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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9d85cba --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #61457 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/61457) diff --git a/old/61457-8.txt b/old/61457-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 07327ef..0000000 --- a/old/61457-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3282 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Charley's Log, by Emma Leslie - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Charley's Log - A Story of Schoolboy Life - -Author: Emma Leslie - -Release Date: February 20, 2020 [EBook #61457] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHARLEY'S LOG *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: Cover art] - - - - -[Frontispiece: WRITING UP THE LOG. _Page 8._] - - - - -[Illustration: Title page] - - - - - CHARLEY'S LOG. - - A Story of Schoolboy Life. - - - _By the Author of_ - "Soldier Fritz, and the Enemies he Fought;" - "Glaucia, the Greek Slave," etc. - - - - LONDON: - THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, - 56, Paternoster Row; 65, St. Paul's Churchyard; - and 164, Piccadilly. - - - - -[Illustration: Contents headpiece] - - - -CONTENTS. - -CHAP. - -I. The Two Friends - -II. Disenchantment - -III. The Skating Party - -IV. The Accident - -V. Cribs - -VI. Was it Robbery? - -VII. A Surprise - -VIII. Running Away to Sea - -IX. Conclusion - - - -{Illustration: Chapter I headpiece] - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THE TWO FRIENDS. - -October 4th.--I am going to keep a log. I shall have to do it -by-and-by when I am Captain Charles Stewart, and so, as I have been -sent to school to prepare for my work in the world by-and-by, this -will be helping in the preparation. Mamma often talks about my work -in the world, but I am almost sure there is no sea in the world she -is thinking about, while to me--well, the sea is all the world to me. -But mamma wants me to forget it, and all Uncle Alfred's wonderful -stories about it, and that is why I have been sent here to school; -but Tom Haslitt is with me, and is not likely to let me forget uncle -and his sea yarns. Tom is to be my lieutenant by-and-by, and as he -will have to help with the ship's log then, he is to take a turn with -this. - -It was kind of mamma to arrange for Tom and I to have this little -bedroom--cabin, I mean--all to ourselves; but I am afraid she would -not be pleased to see how we have rigged it up, considering that she -wants me to mount Uncle Charles's office stool by-and-by. - -I hope that tarred yarn Tom has stowed away under the bed don't smell -too strong. The compasses and charts and bits of boats we've got -hanging about are pretty ornaments, and by-and-by, when we get our -ship finished, our little cock-loft will be furnished. - -I can't say much about the fellows here at present, but they look a -very quiet lot, and one with fair hair certainly ought to have it put -in curl-papers every night. I shan't have much to say to him, I -know; give him a wide berth, and stick close to Tom. If we could -only have gone somewhere else, some school where they train sailors, -I might learn something, but it will do me no good to come here, I'm -sure, and I've told mamma so. - -October 6th.--The captain says I must help with the log. I'd rather -heave up a couple of hammocks here and bundle these bedsteads out of -the window, but I suppose we may look out for squalls if we do too -much in the nautical line, for Charley has got into a scrape already. -What they want to keep housemaids for at a boys' school I can't -think, unless it is that they may go poking about where they are not -wanted. I'm sure that rope yarn did not smell much, but she found it -out, that housemaid did; and when Charley tried to get it back there -was a row. - -The fellows here are not so bad, when you come to know them, but I -don't think I shall ever like the governor--the Doctor, as everybody -calls him--or the under masters either; although I think we shall be -able to do very much as we like here, as we have done at home; at -least, Charley and I mean to have our own way in most things, if we -possibly can. - -October 10th.--What a place this is for rows! Everybody looks as -mild as turnips, from the governor down to the housemaid that took -our yarn. But looks are deceitful, I suppose; at least, Tom and I -won't have such a pleasant, easy time as we expected. If things get -much worse I shall write and ask mamma to fetch me home; I'm sure she -wouldn't let me stop if I didn't like it, for I have always had my -own way about everything but this sea scheme, and, like all mothers, -she's afraid of the sea, of course--thinks it a monster that will -certainly swallow me up. - -I don't know what to make of the governor. Yesterday he called me -into his room, and gave me a private lecture about duty and -conscience, and a lot more about my lessons never being properly -learned, and about school being a little world where character was -tested, and made stronger and nobler or worse, according as we used -our opportunities or yielded to our temptations. I told Tom all -about it afterwards, and we laughed over it together; but I cannot -forget it, or the grave, earnest way in which the governor -spoke--exactly as though he knew that Tom and I had made up our minds -not to learn more than we were obliged. - -October 14th.--Tom hates keeping the log, but I tell him he will have -to do it by-and-by, and so he ought to get his hand in now; but he -says we've come to school to have a good time and as much fun as we -can. Well, so we have, I suppose; at least, that was all I thought -about it until lately; but, somehow, mamma's talk about preparing for -our life-work, and the governor's talk about it being a test and -trial of character, have got mixed up in my mind, and it has made me -remember that mamma is not rich, and that I am her only child, and I -shall have to work by-and-by. I mean to work and take care of her, -buy a carriage for her to ride in, and everything she wants when I am -a captain and have made my fortune. But I am afraid I shall have to -begin by running away to sea. I've quite made up my mind to do it, -for mamma is more than a little unreasonable about this, she won't -even let me talk about it to her. But there, I won't grumble; she's -a dear mother, and reasonable enough in everything else, and has -always let me have my own way about most things. - -Tom has got himself into another scrape, and the governor has -threatened to separate us--send Tom to another room and put another -fellow in here. I should write home to the mater at once if he did -that, for it would upset everything, and the place would be -unbearable. Some of the fellows grumbled, too, yesterday, that we -were always in the shed they call the workshop instead of in the -playground. What is it to them if we like to make boats instead of -throwing a ball about? We can do as we like in the playground, I -suppose. I hate cricket, that they make such a fuss about here; and -if they drag me into playing it they'll soon find I'm no good, and -wish me out again. - -October 20th.--This is the last chance I shall get of writing in -Charley's log, I expect, for I am to be turned out of his cabin, and -Miss Chandos is to take my place. I mean to call him "Miss" in the -playground now as well as between ourselves, for I hate the thought -of his taking my place here. I wonder how Charley will like the -young lady. Miss Chandos don't seem to like the prospect much more -than I do, but we dare not rebel. - -Charley is packing up my traps while I do the log, grumbling all the -time, and threatening to serve out Miss Chandos. The young lady will -not have it all her own way, I can tell her. There will be lively -times with her and Charley. I wish I could stay and see the fun, but -I shall hear all about it to-morrow, and Charley has promised to put -it all down in the log. He says it will be good fun to read this log -over to ourselves by-and-by. We mean to keep it to read on board our -ship of an evening, and many a good laugh we shall have over it, I -dare say. I wonder whether we shall ever laugh at this turn out. I -don't think I ever shall, for Charley and I have always been chums -ever since I can remember, so that it seems like--like something -dreadful to have him turned over to Miss Chandos. - -October 22nd.--No more of dear old Tom's sprawling writing in our -log, for I wouldn't take it down into the schoolroom for the other -fellows to see; no, not for anything. Yes, poor Tom's gone, and Miss -Chandos has arrived. I soon let her know what sort of a welcome she -was likely to have from me. Tom's traps had hardly been bundled out -before the housemaid came with her hands full, and white-faced Miss -Chandos behind her. - -"Is this your lady's maid, Miss Chandos?" I asked. "Does she curl -your hair and powder your face?" - -His face was scarlet enough then, but he only said, "Thank you, Ann; -if you will put down those things I will put them into their places." - -"Oh, Ann," I said, with a sniff; "you had better come back, Ann, and -bring the curl-papers. Or do you use curling-irons?" I asked. - -Ann looked indignant, and Chandos too, but neither said a word, and -she went out of the room. - -When we were left to ourselves, and Chandos had put away some of his -things, he suddenly turned round and said, "I hope we shall be -friends, Stewart." - -I hardly knew what to say for a minute, for I felt surprised and half -ashamed of myself; but, thinking of Tom, and what he expected to -hear, I made a mock bow, and replied, "Gentlemen must always be -friends with a young lady. Tom and I will be delighted, Miss -Chandos;" and then I stopped, for such a look came into his fair -girl-face as never was seen in a girl's face before, I fancy. There -was no more said, and I went downstairs feeling somehow as though I -had not got the best of it after all, and that I might even be -mistaken in thinking Miss Chandos such a coward. But after a little -time spent in the playground with Tom I forgot Miss Chandos and her -looks, until Tom reminded me of it, and I promised to let him know -everything that happened. - -Of course something was bound to happen then. How could I meet Tom -in the morning and tell him the young lady had slept in peace, and -everything had passed off comfortably? But what could I do? Tom and -I generally had some fun throwing our clothes at each other, or -shooting paper pellets from under the bedclothes after we had -scrambled into bed, until Swain came and took the light away, and -then we ducked our heads down and went to sleep. But there was no -telling whether Miss Chandos would tumble into bed as quickly as we -did. I certainly was not surprised to see her sit down and take up a -book that lay on the drawers and begin to read. I let her read in -peace for about five minutes, and then snatched it away and flung it -across the room. I really did not see that it was a Bible until it -was out of my hand; but I did not mean to let Chandos know that, or -that I felt sorry for throwing it. - -"Don't do that again, Stewart," he said, as he went to pick it up; -and I burst out laughing to hide my vexation, and asked when Ann was -coming to do his hair. - -He took no notice of my question, and I tumbled into bed, wondering -what Chandos would do next. I had my pea-shooter and a good supply -of pellets ready for whatever happened; but I certainly expected to -see him follow my example and tumble into bed. But instead of doing -this he kneeled down at the side of the bed as though I had not been -there, which rather startled me, for I thought he would and ought to -be afraid to attempt it after what I had already done. I waited a -minute or two, and then, taking a good aim, hit him right in the back -of the neck. It made him start, I could see, and I laughed, though I -expected he would jump up and give me a good pommelling the next -minute, for it was clear he was no coward, as I had thought at first, -and he would never have a better chance of pitching in, if he meant -to fight it out. But no, she kept on, and so did I--pop, pop, pop at -his head and the back of his neck, until it tingled again, I know. -But she wouldn't complain; wanted to make believe she hadn't felt it, -and said "Good night," as though I was the most civil and obliging -companion in the world. It was plucky, anyhow, and I like pluck; but -we shall see who gives in first, Miss Chandos; it will take a good -deal to make me tire of pea-shooting, I can tell you, and it will be -good practice too. - -October 24th.--How Tom and I have laughed over that plucky Miss -Chandos! I am not sure that the fellow deserves to be called "Miss" -either, for he is plucky right through, I know--the sort of fellow -that would walk up to a cannon's mouth without flinching if he was a -soldier and it was his duty. What a splendid sailor he would make! -I could fancy him steering his ship right under the enemy's guns if -it was necessary, but never yielding an inch or knowing when he was -beaten. He's beaten me at pea-shooting, and made me feel ashamed of -myself. I wonder what Miss Chandos is going to be--a parson, I -should think; and he means to do his life-work thoroughly, and is -beginning now, as I am in keeping this log. - -It seems queer that we shall all be men very soon--some sailors, some -soldiers, some lawyers, and some tied to a merchant's desk, which is -mother's highest ambition for me. She talks grandly sometimes about -merchant princes, and how uncle will give me a share in his business; -but I always try to get out of the way, for I mean to run away to sea -when the time comes, and I hate to be a hypocrite. - -October 30th.--Another row. I knew it would come if they turned us -out of our workshop; but the best of the fun is, they don't know who -has been up to this mischief, though Tom and I are both suspected, I -believe. For a wonder, though, I had no hand in this, I only wish I -had. Tom managed cleverly, too, to turn all the farm-yard out as he -did--pigs and cows, ducks and hens; and didn't they enjoy their -hour's feast in the garden! I fancy I see the governor now as he -came rushing out in time to see the last of his dahlias disappear, -and then the whooping and helter-skelter charge of the servants, with -the governor at the head of the fray. This will be something to -laugh over many a night when the wind is blowing great guns, and we -are pitching and tossing so that it is impossible to read or write up -the ship's log, which we shall have to keep then. The picture of -to-day's fun will rise up before us long after everybody else has -forgotten it. Plucky Tom! I wish I had had a share of the fun in -setting the animals at liberty. I don't dare ask how he did it all -yet, for the fuss is at its height, and everybody is being -questioned. Of course, suspicions go for nothing, and nobody really -saw who did it, and so Tom is not likely to be found out unless he -splits himself, which is not very probable, unless somebody else is -charged with it, and then of course he would make a clean breast of -it. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -DISENCHANTMENT. - -November 1st.--Chandos has got himself into a scrape, and nobody -seems to know what it is about. I have asked several of the fellows, -but they only shake their heads and tell me I know more about it than -they do. I am sure I do not; but as Chandos shares my room they -think I must be in his secrets, I suppose. I cannot help wondering -what it is--something that has got the governor's back up awfully, I -can see. Chandos has been locked up all day in the punishment-room, -and nobody seems to know whether he will be let out to-night. I wish -I was sure he was not coming, and I would try to get Tom in here, and -we'd have some fun for once. I wonder what the young lady has been -up to. - -November 14th.--I have not written up my log for a fortnight, and now -I have only a miserable tale to tell. At first I thought I'd give up -the log, as Tom will never be my lieutenant now to laugh over it; but -I'll keep on with it a bit longer. I thought we should often laugh -over Tom's setting the farm-yard at liberty as he did, but somehow it -seems to have been a dreadful trouble to everybody; but no one can -feel just as I do about it, for it has taken my old chum away from -me, and we can never be again what we have been. What did they want -to make such a fuss about it for, and punish Miss Chandos? The -governor must have been as blind as a mole to think Chandos had -anything to do with it. It was ever so long before I found out the -tops and bottoms of the business; but at last I found one of the -juniors could tell something, and I got him by himself and threatened -to break every bone in his skin if he didn't shell out all he knew, -and then it came out that he had seen Chandos close to the farm-yard -just before the animals were turned out, and the miserable little -muff had gone with that tale to the governor as soon as the row began. - -"But you know it wasn't Chandos," I said, thinking he must have seen -Tom too. - -"Wasn't it?" said the youngster. - -I gave him a shake, and ran off to Chandos, who was just going into -the cricket-field. "What's this row about you and the farm-yard, -Miss Chandos?" I said. - -He seems to be getting used to his name, and only said, "Oh, it's all -right now, Stewart." - -"Do you know who did turn the things out?" I said. - -"Do you?" he asked. - -I nodded. "It wasn't you, and I didn't think you knew anything about -it. Suspicions go for nothing, you know." - -"Well, let this pass. It's over now, and let's drop it." - -"But you've been punished for what you had no hand in. Did the -governor think you did it?" - -"I don't think he believed I actually did it myself; but he said I -was worse than those who did it if I was screening them, for I was -encouraging insubordination in the school. Do you know who was -suspected, Stewart?" - -"Me!" - -"Yes; I cleared you at once, but I couldn't say any more, and that -vexed Dr. Mellor." - -"Oh, the Doctor be hanged! Why didn't you go to Tom and tell him the -fix you was in? I suppose you knew he did it?" - -"I couldn't help knowing it where I was, and I did contrive to say a -word to him about going to the Doctor, but--" - -"You told Tom you were to be punished for his fault, and he wouldn't -make a clean breast of it to the governor!" I said, angrily. - -"There, I told you it was better to let it pass, Stewart; you could -do no good now," said Chandos, walking away. - -But a sudden thought had seized me, and I placed myself in his path. -"But you shall give me a plain answer to my question," I said; "not -that I will believe it of Tom. It is you that are the sneak; you -look one, with your white face and quiet ways, and I know you are -only trying to set me against my old chum!" I was almost mad with -rage, and longed to knock Chandos down; and for a minute he looked as -though he would fight it out, but the next he had pushed me aside, -and was striding on to take his place as long-stop in the game that -was just beginning. I looked after him for a minute, thinking I -would go and have it out, when I suddenly thought of going to Tom, -and turned back to the workshop, where Tom was busy hacking at some -wood for a rudder. "I say, old fellow, did Chandos tell you he was -taking your punishment for the farm-yard scrape?" I asked. - -"Oh, never mind Chandos; come and rub down this mast," said Tom, -turning away. - -"Then--he--did--tell--you!" I said, slowly. - -"Didn't you know Chandos was a sneak before to-day?" said Tom, -sharply. - -"But--but tell me all about it, Tom," I said, rubbing my eyes, and -feeling as though I must be dreaming. - -"Oh, there ain't much to tell--nothing to make such a fuss about. -The fellow came to me, and said he had got into a scrape through the -things getting out; but of course I didn't believe him. This was an -easy way of getting me into a row, as well as helping himself out." - -"But, Tom, if he took your punishment, you know--" - -"Bah! my punishment! The governor isn't such a duffer as to think -that white-faced milksop did that mischief. He hasn't pluck enough. -I always told you he was a sneak, and now he's proved it, for he said -the thing should always be a secret between us, whether I told or -not, and now he's run open-mouthed to you with the tale." - -"No, he hasn't." And without another word I walked out of the -workshop. I didn't feel as though I wanted to fight Tom; it didn't -seem as though I could fight, for I couldn't understand things a bit. -Somehow they'd got so mixed up in this row that Tom seemed to be -Chandos, and Chandos Tom, and whether I should wake and find they -were all right, or Tom running about with Chandos's head on his -shoulders, I couldn't tell for a little while. - -But presently Chandos came walking through the gate on which I was -mounted, and certainly he had his own straw-coloured hair safe -enough. He didn't condescend to look at me as he passed, and I felt -as though I hated him for robbing me of Tom. What right had he to do -it--he with that white face to be so plucky? And not even for a -friend either, for Tom is no friend to him any more than I am, and -all the school have adopted our private name, and call him Miss -Chandos. It isn't as though he didn't care about it either, for I -can see he does. No boy likes to be thought a girl, or have a girl's -name tacked to him; and Chandos is like the rest, but he takes it -quietly, although I fancy now he would be as good in a stand-up fight -as Tom himself. - -Bother Tom! I don't want to think about him now. I wish he had left -the pigs and cows alone, or I hadn't been in such a fume to find out -all about it. I don't like to think he has been mean and -cowardly--my brave, bold Tom. Anyhow, I shall always hate Miss -Chandos for her share in the matter, and I'll call her Miss Chandos -more than ever now. It's been a miserable time, somehow, ever since -I heard the tops and bottoms of this row, for though Tom and I have -never said a word about it since, we both seem to remember it always, -and we keep apart as we never did before. - -November 20th.--All the school is in a ferment about a special prize -that is to be given for the best essay on something or other. I'm -not going to try, so it don't trouble me much; but it seems as though -everybody else is, and they can talk of nothing else. Even Tom is -going in for this, it seems, though he don't stand much chance, I -fancy; but he wants a watch, and thinks he may as well try for this. -The weather is dull and cold, and our shipbuilding is almost at a -standstill. We haven't done much since that row, and things are -altogether miserable. Tom seems to be making new friends among the -other fellows, and I've dropped shooting at Miss Chandos and hiding -her Bible, so that altogether I'm rather glum, and ready to quarrel -with anybody that is good for a stand-up fight. I know everybody -thinks me a bear, and I am, I think, for I don't care for anybody or -anything now. - -November 30th.--It seems as though there was never to be an end to -this row, which has made everything so miserable for me. The -governor has taken it into his head to consider the matter still -unsettled, although Chandos took Tom's punishment, and now poor -Chandos has been told that he can't try for this prize. It's the -meanest shame, for Chandos stood as good a chance as anybody, if not -better than most, and now he isn't to be allowed that chance. - -He tries to hide his disappointment, but I know he had begun to read -up, and yesterday I asked him if he didn't mean to split on Tom, and -tell the governor all about it. - -"I wish Haslitt would do it himself," he said; "it would be better -for everybody if he did." - -"Of course it would; and I'll tell him so, and the governor too, if -you won't." - -"No, no, don't do that, Stewart; the school would send you to -Coventry if you split on another fellow about anything. And -besides--" - -"Well, what more can the school do?" I asked, angrily. - -"Oh, nothing, only your splitting would do no good now, I fancy." - -"Well, Tom shall make a clean breast of it, and give up his chance of -this prize. It ain't much of a chance for him, and so it won't be -much for him to give it up; but you'll get it, Chandos--at least I -hope you will;" and then I ran off to find Tom and have it out with -him. - -I hardly knew how to begin, but I did it somehow; and then Tom said, -crossly, "What a fuss you make about nothing! I suppose Miss Chandos -has set you on. Has she taught you to say your prayers yet?" - -"Saying my prayers has nothing to do with this, Tom, you know that." - -"Oh, hasn't it! I thought the young lady was making a milksop of -you, you've been so glum, lately." - -"Now look here, Tom, I haven't told you what I thought about this -sneakish business, but I will if you don't make a clean breast of it -to the governor at once." - -"Well, who cares what you think?" said Tom, laughing; and he tried to -push past me. - -But I wasn't going to have that. "Now, look here, old fellow, we -have been chums for ever so long, and I never knew you to do anything -mean before, and I believe you're sorry for this; now make a clean -breast of it, Tom, and let Miss Chandos go in for this prize." - -"Has she told you she's sure to get it?" - -"No, of course not; but you know she'd stand a good chance--a better -chance than you do." - -"I don't know so much about that, and I don't see why I should give -up my chance just to suit your whims. It wouldn't help Miss Chandos -either." - -"Yes, it would. The governor wants to get at the bottom of this -farmyard affair, and that is why he is so hard on poor Chandos." - -"Poor Chandos! The young lady has bewitched you, Charley! As if -this had anything to do with that old row! She knows how to come it -over you, the mean sneak! As though she didn't know this was for -another affair altogether." - -"I don't believe it, Tom." - -"Don't you? Ask some of the other fellows, then. Here, Jackson, -what did you tell me Miss Chandos had been doing to lose her chance -of the prize?" called Tom. - -"I don't know now. Collins told me it was some artful dodge the -governor had found out. Anyhow, I'm glad she's out, for the chances -will be pretty evenly balanced among us now; but Chandos always goes -in for such a lot of grind that he'd be sure to swamp us all. Do you -go in for it, Stewart?" he asked. - -"I'm not fond of grind, and shouldn't have a ghost of a chance, any -more than Tom has." - -"Oh, well, Haslitt will pass muster, I dare say, but we ain't much -afraid of him," laughed Jackson, as he ran away. - -"I tell you the fellows will kick up no end of a row now if they find -I gave up for Chandos to go in; not that I think he would mind. He's -a sneak, and has just told you this to hide something he has been -doing himself." - -"Well, I shouldn't care for what the fellows said, Tom. They want to -keep Chandos out--a few of them, I don't believe they all do--just -because they will stand a better chance of the prize; and it's mean -and cowardly, and I wouldn't help them in it if I were you." - -"But I tell you, Charley, you mustn't go against a lot like this. -I'm beginning to find out that you must think of others a bit when -you are at school like this, and--and--" There Tom stopped. - -"Look here, Tom; it may be all very well to mind what other fellows -say a bit, but I never knew you to do a mean thing in my life before, -and I shall wish we had never come here if it's going to make you a -sneak now." - -"Who says I am a sneak? Chandos, I suppose?" - -"No, it isn't Chandos. He hasn't been your chum as I have; he didn't -know what you were before you came to school, and never talks about -you--" - -"Only to call me a sneak, I suppose?" - -"No, he has never called you a sneak; but I do, and mean it, if you -won't go to the governor and make a clean breast of everything." - -"It would do no good, I tell you, Charley, and the other fellows -would be down upon me directly if I did. Three or four are going in -for this prize that wouldn't try if Chandos wasn't out. I tell you -they'd never forgive me if I split now. I'll promise this, Charley, -I'll never get into a scrape like it again. I wish now I'd gone to -the governor at once about it." - -"I wish you had; but it isn't too late, you know, now, Tom. Come on -at once; we shall find him in the library. I'll go with you if you -like." - -I really thought Tom would go then, but just as we were turning round -Jackson ran to tell him Collins and the rest wanted him; and Tom went -off, calling to me, - -"It's no good, Charley, I can't do it." - -I felt half ashamed to meet Chandos after this, for he knew I had -been to talk to Tom, and I couldn't bear him to think he was such a -sneak as he has been over this; but there was no getting out of it, -for he was standing by the lobby door as I went in, and looked at me -in such a way that I said, crossly, - -"Why don't you go to the governor yourself and tell him all about it?" - -"Then Haslitt won't go?" - -"No, he won't," I said. "This beastly school has made him a -sneak--he never was before; he never served anybody such a trick, and -he never would if he hadn't come here." - -"Well, don't get so angry about it, Stewart. My mother says one of -the principal uses of a school is to try what mettle we are of. We -cannot tell whether a character is strong or weak until it has been -tried, and the temptations and failures at school prepare us better -for the temptations of the world afterwards." - -"What do I care about the temptations of the world? It's this school -that has spoiled Tom, and he will never be my chum again, and I shall -have to look out for another lieutenant for my ship;" and I rushed -off indoors, for fear Chandos should say any more, for I could not -bear to hear him speak against Tom. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE SKATING PARTY. - -November 30th.--I haven't spoken to Tom for a week, but he's so mixed -up with the other fellows now that he don't seem to mind; but I am -very dull, and it makes me very miserable not to have Tom working -with me at our boats as we used to do. I have found out, too, that -Chandos is not a general favourite in the school, but he has two or -three friends--chums, like Tom and I used to be--who seem to be fond -of reading, and don't get into so many scrapes as Tom's set. I -belong to nobody just now. I join in a game sometimes when I don't -feel too sulky; but I miss Tom too much to feel pleased with anybody -else, though Chandos and I talk a bit sometimes when we go to bed. -Last night we were talking about prayer. Fancy boys talking about -that; but it seems Chandos believes it is all as real--as real as -writing a letter to his mother, and as sure of having an answer. I -was as much surprised as when the Doctor talked about us having a -conscience; for it seems Chandos is not going to be a parson after -all, but is to go into his uncle's counting-house, just as mother -wants me to do. The only difference is that Chandos has made up his -mind to it because it is his duty, he says, though he hates it as -much as I do, and wants to be a doctor awfully. I begin to think the -world is a dreadful puzzle. Why can't people do just what they like, -instead of being driven to do what they hate so often? Chandos is a -first-rate sort of fellow too, I think, in spite of his white face -and curly hair; and yet he's got to do what he don't like, so that -being good don't seem to have much to do with it, though my old nurse -used to say good boys were always happy. Well, I'm not good, anyhow, -so it's not very wonderful that I'm pretty miserable; only Tom seems -happy enough, and he ought to be miserable too, which is another of -the puzzles, I suppose. - -December 10th.--Everybody is essay mad--that is, all the fellows in -our class who have gone in for it. Chandos and I never talk about it -to each other, but I know he is disappointed, for he was ill the -first part of this half, and so he will have no prizes to take home -at Christmas. I suppose I should be disappointed too if I was one of -the fellows that grind, but I don't see the use of it, and so prizes -don't come in my way. Not but what I should like to please mamma, -and she would be pleased, I know, if such a wonder was to happen; but -then I hate books, unless they are about the sea, or something of -that sort. I shall be glad when the holidays are here now. I should -not like to confess it even to Tom, but I want to see my mother, and -ask her some of the questions that have puzzled me lately. Then -there is always lots of fun at Christmas, and there has been so -little here. Another week and this essay fuss will be over, and then -the fellows will talk about the other prizes and going home, and I -shall try to forget all the bother, and Tom's share in it too, if I -can. I wonder who will get this essay prize--not Tom, I am certain. - -December 18th.--Tom has got the prize. I cannot understand it one -bit. I know he has gone in for lots of grind lately, like the other -fellows, but there were two or three that I felt sure would be better -up to that kind of work than he was. I cannot feel glad that he has -won it, and I have not told him I am; and some of the fellows that -were most urgent for him to go in have scarcely spoken to him since. -I wonder whether they think, as I do, that this watch should of right -belong to Chandos. Tom and I are going home together. No one at -home knows anything of what has happened, and I shall not tell them -if I can help it. Chandos has asked me to go and see him in the -holidays, and I mean to ask mamma to let him come to our house. I -think I shall like that better than going to his place, for I fancy -his people are dreadfully religious, and we know nothing about that -sort of thing, but I don't like to be thought quite a heathen. - -January 20th.--The holidays are over, and we are back at school in -our old places once more. Tom has taken up the notion that I am -envious of his good luck in getting the watch. Good luck! I call it -bad luck, for it was a bad business altogether, and I let out -something about this at home; but mamma only thought it was one of -our ordinary quarrels. - -I went to see Chandos in the holidays. He has several brothers and -sisters; one of them has come back with him to school, and is among -the juniors, although he is only a year or two younger than his -brother; but he has been delicate, and is very backward, and so was -obliged to go into the lower division of the school. I like Mrs. -Chandos very much. She is religious after a different pattern from -my Aunt Phoebe, and somehow everything seems so real about her that I -don't wonder Chandos believes everything she says. But I don't mean -to like Chandos too much. He is all very well, but he is not Tom, -and can never be my lieutenant. I had a talk to mamma about going to -sea, but she is as obstinate as ever. I told Chandos of this when he -came to see me, and he said, "Then I am afraid you will have to give -it up, Stewart." - -"Give it up! give up the sea! you don't know what you are talking -about, Chandos!" - -"Yes, I do, for I wanted to be a doctor quite as badly as you want to -go to sea; but when my father died, and my mother told me how -impossible it was that my wish could be gratified, I set to work at -once to conquer it." - -"Set to work to conquer it! But how could you do that?" I said. - -"I--I began in the only way I could; I asked God to help me for my -mother's sake to overcome the selfish desire, and make me willing to -do all I could to learn what was necessary to be a merchant." - -"But you don't hate the idea of being chained to a desk as I do, or -you wouldn't talk so coolly about it." - -"Not now. But I did hate it quite as much as you can, Stewart; but I -remembered that my mother was not rich. When my father died we were -very much reduced, and if I should offend my uncle by refusing this -offer he might refuse to help the younger ones by-and-by; and so you -see it was my duty to forget myself and my own wishes, and do what I -could to help my mother." - -"But my mother does not need my help, and so I don't see why I should -give up everything I want, if you do." - -"Your mother may not want your help, but she wants you. You are her -only son, and--and shall I tell you?--I have heard of such things -happening, you know--she may break her heart if you run away to sea. -You would not do that, Stewart." - -"Break her heart! Kill my mother! Chandos, you know me better than -that!" - -"Yes, I do, Stewart, and that is why I have spoken in time; but I -have heard of boys going to sea and coming home expecting to find -everything as they left it, and finding mother and father both -dead--killed by grief for the runaway." - -"Oh, that's all twaddle, you know, Chandos; nobody ever really died -of a broken heart," I said. - -"Then you mean to try the experiment on your mother? Very well, -Stewart; if you will, you will, I know; only beware of the -consequences, for if the twaddle should prove truth it would cause -you lifelong unhappiness afterwards." - -This ended his lecture, and I made up my mind to forget it as soon as -I could; but somehow it mixes itself up with everything, and try as I -will I cannot forget it. Of course, I don't want to run away, if I -can persuade mamma to let me go to sea properly; but if she won't, -what am I to do? I can't and won't go to be perched up at an office -desk all day, and so there will be nothing else I can do but cut and -run some fine morning. Of course, I shall write to mamma just before -I sail, and tell her I'm all right and jolly, and when she knows that -she'll soon be all right. Tom and I have talked over the plan dozens -of times, for he was to come with me, only somehow I don't want him -so much now, though his watch might be handy to sell if we were short -of money on the road, for I suppose we should have to go to -Liverpool, or Plymouth, or Southampton, or some of those places. -Bother Chandos, making me feel uncomfortable about it. But there, -I'm not going to run away to-day, and so I'll forget the whole bother. - -January 26th.--At last we are going to have some fun. It has been -freezing splendidly these two days, and if the governor hadn't been a -duffer he would have let us go out on the ice to-day, for there is a -first-rate pond--two or three, in fact--close by, and I know the ice -will bear; but he has promised we shall go to-morrow, and everybody -has been looking up skates in readiness. I hope it will not thaw -to-night, for we are all looking forward to the fun we shall have -to-morrow--all but Chandos, and he has taken it into his head that -his brother ought to stay at home, as he has a cold. But Chandos -junior has a will of his own, I can see, and I mean to help him to -stand out against his brother's coddling, and give Miss Chandos a -fright into the bargain, if I can. It will be good fun to coax the -youngster to go to another pond, especially if one happens to be -labelled "Dangerous." I fancy I can see his brother now running -about like a hen after her brood of ducklings, for he does fuss after -this youngster, as though he was different from other boys, and I'll -stop it if I can. - -February 4th.--I wonder whether I can put down in my log all that has -happened. I shall try, for I am very dull to-day sitting up here -alone while the others are in school. - -It did not thaw, as everybody feared it would, and we started for the -ponds in good time, Swain and the other master with us, for the -governor would not trust us alone, which made some of the fellows -pretty wild, and they vowed Swain should not come for nothing. Just -before we started Tom came tearing across the playground to me and -said, "You've split on Chandos junior!" - -"Split on him! What do you mean? I don't often speak to the -youngster; you and your set know more about him than I do," I said. - -"Yes, but you and Miss Chandos are as thick as thieves, and you know -he did not want young Frank to go to-day." - -"Yes, I do know that, and I said if I was Frank I wouldn't be coddled -to that tune. What of that?" - -"Why, Chandos has locked him up or something, for he isn't here." - -"Locked up your grandmother! How could he do that without appealing -to the governor? and you know Chandos is not likely to do that now. -The youngster will turn up presently, unless he has made up his mind -to do as his brother wishes, and declares himself on the sick-list. -There are three to stay indoors, you know." - -"Yes, but young Chandos won't stay if he can help it. We've laughed -him out of that--told him the school calls his brother a young lady -for his meek ways, and the sooner he breaks away from her -apron-string the better." - -"Well, Chandos is too fussy," I said; "but don't lead the youngster -into any harm, Tom. I'll help with some fun, just to give Chandos a -fright, you know." - -"Bravo, Charley! Jackson was just talking about the same thing, and -we'll do it now." And we both rushed off to Jackson and the rest, to -inquire if they had seen anything of the youngster. - -"It's what I call confoundedly selfish, if Chandos has stopped the -young prig from coming out," said one of the fellows. - -"Chandos ain't selfish," I said; for, though I felt cross with -Chandos myself, I did not care to hear him run down by Tom's set. - -"Well, I don't know what you would call it, but if somebody tried to -make me stay at home the only day we are likely to have any fun on -the ice, I should feel ready to punch him." - -"I don't believe Chandos junior will stay. But now, what are you -going to do with him when he comes?" - -"Do with him! Do you think we want to eat him, Stewart?" - -"No, I don't suppose you do; but mind, there's to be no harm done--no -sousing him, or anything of that sort. If it's just a bit of fun, to -give Chandos senior a fright, I'll be in it." - -"I should think you would, for things are awfully slow here now. Tom -says you used to be up to anything, but since Miss Chandos--" - -"There, we won't talk about that; Tom knows all about it, if you -don't." And I was just turning away when Frank Chandos ran towards -us with his skates in his hand, looking angry and defiant at his -brother, who had followed him half across the playground. - -A few minutes afterwards we started for the ponds in groups and knots -of twos and threes, all laughing and chattering together, the masters -at the head, and leading the way to the broadest and shallowest. - -"Now, boys, I think you can skate and slide to your hearts' delight -here; but mind, Dr. Mellor has given orders that no one is to go to -the pond round by the alder bushes, for there are dangerous holes in -it, as you all know, and if the ice should break--well, you know what -the consequences are likely to be." - -"All right, sir, we'll keep clear of that," said two or three, as -they were fastening the straps of their skates, while some, who had -already begun sliding, laughed at the notion of the ice breaking. - -"It is as firm as the schoolroom floor, and one is as likely to give -way as the other." - -"I don't believe the governor would have let us come here at all if -all the ponds hadn't been safe," I said. - -"Safe! of course they're safe. The governor knows that; only he must -tell us something by way of a scare. He's as bad as Miss Chandos," -said Tom. - -"Where is the young lady," I said, "and the youngster? We must look -after them." - -We were off now spinning across the pond, Tom and I, with Jackson -close behind, and the three of us managed to keep together. - -"What a lark it would be to take Chandos junior to the alder pond," -said Jackson, looking at me as he wheeled round on his skates. - -"We'll do it," I said; "but not just now. Wait a bit, till the -fellows get warm to the work, and they won't miss us. We must keep -our eye on the youngster. Is he skating or sliding?" - -"Skating; but that don't matter," said Tom. - -"No, but if Chandos senior had the skates on it would be all the -better. They are his skates too; I happen to know that, and so I -shall tell Master Frank presently that he ought not to stick to them -for the whole afternoon." - -"I see; if Chandos senior should happen to see us he will not be able -to fly to the rescue of his duckling at once. But look here, -Stewart, we'll manage so that he don't know anything about it." - -"Oh, no, we won't! I want him to see us, to tease him a bit. I say, -Jackson, are you a judge of ice? Don't you think this seems to be -giving a bit?" I said. - -"No, it's as firm as a rock. What ice would give in such a cutting -wind as this?" And Jackson pulled his comforter closer round his -throat as he spoke. - -We were all pretty well wrapped up in great-coats and mufflers and -worsted gloves, so that when we had a fall, as most of us did every -few minutes, we had something to break the concussion a little; but -these heavy things would prove rather awkward if the ice should break -and let us through. - -I said something about this to Jackson, but he laughed at the notion, -and Tom said, "Why, what has come to you lately, Charley? You have -been tied to Miss Chandos's apron-string until you have got to be a -coward. I believe now you are afraid to go to the alder pond." - -"Am I? you shall see about that. Where's Chandos junior?" And I -wheeled off at once to look for the youngster and see what Miss -Chandos was about, and whether Swain was likely to have his eye upon -our movements. - -I cannot write any more to-day. To-morrow I shall be stronger, I -hope, and then I may finish this story about our skating. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -THE ACCIDENT. - -February 5th.--It helps to pass some of the time I am obliged to -spend alone to write in my log, and so I will go on from where I left -off yesterday. - -I found everybody was on the ice, the masters enjoying the fun as -much as the boys, and Chandos the merriest of the lot. He and two or -three of his friends were racing, curveting, cutting figures in the -ice, for I found that Frank had been glad to give up the skates and -take to sliding. - -"It's rather crowded here," I said, as I ran the youngster down, and -then stopped and wheeled round to help him up. - -"It's crowded everywhere, and the fellows with skates seem to think -they ought to have it all their own way," he grumbled. - -"Come over here; there are some good slides at the farther end of the -pond;" and I helped the youngster over, purposely going close to Miss -Chandos. - -But she didn't smell mischief, or was too much occupied with her own -fun to notice us, and we soon came up with Jackson and the rest. - -"It's dreadfully cold here," said young Chandos, shivering. - -"Yes, it is cold," said Tom; "the wind sweeps down upon us, freezing -our very marrow if we don't keep moving." - -"The best place for sliding would be the alder pond. That is -sheltered a good deal from this cutting wind," said Jackson. - -"But it isn't safe," said Frank Chandos. - -"Safe! As if they'd let us come near this place at all if all the -ponds were not safe! I tell you it will bear as well as this," said -Jackson. - -"Shall we go there?" proposed Tom. - -"Mr. Swain said we were not to go near it," feebly ventured Frank. - -"Oh, well, if you're afraid, stay where you are, but I'm going," said -Jackson. "Stewart, will you come? Tom will, I know." - -"Yes, I'm off," said Tom, nodding to me; but I wanted Miss Chandos to -see where we were taking her duckling, to give her a fright. - -The youngster saw me looking towards his brother, and said, in a -whisper, "If we mean to go, Eustace had better not see us. You're -sure it's safe?" he added. - -"Safe as the schoolroom floor," I said; and then we went after the -others; but I kept looking back towards Miss Chandos as we went -towards the alder pond. - -We got out of sight as soon as we could, and, screened by the -close-growing trees, the bitter east wind did not sting us quite so -much. Jackson and Tom were soon skimming across the pond. - -"I wonder where the holes are they make such a fuss about?" said Tom. - -"I don't believe there are any," said Jackson. - -"Well, holes or no holes, I think we had better keep near the edge," -I said; but young Chandos did not hear me, he says, and went at once -towards the trees for shelter from the wind. The ice was very thin -there, and the next minute there was a crack, a splash, and a scream, -and young Chandos had gone down. - -"Run for help!" I called to Tom, and then I skimmed across what I -thought was the strongest part of the ice to help Frank. But before -I could reach him the ice gave way, and we were both struggling for -life. - -I don't remember much of what happened beyond telling Frank to catch -hold of some of the branches of the trees that were close to the -water, and hearing the shouts of the boys when Tom gave the alarm. I -could hear them coming, but it would be too late to save me, for my -heavy clothes kept me down in the water, and I sank, never to rise -again, I thought. I seemed to see my mother at that moment more -plainly than I had ever seen her before, and to understand her grief -for my death in a way that I could not have thought possible. But -still, although I longed to escape for her sake, I seemed bound by -invisible fetters that were, in reality, my heavy wet clothes. They -have told me since that this probably saved me, although they thought -I was dead when they got me out of the water. - -Once out, however, I soon began to revive, for I am strong and -healthy; but poor Frank Chandos lay hovering between life and death -for nearly a week afterwards. I shall never forget that terrible -time. I felt if he died I should be a murderer, for he would never -have gone to the alder pond if I had not taken him there. Poor Miss -Chandos, too, who had promised his mother to take good care of the -lad, he was almost stunned with grief; and it was not until after his -mother had come that he could be persuaded to leave his brother even -for five minutes. Tom and the other fellows who came to see me told -me all about it, for I was ill too, from cold and fright, but nothing -to cause any alarm, and little notice was taken of me or my ailments, -and I did not let any one know how miserably unhappy I was. I tried -to talk to Tom about it once, but he only laughed, and said, "Oh, -it's no good crying over spilt milk; let's forget all that miserable -affair now. Of course we were all in the wrong box, I suppose; but -then it was only done for a lark, and we've all been punished for it -pretty stiffly. Jackson and I had a hundred lines of Milton to learn -in after hours that took no end of time to get perfect, for the -governor was so crabby he wouldn't let us off a single word, and -actually heard us himself, so if you don't think that has squared -accounts for us, then I don't know what will." - -"If learning two hundred lines would square things, I'd do it; but -think of poor Frank Chandos lying there dying, and all our fault." - -"How can it be our fault? We didn't carry him to the pond. He came -to please himself, and if he wasn't ill he'd have an imposition as -well as us. I wonder whether the Doctor will give you one when you -get well, Charley?" - -"I wish he would," I said, bitterly. "Oh, I dare say it's all very -well for you to talk when it isn't likely to happen, for I expect the -governor will think it punishment enough for you to be kept up here -and fed on slops for ever so long. I don't know myself that I would -not rather have the imposition." - -How glad I was when poor Chandos came to see me at last. I almost -wished we really had been girls then, that I might have thrown my -arms round his neck and kissed him and asked him to forgive me, for I -could see he felt sorry for me, and the first words he spoke were -meant to comfort me, only somehow they seemed to make me miserable. - -"You did not mean to do any harm, Stewart, I know," he said, his -voice shaking as he spoke. - -"Will he die?" I asked. "It don't matter about me and what I meant -about it, but tell me about him; is there any hope, Chandos?" - -"Not much, I am afraid. Only God can save him; the doctor can do no -more, he says. Stewart, you'll pray for him, won't you--pray that -God will give him back to my mother, for she is almost heartbroken -over it?" - -"Me pray! What is the good? I don't know how; I never prayed in my -life. I've said my prayers; but it's different, that is, from what -you mean, and I haven't done that since I was a little chap." - -"Then begin again now, Stewart. Pray for poor Frank. I know you -feel unhappy about him." - -"Yes, I do. I'd do anything I could; but that's just it; I can't do -anything, and it seems mean to go sneaking to God now, when I didn't -care a pin about the whole business until I got into this trouble; -and I can't do it." - -"Oh, but you mustn't think of it--think of God in that way. If you -had been very ill you would have liked your mother sent for, wouldn't -you? and she would have liked to come, I am sure." - -"Yes, I expect there will be a row that she was not sent for as it -is. But what has that to do with it?" - -"Everything. God feels as kindly towards us as our mother and -father, and He wants us to go to Him when we are in trouble, although -we may have kept away before. My mother says He often sends trouble -to be His messenger and make us come, so that He will not be offended -if you should begin to pray now." - -"I can't, Chandos. It's just the meanest business I ever heard of to -go sneaking to God whenever I'm in trouble and can't help myself, and -forget Him directly afterwards." - -"But why should you forget Him afterwards? Why not make Him your -Friend, as He desires to be?" - -"What, be religious and grumpy, and lose all the fun of life?" I -said, staring at Chandos in amazement. - -"You need not be grumpy, Stewart, and you can have just as much fun, -only I think you will be more careful not to let the fun do harm to -other people." - -"Well, I will be more careful in future, I promise you that, Chandos; -but about being religious, why, I never heard of a schoolboy being -religious unless he was a dreadful muff and a sneaking prig, and I -hate sneaks of all sorts." - -"So do I," said Chandos; "and if I thought praying to God and trying -to live in fear and love of Him would make you one, I wouldn't ask -you to do it. But it won't. Look here, you've heard of General -Havelock, haven't you? and Hedley Vicars, that fought in the Crimean -war? Did you ever hear that they were sneaks, or anything but brave, -noble men--brave enough to serve God openly and fearlessly? I tell -you, Stewart, it takes a brave man, not a coward, to declare himself -determined to serve God. But I have said enough about this, perhaps, -and you look tired." - -"My head aches," I said; "but I should soon be all right if I could -only know there was a chance for poor Frank to get better too." - -"I wish I had better news for you, Stewart. My mother and I can only -pray for him." - -Chandos was going away as he said this, but I caught his hand and -held him back. "I will pray too," I whispered; "but if God hears me -now, how shall I ever keep square afterwards? and I must, you know, -to keep from being a sneak." - -"Look here, Stewart; you are mistaken altogether in thinking God's -service such a dreadful bondage. He knows you are a boy, and does -not expect you to be prim and precise and always praying and singing -psalms. I am not sure that it would not displease Him if you tried -to do that, for He knows it would be a poor preparation for our work -in the world by-and-by." - -"But what would He want me to do, then?" I said. - -"First of all to think of Him as your friend. The Lord Jesus was a -boy Himself once, you know, and so He knows all about a boy's -feelings and temptations. Almost my father's last words to me were, -'Be honest and upright and pure;' and I know God will help me to keep -my father's command if I seek His help, as He will you if you will -take Him to be your Friend." - -"And isn't that what I want?" I said; "to be honest and upright and -pure?" - -"I believe you do, Stewart, and it's what God wants you to be, and -what He will help you to be if you will let Him." - -"But what else must I do? Religious folks always are different from -others, you know." - -"Well, they ought to be. A religious sailor ought to be the bravest -and most fearless man on board the ship, and do his work better and -more cheerfully than anybody else." - -"Well, my uncle did tell me of a fellow like that once, and I thought -I should like all my sailors to be like him. He was a jolly, -good-natured chap, ready to spin a yarn to his mates, and they were -willing to listen to the moral he always contrived to bring in. He -was as brave as a lion, too, and yet as kind as a woman if any of the -others were sick. But there ain't many like him, you know, Chandos." - -"You might make another, Stewart; and a captain--you mean to be a -captain, you know--and a captain of that pattern might do as much, or -even more, good than a common sailor." - -"Yes, but it's the beginning. I don't see that boys have anything to -do with religion. What can they do?" - -"Learn better--learn their lessons more thoroughly, so as to be -better fitted to do their work in the world by-and-by. I suppose -you'll admit that we shall be men by-and-by if we are spared?" - -"Well, yes, of course; but then it's just that. Religion seems to be -for those who don't live, to prepare them for death and all that, you -know. If I was very ill and dying I should want to be religious, of -course, but now--" - -"That's quite a mistake, Stewart, to suppose that because you are -likely to live many years this matter of serving God ought to be put -off. I might ask you how you can be sure that you will live even six -months longer, or that you may not be carried off by some sudden -accident. But I don't like to think of religion as just something to -sneak out of the world comfortably with. Religion is to fit us to -live--to live well, to fill life full of joy and happiness. You -stare, Stewart, but I can tell you the happiest people in the world -to-day are those who serve God best." - -"Then what makes them pull such long faces, and look so wretched, and -talk about being miserable sinners?" I asked. - -"Well, we are sinners, you know, Stewart, and one of the first things -we have to learn in coming to God is just this very thing. It is -because we have sinned that Christ died to put away our sins; but -some people don't seem to believe in this thoroughly. They know they -are sinners, and it makes them unhappy and they fancy they ought to -go mourning over them all the days of their life." - -"That's just my Aunt Phoebe, and mamma says she is very religious, -and one of the best women that ever lived, which makes me say I hate -good women, and all religious people into the bargain. But, Chandos, -there are not many of your sort of religious people in the world." - -"More than you think for. There are some of the fellows here in this -school; I won't mention any names, but two of the best and jolliest -in the cricket-field will be just such men, I believe." - -"Boys here in this school are religious!" I said. "Of course, I know -you are, but--" - -"You thought I was the only one, Stewart? Well, now, I'm glad to say -when I came here I found one or two trying to solve the problem you -think so improbable--how a schoolboy can serve God; and though it may -be difficult sometimes--I grant you that, for temptation to do wrong -even in fun must be resisted; and then lessons must be learned -fairly, not shirked, and no cribs must be used, or else where is our -honesty? But still, if a boy once starts to keep on the square all -round, things are not so hard as you might think. But I must not -stop any longer now, Stewart; I will come in and have another chat -by-and-by. But--but you will not forget to pray for poor Frank?" - -Forget! Sometimes I wish I could forget that dreadful day and -everything that happened then. It isn't often, I suppose, that such -dreadful things happen through a little fun, or else it would help -Chandos's argument about the happiness of not doing wrong even in -fun, for this has made me miserable enough. I wish I could be the -sort of fellow Chandos talked about. It's different altogether from -what I thought, and to be fair and square and honest right through in -lessons and everything else has nothing of the sneak about it. But I -have promised I'd pray for Frank, and I mean to do it. How am I to -begin? Will God hear me? I'm not good like Chandos. He saw me -shooting the pellets at him from under the bedclothes only a little -while ago, I suppose, and won't He think I'm mocking Chandos now if I -kneel down as he did? What was it that he said, though, about the -Lord Jesus being a boy once? Well, if He was He'll know all about -me, and after all it's poor Frank I want Him to help. I wouldn't -venture to ask Him to help me yet; I want nothing now so much as for -Frank to get well. - -After thinking like this for some time I locked the door, for fear -anybody should come in and see me, and then I kneeled down; but I -don't know what I said, only that it was about Frank and his getting -well, and that I'd try and do the square thing, and be honest and -upright and pure right through, if God would only make him well again. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -CRIBS. - -February 10th.--I am in the schoolroom again, and poor Frank Chandos -is getting better. He is to go away as soon as he can be moved, but -he is too weak even to sit up in bed yet. I went to see him -yesterday, and Chandos told him I had prayed that God would make him -well again. He turned his white face round, and looked at me with -his big, dark eyes, and said, "Thank you, Stewart." - -"Oh, don't do that! I didn't mean to do any harm, you know, but I -led you into the mischief, and I've been sorry enough ever since; and -I hope you'll forgive me, Chandos," I said. - -But I felt almost frightened when he put out his hand and slipped it -into mine--such a thin, white hand it was, with fingers for all the -world like claws. I suppose the doctors know best, but I should have -thought he was dying if Mrs. Chandos had not told me he was looking -better. - -Chandos seems to expect that I'm going in for plenty of grind, and -all that sort of thing. Well, it's only fair, for I couldn't think -of asking God to help me out of a scrape, and then forgetting all -about it as soon as it's over; though what a schoolboy can pray about -when things are all right I don't know. Of course, I haven't done -with Frank yet, for I don't feel so sure about his getting well as -the others do. He looks awfully thin and white, and if God was just -to leave off making him well for a day or two he'd be as bad as ever, -I expect. - -February 12th.--It's awful hard work to grind away like this--as I -have the last two days. It ain't so easy to do lessons on the -square, when one has been using cribs for ever so long; and then, -grind as much as you may, the lessons don't look so well after all -when one is a duffer at them, as I am. Yesterday I sat poring over -one book for hours and hours, trying to make out what it meant. I -suppose I ought to know well enough by this time, for I've learned it -all up to there; but then I've used cribs, and Swain don't know that, -and so he pitched into me, and threatened a heavy imposition if ever -I took up such another piece of construing. It's easy enough talking -about always doing the square thing, and it mightn't be so hard if -I'd always done it; but I haven't, and there's the rub. - -February 16th.--There's no end of a row with the fellows over these -cribs. I've always used them, and I always shall, they say; and Tom -backs them, and tells them I'm tied to Miss Chandos's apron-strings. - -It began about another wretched construe I handed in to Swain. - -"Is this your own work, Stewart?" asked Swain; and I thought it was -so good he could hardly believe I had done it, and I said, quite -proudly, "Yes, sir, I've done every word of it." - -"Then all I can say is, you have no right to be in this division of -the school; and I shall talk to the Doctor about it." He was turning -over the leaves of the exercise-book while he was talking; and -presently, turning up one of the cribs, he said, "Look here, Stewart; -who did this?" - -"I wrote that a month ago, sir," I said. - -"Yes, I know you wrote it, but who did the construing?" - -I looked at Swain, and then at the map on the wall, for I didn't know -who had done it. I always did my lessons with Tom and the rest, and -they managed the cribs somehow, and I just copied them off the slips -of paper Jackson or some of the fellows handed to me. - -"You have been using cribs, sir," thundered Swain; and then he looked -round at the other fellows, who were all very busy over their books. - -I wished for once that the schoolroom floor was like the ice on the -alder pond, and I could slip through out of sight, for I couldn't -tell a direct lie about it; and Swain had cornered me so that there -was no other way of getting out of it. So I said nothing, though I -knew I should catch it from Tom and the rest when we got into the -playground, for I could see by Swain's looks that he suspected cribs -had been used by all the lot. - -"You may go to your seat now, Stewart, and I will see Dr. Mellor -about this," he said at last. - -As soon as ever we got into the playground the row began with the -other fellows. - -"Look here, you miserable muff! what right have you to get us all -into this awful scrape?" said Jackson, pulling off his jacket ready -to fight. - -"Who says I'm a miserable muff?" I said, looking round at the others -who had gathered near. - -"Well, Charley, it was mean of you not to open your mouth when you -might have saved us all by a single word. Swain would have believed -you if you'd said, 'I haven't been cribbing;' and it wouldn't have -been much of a fib either, for you haven't cribbed for nearly a -month, I know." - -"No, because I haven't done many lessons lately. You may call it a -fib if you like, but I call it a lie, and you know I hate lying, Tom, -as you did a little while ago. Now, Jackson, do you want to fight it -out?" I asked, beginning to roll up my shirt-sleeves. - -"No, no, don't fight; things are bad enough now, and the governor -will be furious if he hears you have been fighting," said Tom; and he -caught hold of Jackson and held him back. - -"Try and settle it without fighting," said one of the other fellows. -"I don't suppose Stewart meant to get us into a row." - -"No, I didn't," I said. "I only wanted to go on the square for -myself." - -"One of Miss Chandos's tricks for serving us out," I heard Jackson -whisper to Tom, - -"Well, that's all very well, you see, Stewart, but you've been using -cribs with us for ever so long, and so you must stick to them now." - -"I shan't," I said. "I mean to act on the square." - -"Go on the square for anything else you like, but you mustn't throw -us overboard in this crib business. We're all in the same boat, you -see, Charley, and it won't do; the other fellows don't like it." - -"Then they can lump it," I said; and I was turning away, but Tom ran -after me. - -"Now, be reasonable, old fellow; I've stuck up for you," he said, -"for Jackson and the rest wanted to kick up a row as soon as they -found you were doing your lessons on the square; but I said, 'Let him -be a bit, and have his own way; he'll soon be glad of cribs again.'" - -"But I don't mean to have anything to do with them again, I tell you, -Tom; it's downright dishonest." - -"Hoighty toighty--dishonest! You'll tell us next we're all thieves!" -said Tom, angrily. - -"What's that he says?" asked Collins, who happened to hear the last -words. - -"Oh, he's setting up for a Solomon after the Chandos pattern; says we -are all dishonest--little better than thieves, of course." - -"What do you mean, Stewart?" said Collins, turning upon me fiercely. - -"Just what I say--what I told Tom--it isn't honest to use cribs, and -I've done with them." - -"You'll have to ask us about that now, Stewart; we've helped you, and -we'll do it again, though you have served us this shabby trick, for -it won't do, you know, to have another kick-up with Swain about your -wretched construing. This may blow over, but the next won't, and -then we shall all be in for it." - -"Why don't you give the muff a good pommelling?" said Jackson; "he's -done no end of mischief. It's no better than peaching to serve us -such a shabby trick. Swain suspects us, I know." - -"Look here, Jackson, a fight will just bring the whole thing out, and -we shall all be condemned to no end of grind if it does. There'll be -no time for the playground or cricket-field or anything else; we -shall just be worked like galley-slaves, for the governor will have -all the old lessons done over again by way of extra impositions. I -know him better than you; but if you'll just keep cool and take my -advice we may all escape." - -"Now then, boys, listen to the words of the sage," said one of the -fellows, elbowing his way to the front. - -"Go on, Collins, make us a speech," said another. - -"It ain't much of a speech. You must give up cribs now." - -"Oh, that's all cram; we can't do it," said Tom. - -"We must." - -"We shall all look as interesting as Stewart did to-day when we go -up. I say, why didn't you put your finger in your mouth, Stewart?" -he asked. - -I was too angry to answer, but the rest burst into a loud laugh, and -I punched one fellow's head, but Collins wouldn't let us have a fair -stand-up fight, and so I walked away, leaving them to settle about -the cribs as they liked; but Tom came to me afterwards, and said that -the fellows had agreed to use no more cribs for a fortnight, but -after that I must do as the rest did, or they would send me to -Coventry. - -February 20th.--Mrs. Chandos is still here nursing Frank. I go into -his room to see him every day for a few minutes; but there isn't time -for anything now except on half-holidays, for it is grind, grind, -grind all day long, and the worst of it is we get impositions, and -the masters are cross because all the construing is done so badly. I -wonder who invented cribs. It's an easy way of getting over the -lessons at first, but a fellow is nicely floored if he has to do -without them for a bit, as we have just now. I fancy, too, that -Swain suspects what is going on, and is watching to catch some of us, -for we have heard nothing since the day of the row--not a word more -about my being sent to the governor. - -I wish it wasn't so hard to do everything on the square. Chandos -says I find it hard because I made a bad beginning when I came here, -and the longer I go on without altering this the harder it will be to -alter. He gave me quite a lecture about this last night--about -everything in my life depending upon the sort of beginning I make -now. I laughed, and told him he ought to be a parson, and I should -expect to see him preaching at some street corner if they wouldn't -give him a gown and pulpit; but though I laughed I cannot help -thinking he may be right after all. I suppose these lessons they -give us to learn will be useful in some way, and when I leave school -I shall be supposed to know all about them, as Swain thinks I know -all about the construing in my exercise-book, and it may be more -awkward by-and-by not to know it than it is now. I'll try to think -of this. Dear old Chandos, I like to tease him a bit about his -lectures, and yet I like him to talk to me as he does. - -I can understand now how it is he is so grave and quiet. He is the -eldest son, and his mother talks to him as though he was Frank's -father. What a pity it is he cannot have his wish and be a doctor. -It's cruel, I think, that people can't have their own way about -things like this. I couldn't give up going to sea, as Chandos has -given up his wish. - -March 4th.--The fortnight is up, and cribs are coming in fashion -again, but everybody is very careful, for Swain is still on the -look-out, I can see. Last night I had a talk with Chandos about it, -and he says if I am firm the boys will not send me to Coventry, as -they threaten. Jackson and a few others may bully me a bit, but the -school will not be led by them. - -To tell the truth, I am not so much afraid of Jackson and that lot as -of the endless grind I shall have to do to keep on the square and do -without cribs. I wish I'd never begun with them, and it wouldn't be -so hard now, but once begun, it seems almost impossible to leave them -off. - -I said something of this to Chandos, and he said if I asked God's -help I should not find things so difficult; but I don't see how -praying can help me with my lessons or make them any easier, but -still I mean to keep on. - -March 12th.--The fellows are awfully rusty because I won't use cribs. -Yesterday Tom came to talk to me about it--the first time he has -spoken for a week, for most of the fellows have kept their word, and -sent me to Coventry for it. - -"Now look here, Charley, the fellows have sent me to speak to you -once more--mind, it's the last time--and if you ain't reasonable now -you won't have another chance." - -"If it is about cribs you can hold your tongue, for I've made up my -mind long ago," I said. - -"Oh, that's all cram. It won't do to come over us with that tale, -you know, Charley; you've used 'em for months and months before you -came here, I know, and you'll be glad enough to use 'em again; but -you'll find then the fellows won't help you, and so I've come to give -you one more chance. Now then, yes or no?" - -"No," I said, firmly. - -"Oh, I'm not going to take your answer in such a hurry as all that. -Just think a bit, old fellow, what you'll do when the summer comes, -and you have to sit stewing over your lessons in that musty old -class-room while we are in the cricket-field. Why, you'll never get -that big ship of yours finished unless you take to cribs again." - -"I can't help it," I said, sulkily, and wishing all the time I could -get my lessons done sooner. - -"Oh yes, you can, and you needn't think to cram me with the tale that -you are fond of grind, because I know better. You hate it like -poison, and if you weren't afraid of Miss Chandos and her slow-going -lot you'd take to cribs again like a sensible fellow." - -"Who says I'm afraid of Chandos?" - -"I do, and so do the other fellows; and she's just taking all the -spirit out of you, and making you as big a coward as she is herself." - -"I tell you, Tom, you're mistaken in thinking Chandos is a coward, -and I'll fight any fellow that dares to say so." - -"Oh, everybody knows you can fight, but that isn't the thing. I -haven't come to quarrel with you, Charley, but to talk over this. -Look here now, things are getting awfully dull and slow. We haven't -had a real good lark this half, for all our time has to be spent in -grind." - -"You and Collins and Jackson always get done in good time." - -"Yes, and a few others besides, but some of them talk about giving up -cribs through you, and it ain't fair. Swain will find out about the -cribs if you are so much longer over your lessons than we are. Mind, -this isn't the only thing, Charley. We're old chums--" - -"We were at one time, Tom, but I can't forget that farm-yard -business," I put in. - -"Oh, botheration to the farm-yard! That was months and months ago, -and everybody has forgotten that, if you haven't." - -"I'm not so sure of that, Tom," I said. - -Tom put his hands into his pockets and whistled. After a minute or -two he said, "Well, Charley, you'll never be the sailor I thought you -would." - -"Bother being a sailor! What's that got to do with it?" I said. -"You were talking about our being chums." - -"Well, only this--sailors don't bear malice like you." - -"I don't bear malice. It isn't that at all. You didn't hurt me, -except that I felt I'd lost my old chum, when you did that sneaking -business, and let Chandos take your punishment." - -"Oh, bother Chandos! I'm sick of hearing the young lady's name, and -I didn't come to talk about her, but about these cribs. I tell you, -Charley, if you don't take them up again there'll be no fun this -half." - -"We can live without fun, I suppose," I said, crossly. - -"I suppose we can, but you were always up to anything in that line. -But now--well, there's been nothing since the skating but just -maundering about like a parcel of girls." - -"Would you like that skating business over again?--because I -shouldn't! I do like a good lark as well as anybody, but I may as -well tell you straight out, Tom, I mean to go on the square with our -larks as well as with lessons. I shan't forget how near Frank -Chandos was to dying for one while, and I mean to be careful in that -direction for the future, for I shouldn't like to be a murderer, even -in fun." - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -WAS IT ROBBERY? - -April 13th.--A month since I wrote up my log. I have been home for a -few days' holiday, but the rest has been all grind, and not a single -lark. I'm afraid I shan't be able to hold out much longer; and yet -it seems jolly mean when God has made Frank Chandos almost well, and -saved me from being miserable all my life. - -I had a letter from Frank yesterday, and he says he can run -about--clamber over the rocks and build castles in the sand now. I -wish I was at the seaside, though it would be better to be on the -sea. I shall run away soon to get away from this grind if something -don't happen, though I'm not sure that it wouldn't be as mean as -cribbing. The fellows have sent me to Coventry over that, and -everything is as dull as can be. I wish something would happen; even -a row would be a change. - -April 20th.--Something has happened, or is going to happen, at least; -and I've laughed so much already over it that my sides ached. -Yesterday morning I heard a knocking at our bedroom door just before -the dressing-bell rang. - -"Who's there?" I called out. - -"Hush up and come out here," came a whisper through the keyhole. - -I knew it was Tom, and though I felt inclined to give him a turn at -Coventry at first, I got up and opened the door. - -"Now then, what's the row? Have you set all the water-jugs on fire?" -I asked. - -"We want you in our room a minute. Is Miss Chandos asleep?" he added. - -"It ain't likely, with all the row you've been making at this door. -What do you want, Tom? You know I'm in Coventry." - -"Well, you won't be much longer. We'll give up about the cribs, -Charley; you've beat us. But slip on some of your things and come -into our room. Collins wants to speak to you. He's got some news." - -"And a hamper too, hasn't he?" - -"Yes, but there wasn't much besides clothes, and that's what's put -him out." - -"Does he think I'm to blame, then?" I said. - -"No, but he thinks you might help him fill it. But come on, Charley, -now, before Swain comes. We must think of something at once." - -"I shan't be a minute, Chandos," I said, slipping my head inside the -door; and then I followed Tom to his room. This is a good deal -larger than ours, and has six beds in it, Jackson, Collins, and Tom, -with three others, sleeping here. They were all perched on Collins's -bed when we went in, talking over the matter upon which Tom had been -dispatched. - -"I say, Stewart, you'll promise us, first of all, not to tell what -goes on here, even if you shouldn't join the fun?" - -"Did you ever know me to turn sneak, any of you fellows?" I asked, -rather angrily. - -"You need not get your back up, Stewart; we only asked you a civil -question, and you might give us a civil answer. It's all right, -though; I don't believe you'd peach." - -"No, I wouldn't." - -"Well, I believe you. Now, look here. The governor's birthday is on -the twenty-fourth, and we shall have a holiday--a whole holiday, this -year, as I happen to know; for I overheard Swain talking about the -weather being unusually fine, and the boys having worked very -steadily lately; they were to have the whole day to spend at -Dinglewell. You've never been to Dinglewell, have you, Stewart?" - -"No, but I've heard about it." - -"Oh, it's the jolliest place! and we can do pretty much as we like in -the woods. There's only one thing they're mean about, and that's the -grub. Sandwiches and stale buns I don't relish, especially when I -think of the pantry shelves almost cracking with the good things at -home; for you must know there's always a grand dinner-party in the -evening, and cook begins preparing for it days beforehand. I tell -you, Stewart, it's enough to make a fellow's mouth water to see the -pies and tarts and custards standing there." - -"You're not obliged to look at them, I suppose?" - -"Oh, it's not the looking at them I object to, but the not tasting; -and I mean to remedy that this year. Are you game for a lark?" - -"Just try me, that's all!" I said. - -"Charley's good for any lark that don't hurt anybody," said Tom. - -"Then this will fit him as nicely as possible, for nobody will be -hurt. Even the governor himself will laugh over it, and we shall -have a jolly feed into the bargain." - -"You mean to have some of the pies and tarts out of cook's pantry, -then?" - -"Exactly, old fellow. You'd help us, I know." - -"What am I to do?" I asked; "and how are you going to get them -away--put them in your pockets?" - -"Pockets be bothered! No, everybody knows I had a hamper from home -yesterday, and I mean to let the school think it was stuffed full of -good things, and that I mean to save them until we go to Dinglewell." - -"Oh, I see," I said, laughing; but there wasn't time to say any more, -for the bell rang, and I was obliged to hurry back to my room, for -there's no telling when or where Swain will turn up in the morning. - -Chandos looked at me when I got back, but he would not ask any -questions, and of course I can't split on the other fellows. - -Later in the day I had another talk with Collins about clearing the -larder, and we agreed to do it the night before we went to -Dinglewell; and the things were to be packed in his hamper, and Swain -is to be asked beforehand to let it go in the cart with the other -grub and things. This is the best of the whole fun, to think Swain -should help us clear the governor's larder. I laughed until Collins -declared I should bring it all out and spoil it. I wouldn't be out -of this fun for anything. I only wish I could be at home when cook -finds it out. I'd give my share of the fun to see the scare. - -[Illustration: CLEARING THE LARDER.] - -April 23rd.--I've only time for a line before Chandos comes in, and -the other fellows don't want him to know anything of what's going on. -We've done it--cleared the larder of every pie and custard we could -get hold of. I thought we should be caught once, and my hair almost -stood on end as I heard cook's voice outside the door; but she went -on, and so did we. I handed the things to Collins through the -window, and each fellow in the secret took something and stole up to -his room with it, and now they are all safely packed in the hamper, -and Swain has promised it shall go in the cart. Poor old Swain, if -he only knew what he had promised! But he'll never know that he -helped to clear the governor's pantry, although he'll pull a long -face to-morrow when he comes home and finds there's precious little -to eat. The best of the fun is, they won't find out that they're -gone until dinner is nearly ready, for the precious things were -packed on the top shelves out of the way, and I nearly broke my neck -once trying to reach them. I wonder what Chandos will say about this -when he hears of it? He is looking forward to the fun we shall have -in the woods to-morrow as much as anybody. I wonder whether he would -think this innocent fun? I don't think I shall go to the feed, -though I helped to get the things, for Collins won't ask him, which I -think is rather mean of him, considering that Chandos had to stay -here for the Easter holidays, while the rest of us went home for a -fortnight. - -I wonder what we shall do with the dishes when we've eaten the pies! -We can't bring 'em home, that's certain, and Swain mustn't see them -either, and he'll expect to be invited, for Collins has pitched him a -fine yarn about the things his mother has sent for this feed. I must -ask Collins what he means to do about this, for if we don't look out -the crockery will spoil the whole game. What a pity it is they can't -make pies without dishes! I almost wish I'd only brought those -little tarts that Collins carried away in his handkerchief. They got -broken a bit, and some of the jam ran out, but they're just as good -broken as whole, and there's no dishes to worry about. Bother the -dishes! I must go and speak to him about them before Chandos comes -up. I wonder why he is downstairs so long after time. Surely he -can't have any mischief on hand! - -April 25th.--Our holiday is over, and the fun too; but I'm afraid we -haven't heard the last of the governor's pies. If he only knew what -a bother they were to us after all, and how often we wished them back -in the pantry even before we had eaten them, he would feel more -comfortable about it, I should think, for it's the last time I'll -ever have anything to do with robbing a larder, even for a lark. It -was all through the dishes. Nobody knew how we were to get rid of -them, and some of the fellows got so frightened they wanted to pitch -the whole lot away. But we couldn't do that, even if Collins and -Jackson would have agreed to it, for the hamper had gone in the cart, -and we couldn't get at it until Swain said, soon after we reached -Dinglewell, "Would you like your hamper left with the other things -until dinner-time, Collins?" - -"I don't think so, sir, Stewart and Jackson, and a few more of us, -are going to look for ferns, and so we can carry the hamper, and if -we shouldn't get back by dinner-time it won't matter." - -"I don't know so much about that," said Swain, turning rather rusty; -"I cannot let you stray miles off. You may take the hamper, of -course, but you must not go beyond the old tower, and then I shall -know where to find you if you are wanted." - -"The contrary old hunks--he's never done that before!" grumbled -Collins, as we turned away, carrying the hamper between us. - -We didn't feel very jolly about the thing now, and I wished I could -back out of it and join the football party with Chandos and the rest. -We might have been carrying a coffin with the body of somebody we'd -killed, by the solemn way we marched along. As soon as we were away -from Swain and the rest I said, "Now let's pitch all the rubbish down -the first hole we can find." - -"That's your own throat, I suppose, Stewart," said Jackson. - -"No, I don't want a bit; I've had enough thinking of the dishes," I -said. - -"Oh, hang the dishes! I wish you hadn't thought of them at all, or -had left them in the pantry," said Collins. - -"Well, I like that--after dragging me into the scrape to grumble at -me for helping! Now, look here, I've had enough of the fun, and will -give up the feed to you, and go back to the rest, if you like." - -"And leave me to take care of the precious dishes! I knew you were a -coward, Stewart." - -"No, I'm not a coward, and I'll stay and see it out, if you like. We -must smash the dishes up, you know, and throw the bits about. Swain -will never see anything of them then." - -"Bravo, Charley! What a pity we hadn't thought of that before! Now, -then, let's find a place where we can be sure to be to ourselves, and -when we've cleared out the good things we'll begin the smashing -business." - -It did not take us long to demolish the pies and custards, and each -dish as it was emptied was broken into pieces, and we amused -ourselves by throwing these as far as we could in every direction. - -It was quite a relief when the last tart was eaten and the last dish -scattered, and I then proposed returning to the others, for, our -penance over, surely we might have some play now. - -"You forget we've come fern-grubbing," said Collins. "I propose -that, as we have robbed the governor of his dinner, we should take -him something for his fernery. It will help to ward off suspicion, -too, I should think; it ought, I am sure." - -"I am not at all sure," I said, "and I know nothing about ferns -either." - -"He wants to get back to his nurse," laughed Jackson. - -"Miss Chandos said he mustn't be long," put in Tom, provokingly; but -the next minute he had measured his length on the ground, for if I -did want to have a game with Chandos I wasn't going to be told of it -by Tom. - -Then the fellows all turned rusty, and there was something of a -fight, until about the middle of the afternoon we were so tired of -each other and our fruitless search for ferns that we threw the -hamper away and went back to the rest. - -"I knew you wouldn't get any ferns," said Swain, when he heard of the -result of our expedition. "I suppose you have had your dinner?" he -added, speaking rather stiffly. - -"Yes, sir," answered Collins; and we were glad to turn away, for we -fancied he looked at us very suspiciously. - -We had certainly missed the fun to-day in our eagerness to grasp it; -for seven more disagreeable, disconsolate boys it would be hard to -find than we, as we sauntered towards the two football parties, who -were running, shouting, laughing, and evidently enjoying the game -wonderfully. - -There seemed to be no room for us now, and we stood about watching -the fun as it grew more fast and furious. Chandos saw me at last, -and ran across to where I was standing. - -"Why, Stewart, where have you been all day? What made you run away -from this football? It has been such glorious play!" - -"I'm glad you've enjoyed it. I've been with Collins and the rest to -look for some ferns." - -"To look for ferns! Why, Collins must know that ferns don't grow in -Dinglewell Forest; at least, I never saw any," said Chandos. - -"I don't think they do, for we couldn't find them either, and so we -came back." - -"Well, you'll join the game now, won't you? Come on, we'll make room -for you." - -"No, I don't care about it to-day," I said, for I began to feel a -kind of dizziness in my head. I had felt sick for the last hour, but -this pain in my head was something quite new, and I began to fear I -should be ill. Certainly I had no inclination to join in the _mêlée_ -over the ball, and only wanted to be left alone. - -The miserable day came to an end at last, and I was glad enough to go -home and go to bed, and I fancy Tom and one or two of the others felt -as bad as I did, although nobody complained or even owned to having a -headache, for fear Swain should suspect us when he heard of the -robbery. Robbery! what an ugly word that is! But of course it isn't -as though we really stole things; we only took the pies for fun, -which is different from common stealing, only we missed the fun -altogether this time. - -We expected to hear all about the affair when we came home--that the -cook had gone into hysterics and the governor fainted, or something -like that; but we did not hear a single word, and of course we -couldn't ask. - -Yesterday we did hear a little bit from the housemaid; but she didn't -know who the governor suspected. She thought it was burglars, and of -course we said it must be, and sent the whisper through the school -that burglars had broken into the pantry. - -One of the juniors was so frightened at the word "robbers," that he -went and asked Swain if he thought they would come any more, or -whether he had better write and ask his mamma to send for him. - -"Who has been telling you this tale about burglars and robbers? It -is nothing to be afraid of. Burglars such as you are thinking of -don't come to steal pies and custards. We shall find out the thief -or thieves very soon, I have no doubt." - -I have been wondering ever since I heard this whether Swain suspects -us after all, or whether he just said it to pacify the youngster. -Not a word has been said about it by the governor, and so I am -inclined to think we shall get off without any further punishment. -It will only be fair after all, for if the governor knew how his -precious pies spoiled all our holiday, and how miserable and sick -they made us feel, he wouldn't want to serve us out any more by way -of making us remember it. I'm not likely to forget or repeat it -again, for a day like that is worse than the hardest grind at Euclid. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -A SURPRISE. - -April 30th.--There's been a most awful row, and the fellows say I -turned rat--at least, Jackson and Collins have sent me to Coventry -over it; but I should do it again if there was the same occasion, for -how could I let a poor servant lose her place and her character -through one of my larks? The governor must be a drivelling donkey -not to suspect us instead of the servants. - -I always fancied that Swain did smell a rat until Young came tearing -up to me with the tale that the police were to be sent for to search -the kitchen-maid's boxes. - -"Why, what's the row now?" I asked. - -"They can't find out anything clear about those pies; but it's pretty -certain the kitchen-maid has been giving away bread and meat, which, -it seems, is against the rules, and they think she has handed the -pies away too--sold them, perhaps." - -"Sold your grandmother! Young, you're not such a muff as to think -the servants did that, are you?" - -"I don't know what to think. It couldn't be burglars, you know." - -"Of course not, it was us. I did most of the business, and I'm off -to the governor now to tell him all about it;" and, leaving Young -staring with all his eyes, I rushed indoors past Swain, who stood -near the schoolroom door, and bolted on to the master's study. I -could hardly wait for him to say "Come in;" but when I opened the -door all my courage seemed to have gone, and I felt ready to run away -again. - -"Did you wish to speak to me, Stewart?" - -"Yes, sir; please, sir, it's about the pies," I said, hardly knowing -how to begin. - -"You mean the robbery that has been committed lately?" - -"Please, sir, I never thought about it's being a robbery when I took -them." - -"You took them! You robbed my pantry, Stewart?" - -"It wasn't a robbery, sir--it was only a lark. I did not want the -pies to eat; it was just for the fun." - -"And what did you do with them?" asked the governor, sternly. - -"Well, sir, Mr. Swain helped us get them away, although he didn't -know it;" and then bit by bit it all came out. I tried to screen -Collins and the rest, but somehow there was no getting over the -governor's close questions, and he sent for them, and gave us all a -lecture and then a long imposition. I hate impositions and all sorts -of grind, but I didn't mind that so much, for after all the governor -didn't give it us so stiff as he might--as I thought he would; and -that poor girl is not to lose her place after all. - -I thought when the impositions were got over there would be an end of -the affair; but it seems I shall for ever be nagged about it--called -a rat, a sneak, a coward. Tom says I need not have been in such a -hurry to run off to the governor--that if the police had come they -would not have found the empty dishes in her box, and so she would -not have lost her place, and we could still have kept our secret. - -Chandos, too, talks something like the governor. According to them -it was an actual robbery, although I did it in fun. The result was -the same, they say, and it might have led to disastrous consequences -if I had not told the whole truth about it; and then he went on to -say it was not keeping the promise I had made when Frank was so ill. - -"Well, how in the world is a fellow to keep straight for ever?" I -said. - -"What pleasure did you get out of this?" - -"None at all, as it happened, and it's the last pantry I'll rob; but -still--" and there I stopped. - -"I suppose you mean to say you will get into some other mischief at -the first opportunity?" - -"Well, how am I to keep out of it?" I asked. - -"What pleasure did you ever get by it? Now, I know you did not enjoy -the holiday at Dinglewell as I did, and yet--" - -"No, that I didn't," I said; "it was the most miserable day I ever -spent, and I'll never rob a pantry any more, even for fun. I tell -you, Chandos, I'd like to keep straight if I could, but how can I? -I've tried, and tried hard, ever since that affair of poor Frank's. -I've never touched a crib since, I give you my word, and you don't -know how hard it is to leave off when once you've begun on that tack." - -"I know it must be hard work, and I think you have done very well in -resisting as you have the temptation to use cribs; but you might have -done better, Stewart, if you were not so proud." - -"Proud!" I said. "Nobody ever called me that before. Sailors are -never proud, you know." - -"Well, you are, or you would accept the help a Friend is waiting to -give you if you were not." - -"Now, Chandos, that isn't fair," I said. "I have always been willing -to accept help and take advice from you." - -"I wasn't speaking of myself, but of One who cares for you far more -than I do, although I feel sorry enough when you go wrong, and get -into scrapes, and make people miserable, as you often do through your -thoughtlessness." - -"I suppose you mean my mother? But I tell you, Chandos, she expects -it--she knows boys can't keep out of mischief." - -"But I know they can; and it wasn't your mother I was thinking of -just now, but God." - -"But--but you don't think He cares much about it, do you, Chandos? -He can't, you know." - -"You believe that I care, don't you--at least a little?" - -"Well, yes, I do, for you have always been my friend, and helped me -out of a scrape, and given me good advice; but--but it's different -about God," I said. - -"Why is it different? He is your Friend, who cares far more for your -welfare than I do, and He is more anxious to see you do well--live a -pure, honest, upright life--than I can be; and yet you will not -accept the help He alone can give, and by which alone you can conquer -this inclination to get into mischief and often do such great wrong." - -"God is my Friend?" I repeated. "Look here, Chandos, if I could -believe that--well, I don't know what I should do, but somehow I -should want to be different. I almost wish it could be true." - -"It is true, Stewart, as true as truth, as true as you and I are -standing here. I wish you would believe that God feels a personal -interest in you, as much as though you were the only schoolboy in the -world." - -"I wish I could. But somehow, Chandos, it seems so strange--too -wonderful, you know, to be true, that God--the great God who made -heaven and earth--can care for a harum-scarum lot like us." - -"Yes, it is wonderful; but you know the Lord Jesus Christ cared so -much for this harum-scarum world and all the people in it that He was -content to die--to lay down His life to bring them to God." - -"Yes, I've heard something about it in church; and since I've been -trying to do the square thing and write bits of the sermon, I've -heard about it there too; but then it never seemed to me that it -could be for boys. God the friend of boys like me? Why, look here, -Chandos; if the governor was to proclaim himself my friend it would -be an honour, you know; but look at the difference! I take it that -you mean I could go and tell God about every little scrape and -trouble I got into, and He would help me out of it?" - -"Or help you to bear it, as the case might be. That is exactly what -I do mean, Stewart." - -"You do; and you believe it?" - -"Believe it; of course I believe it. I don't know how I should get -on if I did not," said Chandos; and I am sure he spoke truly. - -"Well, perhaps I may come to believe it too some day, but I can't -now--not just in the way you do. Of course I know we ought to pray -and do the square thing; but as long as we do that and go to church -it always seemed to me that God wouldn't trouble Himself about us any -further. I have been doing the square thing too lately; at least, -I've tried at it, and isn't that enough?" - -"But, Stewart, according to your belief, we should all be the slaves -of God--doing just what we were obliged, for fear of punishment, and -no more. God does not ask, will not accept such service as that. -Don't you remember the text of last Sunday, 'My son, give Me thine -heart,' and what the minister said of God desiring our will, our -affection to be given to Him? The service would follow then quite -naturally, he said; and when I heard it I was thinking of -you--thinking you had begun at the wrong end, trying to force -yourself into giving God service without any heart or love or -pleasure in it." - -"Yes, you're about right, Chandos," I said; "but I don't see how it -could be different. God made Frank well, and I promised that if He -would do that and save me from being miserable all my life I'd do the -square thing; and I'm not mean enough to back out of the bargain if I -can help it." - -"But, Stewart, you do not surely think that God answered our prayers -for Frank just because He wanted to tie you to this miserable -bondage--for it is bondage, slavery--this service which you know -ought to be and is 'perfect freedom' to those who begin at the right -end, and not the wrong--by giving their hearts--their will and love -to God." - -"Well, I don't know. Of course God wants me to be good, I suppose." - -"But He would never take such an advantage of us as you -suppose--making a bargain with us, as it were. No, no, Stewart, you -have made a great mistake about this. God heard and answered our -prayers because He pitied our distress and loved you too well to let -the miserable consequences of your thoughtless mischief follow you -through all your life; and you ought to return love for love, and not -treat God as though you thought Him a hard taskmaster." - -"Well, I don't know; you may be right, Chandos, but I don't see how I -am to begin. What a pity it is you are not going to be a parson!" - -I couldn't help saying that, and I meant it too. - -May 5th.--Something has happened that I never thought did happen -anywhere except in books. Chandos, that so many of the boys have -looked down upon as being poor and beneath them, because he never -seemed to have any pocket money to spend, like the rest of us, has -suddenly become a baronet--Sir Eustace Chandos, of Chandos Court, and -I don't know how many other places besides. It came upon us like a -thunderbolt, for Chandos never told us his uncle was a baronet, or -that he had any relatives but the merchant uncle. He did tell me a -few weeks ago that he had just heard of the sudden death of his two -cousins, but he did not say any more, except that he had not seen -them above twice in his life. I suppose he may have thought it would -make no great difference to him, as his uncle was not a very old man; -but now his uncle has just died too, and our Miss Chandos becomes Sir -Eustace. Well, I only wish his uncle had put off dying a little bit -longer--just till I felt more settled about things; but now I feel -sure I shall run away to sea if the mother don't come round and give -her consent. - -May 12th.--Bravo! Sir Eustace is not going to leave us just yet. It -seems his brother Frank is just coming back, and he prefers to stay -another year, and then he will go to college, I suppose. It don't -seem to have made a bit of difference in him either. I thought -perhaps he might like to drop our friendship now he was so rich and I -still poor Charley Stewart, but he seemed hurt at the bare -suggestion, and so I am to call him Chandos as usual, and we shall -share the room just the same as though nothing had happened. I have -thought a good deal about this the last two days. I know a good many -fellows would have packed up their traps and gone off at once, or -else held their heads so high that a poor chap like me would never be -able to speak to them; and I've been wondering whether it's Chandos -having learned so many things about God that makes him different in -this. I've thought, too, that perhaps after all, as Chandos is just -as willing to be my friend now he is Sir Eustace, that God may be my -friend, as he said, though I can hardly get used to the thought yet. - -May 20th.--There has been a tremendous row over the prize essay by -which Tom won the watch last Christmas. After all this time, when -everybody thought it was forgotten--though a good many of us did -wonder then how Tom managed it--now it is found out that it was all -made up of cribs, some taken from books, and some from notes that one -of the older fellows lost. Somebody must have turned rat, Tom says. -He is in an awful rage at having to give up the watch, but the -governor insisted; and now Tom is as dull and looks as miserable as -he can be, for the school has sent him to Coventry over it, which is -very mean, I think, seeing they upheld him last winter, when a good -many at least knew he had no right to try for this prize. He must -wish he had let Chandos take his chance now, I should think. I -cannot help pitying him, and Chandos and I have agreed not to join -the school this time, though the other fellows threaten us with -Coventry for speaking to Tom as we do. - -The sea fever, as Chandos calls it, has suddenly seized Tom again, -and he is always talking about it, as though we were both sure of -going. I wish we were; but Tom's father says he has no real liking -for it, and therefore won't let him go, and my mother is afraid. Oh -dear! if mother would only give her consent! but she never will, I am -afraid, and there will be nothing for it but to run away. Tom says -we had better make up our minds to go from here before next -Christmas. If it wasn't for the talks I've had with Chandos I'd do -it; but I think I must give the mother one more chance, and see if I -can't persuade her in the holidays to let me go. I wish I could -think of something to please her very much; I'd do anything to get -her consent to my going to sea. - -June 4th.--I've been talking to Chandos. He says I have got the sea -fever very bad this time, and he is afraid some of the other boys -will catch the infection. I know what he means. He is afraid his -brother may learn to like the sea from hearing so much about it from -Tom, for the two are always together now. But I don't think he need -to be afraid, Frank would never do for the sea, I am sure. He has -persuaded me not to tease my mother too much about these plans of -mine these holidays, but to go in for lots of grind next half, and -get a prize at Christmas, and then, perhaps, when she sees I have -really been industrious with my lessons, and yet love the sea as -dearly as ever, she will be more likely to yield. - -The plan may be a good one--I think it is, but it's precious hard. -Grind is not quite such a trouble as it was at first, but still it's -bad enough; and what with no cribs, and the extra I shall have to do -if I am to have a chance of taking a prize, it is just enough to turn -my brain. I scratch my head and pull a long face every time I think -of it, but still I think I will try it, hard as it is. - -June 12th.--Mrs. Chandos has sent a very pressing invitation for -mamma and me to pay them a visit at Chandos Court, and of course Sir -Eustace is quite eager that I should accept it. Not that he wants to -show off his grandeur, I could never believe that of Chandos. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -RUNNING AWAY TO SEA. - -August.--We are back at school once more, and I am going to begin -grinding in real earnest for this prize. The mater has half -consented, or at least half promised, to give her consent if I get -this prize. Mrs. Chandos talked her into this, I fancy, while we -were staying at the Court. What a jolly time we had there, in spite -of its being awfully grand! Everybody calls Chandos the "young -baronet" about there, and people touch their caps to him as though he -were a great swell, as I suppose he is. I never thought there was so -much fun in him as I know there is now. He seems to love fun as much -as any of us, only he is very careful that his pleasure does not give -any one else pain, which makes all the difference in our way of -getting fun; and I fancy his enjoyment of it is deeper after all. - -September 1st.--There is to be an extra prize given for Latin this -year, and the examination is to take place early in December. -Chandos wants me to go in for this, but I am half afraid. It will -want such lots of grind. He says learning would not be so much -trouble to me if I would only make up my mind to like it; but I don't -think I shall ever do this. But still I must get one prize at -Christmas somehow; and having done my lessons so long on the square, -without even touching a crib, I think I may manage it without quite -killing myself. - -September 14th.--I wish prizes had never been invented--never been -thought of. I believe it's done just to plague boys. Here we are -working like galley slaves; and if I don't go on grind, grind, -Chandos whispers, "You forget the prize--you are going to sea." No, -I don't forget it; I have been thinking of it more than ever lately, -and so has Tom. He means to run away and get to Liverpool before the -winter sets in, and of course he wants me to go with him, and calls -me "rat" and "coward" because I will not promise. Of course I don't -mean to split on him, for I can't help wishing I could go too; but -somehow, now that it seems possible I may get my mother's consent to -go in a proper manner--go as a midshipman in the Navy--I would rather -wait, although I do hate the grind. - -Chandos says I shall have to grind harder still if I go to the Naval -College at Greenwich; but I won't mind that so much, for the grind -will be about ships and navigation, and not the stupid things we have -to learn here. - -October 12th.--Tom means to go. Everything is so miserable here, he -says. The fellows have been rather hard upon him, I think, -considering they all backed him up to keep Chandos out of trying for -the watch last year. Well, he don't want a watch now, but he's going -in for as much grind as though he did, or as though he was still -poor, and going to mount his uncle's office stool, instead of living -in all the glory of Chandos Court. But I began about Tom. He means -to be missing some fine morning, and to make his way to Liverpool. -He thinks he shall be sure to get a ship there, and is to write to me -and his father just before he sails. He don't mean to write to the -governor at all, because he was so mean about the watch. We always -talked about selling that to pay our expenses on the road, for of -course Tom don't want to beg; and to save him from this I have given -him all the pocket-money I had left, which was only half-a-crown and -twopence, for I never can keep money long, now that old woman with -the bulls'-eyes comes to the playground gate so often. Poor Tom! I -wish I had more I could give him, for things have been pretty hard -for him here lately, though I dare say he deserved it for the mean -trick he served Chandos. What a scare it will be when they first -find out that Tom has gone! I shall have to keep quiet, -though--hear, see, and say nothing, as they tell the youngsters, for -I cannot pretend to be anxious when I know all about it, and I don't -mean to split on Tom. Sometimes I fancy that Chandos minor is in the -secret. Tom is stupid if he lets too many know what he is up to. I -should have kept my own counsel, and not let Chandos know this. - -October 14th.--The house is all in commotion. Nothing has gone on in -its proper order, and everybody seems to be wondering what will -happen next. Tom has gone--run away to sea, as the boys are -whispering to each other; but that is not the worst. I knew he meant -going when he said "Good night" to me last night, and so I risked the -imposition I might get, and stayed in my room this morning until -Chandos came rushing in, looking white and scared. - -"Is Frank here, Stewart?" he said. - -"Frank?--no, I haven't seen him," I said. - -"Then he's gone--gone with Haslitt," he said, dropping into a chair. -"Did you know anything about this, Stewart?" he asked. - -"I knew that Tom meant to go some time. I've told you the same." - -"But about Frank--what have you heard about him? Tell me instantly, -Stewart. Think of my poor mother." - -"I don't believe your brother has gone with Tom. He isn't such a -muff as to do that." - -"You forget the sea fever that we used to tease him about in the -holidays." - -"Yes, I know we teased him, but nobody could ever think Frank would -be fit for sea. Tom didn't, I know." - -"But he's taken him--they're gone away together, I'm certain." - -"Oh, nonsense, Chandos. Look here, now, you mustn't split on Tom, or -say a word to the governor that I know anything about it; but I've -talked to Tom lots of times about this, but he never said a word -about anybody else going with him. He wanted me to go, of course, -but, failing me, he should have to go alone, he said." - -"But where can Frank be? Nobody has seen him this morning, and most -of his clothes and all his money have gone--I have been to look." - -"Well, if I thought--" and then I stopped. "Look here, I can't split -on Tom unless I am quite sure that young muff has really gone. Don't -tell what I have said, Chandos; but if they are together, Tom is the -greatest stupid I ever heard of, for he might be sure I should tell -all I knew then, and I will too. Fancy that poor little muff Frank -handling tarred ropes--he'd want to put his gloves on first!" and I -burst out laughing at the thought of Chandos minor going to sea. -Chandos Court would do for him nicely, but on board a ship he would -be in misery. - -Chandos left me laughing, but soon came back. - -"Stewart, you must go to the governor and tell him all you know about -this affair. There is no time to be lost, you see, for somebody must -go after them. A carriage has been ordered, and Swain is to go with -a policeman; but if they find out before starting which road they -have probably taken, perhaps it may save hours, perhaps days, of -delay." - -"Well, I know Tom meant to go to Liverpool; he told me so over and -over again." - -"Well, come and tell the Doctor before he sends off the telegram to -Haslitt's father." - -"Is he going to send to your mother too?" I asked. - -"Not just yet. I want to spare my mother this anxiety if I can. It -was for this--to look after Frank a little longer, because he is -inclined to get into mischief, that I decided to stay here for the -rest of the year, but it seems I am of little use in preventing the -mischief. But come now, Stewart, every moment is precious." - -So we tore off to the Doctor's study, where he was closeted with a -policeman. - -"If you please, sir, Stewart has come to tell you something about -Haslitt," said Chandos, pushing me forward. - -"I don't know much, sir, only he said he was going to Liverpool. I -shouldn't have split about it only for little Chandos, and he--" - -"When did he tell you this, Stewart? You came to school together, I -remember." - -"Yes, sir, we are old chums, and he had talked about going to -Liverpool lots of times." - -"You meant to go together, then, young gentleman?" said the policeman. - -"Yes; I mean to go to sea, but I'll wait till I get my mother's -consent now. Young Chandos, though, isn't fit for the sea, and he -mustn't go." - -"And you think they have taken the road to Liverpool, young -gentleman?" - -"I am sure they have." - -"And how do you think they meant to travel?" asked the policeman -again. - -"Oh, they'd walk, unless Chandos junior had lots of tin, and that -ain't likely; for Mother Brown makes us shell out for her -bulls'-eyes." - -"Do you know how much money your brother had, Chandos?" asked the -governor. - -"Not much, sir, I should think. He came to borrow some of me -yesterday, but I only gave him a shilling." - -"Then we may conclude they are walking," said the policeman; and a -few minutes afterwards he and Swain drove away, and we have been -wondering ever since whether they would catch the runaways." - -October 20th.--Nobody heard anything about Tom and Chandos until -yesterday, for they didn't go to Liverpool after all, and so Swain -and the policeman had their journey for nothing. Mr. Haslitt got -here a few hours after the telegram was sent, and asked me all about -Tom; but he was too impatient to wait until Swain got back at night, -as everybody expected he would do, but went off to London to set -people to work at once, in case they were not heard of. It was just -as well he did, too, for Tom must have changed his mind at the last -minute, and started for Plymouth instead of Liverpool, for that was -where he was found--he and Chandos--wandering about the docks asking -everybody if they wanted a boy to go to sea. Fancy anybody taking -that poor little muff Chandos! And it seems Tom might have got a -berth for himself, but he wouldn't go without Chandos, so they were -both caught, and I'm glad of it--glad at least that they found -Chandos minor, though I can't help feeling sorry for Tom, for he'll -have a harder time of it than ever now, I fancy. - -[Illustration: "DO YOU WANT A BOY TO GO TO SEA?"] - -His father is very angry with him, not only for this last scrape, but -about pretty well everything that's happened since he's been here; -for of course it all came out in talking to the governor and the -boys, and that watch affair he is mad about, and thinks it began all -the mischief. But I think the beginning of it was when he let -Chandos into that scrape about the farm-yard--that was the first mean -thing I ever knew Tom to do; and now if it wasn't actual stealing it -was next to it, for he put Chandos minor up to taking his brother's -studs and a locket that was with them. The police found that out; I -don't know what those London fellows could not find out if they -tried. Nobody had missed the things until we heard they had been -found, and then Chandos went to the drawer where he had put them and -found they were gone, and some money too; but he won't say a word -about the money, it seems. He is dreadfully upset, I know, although -he is very quiet about it; but I have come in rather suddenly once or -twice in the middle of the day, and found him kneeling down, and -though he has tried to hide it, I know he was crying too. He need -not be afraid of me now, though, for I'd--well I'd rather kick up a -row and laugh in church than tell the other fellows of it. I'm in -the secret a little. I know he feels it awfully about Frank, and I -suppose it helps him a bit to go and tell God all about it. That's -just what it is, I know. He prays as though God was as much his -friend as I am and just as ready to help him as I should be if I -could; and I know if I'd only got the chance I'd do it. - -October 24th.--Frank Chandos is back in his place once more, but Tom -has gone home with his father. I don't think anybody is likely to -try running away again in a hurry, for to see Tom and Chandos minor -when the policeman brought them in was enough to make anybody think -twice before they tried that game. That poor little muff Chandos -cried like a girl, but Tom tried to brave it out until he saw his -father. He gave it up then, and I almost wished for his sake that we -were all on the alder pond again, for a more miserable look I never -saw on any face than that on Tom's. His head drooped, and he never -raised his eyes from the floor again while we were there. - -Poor old Tom! if he could only have been brave enough to speak out -the truth last year about that farm-yard business, all the rest might -not have followed. - -But this fuss about him and Chandos minor has put everything else out -of my head, and I have forgotten all about the prize and the grind -too. What a bother prizes are! I'm afraid I shall stand a poor -chance of getting this one now, for the other fellows who mean to go -in for it have been working like galley slaves all the time this row -was going on, but I couldn't, and Chandos seemed to forget everything -but that little muff, and so I am all behind, I know. - -Chandos says I shall be able to make up for lost time now if I only -work steadily every day, but there's the rub. How can I be sure that -I can work steadily for more than a month? Fancy grinding without a -lazy spell for a whole month! I'm sure I couldn't do it, and so I -may as well give up at once. I think I will, for what is the use of -trying now? It will be so much grind thrown away. And we are having -such splendid weather now, that won't last much longer, that it seems -a pity to be boring over a book a single minute longer than I am -obliged. I shall tell Chandos to-morrow that I mean to give up the -whole thing, for I can't do it. - -November 1st.--I am grinding still, for Chandos won't hear of my -giving up. He says the things I learn--the grind--will be more -useful than the prize by-and-by; and then he reminded me of my -mother, and how very pleased she would be if I gained this prize. I -know that, and I should like to please her for once, independent of -the sea scheme. This is the prize to me, for I don't care much about -the watch for itself; it will remind me too much of poor Tom and his -watch. As to the grind, what do I care about Julius Cæsar and -Hannibal and Rome and Carthage? If it was about Nelson and Howe, and -Abercrombie and Cook, and a few more like them, I'd grind away, never -fear. Why can't they let us know what the questions are going to -be--a few of them at least? and then we might manage; but to be -expected to know all about everything, and the fellows that lived -hundreds of years ago, is rather too stiff, and if it wasn't for -Chandos I should give it up, I know, much as I want to please my -mother. - -November 7th.--I've had a letter from Tom. Fancy Tom writing a -letter! He says everything is just as miserable at home as it was -here, and he has to do no end of grind shut up in his father's room. -He saw my mother last week, and his father told her she need not be -afraid I should run away to sea now, for I had learned a few things -at school I was not likely to forget in a hurry. Well, that's true -enough; but I don't think Tom's father knows what it is I have -learned that prevented me going with Tom, and I am not sure myself -that I have learned all the secret that makes such a difference -between Chandos and two or three others and the rest of us at school, -that makes everybody take their word for anything, and be sure they -would not do a mean, sneakish trick. I feel as though I was stopping -just outside this secret, for God is not my friend--at least I cannot -feel that He is, as Chandos does. Sometimes I wish I could, for I -know this is more to him a great deal than being Sir Eustace Chandos; -but somehow I don't seem able to get hold of it, although I do -believe it's true--all that Chandos says about God being his friend. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -CONCLUSION. - -November 14th.--I'm in for it again. It isn't much this time--only a -trick we played off on Mother Brown. The mean old hunks! to say she -never gave credit, when she's cleaned us all out with her nasty -bulls'-eyes. I'll never eat another, that I won't. The governor has -heard of this lark, and my share in it, I suppose, for I'm ordered to -go to his study at nine o'clock to-morrow morning. Well, I don't -care what the punishment is, so long as Mother Brown don't hear of -it; but she would glory in that, I know, for I've led her a nice life -lately. - -November 17th.--I wish I could hang Mother Brown, and choke her with -her own precious bulls'-eyes. A nice imposition I've had through -her! This fresh hindrance would have taken away my last chance of -the prize; but now--well, I did not go looking for the prize -questions, but when they were there right before my eyes, and nobody -else in the room, how could I help seeing them? I don't see that -it's much of a cheat either, for of course I shall answer them all by -myself, and if it helps me to know where to read up--well, I've had a -good many hindrances, so that it's about fair after all. - -November 20th.--I'm getting along famously with my grind, I think, -although I almost wish I could forget those questions sometimes. But -I can't, and without meaning it I turn over the leaves of the book -that will answer some of them. Yesterday Chandos came and looked -over my shoulder, and when he saw where I was reading he said, -"Halloa, Stewart, I thought you said you shouldn't look at that?" - -"Did I?" I stammered, and I shut the book. - -"Don't shut it up; I don't want to hinder you. I'm glad you're going -in for it so thoroughly," he said. - -"Oh, don't bother!" I said, crossly; for somehow I can't think of -these questions and Chandos at the same time, and I shall tell him -not to interfere if he comes poking round again. - -November 21st.--We have just heard that our examination is to take -place the second of next month--about ten days hence. I wish it was -over, or that I had never made up my mind to go in for it. I hate -the very name of prizes, and if I get it I'll shy the watch down the -first well I see. What a fuss Chandos is making too! He says I am -so cross and touchy he cannot understand me. I suppose not, for I -cannot understand myself just now. I know one thing, though; I hate -Mother Brown and her bulls'-eyes, for if it hadn't been for her I -couldn't have seen these questions, but now I have seen them I can't -forget them. I've tried--I've turned to another part of the book, -and tried to read and learn all about that, but although I began to -feel some interest in that before, I couldn't now, and I was soon -turning the leaves again. I wish I had given it up when Tom went -away. I'd do it now if it wasn't for Chandos, but I should not like -him to know anything about this, and so I suppose I must go on. I -can do one thing, though; I can answer the questions so badly that I -shall lose the prize, and that is how I must manage, though it's -rather hard after doing such lots of grind for it. - -November 25th.--I've just had a letter from mamma. I wish it had not -come yet, for it makes me wish to get this prize more than ever. I -feel as though I must get it, must have it now, and yet I have not -touched a book the last two days. Chandos is puzzled and concerned, -I can see, and I hardly know how to avoid him, and yet I try to do so -all I can. Oh, why did the governor leave those questions about? It -was dreadfully careless of him. If he had only locked them up in his -desk when he went to breakfast, as he ought to have done, I couldn't -have seen them, and I shouldn't be in this trouble now. I wonder -whether Tom's prize essay worried him as much! If I could only get -out of it without letting anybody know of that sneaking trick of -peeping I'd do it; but how could I tell them I was every bit as mean -as Tom, when I raved so about him last year? Everybody would -remember that, and throw it up in my teeth, and they would say I had -learned it of Chandos too, and I couldn't bear that. It's precious -hard, but I shall have to go on. I must and I will get this prize, -if I can, though I shall hate the sight of it, and hate myself too. - -December 3rd.--It's over. I could answer every question, of course; -but--but, oh! how I wish I had been ill, or something had happened to -prevent my going in for it at the last minute. I don't want this -prize now, and if I don't get it I shall be almost as thankful as I -was when Frank Chandos began to get well. I wish I could feel that -God was my friend, and would help me out of this scrape, but I can't -ask Him. I've felt afraid somehow to kneel down since I turned sneak -yes, I am a sneak, a mean, miserable sneak, and I hate myself more -than I hated Tom, and I said hard things enough about him; but I -never thought then I should ever come to do the same myself. - -December 4th.--I had dropped my pen and was actually crying -yesterday, when Chandos came in and caught me. - -"What is the matter, Stewart? Are you ill, old fellow?" he asked, -and he put his arm round me, so that there was no getting away from -him. - -"Don't, Chandos," I said, "I can't bear it! I'm a miserable, mean -sneak, and if you were to kick me out of the room I should feel -better, for that's what I deserve. Mind, I never meant to be a -sneak, and I didn't think I ever should do such a mean trick, but now -you do know it you'd better turn me up as I did Tom." - -"Well, I don't know what you've done yet, we'll talk about that -afterwards; but just tell me this, would you do the same thing again -if you had the chance?" - -"Do it again? I tell you I hate myself for it; but the worst of it -is, it won't undo it now it's done. I never thought I could be so -mean, Chandos." - -"I suppose not; but bad as it is, you need not give up all hope. God -knew how mean you could be, and yet He will be your friend if you -would let Him. Is it about the prize, Stewart?" - -"Oh yes; I do hope I shan't get it," I groaned. - -"Well, you shall tell me all about it by-and-by if you like, but now -just let me say a word. You never felt before that you were a -sinner--that you could do anything bad?" - -"I've been trying to keep straight and do everything on the square, -but I may as well give up now, for I see I can't do it." - -"No, no, you won't give up, Charley. I'm going to call you Charley -now, because I hope we shall be better friends than ever after this. -I was just as miserable once as you are now. I had told a lie, and I -felt I could never be forgiven; but my mother talked to me, and I'll -tell you as well as I can remember what she said: - -"'You've been very proud, my boy, and thought you could get on very -well without any help but your own determination to do right.'" - -"Well, what more do we want?" I said. - -"Has it been enough, Stewart? Hasn't this been a miserable failure? -and are you not complaining now that you are more wicked than you -thought possible?" - -"Well, yes, that's true enough," I confessed. - -"Now let me tell you, Stewart, what mother told me. God knew you -would fail. He knew when He put Adam into the garden of Eden that he -wouldn't keep straight long; but He gave him a fair chance, and He -loved him so much that He provided a remedy at once for the sins he -and all men would commit. The Lord Jesus Christ agreed then to bear -the sins of the whole world--yours and mine among them, Stewart--and -this is what is meant by forgiveness of sins. You never felt you -needed forgiveness before for you never felt the burden of sin." - -"But look here, Chandos, I don't see how God is going to forgive me, -because, you see, I knew better." - -"Of course you did. But have you never read in your Bible, 'The -blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin.' 'If we say that we -have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us'? but -God is showing you the truth now--that you need pardon and -forgiveness, and He is willing to give you these; pardon for the sins -already committed, to wash them all away in the blood of His dear -Son, who gave His life for you; and not only pardon, but grace and -strength for the future to enable you to resist the temptation to do -wrong at any future time." - -"Look here, if God would help me like that, I shall feel so glad," I -said; "it's no good for me to say I'll always keep on the square any -more after this mean trick, for I may do another, as Tom did. He -didn't stop at the first, and I'm afraid I shan't if God don't help -me. Oh, Chandos, I do want Him to help me out of this scrape, and -keep me from doing anything like this again." - -"Well, Charley, suppose we kneel down now and ask God for this, and -then you shall tell me all about it if you like." - -"I think I had better tell you first," I said, "and then you can tell -God for me. I'll try and do it myself by-and-by, but I can't just at -once. I'm not good enough to kneel down at all." - -Then I told Chandos about the questions, and we kneeled down -together, and he asked God to forgive me and help me to do what was -right. - -"If God will only let me lose this prize now I shan't care," I said, -when we got up. - -"But--but I don't think we ought to wait for that," said Chandos. - -"What can I do?" I said. - -"Suppose you get it--and you may, you know," said Chandos; "you would -be obliged to do something then." - -"Oh, I can't bear to think of that. Won't God help me by giving it -to another fellow? - -"God will never help us to be cowards; He will help you to do the -brave and right thing, which is to go to Dr. Mellor at once, tell him -all about it, and ask him to destroy your papers." - -"Tell the governor I'm a mean sneak! I couldn't do it, Chandos." - -"Then God cannot help you in any other way, nor I either. I tell you -He helps people to be brave and do the right; but don't expect He is -going to screen you from the consequences of sin, because He cannot -and will not; and to expect it would be like sawing your finger with -a sharp knife and not expecting to cut it. I will not attempt to -persuade you, Charley; but if you are sincere in asking God's pardon -now, and His help for the future, you will not hesitate about this -long." - -"But it is so hard to do this, Chandos." - -"Yes, and God knows exactly how hard it is better than I do; but as -soon as He sees you are willing to bear this, and do the right, He -will give you the strength and courage necessary." - -When I lifted my head from my arms I found that Chandos was gone. I -sat for nearly an hour thinking over what he had been saying--dear -old Chandos! who is so good himself, and yet not half so proud as I -was about poor Tom. I wonder whether God will help me as he says. I -don't deserve it one bit, any more than I deserve that the Lord Jesus -should forgive me. - -December 5th.--I am sure God has begun to help me. I went and made a -clean breast of it to the governor this morning, and he has promised -to burn my papers, and keep the whole thing a secret from the rest. -It was pretty hard to begin telling him, but when once I had begun I -did not feel a bit afraid, and I must say he behaved splendidly. He -didn't blow me up or order me an imposition for prying round his -table, but he said, quite kindly, - -"I am very sorry for you, Stewart. I wish you had come to me before, -or told me you had seen these questions, and I might have saved you a -great deal of unhappiness--for I am sure you have been unhappy--and -not deprived you of all chance of getting the prize. Try and -remember this for the future--I am your friend as well as your -schoolmaster, and if there is any difficulty in which I can help you -I hope you will trust me as a friend. I am glad to see you and -Chandos get on so well together;" and then he actually shook hands -with me as I was going out of the door. - -I told Chandos all about it afterwards and he said, "You know now how -God helps those who trust in Him; I hope you will never forget it -again." - -I don't think I ever shall. I don't feel afraid to kneel down and -ask His help now, and I know I need it, for who can tell what I might -do next after this mean trick? - -December 7th.--I have written and told mamma how I have lost the -prize. I thought I had better do this, for she had made so sure I -should get it if I really tried that I did not like to go home -without telling her first. Poor mamma! I am sorry, for she is -dreadfully disappointed, I know, and I am afraid she will not let me -go to sea either. I wonder whether I shall be able to give up this -wish entirely, as Chandos did his? I am afraid not, for often in my -dreams I seem to be on the sea, and how can I ever forget it? But I -must try to settle down, I suppose. God will help me in this, I -know, as He did to go to the governor, only it makes me feel -dreadfully old to think of it. - -December 9th.--Everybody is busy packing and getting ready to go -home, but my packing must wait until I write up my log once more. I -mean to tie it up and put it away until I go to sea, for I am really -going after all. The news came yesterday; my mother wrote to say -that, as I had had the moral courage to confess having done wrong, -half her fear about my going to sea was taken away, for she felt sure -I was less likely to do wrong now I had felt so much unhappiness -about it than I was before. Dear mamma! she is mistaken here, but I -wonder whether I shall ever be able to tell her that God alone can -keep me from the evil she fears? - -I could not think much about this yesterday. It was enough for me -that I was going to sea, and when I had read that much of the letter, -so as to understand it, I tore round the playground, holding up the -letter and shouting, "Hurrah! I'm going to sea--I'm going to sea!" -Some of the fellows pretended to think I was mad when I rushed at -Chandos and hugged him, and shouted, "It's all your doing, old -fellow. I'm going to sea! I'm going to sea!" - -"Let him alone; let him blow off steam," laughed Chandos when some of -the fellows tried to stop me, and I went round the playground again -like a steam-engine. Everybody in the house knew it five minutes -after the letter came. Luckily lessons were over for the day, or -there would have been an imposition for me, but as it was nobody -interfered. - -To-day I can think more about it, and finish my log, for I shan't -come here after Christmas, and if I write another I shall get a new -book. But I mean to keep this, for I shall like to read it -by-and-by; and if ever I am likely to forget how God has been my -friend, and how I learned to know it, or if ever I get into a scrape -and am unhappy again, I shall read what Chandos said to me a day or -two ago, that I may never forget: "The blood of Jesus Christ -cleanseth us from all sin." We only meant to laugh over it, Tom and -I, but now I think I shall remember some wise and good words when I -read up "Charley's Log." - - -[Illustration: Sailing ship] - - -LONDON: R. K. BURT AND CO., WINE OFFICE COURT. - - - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Charley's Log, by Emma Leslie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHARLEY'S LOG *** - -***** This file should be named 61457-8.txt or 61457-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/4/5/61457/ - -Produced by Al Haines -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. 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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. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Charley's Log - A Story of Schoolboy Life - -Author: Emma Leslie - -Release Date: February 20, 2020 [EBook #61457] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHARLEY'S LOG *** - - - - -Produced by Al Haines - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-cover"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-cover.jpg" alt="Cover art" /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-front"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-front.jpg" alt="WRITING UP THE LOG." /> -<br /> -WRITING UP THE LOG. <i><a href="#p8">Page 8.</a></i>. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-title"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-title.jpg" alt="Title page" /> -</p> - -<h1> -<br /><br /> - CHARLEY'S LOG.<br /> -</h1> - -<p class="t3b"> - A Story of Schoolboy Life.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - <i>By the Author of</i><br /> - "Soldier Fritz, and the Enemies he Fought;"<br /> - "Glaucia, the Greek Slave," etc.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t3"> - LONDON:<br /> - THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,<br /> - 56, Paternoster Row; 65, St. Paul's Churchyard;<br /> - and 164, Piccadilly.<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-contents"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-contents.jpg" alt="Contents headpiece" /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> - -<p class="t3b"> -CONTENTS. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -CHAP. -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -I. <a href="#chap01">The Two Friends</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -II. <a href="#chap02">Disenchantment</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -III. <a href="#chap03">The Skating Party</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -IV. <a href="#chap04">The Accident</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -V. <a href="#chap05">Cribs</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -VI. <a href="#chap06">Was it Robbery?</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -VII. <a href="#chap07">A Surprise</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -VIII. <a href="#chap08">Running Away to Sea</a> -</p> - -<p class="noindent"> -IX. <a href="#chap09">Conclusion</a> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap01"></a></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-007"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-007.jpg" alt="Chapter I headpiece" /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER I. -</h3> - -<h3> -THE TWO FRIENDS. -</h3> - -<p> -October 4th.—I am going to keep a log. -I shall have to do it by-and-by when -I am Captain Charles Stewart, and so, -as I have been sent to school to prepare for -my work in the world by-and-by, this will -be helping in the preparation. Mamma -often talks about my work in the world, but -I am almost sure there is no sea in the world -she is thinking about, while to me—well, the -sea is all the world to me. But mamma -wants me to forget it, and all Uncle Alfred's -wonderful stories about it, and that is why -I have been sent here to school; but Tom -Haslitt is with me, and is not likely to let -me forget uncle and his sea yarns. Tom is -to be my lieutenant by-and-by, and as he -will have to help with the ship's log then, he -is to take a turn with this. -</p> - -<p> -It was kind of mamma to arrange for -Tom and I to have this little bedroom—cabin, -I mean—all to ourselves; but I am afraid she -would not be pleased to see how we have -rigged it up, considering that she wants me -to mount Uncle Charles's office stool by-and-by. -</p> - -<p> -I hope that tarred yarn Tom has stowed -away under the bed don't smell too strong. -The compasses and charts and bits of boats -we've got hanging about are pretty -ornaments, and by-and-by, when we get our -ship finished, our little cock-loft will be -furnished. -</p> - -<p> -I can't say much about the fellows here at -present, but they look a very quiet lot, and -one with fair hair certainly ought to have it -put in curl-papers every night. I shan't have -much to say to him, I know; give him a -wide berth, and stick close to Tom. If we -could only have gone somewhere else, some -school where they train sailors, I might learn -something, but it will do me no good to come -here, I'm sure, and I've told mamma so. -</p> - -<p> -<a id="p8"></a> -October 6th.—The captain says I must -help with the log. I'd rather heave up a -couple of hammocks here and bundle these -bedsteads out of the window, but I suppose -we may look out for squalls if we do too -much in the nautical line, for Charley has -got into a scrape already. What they want -to keep housemaids for at a boys' school I -can't think, unless it is that they may go -poking about where they are not wanted. -I'm sure that rope yarn did not smell much, -but she found it out, that housemaid did; -and when Charley tried to get it back there -was a row. -</p> - -<p> -The fellows here are not so bad, when you -come to know them, but I don't think I shall -ever like the governor—the Doctor, as -everybody calls him—or the under masters either; -although I think we shall be able to do very -much as we like here, as we have done at -home; at least, Charley and I mean to have -our own way in most things, if we possibly -can. -</p> - -<p> -October 10th.—What a place this is for -rows! Everybody looks as mild as turnips, -from the governor down to the housemaid -that took our yarn. But looks are deceitful, I -suppose; at least, Tom and I won't have such -a pleasant, easy time as we expected. If -things get much worse I shall write and ask -mamma to fetch me home; I'm sure she -wouldn't let me stop if I didn't like it, -for I have always had my own way about -everything but this sea scheme, and, like all -mothers, she's afraid of the sea, of course—thinks -it a monster that will certainly swallow -me up. -</p> - -<p> -I don't know what to make of the -governor. Yesterday he called me into his -room, and gave me a private lecture about -duty and conscience, and a lot more about -my lessons never being properly learned, -and about school being a little world where -character was tested, and made stronger and -nobler or worse, according as we used our -opportunities or yielded to our temptations. -I told Tom all about it afterwards, and we -laughed over it together; but I cannot forget -it, or the grave, earnest way in which the -governor spoke—exactly as though he knew -that Tom and I had made up our minds not -to learn more than we were obliged. -</p> - -<p> -October 14th.—Tom hates keeping the log, -but I tell him he will have to do it by-and-by, -and so he ought to get his hand in now; -but he says we've come to school to have a -good time and as much fun as we can. Well, -so we have, I suppose; at least, that was all -I thought about it until lately; but, -somehow, mamma's talk about preparing for our -life-work, and the governor's talk about it -being a test and trial of character, have -got mixed up in my mind, and it has made -me remember that mamma is not rich, and -that I am her only child, and I shall have to -work by-and-by. I mean to work and take -care of her, buy a carriage for her to ride -in, and everything she wants when I am a -captain and have made my fortune. But I am -afraid I shall have to begin by running away -to sea. I've quite made up my mind to do -it, for mamma is more than a little -unreasonable about this, she won't even let me -talk about it to her. But there, I won't -grumble; she's a dear mother, and reasonable -enough in everything else, and has always -let me have my own way about most things. -</p> - -<p> -Tom has got himself into another scrape, -and the governor has threatened to separate -us—send Tom to another room and put -another fellow in here. I should write home -to the mater at once if he did that, for it would -upset everything, and the place would be -unbearable. Some of the fellows grumbled, -too, yesterday, that we were always in the -shed they call the workshop instead of in the -playground. What is it to them if we like -to make boats instead of throwing a ball -about? We can do as we like in the playground, -I suppose. I hate cricket, that they -make such a fuss about here; and if they -drag me into playing it they'll soon find -I'm no good, and wish me out again. -</p> - -<p> -October 20th.—This is the last chance I -shall get of writing in Charley's log, I expect, -for I am to be turned out of his cabin, and -Miss Chandos is to take my place. I mean -to call him "Miss" in the playground now as -well as between ourselves, for I hate the -thought of his taking my place here. I -wonder how Charley will like the young -lady. Miss Chandos don't seem to like the -prospect much more than I do, but we dare -not rebel. -</p> - -<p> -Charley is packing up my traps while -I do the log, grumbling all the time, and -threatening to serve out Miss Chandos. The -young lady will not have it all her own way, -I can tell her. There will be lively times -with her and Charley. I wish I could stay -and see the fun, but I shall hear all about it -to-morrow, and Charley has promised to put -it all down in the log. He says it will be -good fun to read this log over to ourselves -by-and-by. We mean to keep it to read on -board our ship of an evening, and many a -good laugh we shall have over it, I dare say. -I wonder whether we shall ever laugh at this -turn out. I don't think I ever shall, for -Charley and I have always been chums ever -since I can remember, so that it seems -like—like something dreadful to have him turned -over to Miss Chandos. -</p> - -<p> -October 22nd.—No more of dear old Tom's -sprawling writing in our log, for I wouldn't -take it down into the schoolroom for the other -fellows to see; no, not for anything. Yes, -poor Tom's gone, and Miss Chandos has -arrived. I soon let her know what sort of -a welcome she was likely to have from me. -Tom's traps had hardly been bundled out -before the housemaid came with her hands -full, and white-faced Miss Chandos behind -her. -</p> - -<p> -"Is this your lady's maid, Miss Chandos?" -I asked. "Does she curl your hair and powder -your face?" -</p> - -<p> -His face was scarlet enough then, but he -only said, "Thank you, Ann; if you will put -down those things I will put them into their -places." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, Ann," I said, with a sniff; "you had -better come back, Ann, and bring the -curl-papers. Or do you use curling-irons?" I -asked. -</p> - -<p> -Ann looked indignant, and Chandos too, -but neither said a word, and she went out of -the room. -</p> - -<p> -When we were left to ourselves, and -Chandos had put away some of his things, -he suddenly turned round and said, "I hope -we shall be friends, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -I hardly knew what to say for a minute, -for I felt surprised and half ashamed of -myself; but, thinking of Tom, and what he -expected to hear, I made a mock bow, and -replied, "Gentlemen must always be friends -with a young lady. Tom and I will be -delighted, Miss Chandos;" and then I stopped, -for such a look came into his fair girl-face as -never was seen in a girl's face before, I fancy. -There was no more said, and I went downstairs -feeling somehow as though I had not -got the best of it after all, and that I might -even be mistaken in thinking Miss Chandos -such a coward. But after a little time spent -in the playground with Tom I forgot Miss -Chandos and her looks, until Tom reminded -me of it, and I promised to let him know -everything that happened. -</p> - -<p> -Of course something was bound to happen -then. How could I meet Tom in the morning -and tell him the young lady had slept in -peace, and everything had passed off -comfortably? But what could I do? Tom and I -generally had some fun throwing our clothes -at each other, or shooting paper pellets from -under the bedclothes after we had scrambled -into bed, until Swain came and took the light -away, and then we ducked our heads down -and went to sleep. But there was no telling -whether Miss Chandos would tumble into -bed as quickly as we did. I certainly was -not surprised to see her sit down and take up -a book that lay on the drawers and begin to -read. I let her read in peace for about five -minutes, and then snatched it away and flung -it across the room. I really did not see that -it was a Bible until it was out of my hand; -but I did not mean to let Chandos know that, -or that I felt sorry for throwing it. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't do that again, Stewart," he said, as -he went to pick it up; and I burst out laughing -to hide my vexation, and asked when Ann -was coming to do his hair. -</p> - -<p> -He took no notice of my question, and I -tumbled into bed, wondering what Chandos -would do next. I had my pea-shooter and a -good supply of pellets ready for whatever -happened; but I certainly expected to see -him follow my example and tumble into bed. -But instead of doing this he kneeled down at -the side of the bed as though I had not been -there, which rather startled me, for I thought -he would and ought to be afraid to attempt it -after what I had already done. I waited a -minute or two, and then, taking a good aim, -hit him right in the back of the neck. It -made him start, I could see, and I laughed, -though I expected he would jump up and -give me a good pommelling the next minute, -for it was clear he was no coward, as I had -thought at first, and he would never have a -better chance of pitching in, if he meant to -fight it out. But no, she kept on, and so did -I—pop, pop, pop at his head and the back of -his neck, until it tingled again, I know. But -she wouldn't complain; wanted to make -believe she hadn't felt it, and said "Good -night," as though I was the most civil and -obliging companion in the world. It was -plucky, anyhow, and I like pluck; but we -shall see who gives in first, Miss Chandos; -it will take a good deal to make me tire of -pea-shooting, I can tell you, and it will be -good practice too. -</p> - -<p> -October 24th.—How Tom and I have -laughed over that plucky Miss Chandos! I -am not sure that the fellow deserves to be -called "Miss" either, for he is plucky right -through, I know—the sort of fellow that -would walk up to a cannon's mouth without -flinching if he was a soldier and it was his -duty. What a splendid sailor he would -make! I could fancy him steering his ship -right under the enemy's guns if it was -necessary, but never yielding an inch or -knowing when he was beaten. He's beaten -me at pea-shooting, and made me feel -ashamed of myself. I wonder what Miss -Chandos is going to be—a parson, I should -think; and he means to do his life-work -thoroughly, and is beginning now, as I am in -keeping this log. -</p> - -<p> -It seems queer that we shall all be men -very soon—some sailors, some soldiers, some -lawyers, and some tied to a merchant's desk, -which is mother's highest ambition for me. -She talks grandly sometimes about merchant -princes, and how uncle will give me a share -in his business; but I always try to get out -of the way, for I mean to run away to sea -when the time comes, and I hate to be a -hypocrite. -</p> - -<p> -October 30th.—Another row. I knew it -would come if they turned us out of our -workshop; but the best of the fun is, they -don't know who has been up to this mischief, -though Tom and I are both suspected, I -believe. For a wonder, though, I had no hand -in this, I only wish I had. Tom managed -cleverly, too, to turn all the farm-yard out as -he did—pigs and cows, ducks and hens; and -didn't they enjoy their hour's feast in the -garden! I fancy I see the governor now as -he came rushing out in time to see the last of -his dahlias disappear, and then the whooping -and helter-skelter charge of the servants, with -the governor at the head of the fray. This -will be something to laugh over many a night -when the wind is blowing great guns, and we -are pitching and tossing so that it is impossible -to read or write up the ship's log, which -we shall have to keep then. The picture of -to-day's fun will rise up before us long after -everybody else has forgotten it. Plucky -Tom! I wish I had had a share of the fun -in setting the animals at liberty. I don't dare -ask how he did it all yet, for the fuss is at its -height, and everybody is being questioned. -Of course, suspicions go for nothing, and -nobody really saw who did it, and so Tom is -not likely to be found out unless he splits -himself, which is not very probable, unless -somebody else is charged with it, and then -of course he would make a clean breast of it. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap02"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER II. -<br /> -DISENCHANTMENT. -</h3> - -<p> -November 1st.—Chandos has got -himself into a scrape, and nobody seems -to know what it is about. I have -asked several of the fellows, but they only -shake their heads and tell me I know more -about it than they do. I am sure I do not; -but as Chandos shares my room they think I -must be in his secrets, I suppose. I cannot -help wondering what it is—something that -has got the governor's back up awfully, I can -see. Chandos has been locked up all day in -the punishment-room, and nobody seems to -know whether he will be let out to-night. I -wish I was sure he was not coming, and I -would try to get Tom in here, and we'd have -some fun for once. I wonder what the young -lady has been up to. -</p> - -<p> -November 14th.—I have not written up my -log for a fortnight, and now I have only a -miserable tale to tell. At first I thought I'd -give up the log, as Tom will never be my -lieutenant now to laugh over it; but I'll keep -on with it a bit longer. I thought we should -often laugh over Tom's setting the farm-yard -at liberty as he did, but somehow it seems to -have been a dreadful trouble to everybody; -but no one can feel just as I do about it, for it -has taken my old chum away from me, and -we can never be again what we have been. -What did they want to make such a fuss -about it for, and punish Miss Chandos? The -governor must have been as blind as a mole -to think Chandos had anything to do with it. -It was ever so long before I found out the -tops and bottoms of the business; but at last -I found one of the juniors could tell something, -and I got him by himself and threatened -to break every bone in his skin if he didn't -shell out all he knew, and then it came out -that he had seen Chandos close to the farm-yard -just before the animals were turned out, -and the miserable little muff had gone with that -tale to the governor as soon as the row began. -</p> - -<p> -"But you know it wasn't Chandos," I said, -thinking he must have seen Tom too. -</p> - -<p> -"Wasn't it?" said the youngster. -</p> - -<p> -I gave him a shake, and ran off to Chandos, -who was just going into the cricket-field. -"What's this row about you and the farm-yard, -Miss Chandos?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -He seems to be getting used to his name, -and only said, "Oh, it's all right now, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you know who did turn the things -out?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Do you?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -I nodded. "It wasn't you, and I didn't -think you knew anything about it. -Suspicions go for nothing, you know." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, let this pass. It's over now, and -let's drop it." -</p> - -<p> -"But you've been punished for what you -had no hand in. Did the governor think you -did it?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't think he believed I actually did it -myself; but he said I was worse than those -who did it if I was screening them, for I was -encouraging insubordination in the school. -Do you know who was suspected, Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"Me!" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes; I cleared you at once, but I couldn't -say any more, and that vexed Dr. Mellor." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, the Doctor be hanged! Why didn't -you go to Tom and tell him the fix you was -in? I suppose you knew he did it?" -</p> - -<p> -"I couldn't help knowing it where I was, -and I did contrive to say a word to him about -going to the Doctor, but—" -</p> - -<p> -"You told Tom you were to be punished -for his fault, and he wouldn't make a clean -breast of it to the governor!" I said, angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"There, I told you it was better to let it -pass, Stewart; you could do no good now," -said Chandos, walking away. -</p> - -<p> -But a sudden thought had seized me, and -I placed myself in his path. "But you shall -give me a plain answer to my question," I -said; "not that I will believe it of Tom. It -is you that are the sneak; you look one, with -your white face and quiet ways, and I know -you are only trying to set me against my old -chum!" I was almost mad with rage, and -longed to knock Chandos down; and for a -minute he looked as though he would fight it -out, but the next he had pushed me aside, -and was striding on to take his place as -long-stop in the game that was just beginning. I -looked after him for a minute, thinking I -would go and have it out, when I suddenly -thought of going to Tom, and turned back to -the workshop, where Tom was busy hacking -at some wood for a rudder. "I say, old -fellow, did Chandos tell you he was taking -your punishment for the farm-yard scrape?" -I asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, never mind Chandos; come and rub -down this mast," said Tom, turning away. -</p> - -<p> -"Then—he—did—tell—you!" I said, -slowly. -</p> - -<p> -"Didn't you know Chandos was a sneak -before to-day?" said Tom, sharply. -</p> - -<p> -"But—but tell me all about it, Tom," I -said, rubbing my eyes, and feeling as though -I must be dreaming. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, there ain't much to tell—nothing to -make such a fuss about. The fellow came to -me, and said he had got into a scrape through -the things getting out; but of course I didn't -believe him. This was an easy way of getting -me into a row, as well as helping himself out." -</p> - -<p> -"But, Tom, if he took your punishment, -you know—" -</p> - -<p> -"Bah! my punishment! The governor -isn't such a duffer as to think that white-faced -milksop did that mischief. He hasn't -pluck enough. I always told you he was a -sneak, and now he's proved it, for he said the -thing should always be a secret between us, -whether I told or not, and now he's run -open-mouthed to you with the tale." -</p> - -<p> -"No, he hasn't." And without another -word I walked out of the workshop. I didn't -feel as though I wanted to fight Tom; it -didn't seem as though I could fight, for I -couldn't understand things a bit. Somehow -they'd got so mixed up in this row that Tom -seemed to be Chandos, and Chandos Tom, -and whether I should wake and find they were -all right, or Tom running about with Chandos's -head on his shoulders, I couldn't tell for a -little while. -</p> - -<p> -But presently Chandos came walking -through the gate on which I was mounted, -and certainly he had his own straw-coloured -hair safe enough. He didn't condescend to -look at me as he passed, and I felt as though -I hated him for robbing me of Tom. What -right had he to do it—he with that white face -to be so plucky? And not even for a friend -either, for Tom is no friend to him any more -than I am, and all the school have adopted our -private name, and call him Miss Chandos. It -isn't as though he didn't care about it either, for -I can see he does. No boy likes to be thought -a girl, or have a girl's name tacked to him; -and Chandos is like the rest, but he takes it -quietly, although I fancy now he would be as -good in a stand-up fight as Tom himself. -</p> - -<p> -Bother Tom! I don't want to think about -him now. I wish he had left the pigs and -cows alone, or I hadn't been in such a fume -to find out all about it. I don't like to think -he has been mean and cowardly—my brave, -bold Tom. Anyhow, I shall always hate -Miss Chandos for her share in the matter, and -I'll call her Miss Chandos more than ever -now. It's been a miserable time, somehow, -ever since I heard the tops and bottoms of -this row, for though Tom and I have never -said a word about it since, we both seem to -remember it always, and we keep apart as we -never did before. -</p> - -<p> -November 20th.—All the school is in a -ferment about a special prize that is to be -given for the best essay on something or other. -I'm not going to try, so it don't trouble -me much; but it seems as though everybody -else is, and they can talk of nothing else. -Even Tom is going in for this, it seems, though -he don't stand much chance, I fancy; but he -wants a watch, and thinks he may as well try -for this. The weather is dull and cold, and -our shipbuilding is almost at a standstill. -We haven't done much since that row, and -things are altogether miserable. Tom seems -to be making new friends among the other -fellows, and I've dropped shooting at Miss -Chandos and hiding her Bible, so that -altogether I'm rather glum, and ready to quarrel -with anybody that is good for a stand-up -fight. I know everybody thinks me a bear, -and I am, I think, for I don't care for anybody -or anything now. -</p> - -<p> -November 30th.—It seems as though there -was never to be an end to this row, which has -made everything so miserable for me. The -governor has taken it into his head to consider -the matter still unsettled, although Chandos -took Tom's punishment, and now poor Chandos -has been told that he can't try for this prize. -It's the meanest shame, for Chandos stood as -good a chance as anybody, if not better than -most, and now he isn't to be allowed that -chance. -</p> - -<p> -He tries to hide his disappointment, but I -know he had begun to read up, and yesterday -I asked him if he didn't mean to split on -Tom, and tell the governor all about it. -</p> - -<p> -"I wish Haslitt would do it himself," he -said; "it would be better for everybody if he -did." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course it would; and I'll tell him so, -and the governor too, if you won't." -</p> - -<p> -"No, no, don't do that, Stewart; the school -would send you to Coventry if you split on -another fellow about anything. And besides—" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, what more can the school do?" I -asked, angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, nothing, only your splitting would do -no good now, I fancy." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Tom shall make a clean breast of it, -and give up his chance of this prize. It ain't -much of a chance for him, and so it won't be -much for him to give it up; but you'll get it, -Chandos—at least I hope you will;" and -then I ran off to find Tom and have it out -with him. -</p> - -<p> -I hardly knew how to begin, but I did it -somehow; and then Tom said, crossly, -"What a fuss you make about nothing! I -suppose Miss Chandos has set you on. Has -she taught you to say your prayers yet?" -</p> - -<p> -"Saying my prayers has nothing to do -with this, Tom, you know that." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, hasn't it! I thought the young lady -was making a milksop of you, you've been so -glum, lately." -</p> - -<p> -"Now look here, Tom, I haven't told you -what I thought about this sneakish business, -but I will if you don't make a clean breast of -it to the governor at once." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, who cares what you think?" said -Tom, laughing; and he tried to push past me. -</p> - -<p> -But I wasn't going to have that. "Now, -look here, old fellow, we have been chums for -ever so long, and I never knew you to do -anything mean before, and I believe you're -sorry for this; now make a clean breast of it, -Tom, and let Miss Chandos go in for this -prize." -</p> - -<p> -"Has she told you she's sure to get it?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, of course not; but you know she'd -stand a good chance—a better chance than -you do." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know so much about that, and I -don't see why I should give up my chance -just to suit your whims. It wouldn't help -Miss Chandos either." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, it would. The governor wants to -get at the bottom of this farmyard affair, and -that is why he is so hard on poor Chandos." -</p> - -<p> -"Poor Chandos! The young lady has -bewitched you, Charley! As if this had -anything to do with that old row! She knows -how to come it over you, the mean sneak! As -though she didn't know this was for another -affair altogether." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe it, Tom." -</p> - -<p> -"Don't you? Ask some of the other fellows, -then. Here, Jackson, what did you tell me -Miss Chandos had been doing to lose her -chance of the prize?" called Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know now. Collins told me it -was some artful dodge the governor had -found out. Anyhow, I'm glad she's out, for -the chances will be pretty evenly balanced -among us now; but Chandos always goes in -for such a lot of grind that he'd be sure to -swamp us all. Do you go in for it, Stewart?" -he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"I'm not fond of grind, and shouldn't -have a ghost of a chance, any more than -Tom has." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, well, Haslitt will pass muster, I dare -say, but we ain't much afraid of him," laughed -Jackson, as he ran away. -</p> - -<p> -"I tell you the fellows will kick up no end -of a row now if they find I gave up for -Chandos to go in; not that I think he would -mind. He's a sneak, and has just told you -this to hide something he has been doing -himself." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I shouldn't care for what the fellows -said, Tom. They want to keep Chandos out—a -few of them, I don't believe they all do—just -because they will stand a better chance -of the prize; and it's mean and cowardly, and -I wouldn't help them in it if I were you." -</p> - -<p> -"But I tell you, Charley, you mustn't go -against a lot like this. I'm beginning to find -out that you must think of others a bit when -you are at school like this, and—and—" There -Tom stopped. -</p> - -<p> -"Look here, Tom; it may be all very well -to mind what other fellows say a bit, but I -never knew you to do a mean thing in my -life before, and I shall wish we had never -come here if it's going to make you a sneak -now." -</p> - -<p> -"Who says I am a sneak? Chandos, I -suppose?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, it isn't Chandos. He hasn't been -your chum as I have; he didn't know what -you were before you came to school, and never -talks about you—" -</p> - -<p> -"Only to call me a sneak, I suppose?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, he has never called you a sneak; but -I do, and mean it, if you won't go to the -governor and make a clean breast of everything." -</p> - -<p> -"It would do no good, I tell you, Charley, -and the other fellows would be down upon -me directly if I did. Three or four are going -in for this prize that wouldn't try if Chandos -wasn't out. I tell you they'd never forgive -me if I split now. I'll promise this, Charley, -I'll never get into a scrape like it again. I -wish now I'd gone to the governor at once -about it." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish you had; but it isn't too late, you -know, now, Tom. Come on at once; we shall -find him in the library. I'll go with you if -you like." -</p> - -<p> -I really thought Tom would go then, but -just as we were turning round Jackson ran to -tell him Collins and the rest wanted him; and -Tom went off, calling to me, -</p> - -<p> -"It's no good, Charley, I can't do it." -</p> - -<p> -I felt half ashamed to meet Chandos after -this, for he knew I had been to talk to Tom, -and I couldn't bear him to think he was such -a sneak as he has been over this; but there -was no getting out of it, for he was standing -by the lobby door as I went in, and looked -at me in such a way that I said, crossly, -</p> - -<p> -"Why don't you go to the governor yourself -and tell him all about it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Then Haslitt won't go?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, he won't," I said. "This beastly -school has made him a sneak—he never was -before; he never served anybody such a -trick, and he never would if he hadn't come -here." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, don't get so angry about it, Stewart. -My mother says one of the principal uses of -a school is to try what mettle we are of. -We cannot tell whether a character is strong -or weak until it has been tried, and the -temptations and failures at school prepare us -better for the temptations of the world -afterwards." -</p> - -<p> -"What do I care about the temptations of -the world? It's this school that has spoiled -Tom, and he will never be my chum again, -and I shall have to look out for another -lieutenant for my ship;" and I rushed off -indoors, for fear Chandos should say any more, -for I could not bear to hear him speak against -Tom. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap03"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER III. -<br /> -THE SKATING PARTY. -</h3> - -<p> -November 30th.—I haven't spoken to -Tom for a week, but he's so mixed -up with the other fellows now that he -don't seem to mind; but I am very dull, and -it makes me very miserable not to have Tom -working with me at our boats as we used to -do. I have found out, too, that Chandos is -not a general favourite in the school, but he -has two or three friends—chums, like Tom -and I used to be—who seem to be fond of -reading, and don't get into so many scrapes -as Tom's set. I belong to nobody just now. -I join in a game sometimes when I don't feel -too sulky; but I miss Tom too much to feel -pleased with anybody else, though Chandos -and I talk a bit sometimes when we go to -bed. Last night we were talking about -prayer. Fancy boys talking about that; but -it seems Chandos believes it is all as real—as -real as writing a letter to his mother, and as -sure of having an answer. I was as much -surprised as when the Doctor talked about us -having a conscience; for it seems Chandos is -not going to be a parson after all, but is to go -into his uncle's counting-house, just as mother -wants me to do. The only difference is that -Chandos has made up his mind to it because -it is his duty, he says, though he hates it as -much as I do, and wants to be a doctor -awfully. I begin to think the world is a -dreadful puzzle. Why can't people do just -what they like, instead of being driven to do -what they hate so often? Chandos is a first-rate -sort of fellow too, I think, in spite of his -white face and curly hair; and yet he's got to -do what he don't like, so that being good -don't seem to have much to do with it, though -my old nurse used to say good boys were -always happy. Well, I'm not good, anyhow, -so it's not very wonderful that I'm pretty -miserable; only Tom seems happy enough, -and he ought to be miserable too, which is -another of the puzzles, I suppose. -</p> - -<p> -December 10th.—Everybody is essay mad—that -is, all the fellows in our class who -have gone in for it. Chandos and I never -talk about it to each other, but I know he is -disappointed, for he was ill the first part of -this half, and so he will have no prizes to take -home at Christmas. I suppose I should be -disappointed too if I was one of the fellows -that grind, but I don't see the use of it, and -so prizes don't come in my way. Not but -what I should like to please mamma, and she -would be pleased, I know, if such a wonder -was to happen; but then I hate books, unless -they are about the sea, or something of that -sort. I shall be glad when the holidays are -here now. I should not like to confess it -even to Tom, but I want to see my mother, -and ask her some of the questions that have -puzzled me lately. Then there is always lots -of fun at Christmas, and there has been so -little here. Another week and this essay fuss -will be over, and then the fellows will talk -about the other prizes and going home, and I -shall try to forget all the bother, and Tom's -share in it too, if I can. I wonder who will -get this essay prize—not Tom, I am certain. -</p> - -<p> -December 18th.—Tom has got the prize. -I cannot understand it one bit. I know he -has gone in for lots of grind lately, like the -other fellows, but there were two or three -that I felt sure would be better up to that -kind of work than he was. I cannot feel glad -that he has won it, and I have not told him -I am; and some of the fellows that were -most urgent for him to go in have scarcely -spoken to him since. I wonder whether they -think, as I do, that this watch should of right -belong to Chandos. Tom and I are going -home together. No one at home knows -anything of what has happened, and I shall not -tell them if I can help it. Chandos has asked -me to go and see him in the holidays, and I -mean to ask mamma to let him come to our -house. I think I shall like that better than -going to his place, for I fancy his people are -dreadfully religious, and we know nothing -about that sort of thing, but I don't like to be -thought quite a heathen. -</p> - -<p> -January 20th.—The holidays are over, and -we are back at school in our old places once -more. Tom has taken up the notion that I -am envious of his good luck in getting the -watch. Good luck! I call it bad luck, for it -was a bad business altogether, and I let out -something about this at home; but mamma -only thought it was one of our ordinary -quarrels. -</p> - -<p> -I went to see Chandos in the holidays. He -has several brothers and sisters; one of them -has come back with him to school, and is -among the juniors, although he is only a year -or two younger than his brother; but he has -been delicate, and is very backward, and so -was obliged to go into the lower division of -the school. I like Mrs. Chandos very much. -She is religious after a different pattern from -my Aunt Phoebe, and somehow everything -seems so real about her that I don't wonder -Chandos believes everything she says. But -I don't mean to like Chandos too much. He -is all very well, but he is not Tom, and can -never be my lieutenant. I had a talk to -mamma about going to sea, but she is as -obstinate as ever. I told Chandos of this -when he came to see me, and he said, "Then -I am afraid you will have to give it up, -Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"Give it up! give up the sea! you don't -know what you are talking about, Chandos!" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I do, for I wanted to be a doctor -quite as badly as you want to go to sea; but -when my father died, and my mother told -me how impossible it was that my wish -could be gratified, I set to work at once to -conquer it." -</p> - -<p> -"Set to work to conquer it! But how -could you do that?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"I—I began in the only way I could; I -asked God to help me for my mother's sake -to overcome the selfish desire, and make me -willing to do all I could to learn what was -necessary to be a merchant." -</p> - -<p> -"But you don't hate the idea of being -chained to a desk as I do, or you wouldn't -talk so coolly about it." -</p> - -<p> -"Not now. But I did hate it quite as -much as you can, Stewart; but I remembered -that my mother was not rich. When my -father died we were very much reduced, and -if I should offend my uncle by refusing this -offer he might refuse to help the younger -ones by-and-by; and so you see it was my -duty to forget myself and my own wishes, -and do what I could to help my mother." -</p> - -<p> -"But my mother does not need my help, -and so I don't see why I should give up -everything I want, if you do." -</p> - -<p> -"Your mother may not want your help, but -she wants you. You are her only son, and—and -shall I tell you?—I have heard of such -things happening, you know—she may break -her heart if you run away to sea. You would -not do that, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"Break her heart! Kill my mother! -Chandos, you know me better than that!" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I do, Stewart, and that is why I have -spoken in time; but I have heard of boys -going to sea and coming home expecting to -find everything as they left it, and finding -mother and father both dead—killed by grief -for the runaway." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, that's all twaddle, you know, Chandos; -nobody ever really died of a broken heart," I -said. -</p> - -<p> -"Then you mean to try the experiment on -your mother? Very well, Stewart; if you -will, you will, I know; only beware of the -consequences, for if the twaddle should prove -truth it would cause you lifelong unhappiness -afterwards." -</p> - -<p> -This ended his lecture, and I made up my -mind to forget it as soon as I could; but -somehow it mixes itself up with everything, -and try as I will I cannot forget it. Of -course, I don't want to run away, if I can -persuade mamma to let me go to sea -properly; but if she won't, what am I to -do? I can't and won't go to be perched up -at an office desk all day, and so there will be -nothing else I can do but cut and run some -fine morning. Of course, I shall write to -mamma just before I sail, and tell her I'm all -right and jolly, and when she knows that -she'll soon be all right. Tom and I have -talked over the plan dozens of times, for he -was to come with me, only somehow I don't -want him so much now, though his watch -might be handy to sell if we were short of -money on the road, for I suppose we should -have to go to Liverpool, or Plymouth, or -Southampton, or some of those places. -Bother Chandos, making me feel uncomfortable -about it. But there, I'm not going to -run away to-day, and so I'll forget the whole -bother. -</p> - -<p> -January 26th.—At last we are going to -have some fun. It has been freezing -splendidly these two days, and if the governor -hadn't been a duffer he would have let us go -out on the ice to-day, for there is a first-rate -pond—two or three, in fact—close by, and I -know the ice will bear; but he has promised -we shall go to-morrow, and everybody has -been looking up skates in readiness. I hope -it will not thaw to-night, for we are all -looking forward to the fun we shall have -to-morrow—all but Chandos, and he has -taken it into his head that his brother ought -to stay at home, as he has a cold. But -Chandos junior has a will of his own, I can -see, and I mean to help him to stand out -against his brother's coddling, and give Miss -Chandos a fright into the bargain, if I can. -It will be good fun to coax the youngster to -go to another pond, especially if one happens -to be labelled "Dangerous." I fancy I can -see his brother now running about like a hen -after her brood of ducklings, for he does fuss -after this youngster, as though he was different -from other boys, and I'll stop it if I can. -</p> - -<p> -February 4th.—I wonder whether I can put -down in my log all that has happened. I -shall try, for I am very dull to-day sitting up -here alone while the others are in school. -</p> - -<p> -It did not thaw, as everybody feared it -would, and we started for the ponds in good -time, Swain and the other master with us, for -the governor would not trust us alone, which -made some of the fellows pretty wild, and -they vowed Swain should not come for -nothing. Just before we started Tom came -tearing across the playground to me and said, -"You've split on Chandos junior!" -</p> - -<p> -"Split on him! What do you mean? I -don't often speak to the youngster; you and -your set know more about him than I do," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, but you and Miss Chandos are as -thick as thieves, and you know he did not -want young Frank to go to-day." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I do know that, and I said if I was -Frank I wouldn't be coddled to that tune. -What of that?" -</p> - -<p> -"Why, Chandos has locked him up or -something, for he isn't here." -</p> - -<p> -"Locked up your grandmother! How -could he do that without appealing to the -governor? and you know Chandos is not -likely to do that now. The youngster will -turn up presently, unless he has made up his -mind to do as his brother wishes, and declares -himself on the sick-list. There are three to -stay indoors, you know." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, but young Chandos won't stay if he -can help it. We've laughed him out of -that—told him the school calls his brother a -young lady for his meek ways, and the -sooner he breaks away from her apron-string -the better." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Chandos is too fussy," I said; "but -don't lead the youngster into any harm, Tom. -I'll help with some fun, just to give Chandos -a fright, you know." -</p> - -<p> -"Bravo, Charley! Jackson was just -talking about the same thing, and we'll do it -now." And we both rushed off to Jackson -and the rest, to inquire if they had seen -anything of the youngster. -</p> - -<p> -"It's what I call confoundedly selfish, if -Chandos has stopped the young prig from -coming out," said one of the fellows. -</p> - -<p> -"Chandos ain't selfish," I said; for, though -I felt cross with Chandos myself, I did not -care to hear him run down by Tom's set. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I don't know what you would call -it, but if somebody tried to make me stay at -home the only day we are likely to have any -fun on the ice, I should feel ready to punch -him." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe Chandos junior will stay. -But now, what are you going to do with him -when he comes?" -</p> - -<p> -"Do with him! Do you think we want to -eat him, Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, I don't suppose you do; but mind, -there's to be no harm done—no sousing him, -or anything of that sort. If it's just a bit of -fun, to give Chandos senior a fright, I'll be -in it." -</p> - -<p> -"I should think you would, for things are -awfully slow here now. Tom says you -used to be up to anything, but since Miss -Chandos—" -</p> - -<p> -"There, we won't talk about that; Tom -knows all about it, if you don't." And I was -just turning away when Frank Chandos ran -towards us with his skates in his hand, looking -angry and defiant at his brother, who had -followed him half across the playground. -</p> - -<p> -A few minutes afterwards we started for -the ponds in groups and knots of twos and -threes, all laughing and chattering together, -the masters at the head, and leading the way -to the broadest and shallowest. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, boys, I think you can skate and -slide to your hearts' delight here; but mind, -Dr. Mellor has given orders that no one is to -go to the pond round by the alder bushes, for -there are dangerous holes in it, as you all -know, and if the ice should break—well, -you know what the consequences are likely -to be." -</p> - -<p> -"All right, sir, we'll keep clear of that," -said two or three, as they were fastening the -straps of their skates, while some, who had -already begun sliding, laughed at the notion -of the ice breaking. -</p> - -<p> -"It is as firm as the schoolroom floor, and -one is as likely to give way as the other." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe the governor would have -let us come here at all if all the ponds hadn't -been safe," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Safe! of course they're safe. The -governor knows that; only he must tell us -something by way of a scare. He's as bad -as Miss Chandos," said Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"Where is the young lady," I said, "and -the youngster? We must look after them." -</p> - -<p> -We were off now spinning across the pond, -Tom and I, with Jackson close behind, and -the three of us managed to keep together. -</p> - -<p> -"What a lark it would be to take Chandos -junior to the alder pond," said Jackson, -looking at me as he wheeled round on his skates. -</p> - -<p> -"We'll do it," I said; "but not just now. -Wait a bit, till the fellows get warm to the -work, and they won't miss us. We must keep -our eye on the youngster. Is he skating or -sliding?" -</p> - -<p> -"Skating; but that don't matter," said Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"No, but if Chandos senior had the skates -on it would be all the better. They are his -skates too; I happen to know that, and so I -shall tell Master Frank presently that he -ought not to stick to them for the whole afternoon." -</p> - -<p> -"I see; if Chandos senior should happen -to see us he will not be able to fly to the -rescue of his duckling at once. But look -here, Stewart, we'll manage so that he don't -know anything about it." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, no, we won't! I want him to see us, -to tease him a bit. I say, Jackson, are you a -judge of ice? Don't you think this seems to -be giving a bit?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"No, it's as firm as a rock. What ice would -give in such a cutting wind as this?" And -Jackson pulled his comforter closer round his -throat as he spoke. -</p> - -<p> -We were all pretty well wrapped up in -great-coats and mufflers and worsted gloves, -so that when we had a fall, as most of us did -every few minutes, we had something to break -the concussion a little; but these heavy things -would prove rather awkward if the ice should -break and let us through. -</p> - -<p> -I said something about this to Jackson, but -he laughed at the notion, and Tom said, -"Why, what has come to you lately, Charley? -You have been tied to Miss Chandos's -apron-string until you have got to be a coward. I -believe now you are afraid to go to the alder -pond." -</p> - -<p> -"Am I? you shall see about that. Where's -Chandos junior?" And I wheeled off at once -to look for the youngster and see what Miss -Chandos was about, and whether Swain was -likely to have his eye upon our movements. -</p> - -<p> -I cannot write any more to-day. To-morrow -I shall be stronger, I hope, and then I may -finish this story about our skating. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap04"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IV. -<br /> -THE ACCIDENT. -</h3> - -<p> -February 5th.—It helps to pass some of -the time I am obliged to spend alone to -write in my log, and so I will go on -from where I left off yesterday. -</p> - -<p> -I found everybody was on the ice, the -masters enjoying the fun as much as the -boys, and Chandos the merriest of the lot. -He and two or three of his friends were racing, -curveting, cutting figures in the ice, for I -found that Frank had been glad to give up -the skates and take to sliding. -</p> - -<p> -"It's rather crowded here," I said, as I ran -the youngster down, and then stopped and -wheeled round to help him up. -</p> - -<p> -"It's crowded everywhere, and the fellows -with skates seem to think they ought to have -it all their own way," he grumbled. -</p> - -<p> -"Come over here; there are some good -slides at the farther end of the pond;" and -I helped the youngster over, purposely going -close to Miss Chandos. -</p> - -<p> -But she didn't smell mischief, or was too -much occupied with her own fun to notice us, -and we soon came up with Jackson and the -rest. -</p> - -<p> -"It's dreadfully cold here," said young -Chandos, shivering. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, it is cold," said Tom; "the wind -sweeps down upon us, freezing our very -marrow if we don't keep moving." -</p> - -<p> -"The best place for sliding would be the -alder pond. That is sheltered a good deal -from this cutting wind," said Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"But it isn't safe," said Frank Chandos. -</p> - -<p> -"Safe! As if they'd let us come near -this place at all if all the ponds were not -safe! I tell you it will bear as well as this," -said Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"Shall we go there?" proposed Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"Mr. Swain said we were not to go near it," -feebly ventured Frank. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, well, if you're afraid, stay where you -are, but I'm going," said Jackson. "Stewart, -will you come? Tom will, I know." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I'm off," said Tom, nodding to me; -but I wanted Miss Chandos to see where we -were taking her duckling, to give her a fright. -</p> - -<p> -The youngster saw me looking towards his -brother, and said, in a whisper, "If we mean -to go, Eustace had better not see us. You're -sure it's safe?" he added. -</p> - -<p> -"Safe as the schoolroom floor," I said; and -then we went after the others; but I kept -looking back towards Miss Chandos as we -went towards the alder pond. -</p> - -<p> -We got out of sight as soon as we could, -and, screened by the close-growing trees, the -bitter east wind did not sting us quite so -much. Jackson and Tom were soon skimming -across the pond. -</p> - -<p> -"I wonder where the holes are they make -such a fuss about?" said Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe there are any," said Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, holes or no holes, I think we had -better keep near the edge," I said; but young -Chandos did not hear me, he says, and went -at once towards the trees for shelter from the -wind. The ice was very thin there, and the -next minute there was a crack, a splash, and -a scream, and young Chandos had gone -down. -</p> - -<p> -"Run for help!" I called to Tom, and then -I skimmed across what I thought was the -strongest part of the ice to help Frank. But -before I could reach him the ice gave way, -and we were both struggling for life. -</p> - -<p> -I don't remember much of what happened -beyond telling Frank to catch hold of some -of the branches of the trees that were close to -the water, and hearing the shouts of the boys -when Tom gave the alarm. I could hear -them coming, but it would be too late to save -me, for my heavy clothes kept me down in -the water, and I sank, never to rise again, I -thought. I seemed to see my mother at that -moment more plainly than I had ever seen -her before, and to understand her grief for my -death in a way that I could not have thought -possible. But still, although I longed to -escape for her sake, I seemed bound by -invisible fetters that were, in reality, my heavy -wet clothes. They have told me since that -this probably saved me, although they thought -I was dead when they got me out of the water. -</p> - -<p> -Once out, however, I soon began to revive, -for I am strong and healthy; but poor Frank -Chandos lay hovering between life and death -for nearly a week afterwards. I shall never -forget that terrible time. I felt if he died I -should be a murderer, for he would never -have gone to the alder pond if I had not -taken him there. Poor Miss Chandos, too, -who had promised his mother to take good -care of the lad, he was almost stunned with -grief; and it was not until after his mother -had come that he could be persuaded to -leave his brother even for five minutes. Tom -and the other fellows who came to see me -told me all about it, for I was ill too, from -cold and fright, but nothing to cause any -alarm, and little notice was taken of me or -my ailments, and I did not let any one know -how miserably unhappy I was. I tried to -talk to Tom about it once, but he only -laughed, and said, "Oh, it's no good crying -over spilt milk; let's forget all that miserable -affair now. Of course we were all in the -wrong box, I suppose; but then it was only -done for a lark, and we've all been punished -for it pretty stiffly. Jackson and I had a -hundred lines of Milton to learn in after hours -that took no end of time to get perfect, for -the governor was so crabby he wouldn't let -us off a single word, and actually heard us -himself, so if you don't think that has squared -accounts for us, then I don't know what -will." -</p> - -<p> -"If learning two hundred lines would square -things, I'd do it; but think of poor Frank -Chandos lying there dying, and all our -fault." -</p> - -<p> -"How can it be our fault? We didn't -carry him to the pond. He came to please -himself, and if he wasn't ill he'd have an -imposition as well as us. I wonder whether the -Doctor will give you one when you get well, -Charley?" -</p> - -<p> -"I wish he would," I said, bitterly. -"Oh, I dare say it's all very well for you -to talk when it isn't likely to happen, for I -expect the governor will think it punishment -enough for you to be kept up here and fed -on slops for ever so long. I don't know -myself that I would not rather have the -imposition." -</p> - -<p> -How glad I was when poor Chandos came -to see me at last. I almost wished we really -had been girls then, that I might have thrown -my arms round his neck and kissed him and -asked him to forgive me, for I could see he -felt sorry for me, and the first words he spoke -were meant to comfort me, only somehow -they seemed to make me miserable. -</p> - -<p> -"You did not mean to do any harm, -Stewart, I know," he said, his voice shaking -as he spoke. -</p> - -<p> -"Will he die?" I asked. "It don't matter -about me and what I meant about it, but tell -me about him; is there any hope, Chandos?" -</p> - -<p> -"Not much, I am afraid. Only God can -save him; the doctor can do no more, he -says. Stewart, you'll pray for him, won't -you—pray that God will give him back to -my mother, for she is almost heartbroken -over it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Me pray! What is the good? I don't -know how; I never prayed in my life. I've -said my prayers; but it's different, that is, -from what you mean, and I haven't done that -since I was a little chap." -</p> - -<p> -"Then begin again now, Stewart. Pray -for poor Frank. I know you feel unhappy -about him." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I do. I'd do anything I could; but -that's just it; I can't do anything, and it -seems mean to go sneaking to God now, -when I didn't care a pin about the whole -business until I got into this trouble; and I -can't do it." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, but you mustn't think of it—think of -God in that way. If you had been very ill -you would have liked your mother sent for, -wouldn't you? and she would have liked to -come, I am sure." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I expect there will be a row that she -was not sent for as it is. But what has that -to do with it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Everything. God feels as kindly towards -us as our mother and father, and He wants us -to go to Him when we are in trouble, although -we may have kept away before. My mother -says He often sends trouble to be His -messenger and make us come, so that He will not -be offended if you should begin to pray now." -</p> - -<p> -"I can't, Chandos. It's just the meanest -business I ever heard of to go sneaking to -God whenever I'm in trouble and can't help -myself, and forget Him directly afterwards." -</p> - -<p> -"But why should you forget Him afterwards? -Why not make Him your Friend, as -He desires to be?" -</p> - -<p> -"What, be religious and grumpy, and lose -all the fun of life?" I said, staring at Chandos -in amazement. -</p> - -<p> -"You need not be grumpy, Stewart, and -you can have just as much fun, only I think -you will be more careful not to let the fun do -harm to other people." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I will be more careful in future, I -promise you that, Chandos; but about being -religious, why, I never heard of a schoolboy -being religious unless he was a dreadful muff -and a sneaking prig, and I hate sneaks of all -sorts." -</p> - -<p> -"So do I," said Chandos; "and if I thought -praying to God and trying to live in fear and -love of Him would make you one, I wouldn't -ask you to do it. But it won't. Look here, -you've heard of General Havelock, haven't -you? and Hedley Vicars, that fought in the -Crimean war? Did you ever hear that they -were sneaks, or anything but brave, noble -men—brave enough to serve God openly and -fearlessly? I tell you, Stewart, it takes a brave -man, not a coward, to declare himself -determined to serve God. But I have said enough -about this, perhaps, and you look tired." -</p> - -<p> -"My head aches," I said; "but I should -soon be all right if I could only know there -was a chance for poor Frank to get better -too." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I had better news for you, Stewart. -My mother and I can only pray for him." -</p> - -<p> -Chandos was going away as he said this, -but I caught his hand and held him back. -"I will pray too," I whispered; "but if God -hears me now, how shall I ever keep square -afterwards? and I must, you know, to keep -from being a sneak." -</p> - -<p> -"Look here, Stewart; you are mistaken -altogether in thinking God's service such a -dreadful bondage. He knows you are a boy, -and does not expect you to be prim and -precise and always praying and singing psalms. -I am not sure that it would not displease Him -if you tried to do that, for He knows it would -be a poor preparation for our work in the -world by-and-by." -</p> - -<p> -"But what would He want me to do, then?" -I said. -</p> - -<p> -"First of all to think of Him as your friend. -The Lord Jesus was a boy Himself once, you -know, and so He knows all about a boy's -feelings and temptations. Almost my father's -last words to me were, 'Be honest and upright -and pure;' and I know God will help me -to keep my father's command if I seek His -help, as He will you if you will take Him to -be your Friend." -</p> - -<p> -"And isn't that what I want?" I said; "to -be honest and upright and pure?" -</p> - -<p> -"I believe you do, Stewart, and it's what -God wants you to be, and what He will help -you to be if you will let Him." -</p> - -<p> -"But what else must I do? Religious -folks always are different from others, you -know." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, they ought to be. A religious sailor -ought to be the bravest and most fearless man -on board the ship, and do his work better and -more cheerfully than anybody else." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, my uncle did tell me of a fellow -like that once, and I thought I should like all -my sailors to be like him. He was a jolly, -good-natured chap, ready to spin a yarn to -his mates, and they were willing to listen to -the moral he always contrived to bring in. -He was as brave as a lion, too, and yet as -kind as a woman if any of the others were -sick. But there ain't many like him, you -know, Chandos." -</p> - -<p> -"You might make another, Stewart; and a -captain—you mean to be a captain, you -know—and a captain of that pattern might do as -much, or even more, good than a common -sailor." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, but it's the beginning. I don't see -that boys have anything to do with religion. -What can they do?" -</p> - -<p> -"Learn better—learn their lessons more -thoroughly, so as to be better fitted to do -their work in the world by-and-by. I -suppose you'll admit that we shall be men -by-and-by if we are spared?" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, yes, of course; but then it's just -that. Religion seems to be for those who -don't live, to prepare them for death and all -that, you know. If I was very ill and dying -I should want to be religious, of course, but -now—" -</p> - -<p> -"That's quite a mistake, Stewart, to suppose -that because you are likely to live many years -this matter of serving God ought to be put -off. I might ask you how you can be sure -that you will live even six months longer, or -that you may not be carried off by some -sudden accident. But I don't like to think of -religion as just something to sneak out of the -world comfortably with. Religion is to fit us -to live—to live well, to fill life full of joy and -happiness. You stare, Stewart, but I can tell -you the happiest people in the world to-day -are those who serve God best." -</p> - -<p> -"Then what makes them pull such long -faces, and look so wretched, and talk about -being miserable sinners?" I asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, we are sinners, you know, Stewart, -and one of the first things we have to learn in -coming to God is just this very thing. It is -because we have sinned that Christ died to -put away our sins; but some people don't seem -to believe in this thoroughly. They know -they are sinners, and it makes them unhappy -and they fancy they ought to go mourning -over them all the days of their life." -</p> - -<p> -"That's just my Aunt Phoebe, and mamma -says she is very religious, and one of the best -women that ever lived, which makes me say I -hate good women, and all religious people -into the bargain. But, Chandos, there are not -many of your sort of religious people in the -world." -</p> - -<p> -"More than you think for. There are some -of the fellows here in this school; I won't -mention any names, but two of the best and -jolliest in the cricket-field will be just such -men, I believe." -</p> - -<p> -"Boys here in this school are religious!" I -said. "Of course, I know you are, but—" -</p> - -<p> -"You thought I was the only one, Stewart? -Well, now, I'm glad to say when I came here I -found one or two trying to solve the problem -you think so improbable—how a schoolboy -can serve God; and though it may be difficult -sometimes—I grant you that, for temptation -to do wrong even in fun must be resisted; -and then lessons must be learned fairly, not -shirked, and no cribs must be used, or else -where is our honesty? But still, if a boy once -starts to keep on the square all round, things -are not so hard as you might think. But I -must not stop any longer now, Stewart; I -will come in and have another chat by-and-by. -But—but you will not forget to pray for poor -Frank?" -</p> - -<p> -Forget! Sometimes I wish I could forget -that dreadful day and everything that -happened then. It isn't often, I suppose, that -such dreadful things happen through a little -fun, or else it would help Chandos's argument -about the happiness of not doing wrong even -in fun, for this has made me miserable enough. -I wish I could be the sort of fellow Chandos -talked about. It's different altogether from -what I thought, and to be fair and square and -honest right through in lessons and everything -else has nothing of the sneak about it. But I -have promised I'd pray for Frank, and I mean -to do it. How am I to begin? Will God -hear me? I'm not good like Chandos. He -saw me shooting the pellets at him from -under the bedclothes only a little while ago, -I suppose, and won't He think I'm mocking -Chandos now if I kneel down as he did? -What was it that he said, though, about the -Lord Jesus being a boy once? Well, if He -was He'll know all about me, and after all it's -poor Frank I want Him to help. I wouldn't -venture to ask Him to help me yet; I want -nothing now so much as for Frank to get well. -</p> - -<p> -After thinking like this for some time I -locked the door, for fear anybody should come -in and see me, and then I kneeled down; but -I don't know what I said, only that it was -about Frank and his getting well, and that -I'd try and do the square thing, and be honest -and upright and pure right through, if God -would only make him well again. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap05"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER V. -<br /> -CRIBS. -</h3> - -<p> -February 10th.—I am in the schoolroom -again, and poor Frank Chandos is -getting better. He is to go away as soon -as he can be moved, but he is too weak even -to sit up in bed yet. I went to see him -yesterday, and Chandos told him I had -prayed that God would make him well again. -He turned his white face round, and looked at -me with his big, dark eyes, and said, "Thank -you, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, don't do that! I didn't mean to do -any harm, you know, but I led you into the -mischief, and I've been sorry enough ever -since; and I hope you'll forgive me, Chandos," -I said. -</p> - -<p> -But I felt almost frightened when he put -out his hand and slipped it into mine—such a -thin, white hand it was, with fingers for all -the world like claws. I suppose the doctors -know best, but I should have thought he was -dying if Mrs. Chandos had not told me he -was looking better. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos seems to expect that I'm going in -for plenty of grind, and all that sort of thing. -Well, it's only fair, for I couldn't think of -asking God to help me out of a scrape, and -then forgetting all about it as soon as it's -over; though what a schoolboy can pray -about when things are all right I don't know. -Of course, I haven't done with Frank yet, for -I don't feel so sure about his getting well -as the others do. He looks awfully thin and -white, and if God was just to leave off making -him well for a day or two he'd be as bad as -ever, I expect. -</p> - -<p> -February 12th.—It's awful hard work to -grind away like this—as I have the last two -days. It ain't so easy to do lessons on the -square, when one has been using cribs for ever -so long; and then, grind as much as you may, -the lessons don't look so well after all when -one is a duffer at them, as I am. Yesterday I -sat poring over one book for hours and hours, -trying to make out what it meant. I suppose -I ought to know well enough by this time, for -I've learned it all up to there; but then I've -used cribs, and Swain don't know that, and so -he pitched into me, and threatened a heavy -imposition if ever I took up such another -piece of construing. It's easy enough talking -about always doing the square thing, and -it mightn't be so hard if I'd always done it; -but I haven't, and there's the rub. -</p> - -<p> -February 16th.—There's no end of a row -with the fellows over these cribs. I've always -used them, and I always shall, they say; and -Tom backs them, and tells them I'm tied to -Miss Chandos's apron-strings. -</p> - -<p> -It began about another wretched construe I -handed in to Swain. -</p> - -<p> -"Is this your own work, Stewart?" asked -Swain; and I thought it was so good he -could hardly believe I had done it, and I said, -quite proudly, "Yes, sir, I've done every word -of it." -</p> - -<p> -"Then all I can say is, you have no right -to be in this division of the school; and I -shall talk to the Doctor about it." He was -turning over the leaves of the exercise-book -while he was talking; and presently, turning -up one of the cribs, he said, "Look here, -Stewart; who did this?" -</p> - -<p> -"I wrote that a month ago, sir," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I know you wrote it, but who did the -construing?" -</p> - -<p> -I looked at Swain, and then at the map on -the wall, for I didn't know who had done it. -I always did my lessons with Tom and the -rest, and they managed the cribs somehow, -and I just copied them off the slips of paper -Jackson or some of the fellows handed to me. -</p> - -<p> -"You have been using cribs, sir," thundered -Swain; and then he looked round at the -other fellows, who were all very busy over -their books. -</p> - -<p> -I wished for once that the schoolroom floor -was like the ice on the alder pond, and I -could slip through out of sight, for I couldn't -tell a direct lie about it; and Swain had -cornered me so that there was no other way -of getting out of it. So I said nothing, -though I knew I should catch it from Tom -and the rest when we got into the playground, -for I could see by Swain's looks that he -suspected cribs had been used by all the lot. -</p> - -<p> -"You may go to your seat now, Stewart, -and I will see Dr. Mellor about this," he said -at last. -</p> - -<p> -As soon as ever we got into the playground -the row began with the other fellows. -</p> - -<p> -"Look here, you miserable muff! what -right have you to get us all into this awful -scrape?" said Jackson, pulling off his jacket -ready to fight. -</p> - -<p> -"Who says I'm a miserable muff?" I said, -looking round at the others who had gathered -near. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Charley, it was mean of you not to -open your mouth when you might have saved -us all by a single word. Swain would have -believed you if you'd said, 'I haven't been -cribbing;' and it wouldn't have been -much of a fib either, for you haven't cribbed -for nearly a month, I know." -</p> - -<p> -"No, because I haven't done many lessons -lately. You may call it a fib if you like, but -I call it a lie, and you know I hate lying, -Tom, as you did a little while ago. Now, -Jackson, do you want to fight it out?" I asked, -beginning to roll up my shirt-sleeves. -</p> - -<p> -"No, no, don't fight; things are bad enough -now, and the governor will be furious if he -hears you have been fighting," said Tom; and -he caught hold of Jackson and held him back. -</p> - -<p> -"Try and settle it without fighting," said -one of the other fellows. "I don't suppose -Stewart meant to get us into a row." -</p> - -<p> -"No, I didn't," I said. "I only wanted to -go on the square for myself." -</p> - -<p> -"One of Miss Chandos's tricks for serving -us out," I heard Jackson whisper to Tom, -</p> - -<p> -"Well, that's all very well, you see, Stewart, -but you've been using cribs with us for ever -so long, and so you must stick to them now." -</p> - -<p> -"I shan't," I said. "I mean to act on the -square." -</p> - -<p> -"Go on the square for anything else you -like, but you mustn't throw us overboard in -this crib business. We're all in the same boat, -you see, Charley, and it won't do; the other -fellows don't like it." -</p> - -<p> -"Then they can lump it," I said; and I was -turning away, but Tom ran after me. -</p> - -<p> -"Now, be reasonable, old fellow; I've stuck -up for you," he said, "for Jackson and the -rest wanted to kick up a row as soon as they -found you were doing your lessons on the -square; but I said, 'Let him be a bit, and have -his own way; he'll soon be glad of cribs -again.'" -</p> - -<p> -"But I don't mean to have anything to do -with them again, I tell you, Tom; it's -downright dishonest." -</p> - -<p> -"Hoighty toighty—dishonest! You'll tell -us next we're all thieves!" said Tom, angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"What's that he says?" asked Collins, who -happened to hear the last words. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, he's setting up for a Solomon after -the Chandos pattern; says we are all -dishonest—little better than thieves, of course." -</p> - -<p> -"What do you mean, Stewart?" said -Collins, turning upon me fiercely. -</p> - -<p> -"Just what I say—what I told Tom—it -isn't honest to use cribs, and I've done with -them." -</p> - -<p> -"You'll have to ask us about that now, -Stewart; we've helped you, and we'll do it -again, though you have served us this shabby -trick, for it won't do, you know, to have -another kick-up with Swain about your -wretched construing. This may blow over, -but the next won't, and then we shall all be -in for it." -</p> - -<p> -"Why don't you give the muff a good -pommelling?" said Jackson; "he's done no end -of mischief. It's no better than peaching to -serve us such a shabby trick. Swain suspects -us, I know." -</p> - -<p> -"Look here, Jackson, a fight will just bring -the whole thing out, and we shall all be -condemned to no end of grind if it does. There'll -be no time for the playground or cricket-field -or anything else; we shall just be worked like -galley-slaves, for the governor will have all -the old lessons done over again by way of -extra impositions. I know him better than -you; but if you'll just keep cool and take my -advice we may all escape." -</p> - -<p> -"Now then, boys, listen to the words of the -sage," said one of the fellows, elbowing his -way to the front. -</p> - -<p> -"Go on, Collins, make us a speech," said another. -</p> - -<p> -"It ain't much of a speech. You must -give up cribs now." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, that's all cram; we can't do it," said Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"We must." -</p> - -<p> -"We shall all look as interesting as Stewart -did to-day when we go up. I say, why didn't -you put your finger in your mouth, Stewart?" -he asked. -</p> - -<p> -I was too angry to answer, but the rest -burst into a loud laugh, and I punched one -fellow's head, but Collins wouldn't let us have -a fair stand-up fight, and so I walked away, -leaving them to settle about the cribs as they -liked; but Tom came to me afterwards, and -said that the fellows had agreed to use no -more cribs for a fortnight, but after that I -must do as the rest did, or they would send -me to Coventry. -</p> - -<p> -February 20th.—Mrs. Chandos is still here -nursing Frank. I go into his room to see -him every day for a few minutes; but there -isn't time for anything now except on half-holidays, -for it is grind, grind, grind all day -long, and the worst of it is we get impositions, -and the masters are cross because all the -construing is done so badly. I wonder who -invented cribs. It's an easy way of getting -over the lessons at first, but a fellow is nicely -floored if he has to do without them for a bit, -as we have just now. I fancy, too, that Swain -suspects what is going on, and is watching to -catch some of us, for we have heard nothing -since the day of the row—not a word more -about my being sent to the governor. -</p> - -<p> -I wish it wasn't so hard to do everything -on the square. Chandos says I find it hard -because I made a bad beginning when I -came here, and the longer I go on without -altering this the harder it will be to alter. He -gave me quite a lecture about this last -night—about everything in my life depending upon -the sort of beginning I make now. I laughed, -and told him he ought to be a parson, and I -should expect to see him preaching at some -street corner if they wouldn't give him a -gown and pulpit; but though I laughed I -cannot help thinking he may be right after -all. I suppose these lessons they give us to -learn will be useful in some way, and when I -leave school I shall be supposed to know all -about them, as Swain thinks I know all about -the construing in my exercise-book, and it -may be more awkward by-and-by not to -know it than it is now. I'll try to think of -this. Dear old Chandos, I like to tease him -a bit about his lectures, and yet I like him to -talk to me as he does. -</p> - -<p> -I can understand now how it is he is so -grave and quiet. He is the eldest son, and -his mother talks to him as though he was -Frank's father. What a pity it is he cannot -have his wish and be a doctor. It's cruel, I -think, that people can't have their own way -about things like this. I couldn't give up -going to sea, as Chandos has given up his -wish. -</p> - -<p> -March 4th.—The fortnight is up, and cribs -are coming in fashion again, but everybody is -very careful, for Swain is still on the look-out, -I can see. Last night I had a talk with -Chandos about it, and he says if I am firm -the boys will not send me to Coventry, as -they threaten. Jackson and a few others may -bully me a bit, but the school will not be led -by them. -</p> - -<p> -To tell the truth, I am not so much afraid -of Jackson and that lot as of the endless -grind I shall have to do to keep on the -square and do without cribs. I wish I'd -never begun with them, and it wouldn't be so -hard now, but once begun, it seems almost -impossible to leave them off. -</p> - -<p> -I said something of this to Chandos, and -he said if I asked God's help I should not -find things so difficult; but I don't see how -praying can help me with my lessons or -make them any easier, but still I mean to -keep on. -</p> - -<p> -March 12th.—The fellows are awfully rusty -because I won't use cribs. Yesterday Tom -came to talk to me about it—the first time -he has spoken for a week, for most of the -fellows have kept their word, and sent me to -Coventry for it. -</p> - -<p> -"Now look here, Charley, the fellows have -sent me to speak to you once more—mind, -it's the last time—and if you ain't reasonable -now you won't have another chance." -</p> - -<p> -"If it is about cribs you can hold your -tongue, for I've made up my mind long ago," -I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, that's all cram. It won't do to come -over us with that tale, you know, Charley; -you've used 'em for months and months before -you came here, I know, and you'll be glad -enough to use 'em again; but you'll find then -the fellows won't help you, and so I've come -to give you one more chance. Now then, yes -or no?" -</p> - -<p> -"No," I said, firmly. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, I'm not going to take your answer in -such a hurry as all that. Just think a bit, old -fellow, what you'll do when the summer comes, -and you have to sit stewing over your lessons -in that musty old class-room while we are in -the cricket-field. Why, you'll never get that -big ship of yours finished unless you take to -cribs again." -</p> - -<p> -"I can't help it," I said, sulkily, and wishing -all the time I could get my lessons done -sooner. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh yes, you can, and you needn't think -to cram me with the tale that you are fond of -grind, because I know better. You hate it -like poison, and if you weren't afraid of Miss -Chandos and her slow-going lot you'd take to -cribs again like a sensible fellow." -</p> - -<p> -"Who says I'm afraid of Chandos?" -</p> - -<p> -"I do, and so do the other fellows; and -she's just taking all the spirit out of you, -and making you as big a coward as she is -herself." -</p> - -<p> -"I tell you, Tom, you're mistaken in thinking -Chandos is a coward, and I'll fight any -fellow that dares to say so." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, everybody knows you can fight, but -that isn't the thing. I haven't come to quarrel -with you, Charley, but to talk over this. -Look here now, things are getting awfully -dull and slow. We haven't had a real good -lark this half, for all our time has to be spent -in grind." -</p> - -<p> -"You and Collins and Jackson always get -done in good time." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, and a few others besides, but some of -them talk about giving up cribs through you, -and it ain't fair. Swain will find out about -the cribs if you are so much longer over your -lessons than we are. Mind, this isn't the only -thing, Charley. We're old chums—" -</p> - -<p> -"We were at one time, Tom, but I can't -forget that farm-yard business," I put in. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, botheration to the farm-yard! That -was months and months ago, and everybody -has forgotten that, if you haven't." -</p> - -<p> -"I'm not so sure of that, Tom," I said. -</p> - -<p> -Tom put his hands into his pockets and -whistled. After a minute or two he said, -"Well, Charley, you'll never be the sailor I -thought you would." -</p> - -<p> -"Bother being a sailor! What's that got -to do with it?" I said. "You were talking -about our being chums." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, only this—sailors don't bear malice -like you." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't bear malice. It isn't that at all. -You didn't hurt me, except that I felt I'd lost -my old chum, when you did that sneaking -business, and let Chandos take your punishment." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, bother Chandos! I'm sick of hearing -the young lady's name, and I didn't come to -talk about her, but about these cribs. I tell -you, Charley, if you don't take them up again -there'll be no fun this half." -</p> - -<p> -"We can live without fun, I suppose," I -said, crossly. -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose we can, but you were always up -to anything in that line. But now—well, there's -been nothing since the skating but just -maundering about like a parcel of girls." -</p> - -<p> -"Would you like that skating business over -again?—because I shouldn't! I do like a good -lark as well as anybody, but I may as well -tell you straight out, Tom, I mean to go on -the square with our larks as well as with -lessons. I shan't forget how near Frank -Chandos was to dying for one while, and I -mean to be careful in that direction for the -future, for I shouldn't like to be a murderer, -even in fun." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap06"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VI. -<br /> -WAS IT ROBBERY? -</h3> - -<p> -April 13th.—A month since I wrote up -my log. I have been home for a few -days' holiday, but the rest has been all -grind, and not a single lark. I'm afraid I -shan't be able to hold out much longer; and -yet it seems jolly mean when God has made -Frank Chandos almost well, and saved me -from being miserable all my life. -</p> - -<p> -I had a letter from Frank yesterday, and -he says he can run about—clamber over the -rocks and build castles in the sand now. I -wish I was at the seaside, though it would be -better to be on the sea. I shall run away -soon to get away from this grind if something -don't happen, though I'm not sure that it -wouldn't be as mean as cribbing. The fellows -have sent me to Coventry over that, and -everything is as dull as can be. I wish -something would happen; even a row would be a -change. -</p> - -<p> -April 20th.—Something has happened, or is -going to happen, at least; and I've laughed -so much already over it that my sides ached. -Yesterday morning I heard a knocking at our -bedroom door just before the dressing-bell -rang. -</p> - -<p> -"Who's there?" I called out. -</p> - -<p> -"Hush up and come out here," came a -whisper through the keyhole. -</p> - -<p> -I knew it was Tom, and though I felt -inclined to give him a turn at Coventry at -first, I got up and opened the door. -</p> - -<p> -"Now then, what's the row? Have you -set all the water-jugs on fire?" I asked. -</p> - -<p> -"We want you in our room a minute. Is -Miss Chandos asleep?" he added. -</p> - -<p> -"It ain't likely, with all the row you've -been making at this door. What do you -want, Tom? You know I'm in Coventry." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, you won't be much longer. We'll -give up about the cribs, Charley; you've beat -us. But slip on some of your things and -come into our room. Collins wants to speak -to you. He's got some news." -</p> - -<p> -"And a hamper too, hasn't he?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, but there wasn't much besides clothes, -and that's what's put him out." -</p> - -<p> -"Does he think I'm to blame, then?" I -said. -</p> - -<p> -"No, but he thinks you might help him fill -it. But come on, Charley, now, before Swain -comes. We must think of something at once." -</p> - -<p> -"I shan't be a minute, Chandos," I said, -slipping my head inside the door; and then I -followed Tom to his room. This is a good -deal larger than ours, and has six beds in it, -Jackson, Collins, and Tom, with three others, -sleeping here. They were all perched on -Collins's bed when we went in, talking over -the matter upon which Tom had been dispatched. -</p> - -<p> -"I say, Stewart, you'll promise us, first of -all, not to tell what goes on here, even if you -shouldn't join the fun?" -</p> - -<p> -"Did you ever know me to turn sneak, any -of you fellows?" I asked, rather angrily. -</p> - -<p> -"You need not get your back up, Stewart; -we only asked you a civil question, and you -might give us a civil answer. It's all right, -though; I don't believe you'd peach." -</p> - -<p> -"No, I wouldn't." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I believe you. Now, look here. -The governor's birthday is on the twenty-fourth, -and we shall have a holiday—a whole -holiday, this year, as I happen to know; for I -overheard Swain talking about the weather -being unusually fine, and the boys having -worked very steadily lately; they were to have -the whole day to spend at Dinglewell. -You've never been to Dinglewell, have you, -Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"No, but I've heard about it." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, it's the jolliest place! and we can do -pretty much as we like in the woods. There's -only one thing they're mean about, and that's -the grub. Sandwiches and stale buns I don't -relish, especially when I think of the pantry -shelves almost cracking with the good things -at home; for you must know there's always a -grand dinner-party in the evening, and cook -begins preparing for it days beforehand. I -tell you, Stewart, it's enough to make a -fellow's mouth water to see the pies and tarts -and custards standing there." -</p> - -<p> -"You're not obliged to look at them, I -suppose?" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, it's not the looking at them I object to, -but the not tasting; and I mean to remedy -that this year. Are you game for a lark?" -</p> - -<p> -"Just try me, that's all!" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Charley's good for any lark that don't -hurt anybody," said Tom. -</p> - -<p> -"Then this will fit him as nicely as -possible, for nobody will be hurt. Even the -governor himself will laugh over it, and we -shall have a jolly feed into the bargain." -</p> - -<p> -"You mean to have some of the pies and -tarts out of cook's pantry, then?" -</p> - -<p> -"Exactly, old fellow. You'd help us, I -know." -</p> - -<p> -"What am I to do?" I asked; "and how -are you going to get them away—put them -in your pockets?" -</p> - -<p> -"Pockets be bothered! No, everybody -knows I had a hamper from home yesterday, -and I mean to let the school think it was -stuffed full of good things, and that I mean to -save them until we go to Dinglewell." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, I see," I said, laughing; but there -wasn't time to say any more, for the bell rang, -and I was obliged to hurry back to my room, -for there's no telling when or where Swain -will turn up in the morning. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos looked at me when I got back, -but he would not ask any questions, and of -course I can't split on the other fellows. -</p> - -<p> -Later in the day I had another talk with -Collins about clearing the larder, and we -agreed to do it the night before we went to -Dinglewell; and the things were to be packed -in his hamper, and Swain is to be asked -beforehand to let it go in the cart with the -other grub and things. This is the best of -the whole fun, to think Swain should help us -clear the governor's larder. I laughed until -Collins declared I should bring it all out and -spoil it. I wouldn't be out of this fun for -anything. I only wish I could be at home -when cook finds it out. I'd give my share of -the fun to see the scare. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-078"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-078.jpg" alt="CLEARING THE LARDER." /> -<br /> -CLEARING THE LARDER. -</p> - -<p> -April 23rd.—I've only time for a line before -Chandos comes in, and the other fellows don't -want him to know anything of what's going -on. We've done it—cleared the larder of -every pie and custard we could get hold of. -I thought we should be caught once, and my -hair almost stood on end as I heard cook's -voice outside the door; but she went on, and -so did we. I handed the things to Collins -through the window, and each fellow in the -secret took something and stole up to his -room with it, and now they are all safely -packed in the hamper, and Swain has -promised it shall go in the cart. Poor old -Swain, if he only knew what he had -promised! But he'll never know that he helped -to clear the governor's pantry, although he'll -pull a long face to-morrow when he comes -home and finds there's precious little to eat. -The best of the fun is, they won't find out -that they're gone until dinner is nearly ready, -for the precious things were packed on the -top shelves out of the way, and I nearly broke -my neck once trying to reach them. I -wonder what Chandos will say about this -when he hears of it? He is looking forward -to the fun we shall have in the woods -to-morrow as much as anybody. I wonder -whether he would think this innocent fun? -I don't think I shall go to the feed, though -I helped to get the things, for Collins won't -ask him, which I think is rather mean of him, -considering that Chandos had to stay here for -the Easter holidays, while the rest of us went -home for a fortnight. -</p> - -<p> -I wonder what we shall do with the dishes -when we've eaten the pies! We can't bring -'em home, that's certain, and Swain mustn't -see them either, and he'll expect to be invited, -for Collins has pitched him a fine yarn about -the things his mother has sent for this feed. -I must ask Collins what he means to do -about this, for if we don't look out the -crockery will spoil the whole game. What -a pity it is they can't make pies without -dishes! I almost wish I'd only brought those -little tarts that Collins carried away in his -handkerchief. They got broken a bit, and -some of the jam ran out, but they're just as -good broken as whole, and there's no dishes -to worry about. Bother the dishes! I must -go and speak to him about them before -Chandos comes up. I wonder why he is -downstairs so long after time. Surely he -can't have any mischief on hand! -</p> - -<p> -April 25th.—Our holiday is over, and the -fun too; but I'm afraid we haven't heard the -last of the governor's pies. If he only knew -what a bother they were to us after all, and -how often we wished them back in the pantry -even before we had eaten them, he would feel -more comfortable about it, I should think, for -it's the last time I'll ever have anything to do -with robbing a larder, even for a lark. It was -all through the dishes. Nobody knew how -we were to get rid of them, and some of the -fellows got so frightened they wanted to pitch -the whole lot away. But we couldn't do -that, even if Collins and Jackson would have -agreed to it, for the hamper had gone in the -cart, and we couldn't get at it until Swain -said, soon after we reached Dinglewell, -"Would you like your hamper left with the -other things until dinner-time, Collins?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't think so, sir, Stewart and -Jackson, and a few more of us, are going to look -for ferns, and so we can carry the hamper, -and if we shouldn't get back by dinner-time -it won't matter." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know so much about that," said -Swain, turning rather rusty; "I cannot let you -stray miles off. You may take the hamper, -of course, but you must not go beyond the -old tower, and then I shall know where to -find you if you are wanted." -</p> - -<p> -"The contrary old hunks—he's never done -that before!" grumbled Collins, as we turned -away, carrying the hamper between us. -</p> - -<p> -We didn't feel very jolly about the thing -now, and I wished I could back out of it and -join the football party with Chandos and the -rest. We might have been carrying a coffin -with the body of somebody we'd killed, by the -solemn way we marched along. As soon as -we were away from Swain and the rest I said, -"Now let's pitch all the rubbish down the first -hole we can find." -</p> - -<p> -"That's your own throat, I suppose, Stewart," -said Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"No, I don't want a bit; I've had enough -thinking of the dishes," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, hang the dishes! I wish you hadn't -thought of them at all, or had left them in the -pantry," said Collins. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I like that—after dragging me into -the scrape to grumble at me for helping! -Now, look here, I've had enough of the fun, -and will give up the feed to you, and go back -to the rest, if you like." -</p> - -<p> -"And leave me to take care of the precious -dishes! I knew you were a coward, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"No, I'm not a coward, and I'll stay and -see it out, if you like. We must smash the -dishes up, you know, and throw the bits about. -Swain will never see anything of them then." -</p> - -<p> -"Bravo, Charley! What a pity we hadn't -thought of that before! Now, then, let's find -a place where we can be sure to be to -ourselves, and when we've cleared out the good -things we'll begin the smashing business." -</p> - -<p> -It did not take us long to demolish the pies -and custards, and each dish as it was emptied -was broken into pieces, and we amused -ourselves by throwing these as far as we could in -every direction. -</p> - -<p> -It was quite a relief when the last tart was -eaten and the last dish scattered, and I then -proposed returning to the others, for, our -penance over, surely we might have some play -now. -</p> - -<p> -"You forget we've come fern-grubbing," said -Collins. "I propose that, as we have robbed -the governor of his dinner, we should take him -something for his fernery. It will help to -ward off suspicion, too, I should think; it -ought, I am sure." -</p> - -<p> -"I am not at all sure," I said, "and I know -nothing about ferns either." -</p> - -<p> -"He wants to get back to his nurse," -laughed Jackson. -</p> - -<p> -"Miss Chandos said he mustn't be long," -put in Tom, provokingly; but the next minute -he had measured his length on the ground, for -if I did want to have a game with Chandos I -wasn't going to be told of it by Tom. -</p> - -<p> -Then the fellows all turned rusty, and -there was something of a fight, until about -the middle of the afternoon we were so tired -of each other and our fruitless search for ferns -that we threw the hamper away and went -back to the rest. -</p> - -<p> -"I knew you wouldn't get any ferns," said -Swain, when he heard of the result of our -expedition. "I suppose you have had your -dinner?" he added, speaking rather stiffly. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir," answered Collins; and we were -glad to turn away, for we fancied he looked at -us very suspiciously. -</p> - -<p> -We had certainly missed the fun to-day in -our eagerness to grasp it; for seven more -disagreeable, disconsolate boys it would be -hard to find than we, as we sauntered towards -the two football parties, who were running, -shouting, laughing, and evidently enjoying -the game wonderfully. -</p> - -<p> -There seemed to be no room for us now, -and we stood about watching the fun as it -grew more fast and furious. Chandos saw -me at last, and ran across to where I was -standing. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, Stewart, where have you been all -day? What made you run away from this -football? It has been such glorious play!" -</p> - -<p> -"I'm glad you've enjoyed it. I've been with -Collins and the rest to look for some ferns." -</p> - -<p> -"To look for ferns! Why, Collins must -know that ferns don't grow in Dinglewell -Forest; at least, I never saw any," said -Chandos. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't think they do, for we couldn't -find them either, and so we came back." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, you'll join the game now, won't -you? Come on, we'll make room for you." -</p> - -<p> -"No, I don't care about it to-day," I said, -for I began to feel a kind of dizziness in my -head. I had felt sick for the last hour, but -this pain in my head was something quite -new, and I began to fear I should be ill. -Certainly I had no inclination to join in the -<i>mêlée</i> over the ball, and only wanted to be -left alone. -</p> - -<p> -The miserable day came to an end at last, -and I was glad enough to go home and go to -bed, and I fancy Tom and one or two of the -others felt as bad as I did, although nobody -complained or even owned to having a -headache, for fear Swain should suspect us when -he heard of the robbery. Robbery! what an -ugly word that is! But of course it isn't as -though we really stole things; we only took -the pies for fun, which is different from -common stealing, only we missed the fun -altogether this time. -</p> - -<p> -We expected to hear all about the affair -when we came home—that the cook had gone -into hysterics and the governor fainted, or -something like that; but we did not hear a -single word, and of course we couldn't ask. -</p> - -<p> -Yesterday we did hear a little bit from the -housemaid; but she didn't know who the -governor suspected. She thought it was -burglars, and of course we said it must be, -and sent the whisper through the school that -burglars had broken into the pantry. -</p> - -<p> -One of the juniors was so frightened at the -word "robbers," that he went and asked -Swain if he thought they would come any -more, or whether he had better write and ask -his mamma to send for him. -</p> - -<p> -"Who has been telling you this tale about -burglars and robbers? It is nothing to be -afraid of. Burglars such as you are thinking -of don't come to steal pies and custards. We -shall find out the thief or thieves very soon, -I have no doubt." -</p> - -<p> -I have been wondering ever since I heard -this whether Swain suspects us after all, or -whether he just said it to pacify the youngster. -Not a word has been said about it by the -governor, and so I am inclined to think we -shall get off without any further punishment. -It will only be fair after all, for if the governor -knew how his precious pies spoiled all our -holiday, and how miserable and sick they -made us feel, he wouldn't want to serve us -out any more by way of making us remember -it. I'm not likely to forget or repeat it again, -for a day like that is worse than the hardest -grind at Euclid. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap07"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VII. -<br /> -A SURPRISE. -</h3> - -<p> -April 30th.—There's been a most awful -row, and the fellows say I turned rat—at -least, Jackson and Collins have sent -me to Coventry over it; but I should do it -again if there was the same occasion, for how -could I let a poor servant lose her place and -her character through one of my larks? The -governor must be a drivelling donkey not to -suspect us instead of the servants. -</p> - -<p> -I always fancied that Swain did smell a -rat until Young came tearing up to me with -the tale that the police were to be sent for to -search the kitchen-maid's boxes. -</p> - -<p> -"Why, what's the row now?" I asked. -</p> - -<p> -"They can't find out anything clear about -those pies; but it's pretty certain the -kitchen-maid has been giving away bread and meat, -which, it seems, is against the rules, and they -think she has handed the pies away too—sold -them, perhaps." -</p> - -<p> -"Sold your grandmother! Young, you're -not such a muff as to think the servants did -that, are you?" -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know what to think. It couldn't -be burglars, you know." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course not, it was us. I did most of -the business, and I'm off to the governor now -to tell him all about it;" and, leaving Young -staring with all his eyes, I rushed indoors past -Swain, who stood near the schoolroom door, -and bolted on to the master's study. I could -hardly wait for him to say "Come in;" but -when I opened the door all my courage -seemed to have gone, and I felt ready to run -away again. -</p> - -<p> -"Did you wish to speak to me, Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir; please, sir, it's about the pies," I -said, hardly knowing how to begin. -</p> - -<p> -"You mean the robbery that has been -committed lately?" -</p> - -<p> -"Please, sir, I never thought about it's being -a robbery when I took them." -</p> - -<p> -"You took them! You robbed my pantry, -Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"It wasn't a robbery, sir—it was only a -lark. I did not want the pies to eat; it was -just for the fun." -</p> - -<p> -"And what did you do with them?" asked -the governor, sternly. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, sir, Mr. Swain helped us get -them away, although he didn't know it;" and -then bit by bit it all came out. I tried to -screen Collins and the rest, but somehow there -was no getting over the governor's close -questions, and he sent for them, and gave us all a -lecture and then a long imposition. I hate -impositions and all sorts of grind, but I didn't -mind that so much, for after all the governor -didn't give it us so stiff as he might—as I -thought he would; and that poor girl is not -to lose her place after all. -</p> - -<p> -I thought when the impositions were got -over there would be an end of the affair; but -it seems I shall for ever be nagged about -it—called a rat, a sneak, a coward. Tom says I -need not have been in such a hurry to run -off to the governor—that if the police had -come they would not have found the empty -dishes in her box, and so she would not have -lost her place, and we could still have kept -our secret. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos, too, talks something like the -governor. According to them it was an -actual robbery, although I did it in fun. The -result was the same, they say, and it might -have led to disastrous consequences if I had -not told the whole truth about it; and then -he went on to say it was not keeping the -promise I had made when Frank was so ill. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, how in the world is a fellow to keep -straight for ever?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"What pleasure did you get out of this?" -</p> - -<p> -"None at all, as it happened, and it's the -last pantry I'll rob; but still—" and there I -stopped. -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose you mean to say you will get -into some other mischief at the first -opportunity?" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, how am I to keep out of it?" I -asked. -</p> - -<p> -"What pleasure did you ever get by it? -Now, I know you did not enjoy the holiday at -Dinglewell as I did, and yet—" -</p> - -<p> -"No, that I didn't," I said; "it was the most -miserable day I ever spent, and I'll never rob -a pantry any more, even for fun. I tell you, -Chandos, I'd like to keep straight if I could, -but how can I? I've tried, and tried hard, ever -since that affair of poor Frank's. I've never -touched a crib since, I give you my word, and -you don't know how hard it is to leave off -when once you've begun on that tack." -</p> - -<p> -"I know it must be hard work, and I think -you have done very well in resisting as you -have the temptation to use cribs; but you -might have done better, Stewart, if you were -not so proud." -</p> - -<p> -"Proud!" I said. "Nobody ever called -me that before. Sailors are never proud, you -know." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, you are, or you would accept the -help a Friend is waiting to give you if you -were not." -</p> - -<p> -"Now, Chandos, that isn't fair," I said. -"I have always been willing to accept help -and take advice from you." -</p> - -<p> -"I wasn't speaking of myself, but of One -who cares for you far more than I do, although -I feel sorry enough when you go wrong, and -get into scrapes, and make people miserable, -as you often do through your thoughtlessness." -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose you mean my mother? But I -tell you, Chandos, she expects it—she knows -boys can't keep out of mischief." -</p> - -<p> -"But I know they can; and it wasn't your -mother I was thinking of just now, but God." -</p> - -<p> -"But—but you don't think He cares much -about it, do you, Chandos? He can't, you -know." -</p> - -<p> -"You believe that I care, don't you—at -least a little?" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, yes, I do, for you have always been -my friend, and helped me out of a scrape, and -given me good advice; but—but it's different -about God," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Why is it different? He is your Friend, -who cares far more for your welfare than I -do, and He is more anxious to see you do -well—live a pure, honest, upright life—than -I can be; and yet you will not accept the help -He alone can give, and by which alone you -can conquer this inclination to get into -mischief and often do such great wrong." -</p> - -<p> -"God is my Friend?" I repeated. "Look -here, Chandos, if I could believe that—well, -I don't know what I should do, but somehow -I should want to be different. I almost wish -it could be true." -</p> - -<p> -"It is true, Stewart, as true as truth, as true -as you and I are standing here. I wish you -would believe that God feels a personal -interest in you, as much as though you were -the only schoolboy in the world." -</p> - -<p> -"I wish I could. But somehow, Chandos, -it seems so strange—too wonderful, you know, -to be true, that God—the great God who -made heaven and earth—can care for a -harum-scarum lot like us." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, it is wonderful; but you know the -Lord Jesus Christ cared so much for this -harum-scarum world and all the people in it -that He was content to die—to lay down His -life to bring them to God." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I've heard something about it in -church; and since I've been trying to do the -square thing and write bits of the sermon, -I've heard about it there too; but then it -never seemed to me that it could be for boys. -God the friend of boys like me? Why, look -here, Chandos; if the governor was to proclaim -himself my friend it would be an honour, you -know; but look at the difference! I take it -that you mean I could go and tell God about -every little scrape and trouble I got into, and -He would help me out of it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Or help you to bear it, as the case might be. -That is exactly what I do mean, Stewart." -</p> - -<p> -"You do; and you believe it?" -</p> - -<p> -"Believe it; of course I believe it. I don't -know how I should get on if I did not," -said Chandos; and I am sure he spoke truly. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, perhaps I may come to believe it -too some day, but I can't now—not just in -the way you do. Of course I know we ought -to pray and do the square thing; but as long -as we do that and go to church it always -seemed to me that God wouldn't trouble -Himself about us any further. I have been -doing the square thing too lately; at least, -I've tried at it, and isn't that enough?" -</p> - -<p> -"But, Stewart, according to your belief, we -should all be the slaves of God—doing just -what we were obliged, for fear of punishment, -and no more. God does not ask, will -not accept such service as that. Don't you -remember the text of last Sunday, 'My son, -give Me thine heart,' and what the minister -said of God desiring our will, our affection to -be given to Him? The service would follow -then quite naturally, he said; and when I -heard it I was thinking of you—thinking you -had begun at the wrong end, trying to force -yourself into giving God service without any -heart or love or pleasure in it." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, you're about right, Chandos," I said; -"but I don't see how it could be different. -God made Frank well, and I promised that if -He would do that and save me from being -miserable all my life I'd do the square thing; -and I'm not mean enough to back out of the -bargain if I can help it." -</p> - -<p> -"But, Stewart, you do not surely think -that God answered our prayers for Frank -just because He wanted to tie you to this -miserable bondage—for it is bondage, -slavery—this service which you know ought to be -and is 'perfect freedom' to those who begin -at the right end, and not the wrong—by -giving their hearts—their will and love to -God." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I don't know. Of course God wants -me to be good, I suppose." -</p> - -<p> -"But He would never take such an advantage -of us as you suppose—making a bargain -with us, as it were. No, no, Stewart, you -have made a great mistake about this. God -heard and answered our prayers because He -pitied our distress and loved you too well to let -the miserable consequences of your thoughtless -mischief follow you through all your life; and -you ought to return love for love, and not -treat God as though you thought Him a hard -taskmaster." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I don't know; you may be right, -Chandos, but I don't see how I am to begin. -What a pity it is you are not going to be a -parson!" -</p> - -<p> -I couldn't help saying that, and I meant it -too. -</p> - -<p> -May 5th.—Something has happened that I -never thought did happen anywhere except -in books. Chandos, that so many of the boys -have looked down upon as being poor and -beneath them, because he never seemed to -have any pocket money to spend, like the rest -of us, has suddenly become a baronet—Sir -Eustace Chandos, of Chandos Court, and I -don't know how many other places besides. It -came upon us like a thunderbolt, for Chandos -never told us his uncle was a baronet, or that -he had any relatives but the merchant uncle. -He did tell me a few weeks ago that he had -just heard of the sudden death of his two -cousins, but he did not say any more, except -that he had not seen them above twice in his -life. I suppose he may have thought it would -make no great difference to him, as his uncle -was not a very old man; but now his uncle has -just died too, and our Miss Chandos becomes -Sir Eustace. Well, I only wish his uncle had -put off dying a little bit longer—just till I felt -more settled about things; but now I feel -sure I shall run away to sea if the mother -don't come round and give her consent. -</p> - -<p> -May 12th.—Bravo! Sir Eustace is not -going to leave us just yet. It seems his -brother Frank is just coming back, and he -prefers to stay another year, and then he will -go to college, I suppose. It don't seem to -have made a bit of difference in him either. -I thought perhaps he might like to drop our -friendship now he was so rich and I still poor -Charley Stewart, but he seemed hurt at the -bare suggestion, and so I am to call him -Chandos as usual, and we shall share the -room just the same as though nothing had -happened. I have thought a good deal about -this the last two days. I know a good many -fellows would have packed up their traps and -gone off at once, or else held their heads so -high that a poor chap like me would never be -able to speak to them; and I've been wondering -whether it's Chandos having learned so -many things about God that makes him different -in this. I've thought, too, that perhaps -after all, as Chandos is just as willing to be -my friend now he is Sir Eustace, that God -may be my friend, as he said, though I can -hardly get used to the thought yet. -</p> - -<p> -May 20th.—There has been a tremendous -row over the prize essay by which Tom won -the watch last Christmas. After all this time, -when everybody thought it was -forgotten—though a good many of us did wonder then -how Tom managed it—now it is found out -that it was all made up of cribs, some taken -from books, and some from notes that one of -the older fellows lost. Somebody must have -turned rat, Tom says. He is in an awful rage -at having to give up the watch, but the -governor insisted; and now Tom is as dull -and looks as miserable as he can be, for the -school has sent him to Coventry over it, which -is very mean, I think, seeing they upheld him -last winter, when a good many at least knew he -had no right to try for this prize. He must -wish he had let Chandos take his chance now, -I should think. I cannot help pitying him, -and Chandos and I have agreed not to join -the school this time, though the other fellows -threaten us with Coventry for speaking to -Tom as we do. -</p> - -<p> -The sea fever, as Chandos calls it, has -suddenly seized Tom again, and he is always -talking about it, as though we were both sure -of going. I wish we were; but Tom's father -says he has no real liking for it, and therefore -won't let him go, and my mother is afraid. -Oh dear! if mother would only give her -consent! but she never will, I am afraid, and there -will be nothing for it but to run away. Tom -says we had better make up our minds to go -from here before next Christmas. If it wasn't -for the talks I've had with Chandos I'd do it; -but I think I must give the mother one more -chance, and see if I can't persuade her in the -holidays to let me go. I wish I could think -of something to please her very much; I'd do -anything to get her consent to my going to sea. -</p> - -<p> -June 4th.—I've been talking to Chandos. -He says I have got the sea fever very bad -this time, and he is afraid some of the other -boys will catch the infection. I know what -he means. He is afraid his brother may learn -to like the sea from hearing so much about it -from Tom, for the two are always together -now. But I don't think he need to be afraid, -Frank would never do for the sea, I am sure. -He has persuaded me not to tease my mother -too much about these plans of mine these -holidays, but to go in for lots of grind next -half, and get a prize at Christmas, and then, -perhaps, when she sees I have really been -industrious with my lessons, and yet love the -sea as dearly as ever, she will be more likely -to yield. -</p> - -<p> -The plan may be a good one—I think it is, -but it's precious hard. Grind is not quite such -a trouble as it was at first, but still it's bad -enough; and what with no cribs, and the -extra I shall have to do if I am to have a -chance of taking a prize, it is just enough to -turn my brain. I scratch my head and pull -a long face every time I think of it, but still I -think I will try it, hard as it is. -</p> - -<p> -June 12th.—Mrs. Chandos has sent a very -pressing invitation for mamma and me to pay -them a visit at Chandos Court, and of course -Sir Eustace is quite eager that I should accept -it. Not that he wants to show off his grandeur, -I could never believe that of Chandos. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap08"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER VIII. -<br /> -RUNNING AWAY TO SEA. -</h3> - -<p> -August.—We are back at school once -more, and I am going to begin grinding -in real earnest for this prize. The mater -has half consented, or at least half promised, to -give her consent if I get this prize. Mrs. Chandos -talked her into this, I fancy, while we were -staying at the Court. What a jolly time we -had there, in spite of its being awfully grand! -Everybody calls Chandos the "young baronet" -about there, and people touch their caps -to him as though he were a great swell, as I -suppose he is. I never thought there was so -much fun in him as I know there is now. He -seems to love fun as much as any of us, only -he is very careful that his pleasure does not -give any one else pain, which makes all the -difference in our way of getting fun; and I -fancy his enjoyment of it is deeper after all. -</p> - -<p> -September 1st.—There is to be an extra -prize given for Latin this year, and the -examination is to take place early in December. -Chandos wants me to go in for this, but I am -half afraid. It will want such lots of grind. -He says learning would not be so much -trouble to me if I would only make up my -mind to like it; but I don't think I shall ever -do this. But still I must get one prize at -Christmas somehow; and having done my -lessons so long on the square, without even -touching a crib, I think I may manage it -without quite killing myself. -</p> - -<p> -September 14th.—I wish prizes had never -been invented—never been thought of. I -believe it's done just to plague boys. Here -we are working like galley slaves; and if I -don't go on grind, grind, Chandos whispers, -"You forget the prize—you are going to sea." No, -I don't forget it; I have been thinking of -it more than ever lately, and so has Tom. -He means to run away and get to Liverpool -before the winter sets in, and of course -he wants me to go with him, and calls me -"rat" and "coward" because I will not -promise. Of course I don't mean to split on -him, for I can't help wishing I could go too; -but somehow, now that it seems possible I -may get my mother's consent to go in a -proper manner—go as a midshipman in the -Navy—I would rather wait, although I do -hate the grind. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos says I shall have to grind harder -still if I go to the Naval College at -Greenwich; but I won't mind that so much, for -the grind will be about ships and navigation, -and not the stupid things we have to learn -here. -</p> - -<p> -October 12th.—Tom means to go. Everything -is so miserable here, he says. The -fellows have been rather hard upon him, I -think, considering they all backed him up to -keep Chandos out of trying for the watch last -year. Well, he don't want a watch now, but -he's going in for as much grind as though he -did, or as though he was still poor, and going -to mount his uncle's office stool, instead of -living in all the glory of Chandos Court. But -I began about Tom. He means to be missing -some fine morning, and to make his way -to Liverpool. He thinks he shall be sure to -get a ship there, and is to write to me and his -father just before he sails. He don't mean to -write to the governor at all, because he was -so mean about the watch. We always talked -about selling that to pay our expenses on the -road, for of course Tom don't want to beg; -and to save him from this I have given him -all the pocket-money I had left, which was -only half-a-crown and twopence, for I never -can keep money long, now that old woman -with the bulls'-eyes comes to the playground -gate so often. Poor Tom! I wish I had more -I could give him, for things have been pretty -hard for him here lately, though I dare say he -deserved it for the mean trick he served -Chandos. What a scare it will be when they -first find out that Tom has gone! I shall -have to keep quiet, though—hear, see, and -say nothing, as they tell the youngsters, for I -cannot pretend to be anxious when I know -all about it, and I don't mean to split on Tom. -Sometimes I fancy that Chandos minor is in -the secret. Tom is stupid if he lets too many -know what he is up to. I should have kept -my own counsel, and not let Chandos know -this. -</p> - -<p> -October 14th.—The house is all in -commotion. Nothing has gone on in its proper -order, and everybody seems to be wondering -what will happen next. Tom has gone—run -away to sea, as the boys are whispering to -each other; but that is not the worst. I -knew he meant going when he said "Good -night" to me last night, and so I risked the -imposition I might get, and stayed in my -room this morning until Chandos came -rushing in, looking white and scared. -</p> - -<p> -"Is Frank here, Stewart?" he said. -</p> - -<p> -"Frank?—no, I haven't seen him," I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Then he's gone—gone with Haslitt," he -said, dropping into a chair. "Did you know -anything about this, Stewart?" he asked. -</p> - -<p> -"I knew that Tom meant to go some time. -I've told you the same." -</p> - -<p> -"But about Frank—what have you heard -about him? Tell me instantly, Stewart. -Think of my poor mother." -</p> - -<p> -"I don't believe your brother has gone -with Tom. He isn't such a muff as to do -that." -</p> - -<p> -"You forget the sea fever that we used to -tease him about in the holidays." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, I know we teased him, but nobody -could ever think Frank would be fit for sea. -Tom didn't, I know." -</p> - -<p> -"But he's taken him—they're gone away -together, I'm certain." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, nonsense, Chandos. Look here, now, -you mustn't split on Tom, or say a word to -the governor that I know anything about it; -but I've talked to Tom lots of times about -this, but he never said a word about anybody -else going with him. He wanted me to go, of -course, but, failing me, he should have to go -alone, he said." -</p> - -<p> -"But where can Frank be? Nobody has -seen him this morning, and most of his clothes -and all his money have gone—I have been to -look." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, if I thought—" and then I stopped. -"Look here, I can't split on Tom unless I am -quite sure that young muff has really gone. -Don't tell what I have said, Chandos; but if -they are together, Tom is the greatest stupid -I ever heard of, for he might be sure I should -tell all I knew then, and I will too. Fancy -that poor little muff Frank handling tarred -ropes—he'd want to put his gloves on first!" and -I burst out laughing at the thought of -Chandos minor going to sea. Chandos Court -would do for him nicely, but on board a ship -he would be in misery. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos left me laughing, but soon came back. -</p> - -<p> -"Stewart, you must go to the governor and -tell him all you know about this affair. There -is no time to be lost, you see, for somebody -must go after them. A carriage has been -ordered, and Swain is to go with a policeman; -but if they find out before starting which -road they have probably taken, perhaps it -may save hours, perhaps days, of delay." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I know Tom meant to go to Liverpool; -he told me so over and over again." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, come and tell the Doctor before he -sends off the telegram to Haslitt's father." -</p> - -<p> -"Is he going to send to your mother too?" -I asked. -</p> - -<p> -"Not just yet. I want to spare my mother -this anxiety if I can. It was for this—to look -after Frank a little longer, because he is -inclined to get into mischief, that I decided -to stay here for the rest of the year, but it -seems I am of little use in preventing the -mischief. But come now, Stewart, every -moment is precious." -</p> - -<p> -So we tore off to the Doctor's study, where -he was closeted with a policeman. -</p> - -<p> -"If you please, sir, Stewart has come to tell -you something about Haslitt," said Chandos, -pushing me forward. -</p> - -<p> -"I don't know much, sir, only he said he -was going to Liverpool. I shouldn't have -split about it only for little Chandos, and -he—" -</p> - -<p> -"When did he tell you this, Stewart? You -came to school together, I remember." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, sir, we are old chums, and he had -talked about going to Liverpool lots of -times." -</p> - -<p> -"You meant to go together, then, young -gentleman?" said the policeman. -</p> - -<p> -"Yes; I mean to go to sea, but I'll wait -till I get my mother's consent now. Young -Chandos, though, isn't fit for the sea, and he -mustn't go." -</p> - -<p> -"And you think they have taken the road -to Liverpool, young gentleman?" -</p> - -<p> -"I am sure they have." -</p> - -<p> -"And how do you think they meant to -travel?" asked the policeman again. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, they'd walk, unless Chandos junior -had lots of tin, and that ain't likely; for -Mother Brown makes us shell out for her -bulls'-eyes." -</p> - -<p> -"Do you know how much money your -brother had, Chandos?" asked the governor. -</p> - -<p> -"Not much, sir, I should think. He came -to borrow some of me yesterday, but I only -gave him a shilling." -</p> - -<p> -"Then we may conclude they are walking," -said the policeman; and a few minutes -afterwards he and Swain drove away, and we -have been wondering ever since whether they -would catch the runaways." -</p> - -<p> -October 20th.—Nobody heard anything -about Tom and Chandos until yesterday, for -they didn't go to Liverpool after all, and so -Swain and the policeman had their journey -for nothing. Mr. Haslitt got here a few -hours after the telegram was sent, and asked -me all about Tom; but he was too impatient -to wait until Swain got back at night, as -everybody expected he would do, but went -off to London to set people to work at once, -in case they were not heard of. It was just -as well he did, too, for Tom must have -changed his mind at the last minute, and -started for Plymouth instead of Liverpool, -for that was where he was found—he and -Chandos—wandering about the docks asking -everybody if they wanted a boy to go to sea. -Fancy anybody taking that poor little muff -Chandos! And it seems Tom might have got -a berth for himself, but he wouldn't go without -Chandos, so they were both caught, and I'm -glad of it—glad at least that they found -Chandos minor, though I can't help feeling -sorry for Tom, for he'll have a harder time of -it than ever now, I fancy. -</p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-109"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-109.jpg" alt=""DO YOU WANT A BOY TO GO TO SEA?"" /> -<br /> -"DO YOU WANT A BOY TO GO TO SEA?" -</p> - -<p> -His father is very angry with him, not only -for this last scrape, but about pretty well -everything that's happened since he's been -here; for of course it all came out in talking -to the governor and the boys, and that watch -affair he is mad about, and thinks it began all -the mischief. But I think the beginning of it -was when he let Chandos into that scrape -about the farm-yard—that was the first mean -thing I ever knew Tom to do; and now if it -wasn't actual stealing it was next to it, for he -put Chandos minor up to taking his brother's -studs and a locket that was with them. The -police found that out; I don't know what -those London fellows could not find out if -they tried. Nobody had missed the things -until we heard they had been found, and then -Chandos went to the drawer where he had -put them and found they were gone, and -some money too; but he won't say a word -about the money, it seems. He is dreadfully -upset, I know, although he is very quiet about -it; but I have come in rather suddenly once -or twice in the middle of the day, and found -him kneeling down, and though he has tried -to hide it, I know he was crying too. He -need not be afraid of me now, though, for -I'd—well I'd rather kick up a row and laugh in -church than tell the other fellows of it. I'm -in the secret a little. I know he feels it -awfully about Frank, and I suppose it helps -him a bit to go and tell God all about it. -That's just what it is, I know. He prays as -though God was as much his friend as I am -and just as ready to help him as I should be -if I could; and I know if I'd only got the -chance I'd do it. -</p> - -<p> -October 24th.—Frank Chandos is back in -his place once more, but Tom has gone home -with his father. I don't think anybody is -likely to try running away again in a hurry, -for to see Tom and Chandos minor when the -policeman brought them in was enough to -make anybody think twice before they tried -that game. That poor little muff Chandos -cried like a girl, but Tom tried to brave it out -until he saw his father. He gave it up then, -and I almost wished for his sake that we were -all on the alder pond again, for a more -miserable look I never saw on any face than that -on Tom's. His head drooped, and he never -raised his eyes from the floor again while -we were there. -</p> - -<p> -Poor old Tom! if he could only have been -brave enough to speak out the truth last year -about that farm-yard business, all the rest -might not have followed. -</p> - -<p> -But this fuss about him and Chandos minor -has put everything else out of my head, and -I have forgotten all about the prize and the -grind too. What a bother prizes are! I'm -afraid I shall stand a poor chance of getting -this one now, for the other fellows who mean -to go in for it have been working like galley -slaves all the time this row was going on, but -I couldn't, and Chandos seemed to forget -everything but that little muff, and so I am -all behind, I know. -</p> - -<p> -Chandos says I shall be able to make up -for lost time now if I only work steadily every -day, but there's the rub. How can I be sure -that I can work steadily for more than a -month? Fancy grinding without a lazy spell -for a whole month! I'm sure I couldn't do -it, and so I may as well give up at once. I -think I will, for what is the use of trying now? -It will be so much grind thrown away. And -we are having such splendid weather now, that -won't last much longer, that it seems a pity -to be boring over a book a single minute -longer than I am obliged. I shall tell Chandos -to-morrow that I mean to give up the whole -thing, for I can't do it. -</p> - -<p> -November 1st.—I am grinding still, for -Chandos won't hear of my giving up. He -says the things I learn—the grind—will be -more useful than the prize by-and-by; and -then he reminded me of my mother, and how -very pleased she would be if I gained this -prize. I know that, and I should like to please -her for once, independent of the sea scheme. -This is the prize to me, for I don't care much -about the watch for itself; it will remind me -too much of poor Tom and his watch. As -to the grind, what do I care about Julius -Cæsar and Hannibal and Rome and -Carthage? If it was about Nelson and Howe, -and Abercrombie and Cook, and a few more -like them, I'd grind away, never fear. Why -can't they let us know what the questions -are going to be—a few of them at -least? and then we might manage; but to be -expected to know all about everything, and the -fellows that lived hundreds of years ago, is -rather too stiff, and if it wasn't for Chandos I -should give it up, I know, much as I want to -please my mother. -</p> - -<p> -November 7th.—I've had a letter from Tom. -Fancy Tom writing a letter! He says everything -is just as miserable at home as it was -here, and he has to do no end of grind shut -up in his father's room. He saw my mother -last week, and his father told her she need not -be afraid I should run away to sea now, for I -had learned a few things at school I was not -likely to forget in a hurry. Well, that's true -enough; but I don't think Tom's father knows -what it is I have learned that prevented me -going with Tom, and I am not sure myself -that I have learned all the secret that makes -such a difference between Chandos and two -or three others and the rest of us at school, -that makes everybody take their word for -anything, and be sure they would not do a mean, -sneakish trick. I feel as though I was -stopping just outside this secret, for God is not -my friend—at least I cannot feel that He is, -as Chandos does. Sometimes I wish I could, -for I know this is more to him a great deal -than being Sir Eustace Chandos; but -somehow I don't seem able to get hold of it, -although I do believe it's true—all that -Chandos says about God being his friend. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - -<p><a id="chap09"></a></p> - -<h3> -CHAPTER IX. -<br /> -CONCLUSION. -</h3> - -<p> -November 14th.—I'm in for it again. It -isn't much this time—only a trick we -played off on Mother Brown. The -mean old hunks! to say she never gave -credit, when she's cleaned us all out with her -nasty bulls'-eyes. I'll never eat another, that -I won't. The governor has heard of this -lark, and my share in it, I suppose, for I'm -ordered to go to his study at nine o'clock -to-morrow morning. Well, I don't care what -the punishment is, so long as Mother Brown -don't hear of it; but she would glory in that, -I know, for I've led her a nice life lately. -</p> - -<p> -November 17th.—I wish I could hang -Mother Brown, and choke her with her own -precious bulls'-eyes. A nice imposition I've -had through her! This fresh hindrance -would have taken away my last chance of -the prize; but now—well, I did not go -looking for the prize questions, but when they -were there right before my eyes, and nobody -else in the room, how could I help seeing -them? I don't see that it's much of a cheat -either, for of course I shall answer them all -by myself, and if it helps me to know where -to read up—well, I've had a good many -hindrances, so that it's about fair after all. -</p> - -<p> -November 20th.—I'm getting along -famously with my grind, I think, although -I almost wish I could forget those questions -sometimes. But I can't, and without -meaning it I turn over the leaves of the book -that will answer some of them. Yesterday -Chandos came and looked over my shoulder, -and when he saw where I was reading he -said, "Halloa, Stewart, I thought you said -you shouldn't look at that?" -</p> - -<p> -"Did I?" I stammered, and I shut the book. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't shut it up; I don't want to hinder -you. I'm glad you're going in for it so -thoroughly," he said. -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, don't bother!" I said, crossly; for -somehow I can't think of these questions and -Chandos at the same time, and I shall tell -him not to interfere if he comes poking round -again. -</p> - -<p> -November 21st.—We have just heard that -our examination is to take place the second -of next month—about ten days hence. I -wish it was over, or that I had never made -up my mind to go in for it. I hate the very -name of prizes, and if I get it I'll shy the -watch down the first well I see. What a fuss -Chandos is making too! He says I am so -cross and touchy he cannot understand me. -I suppose not, for I cannot understand -myself just now. I know one thing, though; I -hate Mother Brown and her bulls'-eyes, for if -it hadn't been for her I couldn't have seen -these questions, but now I have seen them I -can't forget them. I've tried—I've turned to -another part of the book, and tried to read -and learn all about that, but although I began -to feel some interest in that before, I couldn't -now, and I was soon turning the leaves again. -I wish I had given it up when Tom went -away. I'd do it now if it wasn't for Chandos, -but I should not like him to know anything -about this, and so I suppose I must go on. -I can do one thing, though; I can answer the -questions so badly that I shall lose the prize, -and that is how I must manage, though it's -rather hard after doing such lots of grind -for it. -</p> - -<p> -November 25th.—I've just had a letter -from mamma. I wish it had not come yet, -for it makes me wish to get this prize more -than ever. I feel as though I must get it, -must have it now, and yet I have not touched -a book the last two days. Chandos is puzzled -and concerned, I can see, and I hardly know -how to avoid him, and yet I try to do so all I -can. Oh, why did the governor leave those -questions about? It was dreadfully careless -of him. If he had only locked them up in -his desk when he went to breakfast, as he -ought to have done, I couldn't have seen -them, and I shouldn't be in this trouble now. -I wonder whether Tom's prize essay worried -him as much! If I could only get out of it -without letting anybody know of that sneaking -trick of peeping I'd do it; but how could -I tell them I was every bit as mean as Tom, -when I raved so about him last year? -Everybody would remember that, and throw it up -in my teeth, and they would say I had learned -it of Chandos too, and I couldn't bear that. -It's precious hard, but I shall have to go on. -I must and I will get this prize, if I can, -though I shall hate the sight of it, and hate -myself too. -</p> - -<p> -December 3rd.—It's over. I could answer -every question, of course; but—but, oh! how -I wish I had been ill, or something had -happened to prevent my going in for it at the -last minute. I don't want this prize now, and -if I don't get it I shall be almost as thankful -as I was when Frank Chandos began to get -well. I wish I could feel that God was my -friend, and would help me out of this scrape, -but I can't ask Him. I've felt afraid -somehow to kneel down since I turned sneak -yes, I am a sneak, a mean, miserable sneak, -and I hate myself more than I hated Tom, -and I said hard things enough about him; but -I never thought then I should ever come to -do the same myself. -</p> - -<p> -December 4th.—I had dropped my pen -and was actually crying yesterday, when -Chandos came in and caught me. -</p> - -<p> -"What is the matter, Stewart? Are you -ill, old fellow?" he asked, and he put his arm -round me, so that there was no getting away -from him. -</p> - -<p> -"Don't, Chandos," I said, "I can't bear it! -I'm a miserable, mean sneak, and if you were -to kick me out of the room I should feel -better, for that's what I deserve. Mind, I -never meant to be a sneak, and I didn't think -I ever should do such a mean trick, but now -you do know it you'd better turn me up as I -did Tom." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, I don't know what you've done yet, -we'll talk about that afterwards; but just tell -me this, would you do the same thing again -if you had the chance?" -</p> - -<p> -"Do it again? I tell you I hate myself for -it; but the worst of it is, it won't undo it now -it's done. I never thought I could be so -mean, Chandos." -</p> - -<p> -"I suppose not; but bad as it is, you need -not give up all hope. God knew how mean -you could be, and yet He will be your friend -if you would let Him. Is it about the prize, -Stewart?" -</p> - -<p> -"Oh yes; I do hope I shan't get it," I -groaned. -</p> - -<p> -"Well, you shall tell me all about it -by-and-by if you like, but now just let me say -a word. You never felt before that you were -a sinner—that you could do anything bad?" -</p> - -<p> -"I've been trying to keep straight and do -everything on the square, but I may as well -give up now, for I see I can't do it." -</p> - -<p> -"No, no, you won't give up, Charley. I'm -going to call you Charley now, because I hope -we shall be better friends than ever after this. -I was just as miserable once as you are now. -I had told a lie, and I felt I could never be -forgiven; but my mother talked to me, and -I'll tell you as well as I can remember what -she said: -</p> - -<p> -"'You've been very proud, my boy, and -thought you could get on very well without any -help but your own determination to do right.'" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, what more do we want?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Has it been enough, Stewart? Hasn't -this been a miserable failure? and are you not -complaining now that you are more wicked -than you thought possible?" -</p> - -<p> -"Well, yes, that's true enough," I confessed. -</p> - -<p> -"Now let me tell you, Stewart, what -mother told me. God knew you would fail. -He knew when He put Adam into the -garden of Eden that he wouldn't keep -straight long; but He gave him a fair chance, -and He loved him so much that He provided -a remedy at once for the sins he and all men -would commit. The Lord Jesus Christ agreed -then to bear the sins of the whole -world—yours and mine among them, Stewart—and -this is what is meant by forgiveness of sins. -You never felt you needed forgiveness before -for you never felt the burden of sin." -</p> - -<p> -"But look here, Chandos, I don't see how -God is going to forgive me, because, you see, -I knew better." -</p> - -<p> -"Of course you did. But have you never -read in your Bible, 'The blood of Jesus Christ -cleanseth us from all sin.' 'If we say that we -have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth -is not in us'? but God is showing you the truth -now—that you need pardon and forgiveness, -and He is willing to give you these; pardon for -the sins already committed, to wash them all -away in the blood of His dear Son, who -gave His life for you; and not only pardon, -but grace and strength for the future to -enable you to resist the temptation to do -wrong at any future time." -</p> - -<p> -"Look here, if God would help me like -that, I shall feel so glad," I said; "it's no -good for me to say I'll always keep on the -square any more after this mean trick, for -I may do another, as Tom did. He didn't -stop at the first, and I'm afraid I shan't if -God don't help me. Oh, Chandos, I do -want Him to help me out of this scrape, -and keep me from doing anything like this -again." -</p> - -<p> -"Well, Charley, suppose we kneel down -now and ask God for this, and then you shall -tell me all about it if you like." -</p> - -<p> -"I think I had better tell you first," I said, -"and then you can tell God for me. I'll try -and do it myself by-and-by, but I can't just -at once. I'm not good enough to kneel -down at all." -</p> - -<p> -Then I told Chandos about the questions, -and we kneeled down together, and he asked -God to forgive me and help me to do what -was right. -</p> - -<p> -"If God will only let me lose this prize -now I shan't care," I said, when we got up. -</p> - -<p> -"But—but I don't think we ought to wait -for that," said Chandos. -</p> - -<p> -"What can I do?" I said. -</p> - -<p> -"Suppose you get it—and you may, you -know," said Chandos; "you would be obliged -to do something then." -</p> - -<p> -"Oh, I can't bear to think of that. Won't -God help me by giving it to another fellow? -</p> - -<p> -"God will never help us to be cowards; He -will help you to do the brave and right thing, -which is to go to Dr. Mellor at once, tell him -all about it, and ask him to destroy your -papers." -</p> - -<p> -"Tell the governor I'm a mean sneak! I -couldn't do it, Chandos." -</p> - -<p> -"Then God cannot help you in any other -way, nor I either. I tell you He helps people -to be brave and do the right; but don't expect -He is going to screen you from the -consequences of sin, because He cannot and will -not; and to expect it would be like sawing -your finger with a sharp knife and not expecting -to cut it. I will not attempt to persuade -you, Charley; but if you are sincere in asking -God's pardon now, and His help for the -future, you will not hesitate about this long." -</p> - -<p> -"But it is so hard to do this, Chandos." -</p> - -<p> -"Yes, and God knows exactly how hard it -is better than I do; but as soon as He sees you -are willing to bear this, and do the right, -He will give you the strength and courage -necessary." -</p> - -<p> -When I lifted my head from my arms I -found that Chandos was gone. I sat for -nearly an hour thinking over what he had -been saying—dear old Chandos! who is so -good himself, and yet not half so proud as I -was about poor Tom. I wonder whether -God will help me as he says. I don't deserve -it one bit, any more than I deserve that the -Lord Jesus should forgive me. -</p> - -<p> -December 5th.—I am sure God has begun -to help me. I went and made a clean breast -of it to the governor this morning, and he has -promised to burn my papers, and keep the -whole thing a secret from the rest. It was -pretty hard to begin telling him, but when -once I had begun I did not feel a bit afraid, -and I must say he behaved splendidly. He -didn't blow me up or order me an imposition -for prying round his table, but he said, quite -kindly, -</p> - -<p> -"I am very sorry for you, Stewart. I wish -you had come to me before, or told me you -had seen these questions, and I might have -saved you a great deal of unhappiness—for I -am sure you have been unhappy—and not -deprived you of all chance of getting the -prize. Try and remember this for the future—I -am your friend as well as your schoolmaster, -and if there is any difficulty in which -I can help you I hope you will trust me as a -friend. I am glad to see you and Chandos -get on so well together;" and then he actually -shook hands with me as I was going out of -the door. -</p> - -<p> -I told Chandos all about it afterwards and -he said, "You know now how God helps -those who trust in Him; I hope you will never -forget it again." -</p> - -<p> -I don't think I ever shall. I don't feel -afraid to kneel down and ask His help now, -and I know I need it, for who can tell what I -might do next after this mean trick? -</p> - -<p> -December 7th.—I have written and told -mamma how I have lost the prize. I thought -I had better do this, for she had made so sure -I should get it if I really tried that I did not -like to go home without telling her first. Poor -mamma! I am sorry, for she is dreadfully -disappointed, I know, and I am afraid she -will not let me go to sea either. I wonder -whether I shall be able to give up this wish -entirely, as Chandos did his? I am afraid -not, for often in my dreams I seem to be on -the sea, and how can I ever forget it? But I -must try to settle down, I suppose. God will -help me in this, I know, as He did to go to -the governor, only it makes me feel dreadfully -old to think of it. -</p> - -<p> -December 9th.—Everybody is busy packing -and getting ready to go home, but my packing -must wait until I write up my log once more. -I mean to tie it up and put it away until I go -to sea, for I am really going after all. The -news came yesterday; my mother wrote to -say that, as I had had the moral courage to -confess having done wrong, half her fear about -my going to sea was taken away, for she felt -sure I was less likely to do wrong now I had -felt so much unhappiness about it than I was -before. Dear mamma! she is mistaken here, -but I wonder whether I shall ever be able to -tell her that God alone can keep me from the -evil she fears? -</p> - -<p> -I could not think much about this yesterday. -It was enough for me that I was going -to sea, and when I had read that much of the -letter, so as to understand it, I tore round the -playground, holding up the letter and shouting, -"Hurrah! I'm going to sea—I'm going -to sea!" Some of the fellows pretended to -think I was mad when I rushed at Chandos -and hugged him, and shouted, "It's all your -doing, old fellow. I'm going to sea! I'm -going to sea!" -</p> - -<p> -"Let him alone; let him blow off steam," -laughed Chandos when some of the fellows -tried to stop me, and I went round the -playground again like a steam-engine. -Everybody in the house knew it five minutes after -the letter came. Luckily lessons were over -for the day, or there would have been an -imposition for me, but as it was nobody -interfered. -</p> - -<p> -To-day I can think more about it, and -finish my log, for I shan't come here after -Christmas, and if I write another I shall get -a new book. But I mean to keep this, for I -shall like to read it by-and-by; and if ever I -am likely to forget how God has been my -friend, and how I learned to know it, or if ever -I get into a scrape and am unhappy again, I -shall read what Chandos said to me a day or -two ago, that I may never forget: "The blood -of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin." We -only meant to laugh over it, Tom and I, -but now I think I shall remember some wise -and good words when I read up "Charley's -Log." -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="capcenter"> -<a id="img-128"></a> -<img class="imgcenter" src="images/img-128.jpg" alt="sailing ship" /> -</p> - -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<p class="t4"> -LONDON: R. K. BURT AND CO., WINE OFFICE COURT. -</p> - -<p><br /><br /><br /></p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Charley's Log, by Emma Leslie - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK CHARLEY'S LOG *** - -***** This file should be named 61457-h.htm or 61457-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/1/4/5/61457/ - -Produced by Al Haines -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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