too, to find another +fellow down here. We are going fishing to-morrow in Captain Grey's +trout stream. Dodds says that it is simply packed with fish. Won't +that be jolly? I was playing cricket with him all this afternoon. He +is going to play in a match that some friends of his uncle's are +getting up next week, and he says that perhaps he can get me into it +too. Won't that be jolly?" +</P> + +<P> +In short, Hal was brimming over with good spirits. When, soon +afterwards, nurse called Helen and Tommy to come to bed, Hal invited +Drusie and Jim to come and sit with him while he had his tea, in order +that he might chatter to them of his doings that afternoon, and about +what he intended to do in future. And, of course, Dodds's name figured +largely in his conversation, and neither Drusie nor Jim could help +feeling rather glum as they heard how completely they were to be left +out in the cold. +</P> + +<P> +"It was a lucky chance meeting him," Hal rattled on. "After dinner I +had a nap, and then I went for a stroll. I crossed over the river and +went up the field that lies next to the Wilderness, and there, sitting +on a gate, I saw Dodds. I can tell you I was surprised, and so was he. +We talked for a bit, and then he asked me to come and play cricket. We +had an awfully jolly afternoon, I can tell you," Hal added for the +fiftieth time, at least. "I am jolly glad that he is here." +</P> + +<P> +"Will you ask him to come over here and play?" said Drusie. "It would +be rather nice to have some cricket with him—wouldn't it, Jim?" +</P> + +<P> +Hal looked as though his ears had been deceiving him. +</P> + +<P> +"What?" he said. "Ask Dodds over here to play with all of you? Why, +you must be out of your senses, Drusie. The idea of Dodds playing with +a girl! I say, how he would laugh!—We might have you, though, +sometimes, Jim; you would be useful for fielding. I will ask him +to-morrow if he would mind." +</P> + +<P> +Jim, far from being overwhelmed at the possible honour in store for +him, privately made up his mind to decline it with thanks when the time +came. +</P> + +<P> +While Hal had been speaking, a sudden idea had occurred to Drusie, and +her face lit up with eagerness and excitement. +</P> + +<P> +"O Hal," she exclaimed, "I believe that Dodds Major is our boy—the +nice boy who rescued Jumbo, and who talked to us for such a long time." +</P> + +<P> +Hal laughed scornfully. +</P> + +<P> +"You don't know Dodds Major," he said. "He is not a bit like that. +Why, I tell you that he hates girls, and wouldn't take any notice at +all of any of you. Why, he is older even than I am." +</P> + +<P> +"So was this boy," said Drusie. "But, of course, if you say that Dodds +Major is not nice, they cannot be the same." +</P> + +<P> +"I never said Dodds was not nice," Hal said impatiently. "I only said +that he was not the sort of boy to play with girls. I expect that +fellow you met this morning was an awful muff." +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<HR ALIGN="center" WIDTH="60%"> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-066"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-066.jpg" ALT="Chapter IV headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="336" HEIGHT="247"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap04"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER IV. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +DISAPPOINTED HOPES. +</H4> + +<IMG CLASS="imgleft" SRC="images/img-066-capf.jpg" ALT="dropcap-f" BORDER="0" WIDTH="152" HEIGHT="173"> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +or the next two or three days his family saw little of Hal. Morning, +afternoon, and evening he was over at the Greys'. His meals he took in +the schoolroom, and though nurse would have allowed him to come back to +the nursery, if he had cared to do so, he very much preferred to have +them in solitary state. He seemed to see nothing ridiculous in sitting +there by himself; indeed, as he confided to Drusie, he thought it +perfectly absurd that a boy of his age should ever have been expected +to take them in the nursery. +</P> + +<P> +She and the rest had plenty of time to make all their preparations for +the double birthday to be celebrated on Tuesday, for Hal left them +completely to themselves; and when he did see them, he was so full of +all that he and Dodds Major did together that he had no time to show +any interest in them. +</P> + +<P> +"I should very much like to ask him whether he intends to take part in +the fight to-morrow, or whether he means to spend the day as usual with +his friend," said Helen. +</P> + +<P> +It was late on Monday evening, and they had brought all their +preparations to a satisfactory conclusion. The flag—a bright, new +Union Jack—had been fastened to a long, slender pole, and was quite +ready to be hoisted. The ammunition was arranged in a neat, high pile, +and the armour lay ready to hand. +</P> + +<P> +And in the garden summer-house, where, a few days back, the secret +meeting had been held, the materials for a most sumptuous feast were in +readiness to refresh the weary warriors when the day's work was done. +</P> + +<P> +On previous birthdays they had always been satisfied with lemonade as a +drink, but Drusie, feeling that this was a special occasion, had +considered that lemonade was, perhaps, hardly a suitable form of +refreshment; and so, from a recipe which she was proud to think was +entirely out of her own head, she had concocted a bottle of red wine. +</P> + +<P> +"And I think," she said, as she carefully hid it under the seat—"I +think that when you taste it you will say that you never in all your +lives before drank anything like it." +</P> + +<P> +Tartlets and buns and a few other delicacies were to be ordered from +the pastry-cook's on the eventful day itself. +</P> + +<P> +So, everything being ready, and it wanting still an hour or more till +their bedtime, they were rather at a loss to know what to do with +themselves; and then it was that Helen expressed a desire to know what +part Hal intended to take in the morrow's proceedings. +</P> + +<P> +"No part at all, if you ask me," she added. "I say, Drusie, don't you +think we might go up to the Greys' gate, and see if we can get a look +at Hal and his precious friend Dodds?" +</P> + +<P> +"Hal would be awfully angry if he saw us," said Drusie. "I don't think +we should go." +</P> + +<P> +But the hesitating tone in which she spoke showed that she was open to +persuasion; and when Jim added his word to Helen's, and said that he +thought there would be no harm in just going up and having a look over, +she gave way. They soon reached the five-barred gate on which Hal had +found Dodds sitting. +</P> + +<P> +Neither of them was there, now, however; and so Helen proposed that +they should climb over, and go down the grassy glade, which would bring +them on to a small knoll, from whence they could command a view of the +house and the wide lawn that lay in front of it. +</P> + +<P> +The temptation to see Hal and his friend together was too strong for +them to remember that they would be trespassing, and, scrambling over +the gate, they made their way cautiously through the wood. +</P> + +<P> +It was as well that they went cautiously, for the two boys were much +closer to them than they had expected. To the left of the wood was a +big level field, and it was here, and not on the lawn, that they were +playing. The sound of a voice calling impatiently to Hal to hurry up +with that ball, and not to be all night about it, was what first drew +their attention to his whereabouts; and feeling rather astonished that +any one should venture to address him in that imperious way, they crept +up to the edge of the wood, and became silent spectators of what was +going on. +</P> + +<P> +The wicket was pitched in the middle of the field. Dodds was batting, +but as his back was toward them, the children could not see his face. +But they could hear his voice, and a very imperious, commanding voice +it was. Hal was bowling and fielding as well, and as Dodds sent his +balls flying to all parts of the field, Hal had plenty of work to do. +And while he raced about in all directions Dodds lay luxuriously on the +grass and shouted to him to hurry up. Presently Hal bowled a ball that +very nearly knocked the middle stump flat on its back, and Drusie +softly clapped her hands, and said "Bravo" under her breath. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-070"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-070.jpg" ALT="Dodds laying on grass" BORDER="0" WIDTH="295" HEIGHT="199"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"That was a very good ball indeed," they heard Dodds say approvingly. +"Send a few more like that." +</P> + +<P> +Hal flushed with pride and pleasure at this praise, but the others +thought that he looked a shade disappointed as his friend placed +himself again in front of the wicket. +</P> + +<P> +But he continued to bowl for other ten minutes; then Dodds remarked +that the light was getting bad, and that they might as well stop. +</P> + +<P> +"I would bowl a bit for you," he said. "It is too dark to see the ball +properly; I hope you don't mind. I really did mean to let you have +some batting to-day." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, it does not matter," Hal said hurriedly. "Any time will do. I +don't mind a bit." +</P> + +<P> +"Still, I don't like to be selfish," said Dodds, whose conscience +appeared to be pricking him. The unseen listeners among the bushes +thought it might have pricked him a little earlier in the day, for they +soon learned that neither on this occasion nor on any other had Hal +been permitted to bat. He had merely bowled and fielded for Dodds. +When they recovered from their astonishment at this, they could hardly +help laughing. It was really rather funny, after all Hal's bragging, +to find that he was only made use of in the way that he made use of +them. +</P> + +<P> +And the curious part of it was that Hal raised no objection, although +it was easy to see that he was feeling a little disappointed this +evening. On the other hand, he was so flattered at being allowed to +associate, even on these unequal terms, with a boy so much older than +himself, that he took care to smother his discontent. +</P> + +<P> +"What about to-morrow?" said Dodds carelessly. "Can you be here pretty +early?" +</P> + +<P> +Hal hesitated for a minute before replying. In spite of Helen's +assertions to the contrary, he had not forgotten that to-morrow was the +day of the storming of the fort. +</P> + +<P> +Several times, as he had hastened to and from the Greys', he had heard +them at work there, and had known perfectly well what they were doing. +He had even overheard a conversation, in which they discussed the +likelihood of his taking part in the fight. +</P> + +<P> +And at the time Hal, touched to see how much they wanted him, had +resolved that he would spend the whole of his birthday with them. +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," Dodds went on; "come as soon after breakfast as you can—it is +cooler then—and we will have a regular good go in. I want to make a +big score at that match next week. You are coming over to see it, +aren't you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Y-yes," Hal stammered. Though Dodds had not mentioned that cricket +match during the last few days, Hal had not forgotten his promise to +get him included in it if possible. Consequently, Dodds's careless +inquiry as to whether he intended to come over as a mere spectator +disconcerted him very much. However, he swallowed his disappointment, +and said that he had thought of going. +</P> + +<P> +"But about to-morrow," he added. "I don't think I can come—" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but you must," Dodds cried out, interrupting him. "I simply can't +do without you. Look here; if it is the batting that you are feeling +sore about, you shall go in first. There! I have promised you that." +</P> + +<P> +Hal's face brightened. He <I>did</I> wish to show Dodds that his batting +was very much better than his bowling. And perhaps Dodds would be so +struck with the brilliancy of his performance that he might after all +manage to secure him a place in the match. It would be a real pity, he +reflected, to neglect such a chance. After all, the others could very +well do without him to-morrow. +</P> + +<P> +"Well," said Dodds impatiently, "what do you say? Will you come? Or +are you going somewhere with your brothers and sisters? You have got +some, haven't you?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said Hal; "but I never play with them—not since I have been at +school, at least. You see they are all much younger than I am." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, a set of kids," said Dodds indifferently. "What a nuisance they +must be!" +</P> + +<P> +But this Hal did have the grace to contradict. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh no, they are not," he said; "but they have kept on liking things +that I don't care about, and they get huffy when I don't play with +them. Of course," he added with an aggrieved air, "it is hardly likely +that I should care to mix myself up very much with them now." +</P> + +<P> +"I see," said Dodds; and though they could not see his face, Drusie and +Jim were sure there must have been a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. +"You have grown out of all their games, you mean, and are too old to +play with them any more." +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said Hal eagerly; "that's just it. Now, you understand that all +right at once, but I cannot get them to see it." +</P> + +<P> +"It is wonderful how silly kids can be," said Dodds gravely. "But, +look here; are you coming or are you not? For, if you are not, I shall +ask one of the Harveys to spend the day with me." +</P> + +<P> +That was enough for Hal. Throwing his scruples and his half-formed +resolution to spend his birthday at home to the winds, he said at once +that he would come. +</P> + +<P> +"That's right," said Dodds in the half-patronizing tone he had used all +along. "Be here directly after breakfast then, and you shall have +first innings; that's a bargain." +</P> + +<P> +"I won't forget," said Hal in a delighted tone. "I expect I shall be +up here about nine o'clock." +</P> + +<P> +It was a very melancholy little quartette that presently emerged from +the bushes, and took its way home through the woods and the fields. +</P> + +<P> +"I never should have believed it of Hal—never!" said Helen, quite +forgetting that she had always warned the others of what they might +expect. "To desert us on his birthday, and for a boy that does not +care a bit about him, except to make use of him!" +</P> + +<P> +"It is funny," said Jim thoughtfully. "I never should have thought +that Hal would have allowed another boy to order him about as Dodds +does. Why, he fags for Dodds just as Hal would like us to fag for him; +only we won't. And he did not seem to mind a bit." +</P> + +<P> +But Drusie never spoke one single word the whole way home. To think +that Hal—her own twin—from whom, until a short three months ago, she +had been almost inseparable, should arrange to spend the whole of his +birthday away from home caused her bitter grief. It was not even that +he had forgotten the fact of their birthdays. She knew quite well he +remembered, from the momentary hesitation he had shown. No; he had +deliberately chosen to desert her, and Drusie felt as if she should +never get over it. +</P> + +<BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-077"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-077.jpg" ALT="Chapter IV tailpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="298" HEIGHT="276"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<HR ALIGN="center" WIDTH="60%"> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="img-078"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-078.jpg" ALT="Chapter V headpiece" BORDER="0" WIDTH="294" HEIGHT="209"> +</CENTER> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<A NAME="chap05"></A> + +<H3 ALIGN="center"> +CHAPTER V. +</H3> + +<H4 ALIGN="center"> +THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS. +</H4> + +<IMG CLASS="imgleft" SRC="images/img-078-capa.jpg" ALT="dropcap-a" BORDER="0" WIDTH="130" HEIGHT="126"> + +<P CLASS="noindent"> +ll, the Danvers, except, perhaps, Tommy, who was too young to take +things very much to heart, awoke the next morning with a weight on +their minds, and not, as Helen said afterwards, "with a bit of birthday +feeling about them." +</P> + +<P> +Hal was ashamed of himself. Though he was unaware, of course, that +they had overheard his conversation with Dodds, he guessed from their +downcast faces that they knew that he intended to desert them on his +and Drusie's birthday, and was not going near the fort. +</P> + +<P> +He was more ashamed than ever when, lying beside his plate at +breakfast, he found one of the handsomest pocket-knives he had ever +seen. It had no less than four blades, besides so many other weapons +that, as the man who sold it remarked to Drusie and Jim, "it was a +carpenter's tool-chest in miniature." +</P> + +<P> +And a dreadful feeling of remorse came over Hal when he remembered that +he had neglected to get something for Drusie. It was not that he had +forgotten her birthday either—seeing that it was on the same day as +his own, he could not very well do that; and when he had gone to school +he had quite made up his mind to put aside at least half of his +pocket-money every week, and save it for her. +</P> + +<P> +"It does not matter in the least," Drusie said eagerly, when Hal began +to stammer out his shamefaced apologies. "I don't want a present from +you one bit. I know quite well that boys must have a great deal to do +with their money at school." +</P> + +<P> +At that Hal got rather red. He remembered the regular weekly visits to +the "tuck-shop;" and he knew that if he had only denied himself a +little, Drusie might have had her birthday present. +</P> + +<P> +"I did ask nurse to advance me some money when I came home," he said in +self-defence, "but she would not." +</P> + +<P> +Drusie assured him again that she had not expected a present, and +begged him not to say anything more about it. And so nothing more was +said; and although Helen was burning to ask him what he had done with +his shilling, she remembered her promise to Drusie, and did not make +any unpleasant inquiries. +</P> + +<P> +Half an hour later Drusie and Jim, having fed all the animals, were +loitering on the sunny terrace together when Hal, looking very spick +and span in a clean suit of flannels, came out with his bat under his +arm. +</P> + +<P> +"I suppose you are going to play cricket," said Drusie in a tone from +which she tried to keep the wistfulness she felt. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, yes; I am," said Hal, carefully avoiding the reproachful gaze of +Jim's brown eyes. "Dodds wanted me particularly, or else, you know, +Drusie, I should have stayed with you, and done what we always do on +our birthdays." +</P> + +<P> +This explanation was meant as a sort of apology, and Drusie never could +bear any one, especially Hal, to apologize to her. +</P> + +<P> +"It doesn't matter, Hal," she said generously, winking away a +troublesome tear that would tremble on her eyelashes. "You have a +right to enjoy yourself in your holidays, and, of course, you are +bigger than all of us now." +</P> + +<P> +"Do you mind very much about my going, Drusie?" Hal said suddenly; +"for, if you do, I will throw Dodds over, and come and defend the fort." +</P> + +<P> +A flash of joy passed over Drusie's face, but the next moment it died +out, and she shook her head. She knew her brother better than he knew +himself, and she was sure that, if he gave up his own wishes for +theirs, he would regret it long before the morning was over. +</P> + +<P> +"No, Hal," she said. "If you promised Dodds, you ought to go." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, don't say that <I>I</I> did not offer," said Hal, very much relieved +that the offer had not been accepted. +</P> + +<P> +"No, I won't; and it was very good of you," said Drusie warmly; and +Hal, feeling that he had behaved very generously, went on his way +whistling a cheerful tune. +</P> + +<P> +"It is a good thing that Helen was not here," said Jim, "or Master Hal +would not have got off so easily. I know she is burning to give him a +piece of her mind." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, I hope she won't," said Drusie, in real distress; "and he has been +so nice about it. You heard him offering to stay, Jim?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes," said Jim, "I heard him, and I thought you were very wise not to +accept. He would have been sorry long before the fight was over." +</P> + +<P> +Meanwhile Hal, feeling very well pleased with himself, hurried on, and +reached the cricket field just as a distant church clock was striking +nine. +</P> + +<P> +Dodds had not yet arrived, and Hal thought with pleasure of the promise +Dodds had given him that he should go in first. And he meant to stay +in too; Dodds should not get him out so easily as he imagined. He only +hoped that Dodds would not get tired of bowling to him, and turn him +out willy nilly. +</P> + +<P> +That was the worst, he reflected, of playing with a boy so much older +than himself. At school Dodds was an immensely popular fellow, and a +new and comparatively small boy, as Hal was, would have been very much +snubbed if he had ventured to say a word against him. But here Hal +could not help seeing that Dodds was rather inclined to be selfish. +And Hal was quick not only to see but to resent selfishness in other +people. +</P> + +<P> +He had plenty of time to think over the faults in the character of his +friend, for half-past nine and then ten struck, and still he had not +put in an appearance. Hal began to get impatient, for the sun was +gradually getting hotter, and soon it would be too warm to play with +any comfort. It really was too bad of Dodds to treat him so. +</P> + +<P> +He wondered what the others were doing, and whether they had begun +their fight. If it had not been for Dodds, he might have been with +them now, instead of dawdling away the whole of the morning doing +nothing. +</P> + +<P> +For another half-hour Hal waited, and at the end of that time he came +to the conclusion that Dodds did not intend to turn up at all. +</P> + +<P> +"He <I>is</I> selfish," he thought indignantly. "Here have I spoiled the +whole of my birthday morning waiting for him. I might have been +defending the fort all this time and enjoying myself." +</P> + +<P> +Here his conscience whispered that he might also have been helping his +twin sister to enjoy her birthday; and when he remembered how bravely +she had concealed her own disappointment, and how unselfishly she had +told him to go and spend his birthday in the manner that pleased him +best, he began to see how very selfishly he had behaved. +</P> + +<P> +"I will go to them now," he thought, starting up; "there are heaps of +time to have a rattling good fight before dinner." +</P> + +<P> +And so there would have been, but—alas! for his good resolutions—as +he jumped to his feet something fell out of his pocket. It was the +little packet which he had bought last Saturday. +</P> + +<P> +For a moment he hesitated; then down he sat, and picked up the packet. +</P> + +<P> +"I will have just one," he said, "and then go and play with them." +</P> + +<P> +"One" proved to be a cigarette, for cigarettes were what the little +packet contained. +</P> + +<P> +Ever since he came home, he had been trying to master the art of +smoking, and had not yet succeeded. Each cigarette made him feel worse +than before. But with a perseverance worthy of a better cause he would +puff steadily on, and try hard to believe that he was enjoying himself. +</P> + +<P> +One or two of the elder boys at his school—Dodds was not among the +number—had boasted that they often smoked in the holidays, and Hal had +been fired with the idea that it would be a fine thing to be able to +say when he went back that he knew how to smoke too. +</P> + +<P> +And this was the secret of much of his altered behaviour, of his +mysterious absences, and more than all of his frequent pale looks and +irritable moods. The discomfort he felt when the cigarette was +actually between his lips was nothing compared to the very disagreeable +sensations that always followed. He would feel sick and dizzy, and +suffer from a headache for hours afterwards; but as soon as he +recovered he would return to the charge and refuse to acknowledge +himself beaten. +</P> + +<P> +This morning he met with no better success. He began to feel ill long +before he had half finished his first cigarette, and by the time he was +half-way through the second the most painful qualms seized him, and +forgetting the fort and the fight and everything else in his extreme +misery he rolled over on the grass, and spent a most unhappy morning. +At dinner-time he crept into the nursery looking so pale and wretched +that nurse was really alarmed. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-086"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-086.jpg" ALT="Hal with cigarette" BORDER="0" WIDTH="278" HEIGHT="215"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"I can't think what has come to you, Master Hal," she said. "You never +used to suffer from these dreadful sick headaches. You had better go +straight and lie down, and I will have some soup sent up to you." +</P> + +<P> +Hal was thankful to accept her advice. The sight of the roast mutton, +and the currant tart with Devonshire cream, which formed the nursery +dinner that day, made him shudder; and going to his own room, he flung +himself on the bed, and after having taken some of the soup which was +brought to him, he fell asleep. +</P> + +<P> +"Which," said Helen, as she and the rest peeped at him through a chink +in the doorway, "is <I>one</I> way of spending a birthday." +</P> + +<A NAME="img-087"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-087.jpg" ALT="Helen looking through doorway" BORDER="0" WIDTH="227" HEIGHT="281"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"This birthday has been a failure altogether," said Jim. "I thought +the morning was never coming to an end, and what we are to do this +afternoon I am sure I don't know." +</P> + +<P> +"You won't take my advice and let us have a fight by ourselves," said +Helen. "It might not be much fun, but, anyway, it would be much better +than dawdling away the whole day." +</P> + +<P> +But the others did not agree with her. They felt that without Hal the +whole thing would be lacking in spirit. +</P> + +<P> +"I had meant to order a wagonette and take you all for a nice drive," +said nurse, who was sorry for their disappointment. "But now that +Master Hal looks so queer, I don't like to leave him." +</P> + +<P> +"Hal has spoiled our whole day," said Helen in a grumbling tone, as +they all sauntered somewhat aimlessly across the garden. +</P> + +<P> +"Poor Hal!" said Drusie softly; "if it comes to that, he is not having +a very nice day himself, Helen." +</P> + +<P> +"And he has not spoiled our feast, Helen," put in Tommy. "We are going +to have that all the same—aren't we, Drusie?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh yes," she said cheerfully; though, to tell the truth, the feast had +lost all charms for her. She was not even looking forward to seeing +them drink her wonderful wine. +</P> + +<P> +Though they had not intended when they started to go near the fort, +almost without their knowing it their steps led them in the direction +of the Wilderness, and scrambling over the gap in the hedge, they +pushed their way towards the camp. This was a small clearing in the +surrounding thicket, which was always used by the attacking party as a +meeting-ground and a store-house for ammunition. There it lay ready +for use—piles and piles of sandy balls, of all shapes and sizes. +</P> + +<P> +They really could not bear to look at them, and turning away they went +in single file down to the fort. The flag that had floated so +defiantly from its summit all day might as well be hauled down, for if +it rained in the night it would be spoiled. +</P> + +<P> +A narrow path led from the camp; and when Drusie, who was leading the +way, came within sight of the fort she paused and gave vent to a +mournful sigh. The flag, waving gently in the soft summer breeze, +looked so beautiful, and it did seem such a pity that it was to be +taken down in so ignominious a manner. +</P> + +<P> +She advanced into the open, thinking, as she did so, how, if there had +been any one to defend the fort, they would have been obliged to skulk +from bush to bush, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. +</P> + +<P> +She looked round and smiled to see that, from the mere force of habit, +the others were darting cautiously from bush to bush, exposing +themselves as little as possible to the imaginary fire from the fort. +</P> + +<P> +It would have been well for her had she taken the same precaution, for +the next moment a shriek, that was half of pain and half of delight, +broke from her. +</P> + +<P> +She had received a stinging blow—one that was evidently aimed from a +catapult—on her hand. +</P> + +<P> +"Jim," she cried, "Hal <I>is</I> in the fort. Hurrah, hurrah! We are going +to have a fight after all!" +</P> + +<P> +Here another bullet, not so well aimed as the last, whizzed past her, +and drove her to seek shelter in the nearest bush. +</P> + +<P> +"Are you better, Hal?" she called. "And do you really want to fight?" +</P> + +<P> +There was no answer to the first question, but a shot that struck her +just above the ankle was a sufficient reply to her second; and, quite +regardless of the pain, she gave another loud whoop of joy, in which +the other three joined. +</P> + +<P> +"We must get back to the camp," Jim cried, "and arm ourselves. This is +altogether too one-sided an affair." +</P> + +<P> +Bitterly now did they regret the rashness which had led them to +approach in such a confident, careless manner. Yet, at the same time, +they could not help admiring the wiliness which the enemy had shown in +thus reserving his fire. +</P> + +<P> +His aim was deadly; but, with a generosity that was truly noble, he did +not take advantage of the fact that they were without their armour, and +refrained from hitting their faces. +</P> + +<P> +Almost every shot found its mark on them, and at last, despairing of +being able to wriggle away in good order, they rose to their feet and +made a dash into the thicket. +</P> + +<P> +Rushing pell-mell to the camp, they tied their dish-covers over their +faces, and, arming themselves with as much ammunition as they could +carry, returned to the clearing. +</P> + +<P> +But now they were more prudent. Silently they stole through the +Wilderness, advancing with such caution that hardly the creaking of a +twig betrayed their advance; and, keeping themselves carefully +concealed, they suddenly hurled the big balls at the fort, throwing +them high, so that they should drop through the top. A great noise of +spluttering, followed by a fit of mingled coughing and choking, told +them that their fire had taken ample effect, and had even partially +disabled the enemy. +</P> + +<P> +"Let's rush the fort," cried Jim; and breaking into the open, he headed +a wild dash. +</P> + +<P> +Their united attack had quite silenced the fort, and they anticipated +an easy victory. Springing on to a projecting ledge just outside one +of the loopholes, Jim's head was already above the level of the summit, +and his outstretched arm was within a foot of the flagstaff, when +something hurtled through the air, and, to Jim's intense astonishment, +a coil of rope fell heavily over his shoulders, and slipped to his +waist. +</P> + +<P> +"A lasso, a lasso!" Drusie shrieked. "Look out; it is tightening." +</P> + +<P> +The warning came just in the nick of time. Taken utterly by surprise, +Jim yet did not lose his presence of mind. +</P> + +<P> +Grasping the rope with both hands, he kept the knot from growing +tighter; then sliding through the noose with the slipperiness of an +eel, he dropped to the ground. But unluckily he caught his foot in the +noose, and although he immediately twisted it free, he fell sprawling +to the ground. In that position he afforded a splendid mark to the +enemy, who got two good shots at him before he could move. +</P> + +<P> +The others had wisely retreated to the thicket; and there Jim, limping +somewhat from his fall, joined them. +</P> + +<P> +"That lasso is a splendid idea," said Drusie enthusiastically. "I +wonder how Hal ever came to think of it. I don't believe he has been +ill at all, but only just pretending, on purpose to give us this lovely +surprise." +</P> + +<P> +"It was a lovely surprise," said Jim, laughing. "I thought I was done +for that time. I say, Drusie, we shall have to be awfully careful, or +we shall be taken prisoners before we know where we are." +</P> + +<P> +"The only way is to keep at a safe distance and throw high," said +Drusie; "for the balls break as they fall, and if they drop on to his +head they fill his eyes and his mouth so full of sand that he is +obliged to take off his helmet and clear it all out." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, we can't do better than follow the same plan again," said Helen. +"Only, don't you remember what we did last year? Some of us threw +high, while some of us aimed at the loophole and blocked it up." +</P> + +<P> +"I've got a much better idea than that," said Drusie. "I vote that we +scatter, and creep as near to the fort as ever we can, and then when I +give a low "coo-ee" we will all fire, and make a dash for the fort. +And if we do that altogether, Hal won't know which to aim at, and so +one of us ought to get the flag.—What do you say, Jim?" +</P> + +<P> +"I approve," he said; "only look out for that lasso trick." +</P> + +<P> +Then they separated, Jim and Tommy working their way up the stream, +while Drusie wriggled through the thick undergrowth, with a view to +approaching the fort at the back. To Helen was given the easier task +of skirting round the clearing, keeping well under cover of the bushes, +and holding herself in readiness to dash into the open and fire when +the signal was given. +</P> + +<P> +It seemed to her a task that was almost too easy, and, as she crouched +under a bramble bush, it occurred to her that if she advanced gradually +nearer to the fort she would be of much more use to her party than if +she merely followed her instructions and remained where she was. +Accordingly, dropping on her hands and knees, she left the safe shelter +of the denser part of the Wilderness, and crawled out to a bush. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-095"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-095.jpg" ALT="Helen crouched under bush" BORDER="0" WIDTH="285" HEIGHT="230"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Encouraged by the dead silence that reigned within the fort, she +flattered herself that her stealthy approach was unperceived by the +enemy, and so, after pausing for a moment, she advanced still farther +and gained another bush. +</P> + +<P> +Crouching there, she cautiously raised her head a few inches and looked +round. Five or six yards farther on there was a thick clump of young +willows: if she could reach that in safety, it would be a capital place +in which to halt until Drusie gave her signal. +</P> + +<P> +But, unfortunately, between it and where she now lurked grew a thick +bed of nettles, which made it impossible to creep thither on her hands +and knees. Once more she glanced at the fort Hal seemed to have gone +to sleep, and emboldened by that thought she rose to her feet for a +swift, silent rush to the willows. +</P> + +<P> +She was half-way across, and was feeling very well pleased, when +something hurtled through the air with a loud, swishing sound, and the +next moment she was jerked violently to the ground, while an +exceedingly uncomfortable sensation round her waist told her that she +had been caught by the lasso. +</P> + +<P> +Hardly had she realized it when the strain on the rope tightened, and +she was dragged through the bed of nettles. +</P> + +<P> +"Help, help!" she shouted; "I am lassoed. Drusie!—Jim!" +</P> + +<P> +Instantly the silent Wilderness became alive with shouts and cries. +</P> + +<P> +"Don't let the rope tighten," Jim called, bursting through the bushes +to her rescue. "Slip out of it, Helen." +</P> + +<P> +That was easier said than done, for her struggles had already drawn the +noose so tight that, although she resisted to the utmost of her power, +she was being hauled rapidly towards the fort. +</P> + +<P> +Her captor showed no mercy; he did not even allow her to get to her +feet; and though she clutched vainly at brambles and branches, and even +at the stalks of the nettles, he was too strong for her. +</P> + +<P> +She was within a few yards of the fort when Jim reached her side, and +grasping the rope with both hands, he was in the act of widening the +noose when he was struck heavily across the shoulders by a second +lasso, and before he could even throw up his arms they were bound +tightly to his side. +</P> + +<P> +Then he was even in a worse plight than Helen, for she, at least, had +the use of her hands; and, though he flung himself backwards, and +twisted and contorted his body in every conceivable way, he could not +release himself. Neither could he prevent himself from being drawn +helplessly towards the fort; and it occurred to him that Hal must have +grown wonderfully strong lately, for he seemed to have no difficulty at +all in dragging both his captives in together. +</P> + +<P> +"Drusie, Drusie!" he shouted despairingly, as he was flung to the +ground, and, fighting every inch of the way, was dragged and bumped +nearer and nearer to the fort. +</P> + +<P> +With a sound of breaking branches and rending of clothes, Drusie was +hastening to the rescue. She had not been able to come sooner, because +she had penetrated so far into the dense thicket that she could not +readily extricate herself. However, by leaving scraps of her clothing +on every sharp thorn, and getting her hands and legs terribly +scratched, she forced her way out at last; and keeping a wary outlook +on the fort, she tried to unloose the knots that bound Jim. +</P> + +<P> +"Once let me get my arms free," he said, "and I shall be all right." +</P> + +<P> +It was clear that the fort had exhausted its stock of lassos, for no +third coil of rope came flying out. Instead, however, the enemy kept +up a brisk rain of bullets, which harassed Drusie very much, and +prevented her from releasing either Helen or Jim. +</P> + +<P> +Every now and again the wily enemy would stop firing, and give a tug to +the two ropes which bound his unfortunate captives, and they would be +jerked a foot or two nearer the fort. +</P> + +<P> +Drusie was in despair; unless more help could be brought upon the +scene, her two best men would be taken prisoners. +</P> + +<P> +"I am coming," shouted an eager voice at that moment; and Tommy, +dripping wet from head to foot, came running up, armed with as many big +balls as he could carry. Right up to the very walls of the fort he +went, and threw his balls into it in quick succession. +</P> + +<P> +There was a muffled shout of indignation, which suddenly died away into +a smothered choking sound, while, at the same time, the strain on the +ropes relaxed. Jim and Helen did not lose a second in taking advantage +of this, and, slipping back the running knots, they freed themselves. +</P> + +<P> +"Let's capture the ropes," cried Drusie, flinging herself upon them. +But at this point the enemy, who had been choked and blinded for the +moment, evidently recovered himself, for with the rapidity of lightning +the two lassos were drawn back again. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-100"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-100.jpg" ALT="Tommy throwing balls" BORDER="0" WIDTH="302" HEIGHT="347"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Get back," shouted Jim, and, seizing Helen by the hand, he retreated +with all possible speed. And it was well they did so, for hardly had +the lassos been drawn in than they were flung out again with so strong +and well-directed an aim that, had Jim not set them the example of +flying, one or more of them would have been made prisoners again. +</P> + +<P> +They did not pause to take breath until they were within the shelter of +the Wilderness, where they threw themselves, hot and exhausted, on the +ground. +</P> + +<P> +"This was a failure," said Drusie, and she looked severely at Helen, +"and it was all your fault. You did not obey orders. If it had not +been for Tommy, the day would have been lost. You ought to be +court-martialled, Helen, and I daresay you will be later on when the +fort is taken." +</P> + +<P> +"I am very sorry," said Helen in a shamefaced manner, "but I thought it +would be such a splendid thing if I could get right up to the fort +before the attack began." +</P> + +<P> +"You should not think, then," said Drusie. "You should only do what +you are told.—And, by the way, Tommy, what happened to you?" +</P> + +<P> +"I fell into the stream," he said ruefully. "Helen's shrieks startled +me so much that I lost my balance just as I was crossing it." +</P> + +<P> +"It was the narrowest escape we have all had yet," said Jim. "I vote +that we try the same plan again, and whatever you do, Helen, don't go +and spoil it again by thinking to do something clever." +</P> + +<P> +Before Helen could retort, Tommy jumped up with a shout of defiance, +and snatching up two balls that lay ready to his hand, discharged them +right into the centre of a bush a few yards off. +</P> + +<P> +"What on earth are you about?" exclaimed an indignant voice; and Hal, +his face covered with sand and mud, sprang out of the bushes and made +for his younger brother. +</P> + +<P> +But Jim flung himself between them, and, aided by Drusie, they brought +Hal, kicking and struggling, to the ground, and sat upon him. +</P> + +<P> +"The fort is ours," cried Drusie joyfully. "Run, Helen, and get the +flag before Hal can release himself." +</P> + +<P> +Helen dashed off to do as she was told, but as she was flying across +the clearing she was suddenly brought up by a perfect hailstorm of +bullets, which played round her in all directions, and caused her to +fly back to the camp with the astounding information that it was not +Hal who had been defending the fort, but somebody else. +</P> + +<P> +"If you had not behaved like a set of duffers who had all lost their +heads, I could have told you that myself," said Hal crushingly. "But +instead of letting me explain, you all flung yourselves upon me as if I +were your greatest enemy." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, of course, we thought that you were," said Drusie. "We thought +that you had sallied out from the fort to take us all prisoners. But +if it is not you who have been in the fort all this time, who is it?" +</P> + +<P> +But that was just what none knew; and Hal was as much in the dark as +the rest. He had awaked a quarter of an hour ago, feeling all right +again. "And so, I thought," he added, "that I had been rather a pig +about this birthday, and that, if you would have me, I'd come out and +defend the fort." +</P> + +<P> +"Have you?" cried Drusie joyfully. "Of course, we will—won't we, Jim?" +</P> + +<P> +"Rather," Jim said; and that word of assent was heartily echoed by both +Helen and Tommy. "But I say, Drusie, if it is not Hal in the fort, who +on earth can it be?" +</P> + +<P> +"I know," Drusie said, after a moment of puzzled silence; "it must be +our friend—Jumbo's boy." +</P> + +<P> +When Hal heard of the lassos he cried out that it was no less a person +than Dodds. +</P> + +<P> +"I know it is he," he cried excitedly, "for he is awfully keen about +lassos. He has been reading about the cowboys in Texas, and the other +day he was practising on the lawn." +</P> + +<P> +"Whoever it is," Drusie said, "he defends the fort awfully well. I +don't believe we shall ever capture it." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh yes, we shall," said Jim, "now that Hal has come to help us." +</P> + +<P> +"Just fancy Dodds playing with you kids all the afternoon," Hal said in +a tone of surprise. "I wonder what ever made him do it." +</P> + +<P> +Fired with the idea of showing Dodds that the attacking party had +received a valuable reinforcement, Hal threw himself with ardour into +the fight, and—Drusie having resigned her post as captain in his +favour—led sally after sally against the fort. But the aim of the +lassos was so deadly, and the hailstorm of bullets so incessant, that +time after time they were obliged to retire. +</P> + +<P> +Once Drusie, who had wriggled herself through the thick hawthorns at +the back of the fort, was within an ace of taking the flag; but, just +as she had climbed up on the roof, the defender, whose face was +completely hidden by his helmet, made a grab at her, and she was +obliged to fly for her life. +</P> + +<P> +"We must alter our tactics," Hal said, as, hot and exhausted from the +prolonged struggle, he withdrew his little army into the recesses of +the Wilderness. "We are not a bit nearer taking the fort than when we +started." +</P> + +<P> +"Not so near," said Helen; "for our ammunition is giving out. We have +only about twenty or thirty balls left. This is quite the hardest +fight that we have ever had." +</P> + +<P> +"We must get the fort," Hal said, setting his teeth. "We are four to +one, and it will be a great disgrace to us if we don't." +</P> + +<P> +"But that one is such a one," Drusie said. +</P> + +<P> +"I told you Dodds was a splendid fellow, didn't I?" said Hal eagerly. +"But, all the same, I wish he was not quite as splendid now. But +listen; I have got a glorious plan in my head, if we can only carry it +out." +</P> + +<P> +But at that moment he was interrupted by a loud, piercing scream, which +was followed by another and another; and, glancing hastily round, Hal +saw that Tommy was missing from the council. +</P> + +<P> +"He was with us only a minute ago," Drusie exclaimed. +</P> + +<P> +Springing to their feet, they all rushed out, and there they saw Tommy, +bound and helpless, being hauled rapidly up to the very walls of the +fort. +</P> + +<P> +He had brought his sad fate upon himself. As he was following the +others into camp, he had seen the enemy spring out of the fort and run +into the bushes, and, quick as thought, Tommy had darted off to capture +the flag during his absence. Had he only reported what he had seen to +his commander, a proper attack might have been hastily organized and +the fort captured; but Tommy was in such a hurry, and so anxious to +gain all the glory for himself, that he slipped off without saying a +word to the others. And when it was too late he found that the +desertion of the fort was only a cleverly-planned trick on the part of +its defender, who had crashed noisily into the bushes, in the hope of +deceiving the attacking party into the belief that the fort was empty. +As soon as he saw that Tommy was going to fall into the trap, he +slipped quietly back, and, lassoing Tommy just outside, dragged him a +prisoner into the fort. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-107"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-107.jpg" ALT="Tommy, lassoed" BORDER="0" WIDTH="303" HEIGHT="193"> +</CENTER> + +<P> +"Serves him right," said Jim. "He had no business to act on his own +account like that." +</P> + +<P> +But it was all very well to say "serves him right." Perhaps Tommy had +met with no better fate than he deserved, but he, nevertheless, brought +about a very serious check to his party; for, while one of their number +was in the hands of the enemy, no attempt to take the flag could be +made. The prisoner must first be rescued. Sometimes he was ransomed +with ammunition. But their store was too low for them to be able to do +that now. They could better afford to spare Tommy than cannon-balls. +</P> + +<P> +Meanwhile, complete silence reigned in the fort. The Union Jack waved +triumphantly from the flagstaff, and the captive Tommy had disappeared +from view. +</P> + +<P> +"Got you rather neatly, I think," his enemy had said, as he pulled him +in. Even in that moment of bitter humiliation Tommy gave a start of +surprise as he recognized his captor. Drusie was right, for the +defender of the fort was indeed Jumbo's boy. +</P> + +<P> +"Oh," Tommy gasped out, as, breathless from the struggle he had just +gone through, he stared at his captor, "it is you, is it? Hal said he +was sure it was Dodds, but I am jolly glad that you are not Dodds. He +is conceited. I should not have liked to have been taken prisoner by +him." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you?" said the boy with a twinkle in his +eyes. "But who told you that I—that Dodds, I mean—was conceited? +Young Danvers, I suppose?" +</P> + +<P> +"No; Hal didn't. He likes Dodds. But we others don't think very much +of him." +</P> + +<P> +The boy laughed. +</P> + +<P> +"Dodds is a great friend of mine," he said. "I shall tell him what you +have said. But never mind that now. Tell me what I am to do. Can you +be exchanged or ransomed, or are you allowed to escape if you can?" +</P> + +<P> +"I don't think they will ransom me," Tommy said reflectively. But he +was far too wary to tell the enemy why. "And I mayn't try to escape +until one of them has touched me; and till I am rescued the fort can't +be taken." +</P> + +<P> +"That's good news," said the boy. "I shan't let you be taken in a +hurry. How will they try to rescue you?" +</P> + +<P> +Tommy shook his head. He knew better than to allow himself to be drawn +into giving any information, and the boy laughed at his caution, and +climbing on to one of the two empty orange boxes, which were the only +seats that the fort contained, he kept a good lookout. +</P> + +<P> +Tommy climbed on to the other, and standing on tiptoe was just able to +peer over the edge of the fort. +</P> + +<P> +The open space that surrounded it was deserted, and although Tommy +searched the bushes with anxious eyes he could not see any signs of his +fellow-besiegers. He knew that Hal must be exceedingly angry with him, +and that if the attack on the fort could have been carried on while he +was a prisoner, he would have been left there as a punishment. +</P> + +<P> +But, as it was, he comforted himself with the thought that, for the +sake of capturing the flag, they would rescue him as soon as ever they +could. +</P> + +<P> +Presently his sharp eyes caught sight of Drusie creeping from bush to +bush. He was afraid that the boy had seen her too, for, stepping down, +he picked up a lasso and coiled it in readiness. +</P> + +<P> +"Hi, you," he said, imperiously addressing his prisoner. "You must get +down and sit on the floor." +</P> + +<P> +"Not unless you can make me," retorted Tommy; "and if you are holding +me down, you won't be able to fight." +</P> + +<P> +There was so much truth in that that the boy went back to his box +again, and Tommy was permitted to remain upon his. +</P> + +<P> +And now the situation grew exciting, for the rescuing party advanced in +full force and without any real attempt at concealment. Tommy wondered +what was their plan of attack. +</P> + +<P> +The boy was puzzled too, and as they approached he glanced sharply from +one to the other. Drusie darted from bush to bush, a cannon-ball in +either hand. Hal, with nothing in his left hand, but with his right +concealed in his pocket, followed her, and Helen and Jim skirmished +about in a somewhat aimless fashion on their own account. +</P> + +<P> +But all the time they drew steadily nearer to the fort, and Tommy +watched their movements with the keenest interest, ready to scramble +out directly he was rescued. +</P> + +<P> +When they were within ten or fifteen yards, Hal and Drusie paused, and +the latter, with all the strength of which she was capable, hurled her +cannon-balls in quick succession into the fort. +</P> + +<P> +The first was beautifully aimed. It broke on the boy's head, and for a +moment choked and blinded him. The second struck Tommy on the head, +and caused him to tumble down from his box and lie for a moment +sprawling on the floor. +</P> + +<P> +When he got to his feet again and climbed on to his perch, he saw, to +his dismay, that things were apparently going very badly for them. The +boy, disabled only for a moment by Drusie's ball, had thrown his lasso +with his usual sure and deadly aim, and Hal was struggling in its noose. +</P> + +<A NAME="img-113"></A> +<CENTER> +<IMG CLASS="imgcenter" SRC="images/img-113.jpg" ALT=""The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim."" BORDER="2" WIDTH="466" HEIGHT="662"> +<H4 CLASS="h4center" STYLE="width: 466px"> +"The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim." +</H4> +</CENTER> + +<P> +Drusie and Helen were circling round him, and though their shrill +war-whoops echoed through the Wilderness, they were making no effort to +help Hal to escape. And as for Jim, he had totally disappeared. +</P> + +<P> +Tommy, however, knew enough of war to be aware that there was some +reason for Jim's sudden disappearance; and he presently detected a +slight movement among the hawthorn bushes at the back of the fort, and +guessed at once that, under cover of the noise that Drusie and Helen +were making, Jim was creeping up with the intention of rescuing him. +And Hal had probably allowed himself to be taken prisoner on purpose to +distract attention from this manoeuvre. +</P> + +<P> +Very gently and gradually, so as not to arouse the suspicions of his +captor, Tommy edged his box to the corner nearest the bushes, so that +Jim might give him the touch that would bring freedom with as little +danger to himself as possible. +</P> + +<P> +Meanwhile, Hal was making a valiant struggle. As Tommy had already +guessed, he had allowed himself to be taken prisoner; but, at the same +time, he did not wish to be dragged nearer the fort than he could help. +And though, to all appearance, he was a prisoner, he held something in +his right hand by means of which he hoped to sever his bonds when he +chose. He was very nearly as strong as his enemy, and, as he had +managed to keep both his arms free, he hauled back the rope with all +his might and main. But, in spite of his efforts, he was gradually +losing ground, and, quite forgetting how important it was that the +enemy should be kept in ignorance of the stratagem that was being +carried out in the rear, he shouted to Jim to make haste. +</P> + +<P> +Luckily, however, Drusie kept her wits about her, and drowned the +latter half of his sentence by a terrific yell, in which Helen promptly +joined. And under cover of the noise they made Jim tore his way +through the thicket, and came right up to the very walls of the fort. +</P> + +<P> +"Rescued!" he shouted, tapping Tommy on the arm, and immediately diving +back into the bushes. +</P> + +<P> +"Rescued!" Tommy repeated with a glad yell of triumph; and he was over +the wall and after Jim like a flash. +</P> + +<P> +But that his hands were full, the boy would have shaken his fist at his +escaping prisoner. As it was, he was obliged to content himself with +the thought that his new prisoner was more worth having than his old +one. +</P> + +<P> +But even as that thought passed through his mind Hal whipped out a +knife, and, opening the biggest blade, began to hack away at the rope. +</P> + +<P> +The rope was thick and the knife was blunt, and though Hal sawed away +with desperate haste the strands parted with tantalizing slowness; +thus, being less able to offer resistance than before, he was hauled +rapidly towards the fort. He was barely five yards away from it when +the last strand parted, and, with the noose still round his waist, Hal +scrambled to his feet. Ducking to avoid a second lasso, which his +disappointed foe hurled after him, he set out at full speed for the +camp, and then flung himself exhausted upon the ground. +</P> + +<P> +"That was hottish work," he said, glancing round at his little army to +see that none were missing, "and we had some tremendously narrow +escapes. But the rescue was carried out splendidly. You all did just +what you were told, and no more." +</P> + +<P> +Praise from Hal was rare, and the three recipients of it looked +exceedingly gratified. And they felt that they deserved the +commendation, for Drusie and Helen were perfectly hoarse with shouting, +and Jim's face and hands and clothes were torn and scratched by thorns. +And Tommy, to his secret delight, got off with a very slight reprimand, +for they were all so proud of the clever way in which they had rescued +him that they forgave him for having allowed himself to be taken +prisoner. +</P> + +<P> +The news that it was their friend, and not Dodds, who was defending the +fort was received with satisfaction by Drusie and Jim, but with +incredulity by Hal. +</P> + +<P> +"Why, I know it is Dodds," he said. "Though his face is hidden by his +helmet, I recognized the suit of clothes that he had on." +</P> + +<P> +"Then, I tell you what it is," Drusie cried. "Our friend and Dodds are +the same." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, we will find out all about that presently," said Hal, who was so +eager to take the stubborn fort that he did not care very much who held +it. "Carried the fort must be, and within the next half-hour." +</P> + +<P> +"Listen," he said, sitting bolt upright; "I have got a rattling good +plan in my head, but," throwing a severe glance in Tommy's direction, +"there must be no more disobedience, or the whole thing will be +spoiled." +</P> + +<P> +Tommy looked properly abashed, and Hal went on. "I mean to hose Dodds +out of the fort." +</P> + +<P> +"Hose him out!" Drusie and Jim echoed in astonishment. "What do you +mean, Hal?" +</P> + +<P> +"For goodness' sake, take care," Hal remonstrated. "If you shout like +that he'll hear, and the whole thing will be spoiled." +</P> + +<P> +Then Hal proceeded to explain in rapid undertones what he meant. +</P> + +<P> +"I am going to bring up the water-barrel, pump it full from the stream, +fit the biggest hose to it, and let fly into the fort." +</P> + +<P> +His four soldiers held their breath for a moment, and gazed at their +captain with dumb admiration. +</P> + +<P> +"It's a gorgeous plan," said Helen at last. +</P> + +<P> +"I think it ought to answer," Hal said. "I have been thinking it out +for some time. I shall go for it, but I will tell you what you have to +do while I am away." +</P> + +<P> +For the next quarter of an hour silence reigned in the camp—a silence +so unbroken that the enemy who lay waiting in the fort became more +watchful with every passing moment. He distrusted such a complete +cessation of hostilities. It could only mean that an attack of unusual +fierceness was being planned; and so, that it might not find him +unprepared, he cast an eye round the fort to see if he could strengthen +it in any way. +</P> + +<P> +But it was already as strong as it could be made; and when he was +satisfied on that point, he took stock of his ammunition, and made a +fresh noose for the lasso which Hal had cut. Just as he had finished a +beautiful slip knot, his ear was caught by a low whistle. Ducking to +avoid the shot for which it might be the signal, he listened again. No +shot followed; the whistle was twice repeated. +</P> + +<P> +Standing upright again, the boy glanced hastily round. He fancied that +the whistle came from the direction of the stream. He was still +wondering what it meant, when another whistle, another, and yet +another, and all from different directions, echoed round the fort. +Each, like the first, was repeated twice, but yet nothing happened. +</P> + +<P> +He strained his eyes this way and that, and then suddenly fitted a +couple of bullets into his catapult, and fired into some bushes on the +left. A sharp but quickly-suppressed squeal of pain was the result. +Again and again he fired, but only to be met by a heroic silence. +Either his shots missed or his victim refused to cry out. +</P> + +<P> +Suddenly Hal's voice rang out. +</P> + +<P> +"One!" he shouted. +</P> + +<P> +There was a pause. +</P> + +<P> +"Good," thought the boy. "At three the fun begins. Kind of them to +give me warning." +</P> + +<P> +Confident that he would have a few moments' breathing space, his +watchful vigilance relaxed. Instead of keeping a sharp lookout, he ran +his eye once more over his defences, and was considering whether it +would be better to use the shorter or the longer lasso, when Hal's +voice made itself heard again. +</P> + +<P> +"Two!" he shouted with the full force of his lungs, and simultaneously +a wild war-whoop went up from his army. There was the sound of +breaking branches, and from different quarters of the wood four of the +besiegers broke into the open and advanced at the double. +</P> + +<P> +This movement was the outcome of a deeply-laid plan of Hal's. He knew +that if an advance was made at the word "two" the fort would be taken +completely by surprise, and under cover of the attack from the front he +was, in the meantime, bringing the heavy gun—the water-barrel—into +position at the rear. +</P> + +<P> +His surmise proved correct. The holder of the fort was taken at a +disadvantage; he fired wildly in consequence, and had the mortification +of perceiving that not one of his shots took effect. +</P> + +<P> +The attacking party, of whom Hal was not one, reserved their fire, and +seemed bent upon coming to close quarters. Grimly determined to make +it warm for them when they did close with him, the defender sprang on +to the roof, and, regardless of the fact that he was exposing himself +recklessly, took up his stand by the flagstaff, and, throwing down his +catapult, whirled his lasso wildly round his head. +</P> + +<P> +On came the attacking party; he faced them, and with a coolness that +did him credit at such a critical moment he picked out the one that he +could most easily capture, and was in the act of hurling the lasso, +when, up from the very midst of the hawthorn bushes at the back of the +fort, Hal's voice was heard again. +</P> + +<P> +"Three!" he shouted: and turning like lightning to meet this fresh foe, +who he guessed would prove the most formidable, the boy saw an immense +jet of water spurt high into the air. Twenty feet it rose, and then +descended full and fair upon his head. A mingled shout of defiance and +joy told Hal that his aim had been good, and he continued to ply the +hose. At the same moment eight cannon-balls, five at least of which +hit him, were thrown at the harassed defender, whose helmet was now +full of sand and water. +</P> + +<P> +Choking and gasping and almost unable to see, so great was the force +with which the stream was playing upon his face, the boy grasped the +flag, determined not to surrender. +</P> + +<P> +But the enemy now surrounded the fort on all sides, and were already +scaling the walls. Both Jim and Drusie were anxious to gain the glory +of capturing the flag, and a desperate fight raged round the flagstaff. +Twice Drusie laid hands upon it, and twice she was driven back. +</P> + +<P> +The hose played upon besieged and besiegers alike, and all the +combatants were being drenched to the skin. But the battle continued +to rage, and, though he was hampered by his helmet and sorely +outnumbered, the valour displayed by the holder of the fort might yet +have gained him the day, if Jim, warned by a cry from Hal that the +water in the barrel was giving out, had not succeeded in grasping the +flagstaff. +</P> + +<P> +"Jump with it, Jim, jump!" Drusie cried, and flung herself between +them. But with one hand the boy tossed her aside, while with the other +he clutched at the flag. +</P> + +<P> +There was a short tug of war; then a sharp sound of tearing cloth; and +while the gallant defender toppled backwards into the stream, carrying +the greater part of the flag with him, Jim fell down on the other side, +bearing with him the flagstaff and the fluttering remnant of the Union +Jack. +</P> + +<P> +Both sides would certainly have claimed the victory, for both held a +portion of the flag, had not Drusie, scrambling out of the hawthorn +bushes into which she had been tossed, jumped into the middle of the +stream, and snatched the part that he still held out of the hand of the +prostrate, half-drowned enemy. +</P> + +<P> +Then the fort had no choice but to capitulate, and the day was won by +the besiegers. +</P> + +<P> +"You all fought jolly well," said the holder of the fort, calmly +sitting upright in the middle of the stream and removing his helmet, +thereby disclosing to view the face of the boy who had come to Jumbo's +rescue. "It has been warm work from first to last. It is quite jolly +to sit here and get cool." +</P> + +<P> +Then Hal, jubilant at the success which had attended his manoeuvre, +emerged from the hawthorn bushes in which he had been concealed, and +congratulated his late enemy on the splendid stand which the fort had +made. +</P> + +<P> +"It ought not to have been taken," Dodds said. "But that hose upset me +completely; it came as such a tremendous surprise." +</P> + +<P> +"I say," said Jim, who was standing on the bank panting from his +exertions, "are you really Dodds?" +</P> + +<P> +"That's my name," said the boy with a polite flourish of his helmet; +"and I hear," glancing round at them all with an amused twinkle in his +eyes, "that none of you like me." +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, but we didn't know that you were Dodds," Drusie hastened to +explain. "It was Dodds we did not like, not you." +</P> + +<P> +"Well, as I am Dodds, you can't like me if you don't like him," the boy +said with a laugh, in which they all were obliged to join, as they +realized that they had really been liking Dodds all the time without +knowing it. +</P> + +<P> +"Well, as I am cool now," Dodds said, getting up and wading to the +bank, "I think I'll go and put on some dry things. And I should think +that you had better do the same. And then, isn't there a birthday +feast to be eaten? I rather think I heard something about it too. You +know, I was fishing here one day, and you were all in the fort talking +about the fight, and wondering if Hal meant to hold it, and it struck +me that it would be rather a good idea if I held it in his place. And +so I just did. And jolly good fun it has been too.—Don't you think +so, Hal? or do you still think that playing with kids is slow work?" +</P> + +<P> +At that Hal began to grow red, and Drusie, who knew that he was sorry +for that and for many other foolish things that he had said, interposed +quickly. +</P> + +<P> +"I think we had better go home and change too," she said; "and then we +will all meet in the summer-house for the feast." +</P> + +<P> +"Am I asked too?" said Dodds, who was not shy. +</P> + +<P> +"Of course," they all cried. +</P> + +<P> +"Right you are then," said Dodds, shaking himself and squaring his +shoulders for a run. "I'll bring some contributions to the feast. +Let's see who'll get changed and be there first. I bet you I will." +</P> + +<P> +But as it happened, his five hosts and hostesses were the first to +reach the summer-house; and while they waited for their guest Hal took +a small baby guinea-pig from his pocket, and gave it to the astonished, +delighted Drusie. +</P> + +<P> +"My birthday present to you, Drusie. I got it down at the village this +afternoon. Isn't it a beauty?" +</P> + +<P> +"Oh, it's a darling!" Drusie cried, covering both the guinea-pig and +Hal with kisses. "How awfully, awfully good of you, Hal! Is it really +my very, very own?" +</P> + +<P> +"Yes, rather," said Hal, looking very gratified at her delight. "I +went down into the village this afternoon and got it. I paid for it +too," he added proudly. "Nurse advanced me the money." +</P> + +<P> +Then Dodds arrived with a basketful of good things for the feast, and a +very merry feast it was. And by the time it was finished Drusie and +Jim wondered how they could ever have thought that Dodds was not a nice +boy. +</P> + +<P> +Hal was not surprised that they should like Dodds, but he was rather +astonished to find how much Dodds got to like them. Hal had thought +that Dodds would be far too big and grown up to care about playing with +girls; but when he found out that Dodds actually enjoyed playing +cricket with them, and thought a great deal of Drusie's bowling and +Helen's smart fielding, he began to think that he had made a mistake in +supposing that he had grown too old for them. So he ceased to speak to +them as if he were years and years older than all of them put together, +and remembered that he was Drusie's twin-brother, and that he was very +fond of her. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR> + +<P CLASS="finis"> +THE END. +</P> + +<BR><BR><BR><BR> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's A Tale of the Summer Holidays, by G. 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Mockler + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: A Tale of the Summer Holidays + +Author: G. Mockler + +Release Date: November 13, 2009 [EBook #30469] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A TALE OF THE SUMMER HOLIDAYS *** + + + + +Produced by Al Haines + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: Cover art] + + + +[Illustration: Title] + + + +[Frontispiece: Fort] + + + +[Illustration: Title page] + + + +A Tale of the Summer Holidays + + +by + +G. Mockler + + + + +Thomas Nelson and Sons. + +1899 + + + + +[Illustration: Contents headpiece] + + +CONTENTS + + I. THE SECRET MEETING + II. A FRIEND IN NEED + III. HAL FINDS A FRIEND + IV. DISAPPOINTED HOPES + V. THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS + + +[Illustration: Contents tailpiece] + + + + +[Illustration: Drusie with balls] + + + +ILLUSTRATIONS + +"_Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper._" + +"_Jumbo began to wash his face and ears._" + +"_I suppose you will own that you really are out this time?_" + +"_The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim._" + + + + +[Illustration: "_Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper._"] + + + +[Illustration: Chapter I headpiece] + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE SECRET MEETING. + +Two days after the holidays began, the four younger members of the +Danvers family received a note summoning them to a secret meeting at +half-past seven the next morning in the summer-house. Drusie, who had +written and delivered the notes, including one to herself, was the +first to reach the appointed place; and when, a few minutes later, the +other three arrived, they found her seated at the rustic table with a +sheet of paper and a pencil before her, and a glass of water at her +elbow. + +"Good-morning," she said, rising and shaking hands with them all round. +"Helen, will you sit facing me, and Jim and Tommy at either side?" + +In a solemn silence they obeyed; and then seating herself again, she +took a sip of water. Not that she was thirsty, but she was rather +nervous. + +It was so long since the last meeting, and hitherto Hal had always been +the chairman. She stifled a sigh; it seemed so strange to hold a +secret meeting without him. + +"Go ahead," said Jim, encouragingly; "or would you like me to be +chairman, Drusie?" + +"Certainly not," she replied hastily. "I am the eldest here, and of +course I must be chairman. And you must be serious, Jim, for we have +got a lot to talk about this morning, and it won't do for Hal to come +out and find us here." + +"He is asleep and snoring," said Helen, in a tone of great contempt. +"He has learned a lot of silly things at school, and one of them is +never to get up until he is called." + +"Order, please," said Drusie, rapping on the table. "You must not +begin to discuss the subject until I have announced it." She rose, +gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, +we are met here this morning to discuss a question of paramount +importance." She paused, partly for breath and partly to take note of +the effect of her words. She was proud of that beginning, which she +had learned from the report of a missionary meeting. She was pleased +to observe that Helen and Tommy looked decidedly impressed, but Jim was +grinning. Frowning at him, she resumed: "I may say that the matter +affects us all very seriously, and it is one that ought to be taken up +by the nation at large. But I regret to say that the people of England +are only too apt to shirk their very obvious, their very obvious--" + +But at that point she stuck hopelessly fast. Though she had carefully +avoided glancing at Jim, she had seen his face out of the corner of one +eye, and the wide, fixed grin that ornamented it had put her out +dreadfully. + +"Oh, come," he said, striking in; "aren't you laying it on rather +thick? Even though Hal has come back from school with so much side on +that he does not know what to do with himself, I don't see that the +nation at large is concerned." + +"No, of course not," Drusie acknowledged; "but it said that in the +paper, you know, and it seemed a nice beginning." + +"Well, suppose we skip that part," said Jim, "and get to the real +business, which is of course about Hal." + +"Very well," said Drusie, though she rather regretted her long +sentences. "I called this meeting to talk about Hal," she said, "and +to ask what you all thought about the birthday. You know we have been +busy making the ammunition to storm the fort with; but if he doesn't +want to defend it, it won't be much good preparing any more cannon +balls. Of course, one of us could defend it; but a fight without Hal +wouldn't be any fun at all. At least, that is what I think; but what +do you say?" + +This time Drusie had been heard with as much attention as she could +wish for. The matter really was a very serious one. In two days' time +it would be the twins'--Hal and Drusie's--birthday; and ever since they +had been big enough to throw straight, they had always celebrated this +double birthday with a big battle, followed by a feast in the +summer-house. Hal had always defended the fort, while Drusie led the +attacking party; and this year they had expected to have a really +splendid fight, for during the past fortnight they had spent all their +spare time in making ammunition, and the supply of cannon balls was +larger than ever before. + +But if Hal was not going to take part in the fight, all these +preparations would be thrown away. It was really very difficult to +know what he would or would not do, for he was so altered by his one +term at school that he hardly seemed like the same boy. He did not +tease or bully them, but he simply took as little notice as possible, +and spoke to them in a lofty, superior sort of way, as though he were a +very grown-up person and they very little children. Sometimes, +however, he quite forgot to be dignified and condescending, and then +Drusie hoped he meant to take part in the birthday fight as usual. And +the awkward part of it was that Drusie could not ask him his +intentions, as it was against their rules to say one word to him about +the fight until the very day on which it was to take place. + +"I suppose," said Helen, with a scornful little sniff, "he has grown +too grand to fight. He would call it baby-play." + +"What about the feast?" asked Jim. "Weren't you going to say something +about that too, Drusie?" + +"Oh yes," she said; and after she had drunk a little more water she +rose to her feet again. The chairman was always supposed to finish the +glass of water, and that was a part of her duties that Drusie did not +much relish when the meeting was held before breakfast. Under pretence +of moving it out of her way, Jim drew the tumbler towards him, and when +she was not looking he filled it up from a jug which he had hidden +under the table the evening before. + +"The feast," she said earnestly, "is going to be a specially nice one. +I am making all the wine myself, and I taste it ever so many times a +day to see if it is still good. I won't tell you everything that is in +it; but you can guess how lovely it will be when I say that it was made +from apples, and pears, and prune juice, and sugar, and some tea that I +saved from breakfast. There are lots of other things in it, too," she +said, interrupting herself; "but that is a secret. The best of my wine +is that it hasn't cost anything, and so we shall have more money to +spend on other things. It is pocket-money day to-day, and it must all +go towards the feast. My sixpence and yours, Jim, and Helen's and +Tommy's threepences make one and sixpence. That is a lot of money, and +I am sure Hal will give us his shilling." + +"I don't think he will," said Jim, biting his lips to keep from +laughing as he saw Drusie look down with mingled surprise and dismay at +her nearly full glass; "he is hard up. He borrowed a penny half-penny +from me the other day, and hasn't paid it back yet; and he told me that +he had got rather a big bill in the village." + +"Well," Drusie continued, after she had bravely gulped down some more +water, "it doesn't matter very much if he doesn't give anything. We +have plenty. And now we must vote." Tearing the sheet of paper into +four pieces, she passed them round the table. "If you want to go on +preparing for the fight and the feast, you must each write 'yes;' if +you don't want to go on, you must write 'no.'" + +Then she sat down, feeling rather proud of the clear way in which she +had spoken, and made another attempt to finish her glass of water. + +Without the slightest hesitation Jim scribbled the word "yes" on his +piece of paper, and when Tommy saw what Jim had written he put "yes," +too. Helen took longer to make up her mind. She could not help +thinking that if they went on with the preparations for the fight, and +Hal refused to have anything to do with it, they would look very silly. +For at the bottom of her heart Helen was rather impressed by the airs +that Hal gave himself, and would have liked very much to imitate them. +But knowing well that the other three would vote for going on with the +fight, she, too, wrote "yes," and put her folded slip with the others +into the hat which Jim passed round. + +The chairman opened them hastily. + +"They are all 'yeses,' so we must go on with the preparations just the +same," she said, rising once more to address the meeting; "and if Hal +gives us his shilling after breakfast, it will mean that he is going to +defend the fort. That is all, I think. I now declare this meeting +ended." + +"Hear, hear!" said Jim. "But you must finish your water, Drusie. We +shan't think anything of you as a chairman if you leave a drop." + +"I keep on drinking all the time," said poor Drusie, giving her +tumbler, still nearly full, a glance of strong distaste. + +"Perhaps you only sip it," said Jim gravely. "Shut your eyes, and take +big mouthfuls. You _must_ finish it, you know." + +The sense of duty was strong in Drusie, and so she shut her eyes and +made one more heroic effort. The instant her eyes were closed, Jim +filled up her glass as she drank. He had hoped to make her finish the +entire jugful, but he shook so with suppressed laughter that instead of +pouring it into her glass he poured it on to her nose. + +"O Jim!" she said reproachfully, as the truth burst upon her; "how much +have I drunk?" + +"Four tumblers full," he said triumphantly. "You make a splendid +chairman, Drusie." + +She couldn't help laughing, too, when she saw the nearly empty jug. +She dried her face, scolded Jim, and then forgave him in the same +breath, for a sweeter-tempered child than Drusie never lived. After +that the meeting broke up, and a few minutes later the bell rang for +breakfast. + +Hal was already seated at the table when they reached the nursery. He +was a nice-looking boy, taller than Drusie by a couple of inches, and +well grown for his years, which would be twelve on the following +Tuesday. + +"Hallo!" he said, as they all trooped in; "what have you been up to? I +know," he said, catching sight of the tumbler now really empty at last +in Drusie's hand. "A secret meeting. You might have asked me. What +was it about?" + +[Illustration: Hal at table] + +Drusie flushed up and looked guilty. She could not tell him that the +meeting had been about himself. But just then Helen interposed. + +"Why, you wouldn't have cared to come," she said. "You said yesterday +that secret meetings were baby things." + +So he had, but it nevertheless was a pity that Helen reminded him of it +just then. He had come down to breakfast that morning inclined to drop +back into his old place among them, and his tone and manner were +friendly and pleasant. But Helen's speech rubbed him up the wrong way +at once, and in an instant he became the lofty and contemptuous +school-boy brother again. + +"And so they are baby things, Miss Helen," he said; "but it is rather +amusing, you know, to watch babies at play. That is why I should have +liked to be told of this important secret meeting in time." + +That that was not the reason Drusie knew as well as he did. And he +felt rather ashamed when he saw the hurt expression that came to her +face. But Helen really must be taught that there was a great +difference between a little girl of eight who had never been away from +home in her life and a boy of twelve who had been to school. But it +was not always easy to snub Helen. + +"You are silly, Hal," she said. "Just because you have been to school +for one term, you fancy that you are too big to play with us. Such +nonsense." + +Well, of course, that led to a sharp answer from Hal. Helen replied +again, and a hot wrangle went on across the breakfast table. + +"Come, come, Master Hal," said nurse at last--for though Helen had +certainly begun this quarrel, it was generally Hal who had done so +since he came home--"what would your father and mother say if they were +at home and heard you? They would not think that you had been very +kind to your brothers and sisters since you came back." + +"I wish they were at home," said Hal, suddenly flaming out, "and then I +should have my meals with them, instead of being shut up with all of +you. I hate having my meals in the nursery. I am not a little boy any +longer, and I don't see why I should." + +There was a moment's dead silence after this outburst, and all the +others gazed wonderingly at Hal. They were astonished that he should +have dared to speak in that rebellious tone to nurse. She, however, +looked neither surprised nor angry. + +"Very well, Master Hal," she said; "if that is all your grievance, it +is easily put to rights. You shall have your meals in the schoolroom, +if you like. I can't let you have them in the dining-room, because it +would make extra work, and the parlour-maid is away. But Ann can +easily carry in what I send you from here." + +[Illustration: Tommy] + +That was not at all what Hal wanted. He was too proud, however, and +also far too sulky, to say any more on the subject. He was glad when +nurse rose and said grace, and he was at liberty to leave the nursery. + +"One minute, Master Hal," she said, as he was hurrying to the door; +"have you forgotten that this is Saturday and pocket-money day? Wait +while I get out my purse and pay you all." + +Drusie watched him anxiously. Would he remember the birthday feast, +and hand her the shilling, or would he keep it himself? Alas! Jim had +been right, and she wrong. He received the shilling with a muttered +word of thanks, and slipping it into his pocket left the room. + +"I wonder," said Tommy, in an awestruck, thoughtful voice, "what Hal +will do with a _whole_ shilling? Will he spend it all at once, do you +think?" + + +[Illustration: Chapter I tailpiece] + + + +[Illustration: Chapter II headpiece] + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +A FRIEND IN NEED. + +Though Hal's crossness at breakfast had made Drusie feel rather sad, it +was impossible for her to unhappy for long on such a beautiful morning; +and when Helen suggested that they should take a few of the rabbits +with them to the clover field she cheerfully agreed. + +"Punch and Judy and Toby went with us last time," she said, "and they +didn't behave very well, so we won't take them with us to-day. Let's +take Jumbo." + +Jumbo was the oldest of all the rabbits, and he belonged to Hal, which +was perhaps the reason that Drusie wished to take him. She thought it +would please Hal. + +Partly because Jumbo was so old, and partly because he was also very +bad tempered, he lived by himself in a comfortable, roomy hutch, with a +soft bed of hay at one end and a great wide space at the other, in +which he took his meals and looked out of the door at the other +rabbits. Helen, who did not care very much for Jumbo, declared that he +did that on purpose to aggravate them, for they all finished their food +long before he was half-way through his, and then they had nothing else +to do but to sit and watch him. And that made them feel hungry again. +He was sitting before his door now munching bran and oats, and at the +mention of his name he pricked up his long ears and sleepily blinked +his eyes. "H'm," said Helen, looking at him rather distrustfully; +"Jumbo too can be dreadfully naughty when he likes, and he rather looks +as if he meant it to-day." + +But that, Drusie said laughing, was all nonsense, for no rabbit could +have looked meeker or better-behaved than Jumbo that morning. So it +was decided that he should accompany them; and as Punch and Judy and +Toby scratched at their doors when they saw him on the ground, Jim said +it would be unkind not to take them as well. And Drusie declined to +leave Salt and Pepper behind, for they were always good. Thus, when +the four children started for the clover field, it was a very big party +of rabbits that went with them. But as Jumbo followed a great deal +better than many dogs do, and as all the other rabbits followed Jumbo, +the children had no trouble at all with them. + +The way to the clover field lay through their own garden, and then +across a big, sunny meadow. By the time they reached the meadow it was +growing very hot, and the children sauntered along under the shade of a +high hedge, and talked about the fight to be held on the following +Tuesday. + +Drusie felt more hopeful than she had done before breakfast, and she +was perfectly sure that Hal would defend the fort. She was full of +plans for making the fight a better and more exciting one than any they +had yet had, and she was suggesting a scheme by which Tommy could act +both as scout and advanced outpost, when a strong, delicious scent from +the clover field was wafted towards them on the soft summer, breeze. + +Jumbo smelt it, and lifting up his black nose gave one or two sniffs, +and then darting past them at a rate surprising in a rabbit of his age +made straight for the gap in the hedge; and, of course, after that +there was no more time for conversation, for where Jumbo went the other +rabbits followed. It was quite as much as the children could do to +keep them in sight, and when they scrambled through the gap five of the +six rabbits were sitting in a row contentedly munching away at the +juicy stalks and cool green leaves of the clover. But Jumbo would not +condescend to eat anything but pink, honey-filled flowers, and going +from plant to plant he sat up on his hind legs and bit off the stalk +just below the head. + +"Jumbo _is_ a clever rabbit," said Helen admiringly; "the others don't +know the difference between the flowers and the leaves." + +Then suddenly they all burst out laughing. For Jumbo, getting tired +perhaps of sitting up so much on his hind legs, tried to support +himself against a stalk while he nibbled at the flowers. But the stalk +gave way, and Jumbo fell heavily across Pepper's neck, who, indignant +at such a liberty, gave a squeak and darted away. Jumbo, trying hard +to look as though he had tumbled down on purpose, began to wash his +face and ears in a very diligent manner. + +[Illustration: "_Jumbo began to wash his face and ears_"] + +It was some time before the children thought of returning; but +presently Jim, who never cared to sit still for very long, said that +they might as well be going, and added that as the rabbits had been so +good they would give them an extra ramble, and take them home by the +lane that ran along the top of the hill. + +But that, as Helen remarked, was saying one word for the rabbits and +two for himself; for the lane bordered the land belonging to an old +gentleman, named Grey, who had lately come to live there, and from a +gate at the top of the hill a glimpse could be caught of the river, +where, too, a lovely pair of swans might be seen. Jim took a great +interest in these swans, and longed to get down to the water so as to +be close to them. But the gamekeeper was a surly fellow, and if he saw +the children lingering near he would tell them that his master +"couldn't abear boys nor girls either," and always was most severe if +any people were caught trespassing on his land. Thus Jim had never +dared to climb the gate. But Jumbo this morning was to give him an +excuse for so doing. When they reached it, the children paused to gaze +down at the river, which there broadened out into a sort of lake, with +a grassy islet in the centre. The six rabbits paused also. + +The clover they had eaten had made them feel rather sleepy, but now +they were beginning to recover from the effects of it, and now they +suddenly became quite frisky. Punch leaped over Judy's back, and then +chased her into the middle of the road and back again. Even old Jumbo +caught the infection, and though he very seldom condescended to take +any notice of the other rabbits, now he gave Toby a playful poke with +his nose, following it up by a bite on his ear that was not quite so +playful. Toby gave a loud squeak of pain, and Jumbo, afraid perhaps +that he might receive a bite in return, jumped through the bars and +scampered down the field. He was half-way to the river before the +children recovered from their surprise, and shouted to him to come +back. But the more they shouted the faster he ran. And that was not +the worst either, for the other rabbits were after him in a twinkling. +But quick as they were Jim was quicker. He had no intention of +allowing such an excellent opportunity of exploring the forbidden +ground to slip, and crying that it was of no use to call to Jumbo he +scrambled over the gate and rushed helter-skelter down the field, +taking great care, however, not to get in front of Jumbo, but running +behind him shouting and waving his hands. + +[Illustration: Jim climbing gate] + +To the interested onlookers at the gate, whom an uneasy fear of the +gamekeeper kept from entering the field, it really seemed much more as +though Jim were chasing Jumbo down the field than trying to capture him. + +But, perhaps, even if Jim had wished to catch Jumbo he could not have +done so, for the old rabbit was thoroughly enjoying his scamper, and +with his little, short tail cocked up and his long ears streaming +behind him he raced along like the wind. + +And then a dreadful thing happened. Some twenty feet from the river +the ground sloped very steeply, and such was the rate at which Jumbo +was going that, when he reached this part, he could not stop himself, +but tumbled head over heels, and rolling down the bank disappeared with +a big, loud splash into the water. + +Jim uttered a shout of dismay, which was echoed by all the others, who, +hastily climbing over the gate, came rushing pell-mell down the field. + +"Oh, where is he? Oh, is poor darling Jumbo drowned?" Drusie gasped. + +But he was not drowned. Even as Drusie spoke his soft, black nose came +to the surface, and kicking vigorously he struck out for the opposite +bank. + +"Why, he can swim!" Drusie cried joyfully. "But don't go that way, +Jumbo; come here. Jumbo! Jumbo!" + +[Illustration: Drusie kneeling on bank of stream] + +Kneeling down on the bank she called to him; but Jumbo had quite lost +his presence of mind, and, far too bewildered and alarmed to heed the +children's cries, he paddled away from them as fast as ever he could. + +"Oh, what shall we do?" Drusie cried in great distress. "His long fur +will soon get so heavy that he will not be able to keep himself up. O +Jumbo darling, come here!" + +Jim was quite as frightened as she was. If only he had known how to +swim, he would have plunged in to the rescue at once. + +Then, as if matters were not already bad enough, they suddenly became +worse. The swans, which Jim had been so anxious to see, suddenly +sailed majestically round the bend of the small island, and came +towards the children, expecting crumbs. + +[Illustration: swans] + +But none of the children, not even Jim, had any attention to spare for +them, beautiful though they were. Their eyes were fixed on Jumbo, +whose breath was coming in quick, short pants, and whose poor, short, +little legs were growing more and more tired. + +Disappointed at not getting the crumbs, the swans slowly turned round +and were sailing away again when they caught sight of Jumbo, and with +angry hisses and long necks outstretched they bore down upon him as he +swam about half-way between the island and the bank. + +"Oh, go to the island; it is nearer!" Drusie shrieked; "and O Jumbo, +make haste!" + +It almost seemed as if Jumbo understood what she said. At any rate he +began to swim towards the island as fast as ever he could. But +weighted with his long fur, and unaccustomed to swimming--for he had +never in his life before been in the water, and how he had learned to +swim always remained a mystery to the children--he yet struck out +valiantly. He knew that he was swimming for his very life, and he +never ceased paddling for one moment. + +The children watched the race in a state of frantic excitement, while +Jim ran up and down the bank looking in vain for something to throw at +the swans and drive them away. And now came a moment during which the +children literally held their breath. Jumbo was within two or three +yards of the island when the foremost of the two swans stooped its long +neck and made a savage grab at his hind legs. It seemed impossible +that the cruel beak could miss him, yet it did; for poor Jumbo was by +that time so exhausted that he suddenly sank and disappeared. The +angry, surprised swan dived his head down in search of him; but the +current, which swept round here with some force, carried Jumbo away, +and finally flung him, a bedraggled and most unhappy-looking rabbit, on +to a corner of the island. Drusie always declared afterwards that +Jumbo had dived and swum under water; but whether that was true or not, +saved he certainly was. Luckily for him the swans did not follow him, +but contented themselves with sailing majestically up and down between +the island and the bank, ready, if he showed the least sign of taking +to the water again, to pursue him. But Jumbo had had enough of +swimming to last him all his life, and preferred to stay where he was +rather than venture again into the river. + +But what was to happen next? They could not go home and leave Jumbo on +the island, and yet there seemed no way in which they could get at him. +And at any moment the cross gamekeeper might appear, and at this +thought Drusie glanced round uneasily. + +As she did so she gave a little jump, for running quickly towards them +was somebody who, she was afraid at first, might be the gamekeeper +himself. But a second glance showed her that the new-comer was only a +boy, and a very nice-looking boy too, with merry, dark-blue eyes and a +friendly manner. + +"Hallo!" he said, rather breathlessly. "Is anything the matter? I +heard a lot of shouting, and I came to see if anybody had tumbled into +the river. But you are all quite dry." + +"Yes, we are all right," Drusie explained hurriedly. "But one of our +rabbits--Jumbo--has tumbled in, and the swans have chased him on to the +island, and we don't know how to get him back again." + +She pointed as she spoke to the island, and the boy, following the +direction of her glance, burst out laughing. + +"Is that a rabbit?" he said. "Why, it looks more like a drowned rat +than anything else." + +"Jumbo is very handsome when he is dry," Drusie said, inclined at first +to be a little offended. But his laughter was infectious, and Jumbo +did after all look so very much like a drowned rat that she could not +help laughing too. + +"I say, what a jolly lot of rabbits you have got!" the boy said, +looking down at the other five, who were busy nibbling away at the +grass, without seeming to care in the least what happened to Jumbo; +"but aren't you afraid of their running away?" + +"They generally behave beautifully," Drusie said, who, because the +other three were rather shy, was obliged to do all the talking herself; +"but something must have startled Jumbo when we were at the top of the +hill, for he set off at a tremendous scamper, and tumbled in +headforemost before we knew what was happening to him." + +"Poor old Jumbo!" said the boy, as he looked across at the shivering, +melancholy rabbit. "We must rescue him though, and that is easily +done." + +As he spoke he led the way along the bank to a spot where a thick clump +of willows grew; and moored to one of these trees was a small, light +canoe. + +"I'll paddle across in less than no time," he said, "and if the swans +do not interfere, I'll soon bring him safely back to you." + +The swans did not interfere, however, and Jumbo a minute or two later +was clasped in Drusie's arms. She almost cried over him in her joy at +his safety. + +Sitting down on the bank she began to dry him with her handkerchief; +but it was soaked through at once, and the boy suggested that they +should rub him with their hands. So Drusie placed him tenderly on the +grass, and they rubbed him until their arms ached; and no doubt Jumbo +ached too, for they all rubbed with a will. + +"But at any rate," Drusie said in a tone of satisfaction, "he won't +catch cold now, and he is so old that he might have had a dreadful +attack of rheumatism." + +Long before Jumbo was dry they had all become very friendly with their +new acquaintance. Jim and Helen and Tommy forgot to be shy, and they +all chatted away together as if they had known each other for quite a +long time. It was not until half an hour later, as, with Jumbo lying +comfortably in Drusie's arms, for she said he was too weak to walk, +they were all hurrying home, that they remembered they did not even +know what their new friend's name was, or where he lived. + +"Perhaps," said Helen, "he lives at the Grange, and Captain Grey is his +father." + +[Illustration: gamekeeper] + +"Captain Grey hasn't any children," Drusie said. "I heard nurse say +so." + +"Then perhaps he is staying there on a visit," Jim said. + +But Drusie did not think that that was likely either, for had not the +gamekeeper said that his master "could not abear boys"? And if that +was the case, he certainly would not have one staying in the house. + +But whoever he was, they all four agreed that he was an exceedingly +nice boy, and they hoped that they might meet him again. + + + +[Illustration: Chapter II tailpiece] + + + +[Illustration: Chapter III headpiece] + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +HAL FINDS A FRIEND. + +On their way through the garden they met Hal. Directly they saw him +his brothers and sisters rushed up and told him all about Jumbo's +adventures, and about the boy who had been so kind to them. Hal was +not greatly interested. He was looking pale and listless, and there +were heavy, dark lines about his eyes. When they asked him eagerly if +he knew who the boy could be, he shook his head and yawned, and said +that he was sure he did not know. + +"Come and have a game of cricket," he said, rousing himself a little. +"I have got my bat here, and the ball is somewhere about. Just have a +look for it, Tommy. We won't bother about stumps. This tree will do +quite well for the wicket." + +"All right," Drusie said, delighted to find that Hal was willing to be +friends again. "I should love a game; but we must put Jumbo and the +other rabbits away first.--Come along, Jim and Helen." + +She and Jim ran off at once, but Helen followed more slowly. She had a +shrewd suspicion that Hal merely wanted them to bowl and field for him, +and that he did not intend to allow them to bat. And she did not see +the fun of running about in the hot sun after his balls, if she was not +going to have any of the batting. + +But Drusie and Jim were too excited at the prospect of a game to listen +to her words of warning, and as soon as the rabbits had been hastily +bundled into their hutches they raced back to the tree where Hal was +waiting for them. + +"You shall bowl first, Jim," he said.--"Drusie, you can stand behind +the tree and be wicket-keeper, for, unless Jim has improved wonderfully +since I went away, most of his balls will be fearful wides.--Helen, you +go over there, and mind to throw the balls up sharp." + +"Then you are going in first," said Helen, "and we are not going to +toss?" + +But Hal was busy measuring out the distance at which Jim was to stand, +and did not hear her question. Or if he did, he evidently did not +consider it worthy of an answer. + +"Now then," Hal said, coming back; "I am ready. I am not going to make +any runs, you know, as it is too hot; but you others must send the ball +up promptly, or else it makes it slow work for me." + +Jim's bowling was not very difficult to deal with, and Hal knocked the +balls about pretty much as he pleased, and gave the fielders, and +especially Helen, plenty of running about. + +"Well, at this rate," Drusie said merrily, as she cleverly stopped a +ball that was a very bad "wide" indeed, "we shall never get you out." + +"No, I don't suppose you will," said Hal; and then he added +ungratefully, "That is the worst of playing with a set of girls; one +never gets any practice." + +Whether Jim was annoyed at being classed as a girl, and was therefore +put on his mettle, cannot be said for certain, but at any rate his very +next ball hit the tree fair and square, and with so much violence that +a piece of the rough elm bark was knocked off. + +"Hurrah!" shouted Drusie, clapping her hands; "bowled at last. Who +goes in next?" + +"Don't be in such a mighty hurry," said Hal, who was looking distinctly +angry. "I am not out--not a bit of it. Why, that ball was not +anything like in the middle of the tree. Who ever heard of a wicket a +yard and a quarter wide? You'll have to bowl better than that, Jim, to +get me out." + +"All right," Jim said, recovering himself. He had looked rather blank +for a moment when Hal declared so emphatically that he was not out. "I +suppose that ball was rather to one side of the tree. I will have +another try." + +But Helen was not so easily satisfied. + +"You said, Hal, that the tree was to be the wicket; you never said +anything about only counting the middle of the tree." + +"Did I say so?" he replied. "Well, I made a mistake. Of course, it +would be rather absurd to count the whole tree. I tell you what I will +do. I will hang my cap on this little twig here, and if the ball hits +that I am out. Now, are you satisfied?" + +They all, with the exception of Helen, hastened to say that they were, +and the game went on. A few minutes later he sent an easy catch, and +darting forward Helen caught the ball. + +"How about playing with girls now, Master Hal?" she cried. "I suppose +you will own that you are fairly out this time?" + +But he did nothing of the sort. + +"Pooh!" he said contemptuously; "that was a pure fluke. Any one could +have caught that; and so it does not count either. I am not going out." + +"Oh, I say," Jim said in a remonstrating tone, "is that the way you +play at your school?" + +"Of course, it is not," said Hal. "Don't be a donkey, Jim. How often +am I to tell you that this is not a regular game, but just a sort of +knock up, you know?" + +"In which you get all the knocking up," Helen said indignantly. + +Hal laughed. + +"Now, don't get into a temper, Helen. I don't see what girls want to +play cricket for. It is not a girls' game. All they are good for is +just to field, and that sort of thing." + +At that Helen fairly choked with anger, Drusie opened her eyes very +wide, and Jim lay down on the grass and laughed quietly to himself. +Considering that both his sisters had been toiling on his behalf for +the last half-hour, it certainly was very cool of Hal to make such a +speech. + +[Illustration: Jim and Helen] + +"I knew how it would be," Helen exclaimed passionately, as soon as she +could find her voice; "and I warned you two others, only you would not +listen. I knew perfectly well that Hal was not going to let us go in, +and I call it downright unfair, and I for one am not going to field for +him any more.--And you say," she added, turning indignantly to Hal, +"that girls can't play cricket. Well, they can. Father says himself +that Drusie plays awfully well for a girl, and I suppose he ought to +know." + +"For a girl," Hal said slightingly; "yes, that is just it." + +"Please don't quarrel," Drusie said quickly. "You may stay in if you +like, Hal, and I will bowl for you.--Jump up, Jim, and go and be +wicket-keeper." + +With a scornful sniff for what she considered to be great weakness on +Drusie's part, Helen returned to her place, where, in spite of her +declaration that she did not intend to play any more, she continued to +field. + +For a girl Drusie did bowl remarkably well, and Hal would have been the +first to own it, had he not perceived a sort of triumphant "told you +so" expression on Helen's face, which annoyed him greatly, and made him +withhold the praise which Drusie would have been so pleased to hear. + +She exerted herself to do her very best, and before many minutes had +passed she clean bowled him. There could be no doubt about it this +time, for the twig on which the cap had been hung was broken by the +force of the ball, and the cap fell to the ground. + +"Hurrah!" Helen shrieked, dancing about and clapping her hands. "How +about girls not being able to bowl now, Master Hal? I suppose you will +own that you really are out this time?" + +[Illustration: "_I suppose you will own that you really are out this +time?_"] + +Hal looked not only mortified but exceedingly angry into the bargain. + +"You are a precious set, I must say," he said, looking contemptuously +at the excited capers which Helen was cutting. "One would think that +you had done something awfully wonderful by the way in which you are +going on. That is just like a girl. Let her do something which she +thinks rather clever, and there is no end to her airs." + +This was really rather severe on Drusie, who had neither said nor done +anything to justify Hal's scornful remarks. But he was too annoyed to +be fair, and as a punishment for what he chose to call Drusie's +bragging, he tucked his bat under his arm, and told them that he was +not going to play with them any more. + +"You can brag by yourselves," he said, "of your wonderful cricket. I +am not going to put up with you any longer. I am sick of you all. I +must say it is awfully hard on a fellow to come home and find that not +one of his brothers or sisters is worth playing with. A more +conceited, disagreeable lot I never met with." + +A dismayed silence followed this abrupt departure. It was broken by a +short, quick sigh from Drusie. + +"Oh dear, oh dear!" she said, looking after Hal as he marched off with +as much dignity as he could. "I do wish that I had not bowled him. If +I had guessed that it would make him so cross, I would have sent him +easy, baby-balls." + +"And got told for your pains that you could not bowl," Helen said with +much scorn. "I do wonder how you can be so silly, Drusie. I think it +serves Hal quite right. But I told you how it would be. I knew we +should not get our innings. You can't say that I did not warn you." + +"No, we certainly can't," Jim said with a chuckle. "You have had a +sort of 'I told you so' expression on your face ever since we began to +play. And you know, Helen, if you ask me, I think it is all your fault +that Hal went off in such a huff. He simply couldn't stand your being +so awfully delighted when Drusie bowled him." + +If Hal's sudden display of temper had struck dismay into the hearts of +his brothers and sisters, it had not left him particularly happy +either. Though he would not own it, even to himself, he had an +uncomfortable feeling that it was he who was conceited and +disagreeable. He was, however, full of excuses for himself, and when +his conscience pricked him he answered impatiently that nobody could be +expected to put up with the fearful airs that they had all been giving +themselves. + +Then, looking round to see that he was not being followed, he made his +way to a hiding-place he had discovered behind the summer-house, and +proceeded to employ himself there after a fashion of which nurse would +most strongly have disapproved. He remained until the dinner-bell +rang, when he crept out with a pale face and with every bit of his +appetite gone. + +He dined alone in the schoolroom, and nurse shook her head as his +plates were carried back to the nursery, for he had scarcely touched +anything that she had sent in to him. + +"I hope, Master Hal, you are not going to be ill," she said, as soon as +dinner was over. "What has come to you? You have not eaten anything." + +"I am not hungry," Hal muttered, flushing under her scrutinizing gaze. +"I have got rather a headache--that's all." + +"Well, don't run about much in the sun," nurse said, only half +satisfied. "You are looking very pale. Put on your straw hat too; +that little cap is of no use at all. And don't go eating any green +apples or gooseberries. I expect you have been in the kitchen-garden +this morning, and that is what is the matter with you." + +But it was neither green apples nor gooseberries which had given Hal +the very uncomfortable sensations from which he was suffering. That, +however, he did not explain to nurse; and feeling very wretched and +unhappy he wandered out into the garden, and flung himself under a big, +shady elm-tree. The others were nowhere in sight, and he felt injured +that they should, even after his conduct of the morning, have left him +to himself. + +"A nice, sociable set they are," he said moodily. "Oh dear, how I do +wish that I had somebody sensible to play with!" + +But though he chose to grumble, he knew perfectly well that he was not +just then in the humour to appreciate any society, however sensible, +and pillowing his head upon his arm he dropped off to sleep. + +[Illustration: Hal asleep] + +Meanwhile, Drusie had planned a busy afternoon for herself and the +others, for they intended to go to the fort and make ammunition for +Tuesday. + +Few children had nicer grounds to play in than the Danvers children. +The garden was very large, and besides the lawn and the winding walks +among the shrubberies, which afforded such capital hiding-places when +they played hide-and-seek, there was the large kitchen-garden as well. +Beyond the kitchen-garden lay pleasant, sunny fields, at the foot of +which flowed a small stream that farther down joined the river in which +Jumbo had been so nearly drowned. On the other side of the stream lay +a long slip of land which Mr. Danvers always spoke of as a waste piece +of ground, and over which he sometimes threatened to send the plough. +But partly because the ground was really too poor to be of much good, +and partly because the children begged him to leave it alone, it had +never yet been disturbed, and the Wilderness, as they had named it, +remained theirs to all intents and purposes. + +That the Wilderness was a brambly place could not be denied. It had +originally been a grove of nut trees, and though some of these still +flourished and bore nuts that had not their equal for size and flavour +in all the country-side, they had for the most part been strangled by +blackberry bushes and briers, and smothered by masses of wild clematis. + +The fort stood in a corner of the Wilderness. Within a few yards of it +on one side was the stream; on the other and at the back it was +surrounded by densely-growing hawthorn bushes. But the front was open +and exposed to attack, for a cleared space in which only a few +scattered nut trees grew lay before it. + +This fort had once been a summer-house, but it had long since been +disused, and would, no doubt, have fallen into decay, had not the +children hit upon the idea of making it the scene of their pitched +battles, and had so propped it up and strengthened it that it was +impossible to take except by surprise. + +The door had been nailed up and so had the window, and entrance could +only be effected by scrambling up on the flat roof, and dropping +through a hole which had been made there for that purpose. Even that +hole could be closed by a hatch in time of need, and the besieged could +lie snugly inside and listen to the heavy firing without, secure in the +knowledge that as long as he chose to remain there none of the +besiegers could touch him. But then his flag would be in danger; and +by their rules of warfare, if the flag were captured or shot down, the +fort was held to have capitulated. + +For more than a week before Hal's return from school the others had +been busy getting the ammunition ready; they had dug up a quantity of +sand from the bed of the stream, which, when mixed with a little clay +and moistened with water, represented cannon-balls. As, however, they +had no cannon, these balls had to be thrown by hand; and as they +scattered when they struck, they appeared more formidable than they +really were. But still one had been known to bring down the flag, and +so win the day for the besiegers. + +The fort was mainly defended with a catapult loaded with mud pellets, +shot being strictly forbidden as too dangerous. To protect them the +besiegers wore a kind of helmet, which, though it gave them a somewhat +ludicrous appearance, saved them from many a nasty blow. These helmets +were neither more nor less than fine wire-gauze dish-covers, which they +tied across their faces and fastened at the back of their heads. But +the holder of the fort had to rely chiefly upon capture to win a +victory, and when his enemies approached too closely, a bold rush often +resulted in one of them being made prisoner. But, of course, even a +brief absence from the fort left the flag undefended, and there was +always a chance that, while one of the attackers was being pursued, +some of the others might steal up and succeed in going off with the +flag. + +So it will be easily understood that courage and skill, combined with a +spirit that was bold and yet not too rash, were required to hold the +fort. And as none of them possessed these qualities to the same extent +as Hal, it followed that none of them held the fort as well as he did, +or made such a good fight of it. + +Superintended by Drusie, they all worked very busily at the ammunition, +and as they kneaded cannon-balls and pellets they laid out a plan of +attack for the following Tuesday. Jim was of the opinion that they +never took enough advantage of the shelter afforded by the thick and +almost impenetrable bushes that grew on one side of the fort, and he +proposed that while two of them made an attack in the open air, he or +Drusie should lie concealed, and if Hal could be drawn out in pursuit +they might get a chance of slipping in during his absence. + +"He may have brought back some new dodges," said Drusie hopefully. "I +wonder if he has ever played a game of this sort at school? Do you +think he has, Jim?" + +Jim thought it was doubtful. + +"I believe they always play cricket in the summer term," he said. "But +this will be a splendid change for him." + +"I hope it will," said Drusie, with a sigh. "But I am simply not going +to think what we shall do if, after all our trouble, Hal turns up his +nose at a fight on Tuesday." + +[Illustration: Hal running] + +At tea-time Hal did not put in an appearance at all. + +"He ought to be hungry," nurse said, "for he did not eat much dinner. +I wonder where he can be?" + +Tea was over, and they had all gone out into the garden again for a +last stroll before bed-time, when they saw him come running across the +field, which was separated from the lawn by a sunk fence. Leaping +this, he rushed towards them, looking brighter and happier than he had +done since his return. + +"I say," he called out; "whom do you think I have met this afternoon? +I have had such a splendid time; just guess." + +They shook their heads; they could form no guess at all. + +"Well, you will hardly believe it, but Dodds is down here. Dodds +Major," he added, seeing that somehow his news did not produce as much +effect as he had anticipated. + +"Who is Dodds Major?" Drusie asked. + +"Oh, how stupid you are!" Hal cried; "Why, I have told you about him in +my letters lots of times. He is out and away the nicest fellow in our +school. A big fellow, too, thirteen and a half, and simply splendid at +cricket. He is leaving at Christmas, and going to the college." + +"Does he live down here?" said Drusie. + +"No; he is staying at the Grange with his uncle, Captain Grey. He is +going to be here the whole holidays. Isn't it splendid for me?" + +"Why," said Drusie, with a sudden sinking of her heart, "will you be +much with him?" + +"Rather," said Hal; "as much as ever he will have me. Of course," he +added, with an important air, "he is jolly glad, too, to find another +fellow down here. We are going fishing to-morrow in Captain Grey's +trout stream. Dodds says that it is simply packed with fish. Won't +that be jolly? I was playing cricket with him all this afternoon. He +is going to play in a match that some friends of his uncle's are +getting up next week, and he says that perhaps he can get me into it +too. Won't that be jolly?" + +In short, Hal was brimming over with good spirits. When, soon +afterwards, nurse called Helen and Tommy to come to bed, Hal invited +Drusie and Jim to come and sit with him while he had his tea, in order +that he might chatter to them of his doings that afternoon, and about +what he intended to do in future. And, of course, Dodds's name figured +largely in his conversation, and neither Drusie nor Jim could help +feeling rather glum as they heard how completely they were to be left +out in the cold. + +"It was a lucky chance meeting him," Hal rattled on. "After dinner I +had a nap, and then I went for a stroll. I crossed over the river and +went up the field that lies next to the Wilderness, and there, sitting +on a gate, I saw Dodds. I can tell you I was surprised, and so was he. +We talked for a bit, and then he asked me to come and play cricket. We +had an awfully jolly afternoon, I can tell you," Hal added for the +fiftieth time, at least. "I am jolly glad that he is here." + +"Will you ask him to come over here and play?" said Drusie. "It would +be rather nice to have some cricket with him--wouldn't it, Jim?" + +Hal looked as though his ears had been deceiving him. + +"What?" he said. "Ask Dodds over here to play with all of you? Why, +you must be out of your senses, Drusie. The idea of Dodds playing with +a girl! I say, how he would laugh!--We might have you, though, +sometimes, Jim; you would be useful for fielding. I will ask him +to-morrow if he would mind." + +Jim, far from being overwhelmed at the possible honour in store for +him, privately made up his mind to decline it with thanks when the time +came. + +While Hal had been speaking, a sudden idea had occurred to Drusie, and +her face lit up with eagerness and excitement. + +"O Hal," she exclaimed, "I believe that Dodds Major is our boy--the +nice boy who rescued Jumbo, and who talked to us for such a long time." + +Hal laughed scornfully. + +"You don't know Dodds Major," he said. "He is not a bit like that. +Why, I tell you that he hates girls, and wouldn't take any notice at +all of any of you. Why, he is older even than I am." + +"So was this boy," said Drusie. "But, of course, if you say that Dodds +Major is not nice, they cannot be the same." + +"I never said Dodds was not nice," Hal said impatiently. "I only said +that he was not the sort of boy to play with girls. I expect that +fellow you met this morning was an awful muff." + + + +[Illustration: Chapter IV headpiece] + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +DISAPPOINTED HOPES. + +For the next two or three days his family saw little of Hal. Morning, +afternoon, and evening he was over at the Greys'. His meals he took in +the schoolroom, and though nurse would have allowed him to come back to +the nursery, if he had cared to do so, he very much preferred to have +them in solitary state. He seemed to see nothing ridiculous in sitting +there by himself; indeed, as he confided to Drusie, he thought it +perfectly absurd that a boy of his age should ever have been expected +to take them in the nursery. + +She and the rest had plenty of time to make all their preparations for +the double birthday to be celebrated on Tuesday, for Hal left them +completely to themselves; and when he did see them, he was so full of +all that he and Dodds Major did together that he had no time to show +any interest in them. + +"I should very much like to ask him whether he intends to take part in +the fight to-morrow, or whether he means to spend the day as usual with +his friend," said Helen. + +It was late on Monday evening, and they had brought all their +preparations to a satisfactory conclusion. The flag--a bright, new +Union Jack--had been fastened to a long, slender pole, and was quite +ready to be hoisted. The ammunition was arranged in a neat, high pile, +and the armour lay ready to hand. + +And in the garden summer-house, where, a few days back, the secret +meeting had been held, the materials for a most sumptuous feast were in +readiness to refresh the weary warriors when the day's work was done. + +On previous birthdays they had always been satisfied with lemonade as a +drink, but Drusie, feeling that this was a special occasion, had +considered that lemonade was, perhaps, hardly a suitable form of +refreshment; and so, from a recipe which she was proud to think was +entirely out of her own head, she had concocted a bottle of red wine. + +"And I think," she said, as she carefully hid it under the seat--"I +think that when you taste it you will say that you never in all your +lives before drank anything like it." + +Tartlets and buns and a few other delicacies were to be ordered from +the pastry-cook's on the eventful day itself. + +So, everything being ready, and it wanting still an hour or more till +their bedtime, they were rather at a loss to know what to do with +themselves; and then it was that Helen expressed a desire to know what +part Hal intended to take in the morrow's proceedings. + +"No part at all, if you ask me," she added. "I say, Drusie, don't you +think we might go up to the Greys' gate, and see if we can get a look +at Hal and his precious friend Dodds?" + +"Hal would be awfully angry if he saw us," said Drusie. "I don't think +we should go." + +But the hesitating tone in which she spoke showed that she was open to +persuasion; and when Jim added his word to Helen's, and said that he +thought there would be no harm in just going up and having a look over, +she gave way. They soon reached the five-barred gate on which Hal had +found Dodds sitting. + +Neither of them was there, now, however; and so Helen proposed that +they should climb over, and go down the grassy glade, which would bring +them on to a small knoll, from whence they could command a view of the +house and the wide lawn that lay in front of it. + +The temptation to see Hal and his friend together was too strong for +them to remember that they would be trespassing, and, scrambling over +the gate, they made their way cautiously through the wood. + +It was as well that they went cautiously, for the two boys were much +closer to them than they had expected. To the left of the wood was a +big level field, and it was here, and not on the lawn, that they were +playing. The sound of a voice calling impatiently to Hal to hurry up +with that ball, and not to be all night about it, was what first drew +their attention to his whereabouts; and feeling rather astonished that +any one should venture to address him in that imperious way, they crept +up to the edge of the wood, and became silent spectators of what was +going on. + +The wicket was pitched in the middle of the field. Dodds was batting, +but as his back was toward them, the children could not see his face. +But they could hear his voice, and a very imperious, commanding voice +it was. Hal was bowling and fielding as well, and as Dodds sent his +balls flying to all parts of the field, Hal had plenty of work to do. +And while he raced about in all directions Dodds lay luxuriously on the +grass and shouted to him to hurry up. Presently Hal bowled a ball that +very nearly knocked the middle stump flat on its back, and Drusie +softly clapped her hands, and said "Bravo" under her breath. + +[Illustration: Dodds laying on grass] + +"That was a very good ball indeed," they heard Dodds say approvingly. +"Send a few more like that." + +Hal flushed with pride and pleasure at this praise, but the others +thought that he looked a shade disappointed as his friend placed +himself again in front of the wicket. + +But he continued to bowl for other ten minutes; then Dodds remarked +that the light was getting bad, and that they might as well stop. + +"I would bowl a bit for you," he said. "It is too dark to see the ball +properly; I hope you don't mind. I really did mean to let you have +some batting to-day." + +"Oh, it does not matter," Hal said hurriedly. "Any time will do. I +don't mind a bit." + +"Still, I don't like to be selfish," said Dodds, whose conscience +appeared to be pricking him. The unseen listeners among the bushes +thought it might have pricked him a little earlier in the day, for they +soon learned that neither on this occasion nor on any other had Hal +been permitted to bat. He had merely bowled and fielded for Dodds. +When they recovered from their astonishment at this, they could hardly +help laughing. It was really rather funny, after all Hal's bragging, +to find that he was only made use of in the way that he made use of +them. + +And the curious part of it was that Hal raised no objection, although +it was easy to see that he was feeling a little disappointed this +evening. On the other hand, he was so flattered at being allowed to +associate, even on these unequal terms, with a boy so much older than +himself, that he took care to smother his discontent. + +"What about to-morrow?" said Dodds carelessly. "Can you be here pretty +early?" + +Hal hesitated for a minute before replying. In spite of Helen's +assertions to the contrary, he had not forgotten that to-morrow was the +day of the storming of the fort. + +Several times, as he had hastened to and from the Greys', he had heard +them at work there, and had known perfectly well what they were doing. +He had even overheard a conversation, in which they discussed the +likelihood of his taking part in the fight. + +And at the time Hal, touched to see how much they wanted him, had +resolved that he would spend the whole of his birthday with them. + +"Yes," Dodds went on; "come as soon after breakfast as you can--it is +cooler then--and we will have a regular good go in. I want to make a +big score at that match next week. You are coming over to see it, +aren't you?" + +"Y-yes," Hal stammered. Though Dodds had not mentioned that cricket +match during the last few days, Hal had not forgotten his promise to +get him included in it if possible. Consequently, Dodds's careless +inquiry as to whether he intended to come over as a mere spectator +disconcerted him very much. However, he swallowed his disappointment, +and said that he had thought of going. + +"But about to-morrow," he added. "I don't think I can come--" + +"Oh, but you must," Dodds cried out, interrupting him. "I simply can't +do without you. Look here; if it is the batting that you are feeling +sore about, you shall go in first. There! I have promised you that." + +Hal's face brightened. He _did_ wish to show Dodds that his batting +was very much better than his bowling. And perhaps Dodds would be so +struck with the brilliancy of his performance that he might after all +manage to secure him a place in the match. It would be a real pity, he +reflected, to neglect such a chance. After all, the others could very +well do without him to-morrow. + +"Well," said Dodds impatiently, "what do you say? Will you come? Or +are you going somewhere with your brothers and sisters? You have got +some, haven't you?" + +"Yes," said Hal; "but I never play with them--not since I have been at +school, at least. You see they are all much younger than I am." + +"Oh, a set of kids," said Dodds indifferently. "What a nuisance they +must be!" + +But this Hal did have the grace to contradict. + +"Oh no, they are not," he said; "but they have kept on liking things +that I don't care about, and they get huffy when I don't play with +them. Of course," he added with an aggrieved air, "it is hardly likely +that I should care to mix myself up very much with them now." + +"I see," said Dodds; and though they could not see his face, Drusie and +Jim were sure there must have been a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. +"You have grown out of all their games, you mean, and are too old to +play with them any more." + +"Yes," said Hal eagerly; "that's just it. Now, you understand that all +right at once, but I cannot get them to see it." + +"It is wonderful how silly kids can be," said Dodds gravely. "But, +look here; are you coming or are you not? For, if you are not, I shall +ask one of the Harveys to spend the day with me." + +That was enough for Hal. Throwing his scruples and his half-formed +resolution to spend his birthday at home to the winds, he said at once +that he would come. + +"That's right," said Dodds in the half-patronizing tone he had used all +along. "Be here directly after breakfast then, and you shall have +first innings; that's a bargain." + +"I won't forget," said Hal in a delighted tone. "I expect I shall be +up here about nine o'clock." + +It was a very melancholy little quartette that presently emerged from +the bushes, and took its way home through the woods and the fields. + +"I never should have believed it of Hal--never!" said Helen, quite +forgetting that she had always warned the others of what they might +expect. "To desert us on his birthday, and for a boy that does not +care a bit about him, except to make use of him!" + +"It is funny," said Jim thoughtfully. "I never should have thought +that Hal would have allowed another boy to order him about as Dodds +does. Why, he fags for Dodds just as Hal would like us to fag for him; +only we won't. And he did not seem to mind a bit." + +But Drusie never spoke one single word the whole way home. To think +that Hal--her own twin--from whom, until a short three months ago, she +had been almost inseparable, should arrange to spend the whole of his +birthday away from home caused her bitter grief. It was not even that +he had forgotten the fact of their birthdays. She knew quite well he +remembered, from the momentary hesitation he had shown. No; he had +deliberately chosen to desert her, and Drusie felt as if she should +never get over it. + + + + +[Illustration: Chapter IV tailpiece] + + + +[Illustration: Chapter V headpiece] + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS. + +All, the Danvers, except, perhaps, Tommy, who was too young to take +things very much to heart, awoke the next morning with a weight on +their minds, and not, as Helen said afterwards, "with a bit of birthday +feeling about them." + +Hal was ashamed of himself. Though he was unaware, of course, that +they had overheard his conversation with Dodds, he guessed from their +downcast faces that they knew that he intended to desert them on his +and Drusie's birthday, and was not going near the fort. + +He was more ashamed than ever when, lying beside his plate at +breakfast, he found one of the handsomest pocket-knives he had ever +seen. It had no less than four blades, besides so many other weapons +that, as the man who sold it remarked to Drusie and Jim, "it was a +carpenter's tool-chest in miniature." + +And a dreadful feeling of remorse came over Hal when he remembered that +he had neglected to get something for Drusie. It was not that he had +forgotten her birthday either--seeing that it was on the same day as +his own, he could not very well do that; and when he had gone to school +he had quite made up his mind to put aside at least half of his +pocket-money every week, and save it for her. + +"It does not matter in the least," Drusie said eagerly, when Hal began +to stammer out his shamefaced apologies. "I don't want a present from +you one bit. I know quite well that boys must have a great deal to do +with their money at school." + +At that Hal got rather red. He remembered the regular weekly visits to +the "tuck-shop;" and he knew that if he had only denied himself a +little, Drusie might have had her birthday present. + +"I did ask nurse to advance me some money when I came home," he said in +self-defence, "but she would not." + +Drusie assured him again that she had not expected a present, and +begged him not to say anything more about it. And so nothing more was +said; and although Helen was burning to ask him what he had done with +his shilling, she remembered her promise to Drusie, and did not make +any unpleasant inquiries. + +Half an hour later Drusie and Jim, having fed all the animals, were +loitering on the sunny terrace together when Hal, looking very spick +and span in a clean suit of flannels, came out with his bat under his +arm. + +"I suppose you are going to play cricket," said Drusie in a tone from +which she tried to keep the wistfulness she felt. + +"Well, yes; I am," said Hal, carefully avoiding the reproachful gaze of +Jim's brown eyes. "Dodds wanted me particularly, or else, you know, +Drusie, I should have stayed with you, and done what we always do on +our birthdays." + +This explanation was meant as a sort of apology, and Drusie never could +bear any one, especially Hal, to apologize to her. + +"It doesn't matter, Hal," she said generously, winking away a +troublesome tear that would tremble on her eyelashes. "You have a +right to enjoy yourself in your holidays, and, of course, you are +bigger than all of us now." + +"Do you mind very much about my going, Drusie?" Hal said suddenly; +"for, if you do, I will throw Dodds over, and come and defend the fort." + +A flash of joy passed over Drusie's face, but the next moment it died +out, and she shook her head. She knew her brother better than he knew +himself, and she was sure that, if he gave up his own wishes for +theirs, he would regret it long before the morning was over. + +"No, Hal," she said. "If you promised Dodds, you ought to go." + +"Well, don't say that _I_ did not offer," said Hal, very much relieved +that the offer had not been accepted. + +"No, I won't; and it was very good of you," said Drusie warmly; and +Hal, feeling that he had behaved very generously, went on his way +whistling a cheerful tune. + +"It is a good thing that Helen was not here," said Jim, "or Master Hal +would not have got off so easily. I know she is burning to give him a +piece of her mind." + +"Oh, I hope she won't," said Drusie, in real distress; "and he has been +so nice about it. You heard him offering to stay, Jim?" + +"Yes," said Jim, "I heard him, and I thought you were very wise not to +accept. He would have been sorry long before the fight was over." + +Meanwhile Hal, feeling very well pleased with himself, hurried on, and +reached the cricket field just as a distant church clock was striking +nine. + +Dodds had not yet arrived, and Hal thought with pleasure of the promise +Dodds had given him that he should go in first. And he meant to stay +in too; Dodds should not get him out so easily as he imagined. He only +hoped that Dodds would not get tired of bowling to him, and turn him +out willy nilly. + +That was the worst, he reflected, of playing with a boy so much older +than himself. At school Dodds was an immensely popular fellow, and a +new and comparatively small boy, as Hal was, would have been very much +snubbed if he had ventured to say a word against him. But here Hal +could not help seeing that Dodds was rather inclined to be selfish. +And Hal was quick not only to see but to resent selfishness in other +people. + +He had plenty of time to think over the faults in the character of his +friend, for half-past nine and then ten struck, and still he had not +put in an appearance. Hal began to get impatient, for the sun was +gradually getting hotter, and soon it would be too warm to play with +any comfort. It really was too bad of Dodds to treat him so. + +He wondered what the others were doing, and whether they had begun +their fight. If it had not been for Dodds, he might have been with +them now, instead of dawdling away the whole of the morning doing +nothing. + +For another half-hour Hal waited, and at the end of that time he came +to the conclusion that Dodds did not intend to turn up at all. + +"He _is_ selfish," he thought indignantly. "Here have I spoiled the +whole of my birthday morning waiting for him. I might have been +defending the fort all this time and enjoying myself." + +Here his conscience whispered that he might also have been helping his +twin sister to enjoy her birthday; and when he remembered how bravely +she had concealed her own disappointment, and how unselfishly she had +told him to go and spend his birthday in the manner that pleased him +best, he began to see how very selfishly he had behaved. + +"I will go to them now," he thought, starting up; "there are heaps of +time to have a rattling good fight before dinner." + +And so there would have been, but--alas! for his good resolutions--as +he jumped to his feet something fell out of his pocket. It was the +little packet which he had bought last Saturday. + +For a moment he hesitated; then down he sat, and picked up the packet. + +"I will have just one," he said, "and then go and play with them." + +"One" proved to be a cigarette, for cigarettes were what the little +packet contained. + +Ever since he came home, he had been trying to master the art of +smoking, and had not yet succeeded. Each cigarette made him feel worse +than before. But with a perseverance worthy of a better cause he would +puff steadily on, and try hard to believe that he was enjoying himself. + +One or two of the elder boys at his school--Dodds was not among the +number--had boasted that they often smoked in the holidays, and Hal had +been fired with the idea that it would be a fine thing to be able to +say when he went back that he knew how to smoke too. + +And this was the secret of much of his altered behaviour, of his +mysterious absences, and more than all of his frequent pale looks and +irritable moods. The discomfort he felt when the cigarette was +actually between his lips was nothing compared to the very disagreeable +sensations that always followed. He would feel sick and dizzy, and +suffer from a headache for hours afterwards; but as soon as he +recovered he would return to the charge and refuse to acknowledge +himself beaten. + +This morning he met with no better success. He began to feel ill long +before he had half finished his first cigarette, and by the time he was +half-way through the second the most painful qualms seized him, and +forgetting the fort and the fight and everything else in his extreme +misery he rolled over on the grass, and spent a most unhappy morning. +At dinner-time he crept into the nursery looking so pale and wretched +that nurse was really alarmed. + +[Illustration: Hal with cigarette] + +"I can't think what has come to you, Master Hal," she said. "You never +used to suffer from these dreadful sick headaches. You had better go +straight and lie down, and I will have some soup sent up to you." + +Hal was thankful to accept her advice. The sight of the roast mutton, +and the currant tart with Devonshire cream, which formed the nursery +dinner that day, made him shudder; and going to his own room, he flung +himself on the bed, and after having taken some of the soup which was +brought to him, he fell asleep. + +"Which," said Helen, as she and the rest peeped at him through a chink +in the doorway, "is _one_ way of spending a birthday." + +[Illustration: Helen looking through doorway] + +"This birthday has been a failure altogether," said Jim. "I thought +the morning was never coming to an end, and what we are to do this +afternoon I am sure I don't know." + +"You won't take my advice and let us have a fight by ourselves," said +Helen. "It might not be much fun, but, anyway, it would be much better +than dawdling away the whole day." + +But the others did not agree with her. They felt that without Hal the +whole thing would be lacking in spirit. + +"I had meant to order a wagonette and take you all for a nice drive," +said nurse, who was sorry for their disappointment. "But now that +Master Hal looks so queer, I don't like to leave him." + +"Hal has spoiled our whole day," said Helen in a grumbling tone, as +they all sauntered somewhat aimlessly across the garden. + +"Poor Hal!" said Drusie softly; "if it comes to that, he is not having +a very nice day himself, Helen." + +"And he has not spoiled our feast, Helen," put in Tommy. "We are going +to have that all the same--aren't we, Drusie?" + +"Oh yes," she said cheerfully; though, to tell the truth, the feast had +lost all charms for her. She was not even looking forward to seeing +them drink her wonderful wine. + +Though they had not intended when they started to go near the fort, +almost without their knowing it their steps led them in the direction +of the Wilderness, and scrambling over the gap in the hedge, they +pushed their way towards the camp. This was a small clearing in the +surrounding thicket, which was always used by the attacking party as a +meeting-ground and a store-house for ammunition. There it lay ready +for use--piles and piles of sandy balls, of all shapes and sizes. + +They really could not bear to look at them, and turning away they went +in single file down to the fort. The flag that had floated so +defiantly from its summit all day might as well be hauled down, for if +it rained in the night it would be spoiled. + +A narrow path led from the camp; and when Drusie, who was leading the +way, came within sight of the fort she paused and gave vent to a +mournful sigh. The flag, waving gently in the soft summer breeze, +looked so beautiful, and it did seem such a pity that it was to be +taken down in so ignominious a manner. + +She advanced into the open, thinking, as she did so, how, if there had +been any one to defend the fort, they would have been obliged to skulk +from bush to bush, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. + +She looked round and smiled to see that, from the mere force of habit, +the others were darting cautiously from bush to bush, exposing +themselves as little as possible to the imaginary fire from the fort. + +It would have been well for her had she taken the same precaution, for +the next moment a shriek, that was half of pain and half of delight, +broke from her. + +She had received a stinging blow--one that was evidently aimed from a +catapult--on her hand. + +"Jim," she cried, "Hal _is_ in the fort. Hurrah, hurrah! We are going +to have a fight after all!" + +Here another bullet, not so well aimed as the last, whizzed past her, +and drove her to seek shelter in the nearest bush. + +"Are you better, Hal?" she called. "And do you really want to fight?" + +There was no answer to the first question, but a shot that struck her +just above the ankle was a sufficient reply to her second; and, quite +regardless of the pain, she gave another loud whoop of joy, in which +the other three joined. + +"We must get back to the camp," Jim cried, "and arm ourselves. This is +altogether too one-sided an affair." + +Bitterly now did they regret the rashness which had led them to +approach in such a confident, careless manner. Yet, at the same time, +they could not help admiring the wiliness which the enemy had shown in +thus reserving his fire. + +His aim was deadly; but, with a generosity that was truly noble, he did +not take advantage of the fact that they were without their armour, and +refrained from hitting their faces. + +Almost every shot found its mark on them, and at last, despairing of +being able to wriggle away in good order, they rose to their feet and +made a dash into the thicket. + +Rushing pell-mell to the camp, they tied their dish-covers over their +faces, and, arming themselves with as much ammunition as they could +carry, returned to the clearing. + +But now they were more prudent. Silently they stole through the +Wilderness, advancing with such caution that hardly the creaking of a +twig betrayed their advance; and, keeping themselves carefully +concealed, they suddenly hurled the big balls at the fort, throwing +them high, so that they should drop through the top. A great noise of +spluttering, followed by a fit of mingled coughing and choking, told +them that their fire had taken ample effect, and had even partially +disabled the enemy. + +"Let's rush the fort," cried Jim; and breaking into the open, he headed +a wild dash. + +Their united attack had quite silenced the fort, and they anticipated +an easy victory. Springing on to a projecting ledge just outside one +of the loopholes, Jim's head was already above the level of the summit, +and his outstretched arm was within a foot of the flagstaff, when +something hurtled through the air, and, to Jim's intense astonishment, +a coil of rope fell heavily over his shoulders, and slipped to his +waist. + +"A lasso, a lasso!" Drusie shrieked. "Look out; it is tightening." + +The warning came just in the nick of time. Taken utterly by surprise, +Jim yet did not lose his presence of mind. + +Grasping the rope with both hands, he kept the knot from growing +tighter; then sliding through the noose with the slipperiness of an +eel, he dropped to the ground. But unluckily he caught his foot in the +noose, and although he immediately twisted it free, he fell sprawling +to the ground. In that position he afforded a splendid mark to the +enemy, who got two good shots at him before he could move. + +The others had wisely retreated to the thicket; and there Jim, limping +somewhat from his fall, joined them. + +"That lasso is a splendid idea," said Drusie enthusiastically. "I +wonder how Hal ever came to think of it. I don't believe he has been +ill at all, but only just pretending, on purpose to give us this lovely +surprise." + +"It was a lovely surprise," said Jim, laughing. "I thought I was done +for that time. I say, Drusie, we shall have to be awfully careful, or +we shall be taken prisoners before we know where we are." + +"The only way is to keep at a safe distance and throw high," said +Drusie; "for the balls break as they fall, and if they drop on to his +head they fill his eyes and his mouth so full of sand that he is +obliged to take off his helmet and clear it all out." + +"Well, we can't do better than follow the same plan again," said Helen. +"Only, don't you remember what we did last year? Some of us threw +high, while some of us aimed at the loophole and blocked it up." + +"I've got a much better idea than that," said Drusie. "I vote that we +scatter, and creep as near to the fort as ever we can, and then when I +give a low "coo-ee" we will all fire, and make a dash for the fort. +And if we do that altogether, Hal won't know which to aim at, and so +one of us ought to get the flag.--What do you say, Jim?" + +"I approve," he said; "only look out for that lasso trick." + +Then they separated, Jim and Tommy working their way up the stream, +while Drusie wriggled through the thick undergrowth, with a view to +approaching the fort at the back. To Helen was given the easier task +of skirting round the clearing, keeping well under cover of the bushes, +and holding herself in readiness to dash into the open and fire when +the signal was given. + +It seemed to her a task that was almost too easy, and, as she crouched +under a bramble bush, it occurred to her that if she advanced gradually +nearer to the fort she would be of much more use to her party than if +she merely followed her instructions and remained where she was. +Accordingly, dropping on her hands and knees, she left the safe shelter +of the denser part of the Wilderness, and crawled out to a bush. + +[Illustration: Helen crouched under bush] + +Encouraged by the dead silence that reigned within the fort, she +flattered herself that her stealthy approach was unperceived by the +enemy, and so, after pausing for a moment, she advanced still farther +and gained another bush. + +Crouching there, she cautiously raised her head a few inches and looked +round. Five or six yards farther on there was a thick clump of young +willows: if she could reach that in safety, it would be a capital place +in which to halt until Drusie gave her signal. + +But, unfortunately, between it and where she now lurked grew a thick +bed of nettles, which made it impossible to creep thither on her hands +and knees. Once more she glanced at the fort Hal seemed to have gone +to sleep, and emboldened by that thought she rose to her feet for a +swift, silent rush to the willows. + +She was half-way across, and was feeling very well pleased, when +something hurtled through the air with a loud, swishing sound, and the +next moment she was jerked violently to the ground, while an +exceedingly uncomfortable sensation round her waist told her that she +had been caught by the lasso. + +Hardly had she realized it when the strain on the rope tightened, and +she was dragged through the bed of nettles. + +"Help, help!" she shouted; "I am lassoed. Drusie!--Jim!" + +Instantly the silent Wilderness became alive with shouts and cries. + +"Don't let the rope tighten," Jim called, bursting through the bushes +to her rescue. "Slip out of it, Helen." + +That was easier said than done, for her struggles had already drawn the +noose so tight that, although she resisted to the utmost of her power, +she was being hauled rapidly towards the fort. + +Her captor showed no mercy; he did not even allow her to get to her +feet; and though she clutched vainly at brambles and branches, and even +at the stalks of the nettles, he was too strong for her. + +She was within a few yards of the fort when Jim reached her side, and +grasping the rope with both hands, he was in the act of widening the +noose when he was struck heavily across the shoulders by a second +lasso, and before he could even throw up his arms they were bound +tightly to his side. + +Then he was even in a worse plight than Helen, for she, at least, had +the use of her hands; and, though he flung himself backwards, and +twisted and contorted his body in every conceivable way, he could not +release himself. Neither could he prevent himself from being drawn +helplessly towards the fort; and it occurred to him that Hal must have +grown wonderfully strong lately, for he seemed to have no difficulty at +all in dragging both his captives in together. + +"Drusie, Drusie!" he shouted despairingly, as he was flung to the +ground, and, fighting every inch of the way, was dragged and bumped +nearer and nearer to the fort. + +With a sound of breaking branches and rending of clothes, Drusie was +hastening to the rescue. She had not been able to come sooner, because +she had penetrated so far into the dense thicket that she could not +readily extricate herself. However, by leaving scraps of her clothing +on every sharp thorn, and getting her hands and legs terribly +scratched, she forced her way out at last; and keeping a wary outlook +on the fort, she tried to unloose the knots that bound Jim. + +"Once let me get my arms free," he said, "and I shall be all right." + +It was clear that the fort had exhausted its stock of lassos, for no +third coil of rope came flying out. Instead, however, the enemy kept +up a brisk rain of bullets, which harassed Drusie very much, and +prevented her from releasing either Helen or Jim. + +Every now and again the wily enemy would stop firing, and give a tug to +the two ropes which bound his unfortunate captives, and they would be +jerked a foot or two nearer the fort. + +Drusie was in despair; unless more help could be brought upon the +scene, her two best men would be taken prisoners. + +"I am coming," shouted an eager voice at that moment; and Tommy, +dripping wet from head to foot, came running up, armed with as many big +balls as he could carry. Right up to the very walls of the fort he +went, and threw his balls into it in quick succession. + +There was a muffled shout of indignation, which suddenly died away into +a smothered choking sound, while, at the same time, the strain on the +ropes relaxed. Jim and Helen did not lose a second in taking advantage +of this, and, slipping back the running knots, they freed themselves. + +"Let's capture the ropes," cried Drusie, flinging herself upon them. +But at this point the enemy, who had been choked and blinded for the +moment, evidently recovered himself, for with the rapidity of lightning +the two lassos were drawn back again. + +[Illustration: Tommy throwing balls] + +"Get back," shouted Jim, and, seizing Helen by the hand, he retreated +with all possible speed. And it was well they did so, for hardly had +the lassos been drawn in than they were flung out again with so strong +and well-directed an aim that, had Jim not set them the example of +flying, one or more of them would have been made prisoners again. + +They did not pause to take breath until they were within the shelter of +the Wilderness, where they threw themselves, hot and exhausted, on the +ground. + +"This was a failure," said Drusie, and she looked severely at Helen, +"and it was all your fault. You did not obey orders. If it had not +been for Tommy, the day would have been lost. You ought to be +court-martialled, Helen, and I daresay you will be later on when the +fort is taken." + +"I am very sorry," said Helen in a shamefaced manner, "but I thought it +would be such a splendid thing if I could get right up to the fort +before the attack began." + +"You should not think, then," said Drusie. "You should only do what +you are told.--And, by the way, Tommy, what happened to you?" + +"I fell into the stream," he said ruefully. "Helen's shrieks startled +me so much that I lost my balance just as I was crossing it." + +"It was the narrowest escape we have all had yet," said Jim. "I vote +that we try the same plan again, and whatever you do, Helen, don't go +and spoil it again by thinking to do something clever." + +Before Helen could retort, Tommy jumped up with a shout of defiance, +and snatching up two balls that lay ready to his hand, discharged them +right into the centre of a bush a few yards off. + +"What on earth are you about?" exclaimed an indignant voice; and Hal, +his face covered with sand and mud, sprang out of the bushes and made +for his younger brother. + +But Jim flung himself between them, and, aided by Drusie, they brought +Hal, kicking and struggling, to the ground, and sat upon him. + +"The fort is ours," cried Drusie joyfully. "Run, Helen, and get the +flag before Hal can release himself." + +Helen dashed off to do as she was told, but as she was flying across +the clearing she was suddenly brought up by a perfect hailstorm of +bullets, which played round her in all directions, and caused her to +fly back to the camp with the astounding information that it was not +Hal who had been defending the fort, but somebody else. + +"If you had not behaved like a set of duffers who had all lost their +heads, I could have told you that myself," said Hal crushingly. "But +instead of letting me explain, you all flung yourselves upon me as if I +were your greatest enemy." + +"Well, of course, we thought that you were," said Drusie. "We thought +that you had sallied out from the fort to take us all prisoners. But +if it is not you who have been in the fort all this time, who is it?" + +But that was just what none knew; and Hal was as much in the dark as +the rest. He had awaked a quarter of an hour ago, feeling all right +again. "And so, I thought," he added, "that I had been rather a pig +about this birthday, and that, if you would have me, I'd come out and +defend the fort." + +"Have you?" cried Drusie joyfully. "Of course, we will--won't we, Jim?" + +"Rather," Jim said; and that word of assent was heartily echoed by both +Helen and Tommy. "But I say, Drusie, if it is not Hal in the fort, who +on earth can it be?" + +"I know," Drusie said, after a moment of puzzled silence; "it must be +our friend--Jumbo's boy." + +When Hal heard of the lassos he cried out that it was no less a person +than Dodds. + +"I know it is he," he cried excitedly, "for he is awfully keen about +lassos. He has been reading about the cowboys in Texas, and the other +day he was practising on the lawn." + +"Whoever it is," Drusie said, "he defends the fort awfully well. I +don't believe we shall ever capture it." + +"Oh yes, we shall," said Jim, "now that Hal has come to help us." + +"Just fancy Dodds playing with you kids all the afternoon," Hal said in +a tone of surprise. "I wonder what ever made him do it." + +Fired with the idea of showing Dodds that the attacking party had +received a valuable reinforcement, Hal threw himself with ardour into +the fight, and--Drusie having resigned her post as captain in his +favour--led sally after sally against the fort. But the aim of the +lassos was so deadly, and the hailstorm of bullets so incessant, that +time after time they were obliged to retire. + +Once Drusie, who had wriggled herself through the thick hawthorns at +the back of the fort, was within an ace of taking the flag; but, just +as she had climbed up on the roof, the defender, whose face was +completely hidden by his helmet, made a grab at her, and she was +obliged to fly for her life. + +"We must alter our tactics," Hal said, as, hot and exhausted from the +prolonged struggle, he withdrew his little army into the recesses of +the Wilderness. "We are not a bit nearer taking the fort than when we +started." + +"Not so near," said Helen; "for our ammunition is giving out. We have +only about twenty or thirty balls left. This is quite the hardest +fight that we have ever had." + +"We must get the fort," Hal said, setting his teeth. "We are four to +one, and it will be a great disgrace to us if we don't." + +"But that one is such a one," Drusie said. + +"I told you Dodds was a splendid fellow, didn't I?" said Hal eagerly. +"But, all the same, I wish he was not quite as splendid now. But +listen; I have got a glorious plan in my head, if we can only carry it +out." + +But at that moment he was interrupted by a loud, piercing scream, which +was followed by another and another; and, glancing hastily round, Hal +saw that Tommy was missing from the council. + +"He was with us only a minute ago," Drusie exclaimed. + +Springing to their feet, they all rushed out, and there they saw Tommy, +bound and helpless, being hauled rapidly up to the very walls of the +fort. + +He had brought his sad fate upon himself. As he was following the +others into camp, he had seen the enemy spring out of the fort and run +into the bushes, and, quick as thought, Tommy had darted off to capture +the flag during his absence. Had he only reported what he had seen to +his commander, a proper attack might have been hastily organized and +the fort captured; but Tommy was in such a hurry, and so anxious to +gain all the glory for himself, that he slipped off without saying a +word to the others. And when it was too late he found that the +desertion of the fort was only a cleverly-planned trick on the part of +its defender, who had crashed noisily into the bushes, in the hope of +deceiving the attacking party into the belief that the fort was empty. +As soon as he saw that Tommy was going to fall into the trap, he +slipped quietly back, and, lassoing Tommy just outside, dragged him a +prisoner into the fort. + +[Illustration: Tommy, lassoed] + +"Serves him right," said Jim. "He had no business to act on his own +account like that." + +But it was all very well to say "serves him right." Perhaps Tommy had +met with no better fate than he deserved, but he, nevertheless, brought +about a very serious check to his party; for, while one of their number +was in the hands of the enemy, no attempt to take the flag could be +made. The prisoner must first be rescued. Sometimes he was ransomed +with ammunition. But their store was too low for them to be able to do +that now. They could better afford to spare Tommy than cannon-balls. + +Meanwhile, complete silence reigned in the fort. The Union Jack waved +triumphantly from the flagstaff, and the captive Tommy had disappeared +from view. + +"Got you rather neatly, I think," his enemy had said, as he pulled him +in. Even in that moment of bitter humiliation Tommy gave a start of +surprise as he recognized his captor. Drusie was right, for the +defender of the fort was indeed Jumbo's boy. + +"Oh," Tommy gasped out, as, breathless from the struggle he had just +gone through, he stared at his captor, "it is you, is it? Hal said he +was sure it was Dodds, but I am jolly glad that you are not Dodds. He +is conceited. I should not have liked to have been taken prisoner by +him." + +"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you?" said the boy with a twinkle in his +eyes. "But who told you that I--that Dodds, I mean--was conceited? +Young Danvers, I suppose?" + +"No; Hal didn't. He likes Dodds. But we others don't think very much +of him." + +The boy laughed. + +"Dodds is a great friend of mine," he said. "I shall tell him what you +have said. But never mind that now. Tell me what I am to do. Can you +be exchanged or ransomed, or are you allowed to escape if you can?" + +"I don't think they will ransom me," Tommy said reflectively. But he +was far too wary to tell the enemy why. "And I mayn't try to escape +until one of them has touched me; and till I am rescued the fort can't +be taken." + +"That's good news," said the boy. "I shan't let you be taken in a +hurry. How will they try to rescue you?" + +Tommy shook his head. He knew better than to allow himself to be drawn +into giving any information, and the boy laughed at his caution, and +climbing on to one of the two empty orange boxes, which were the only +seats that the fort contained, he kept a good lookout. + +Tommy climbed on to the other, and standing on tiptoe was just able to +peer over the edge of the fort. + +The open space that surrounded it was deserted, and although Tommy +searched the bushes with anxious eyes he could not see any signs of his +fellow-besiegers. He knew that Hal must be exceedingly angry with him, +and that if the attack on the fort could have been carried on while he +was a prisoner, he would have been left there as a punishment. + +But, as it was, he comforted himself with the thought that, for the +sake of capturing the flag, they would rescue him as soon as ever they +could. + +Presently his sharp eyes caught sight of Drusie creeping from bush to +bush. He was afraid that the boy had seen her too, for, stepping down, +he picked up a lasso and coiled it in readiness. + +"Hi, you," he said, imperiously addressing his prisoner. "You must get +down and sit on the floor." + +"Not unless you can make me," retorted Tommy; "and if you are holding +me down, you won't be able to fight." + +There was so much truth in that that the boy went back to his box +again, and Tommy was permitted to remain upon his. + +And now the situation grew exciting, for the rescuing party advanced in +full force and without any real attempt at concealment. Tommy wondered +what was their plan of attack. + +The boy was puzzled too, and as they approached he glanced sharply from +one to the other. Drusie darted from bush to bush, a cannon-ball in +either hand. Hal, with nothing in his left hand, but with his right +concealed in his pocket, followed her, and Helen and Jim skirmished +about in a somewhat aimless fashion on their own account. + +But all the time they drew steadily nearer to the fort, and Tommy +watched their movements with the keenest interest, ready to scramble +out directly he was rescued. + +When they were within ten or fifteen yards, Hal and Drusie paused, and +the latter, with all the strength of which she was capable, hurled her +cannon-balls in quick succession into the fort. + +The first was beautifully aimed. It broke on the boy's head, and for a +moment choked and blinded him. The second struck Tommy on the head, +and caused him to tumble down from his box and lie for a moment +sprawling on the floor. + +When he got to his feet again and climbed on to his perch, he saw, to +his dismay, that things were apparently going very badly for them. The +boy, disabled only for a moment by Drusie's ball, had thrown his lasso +with his usual sure and deadly aim, and Hal was struggling in its noose. + +[Illustration: "The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim."] + +Drusie and Helen were circling round him, and though their shrill +war-whoops echoed through the Wilderness, they were making no effort to +help Hal to escape. And as for Jim, he had totally disappeared. + +Tommy, however, knew enough of war to be aware that there was some +reason for Jim's sudden disappearance; and he presently detected a +slight movement among the hawthorn bushes at the back of the fort, and +guessed at once that, under cover of the noise that Drusie and Helen +were making, Jim was creeping up with the intention of rescuing him. +And Hal had probably allowed himself to be taken prisoner on purpose to +distract attention from this manoeuvre. + +Very gently and gradually, so as not to arouse the suspicions of his +captor, Tommy edged his box to the corner nearest the bushes, so that +Jim might give him the touch that would bring freedom with as little +danger to himself as possible. + +Meanwhile, Hal was making a valiant struggle. As Tommy had already +guessed, he had allowed himself to be taken prisoner; but, at the same +time, he did not wish to be dragged nearer the fort than he could help. +And though, to all appearance, he was a prisoner, he held something in +his right hand by means of which he hoped to sever his bonds when he +chose. He was very nearly as strong as his enemy, and, as he had +managed to keep both his arms free, he hauled back the rope with all +his might and main. But, in spite of his efforts, he was gradually +losing ground, and, quite forgetting how important it was that the +enemy should be kept in ignorance of the stratagem that was being +carried out in the rear, he shouted to Jim to make haste. + +Luckily, however, Drusie kept her wits about her, and drowned the +latter half of his sentence by a terrific yell, in which Helen promptly +joined. And under cover of the noise they made Jim tore his way +through the thicket, and came right up to the very walls of the fort. + +"Rescued!" he shouted, tapping Tommy on the arm, and immediately diving +back into the bushes. + +"Rescued!" Tommy repeated with a glad yell of triumph; and he was over +the wall and after Jim like a flash. + +But that his hands were full, the boy would have shaken his fist at his +escaping prisoner. As it was, he was obliged to content himself with +the thought that his new prisoner was more worth having than his old +one. + +But even as that thought passed through his mind Hal whipped out a +knife, and, opening the biggest blade, began to hack away at the rope. + +The rope was thick and the knife was blunt, and though Hal sawed away +with desperate haste the strands parted with tantalizing slowness; +thus, being less able to offer resistance than before, he was hauled +rapidly towards the fort. He was barely five yards away from it when +the last strand parted, and, with the noose still round his waist, Hal +scrambled to his feet. Ducking to avoid a second lasso, which his +disappointed foe hurled after him, he set out at full speed for the +camp, and then flung himself exhausted upon the ground. + +"That was hottish work," he said, glancing round at his little army to +see that none were missing, "and we had some tremendously narrow +escapes. But the rescue was carried out splendidly. You all did just +what you were told, and no more." + +Praise from Hal was rare, and the three recipients of it looked +exceedingly gratified. And they felt that they deserved the +commendation, for Drusie and Helen were perfectly hoarse with shouting, +and Jim's face and hands and clothes were torn and scratched by thorns. +And Tommy, to his secret delight, got off with a very slight reprimand, +for they were all so proud of the clever way in which they had rescued +him that they forgave him for having allowed himself to be taken +prisoner. + +The news that it was their friend, and not Dodds, who was defending the +fort was received with satisfaction by Drusie and Jim, but with +incredulity by Hal. + +"Why, I know it is Dodds," he said. "Though his face is hidden by his +helmet, I recognized the suit of clothes that he had on." + +"Then, I tell you what it is," Drusie cried. "Our friend and Dodds are +the same." + +"Well, we will find out all about that presently," said Hal, who was so +eager to take the stubborn fort that he did not care very much who held +it. "Carried the fort must be, and within the next half-hour." + +"Listen," he said, sitting bolt upright; "I have got a rattling good +plan in my head, but," throwing a severe glance in Tommy's direction, +"there must be no more disobedience, or the whole thing will be +spoiled." + +Tommy looked properly abashed, and Hal went on. "I mean to hose Dodds +out of the fort." + +"Hose him out!" Drusie and Jim echoed in astonishment. "What do you +mean, Hal?" + +"For goodness' sake, take care," Hal remonstrated. "If you shout like +that he'll hear, and the whole thing will be spoiled." + +Then Hal proceeded to explain in rapid undertones what he meant. + +"I am going to bring up the water-barrel, pump it full from the stream, +fit the biggest hose to it, and let fly into the fort." + +His four soldiers held their breath for a moment, and gazed at their +captain with dumb admiration. + +"It's a gorgeous plan," said Helen at last. + +"I think it ought to answer," Hal said. "I have been thinking it out +for some time. I shall go for it, but I will tell you what you have to +do while I am away." + +For the next quarter of an hour silence reigned in the camp--a silence +so unbroken that the enemy who lay waiting in the fort became more +watchful with every passing moment. He distrusted such a complete +cessation of hostilities. It could only mean that an attack of unusual +fierceness was being planned; and so, that it might not find him +unprepared, he cast an eye round the fort to see if he could strengthen +it in any way. + +But it was already as strong as it could be made; and when he was +satisfied on that point, he took stock of his ammunition, and made a +fresh noose for the lasso which Hal had cut. Just as he had finished a +beautiful slip knot, his ear was caught by a low whistle. Ducking to +avoid the shot for which it might be the signal, he listened again. No +shot followed; the whistle was twice repeated. + +Standing upright again, the boy glanced hastily round. He fancied that +the whistle came from the direction of the stream. He was still +wondering what it meant, when another whistle, another, and yet +another, and all from different directions, echoed round the fort. +Each, like the first, was repeated twice, but yet nothing happened. + +He strained his eyes this way and that, and then suddenly fitted a +couple of bullets into his catapult, and fired into some bushes on the +left. A sharp but quickly-suppressed squeal of pain was the result. +Again and again he fired, but only to be met by a heroic silence. +Either his shots missed or his victim refused to cry out. + +Suddenly Hal's voice rang out. + +"One!" he shouted. + +There was a pause. + +"Good," thought the boy. "At three the fun begins. Kind of them to +give me warning." + +Confident that he would have a few moments' breathing space, his +watchful vigilance relaxed. Instead of keeping a sharp lookout, he ran +his eye once more over his defences, and was considering whether it +would be better to use the shorter or the longer lasso, when Hal's +voice made itself heard again. + +"Two!" he shouted with the full force of his lungs, and simultaneously +a wild war-whoop went up from his army. There was the sound of +breaking branches, and from different quarters of the wood four of the +besiegers broke into the open and advanced at the double. + +This movement was the outcome of a deeply-laid plan of Hal's. He knew +that if an advance was made at the word "two" the fort would be taken +completely by surprise, and under cover of the attack from the front he +was, in the meantime, bringing the heavy gun--the water-barrel--into +position at the rear. + +His surmise proved correct. The holder of the fort was taken at a +disadvantage; he fired wildly in consequence, and had the mortification +of perceiving that not one of his shots took effect. + +The attacking party, of whom Hal was not one, reserved their fire, and +seemed bent upon coming to close quarters. Grimly determined to make +it warm for them when they did close with him, the defender sprang on +to the roof, and, regardless of the fact that he was exposing himself +recklessly, took up his stand by the flagstaff, and, throwing down his +catapult, whirled his lasso wildly round his head. + +On came the attacking party; he faced them, and with a coolness that +did him credit at such a critical moment he picked out the one that he +could most easily capture, and was in the act of hurling the lasso, +when, up from the very midst of the hawthorn bushes at the back of the +fort, Hal's voice was heard again. + +"Three!" he shouted: and turning like lightning to meet this fresh foe, +who he guessed would prove the most formidable, the boy saw an immense +jet of water spurt high into the air. Twenty feet it rose, and then +descended full and fair upon his head. A mingled shout of defiance and +joy told Hal that his aim had been good, and he continued to ply the +hose. At the same moment eight cannon-balls, five at least of which +hit him, were thrown at the harassed defender, whose helmet was now +full of sand and water. + +Choking and gasping and almost unable to see, so great was the force +with which the stream was playing upon his face, the boy grasped the +flag, determined not to surrender. + +But the enemy now surrounded the fort on all sides, and were already +scaling the walls. Both Jim and Drusie were anxious to gain the glory +of capturing the flag, and a desperate fight raged round the flagstaff. +Twice Drusie laid hands upon it, and twice she was driven back. + +The hose played upon besieged and besiegers alike, and all the +combatants were being drenched to the skin. But the battle continued +to rage, and, though he was hampered by his helmet and sorely +outnumbered, the valour displayed by the holder of the fort might yet +have gained him the day, if Jim, warned by a cry from Hal that the +water in the barrel was giving out, had not succeeded in grasping the +flagstaff. + +"Jump with it, Jim, jump!" Drusie cried, and flung herself between +them. But with one hand the boy tossed her aside, while with the other +he clutched at the flag. + +There was a short tug of war; then a sharp sound of tearing cloth; and +while the gallant defender toppled backwards into the stream, carrying +the greater part of the flag with him, Jim fell down on the other side, +bearing with him the flagstaff and the fluttering remnant of the Union +Jack. + +Both sides would certainly have claimed the victory, for both held a +portion of the flag, had not Drusie, scrambling out of the hawthorn +bushes into which she had been tossed, jumped into the middle of the +stream, and snatched the part that he still held out of the hand of the +prostrate, half-drowned enemy. + +Then the fort had no choice but to capitulate, and the day was won by +the besiegers. + +"You all fought jolly well," said the holder of the fort, calmly +sitting upright in the middle of the stream and removing his helmet, +thereby disclosing to view the face of the boy who had come to Jumbo's +rescue. "It has been warm work from first to last. It is quite jolly +to sit here and get cool." + +Then Hal, jubilant at the success which had attended his manoeuvre, +emerged from the hawthorn bushes in which he had been concealed, and +congratulated his late enemy on the splendid stand which the fort had +made. + +"It ought not to have been taken," Dodds said. "But that hose upset me +completely; it came as such a tremendous surprise." + +"I say," said Jim, who was standing on the bank panting from his +exertions, "are you really Dodds?" + +"That's my name," said the boy with a polite flourish of his helmet; +"and I hear," glancing round at them all with an amused twinkle in his +eyes, "that none of you like me." + +"Oh, but we didn't know that you were Dodds," Drusie hastened to +explain. "It was Dodds we did not like, not you." + +"Well, as I am Dodds, you can't like me if you don't like him," the boy +said with a laugh, in which they all were obliged to join, as they +realized that they had really been liking Dodds all the time without +knowing it. + +"Well, as I am cool now," Dodds said, getting up and wading to the +bank, "I think I'll go and put on some dry things. And I should think +that you had better do the same. And then, isn't there a birthday +feast to be eaten? I rather think I heard something about it too. You +know, I was fishing here one day, and you were all in the fort talking +about the fight, and wondering if Hal meant to hold it, and it struck +me that it would be rather a good idea if I held it in his place. And +so I just did. And jolly good fun it has been too.--Don't you think +so, Hal? or do you still think that playing with kids is slow work?" + +At that Hal began to grow red, and Drusie, who knew that he was sorry +for that and for many other foolish things that he had said, interposed +quickly. + +"I think we had better go home and change too," she said; "and then we +will all meet in the summer-house for the feast." + +"Am I asked too?" said Dodds, who was not shy. + +"Of course," they all cried. + +"Right you are then," said Dodds, shaking himself and squaring his +shoulders for a run. "I'll bring some contributions to the feast. +Let's see who'll get changed and be there first. I bet you I will." + +But as it happened, his five hosts and hostesses were the first to +reach the summer-house; and while they waited for their guest Hal took +a small baby guinea-pig from his pocket, and gave it to the astonished, +delighted Drusie. + +"My birthday present to you, Drusie. I got it down at the village this +afternoon. Isn't it a beauty?" + +"Oh, it's a darling!" Drusie cried, covering both the guinea-pig and +Hal with kisses. "How awfully, awfully good of you, Hal! Is it really +my very, very own?" + +"Yes, rather," said Hal, looking very gratified at her delight. "I +went down into the village this afternoon and got it. I paid for it +too," he added proudly. "Nurse advanced me the money." + +Then Dodds arrived with a basketful of good things for the feast, and a +very merry feast it was. And by the time it was finished Drusie and +Jim wondered how they could ever have thought that Dodds was not a nice +boy. + +Hal was not surprised that they should like Dodds, but he was rather +astonished to find how much Dodds got to like them. Hal had thought +that Dodds would be far too big and grown up to care about playing with +girls; but when he found out that Dodds actually enjoyed playing +cricket with them, and thought a great deal of Drusie's bowling and +Helen's smart fielding, he began to think that he had made a mistake in +supposing that he had grown too old for them. So he ceased to speak to +them as if he were years and years older than all of them put together, +and remembered that he was Drusie's twin-brother, and that he was very +fond of her. + + + + +THE END. + + + + + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's A Tale of the Summer Holidays, by G. 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