: THE : 
 
 CLOCKS 
 
 * * - OF * * * 
 
 RON DA! N I 
 
 : OTHER 
 
 : STORIES 
 
 . . . . BY - - - - 
 
 FRANK R.STOCKTC 
 
University of California Berkeley 
 
t\ 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE 
 
 AND OTHER STORIES 
 
SO MANY THINGS STOP AT NIGHT SUCH AS THE DAY ITSELF THAT I THINK YOU 
 
 OUGHT TO PARDON MY POOR CLOCK. 
 
THE 
 
 GLOCKS OF RONDAINE 
 
 AND OTHER STORIES 
 
 AUTHOP 
 
 BY 
 
 FRANK R. STOCKTON 
 
 OB '"THE FLOATING PP1NCE," "A JOLLY FELLOWSHIP," BTO 
 
 ILLUSTRATED BY E. H. BLASHFIELD, W. A. ROGERS, D. C. BEARD 
 
 AND OTHERS 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 1909 
 
COPYRIGHT 1892, BY 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 X 
 
 The Clocks of Rondaine Page i 
 
 The Curious History of a Message " 24 
 
 A Fortunate Opening " 4$ 
 
 The Christmas Truants 75 
 
 The Tricycle of the Future 92 
 
 The Accommodating Circumstance " 108 
 
 The Great Show in Kobol-land " 129 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 " So many things stop at night such as the day itself float I 
 
 think you ought to pardon my poor clock " Frontispies* 
 
 Over the roofs of Rondaine Page } 
 
 " I don't like him as much as I used to," said Aria " 8 
 
 Aria and the sacristan " Q 
 
 At the telephone " 24 
 
 Elinor and Maud " 27 
 
 The professor wished to find out just how the accident had happened " 32 
 
 The bird began circling around the room " 38 
 
 " The Gulf Stream goes to England, doesn't it ? Do you suppose it 
 
 will drift us as far as that ? " " 57 
 
 "/ cut all the ropes that confined the sail" " 64 
 
 "Up to the pilot-home -we rushed, and we both took hold of the 
 
 great wheel" -y ....... " 67 
 
 They were marched away to the robbers' cave " 79 
 
 Fred's ideal tricycle of the future " 99 
 
 "A unicyclel" exclaimed Putty; "what is that?" " 707 
 
 "You are the noblest man," said Lit^a \ , , .> " 725 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The twin kings Page 130 
 
 ' Graglick, measure my grin " " 134 
 
 The journey to Kobol-land " 757 
 
 All fairyland was there " 7^9 
 
 Gromline and his bean " 146 
 
 Duel between the king and the unicorn " 767 
 
 Prince At to takes a ride with the griffin . . " 765 
 
 The judges of the games " 767 
 
 Athletes at the games " 770 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 CENTURIES ago, there stood on the banks of a river a little 
 town called Rondaine. The river was a long and winding 
 stream which ran through different countries, and was 
 sometimes narrow and swift, and sometimes broad and placid ; 
 sometimes hurrying through mountain passes, and again meander- 
 ing quietly through fertile plains ; in some places of a blue color 
 and almost transparent, and in others of a dark and sombre hue ; 
 and so it changed until it threw itself into a warm, far-spreading 
 sea. 
 
 But it was quite otherwise with the little town. As far back as 
 anybody could remember, it had always been the same that it was 
 at the time of our story ; and the people who lived there could see 
 no reason to suppose that it would ever be different from what it 
 was then. It was a pleasant little town, its citizens were very 
 happy ; and why there should be any change in it, the most astute 
 old man in all Rondaine could not have told you. 
 
 If Rondaine had been famed for anything at all, it would have 
 been for the number of its clocks. It had many churches, some 
 little ones in dark side streets, and some larger ones in wider thor- 
 oughfares, besides here and there a very good-sized church front- 
 ing on a park or open square ; and in the steeple of each of these 
 churches there was a clock. There were town buildings, very old 
 ones, which stood upon the great central square. Each of these 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 had a tower, and in each tower was a clock. Then there were 
 clocks at street corners, and two clocks in the market-place, and 
 clocks over shop doors, a clock at each end of the bridge, and sev- 
 eral large clocks a little way out of town. Many of these clocks 
 were fashioned in some quaint and curious way. In one of the 
 largest a stone man came out and struck the hours with a stone 
 hammer, while a stone woman struck the half hours with a stone 
 broom ; and in another an iron donkey kicked the hours on a bell 
 behind him. It would be impossible to tell all the odd ways in 
 which the clocks of Rondaine struck ; but in one respect they were 
 alike : they all did strike. The good people of the town would 
 not have tolerated a clock which did not strike. 
 
 It was very interesting to lie awake in the night and hear the 
 clocks of Rondaine strike. First would come a faint striking from 
 one of the churches in the by-streets, a modest sound, as if the 
 clock was not sure whether it was too early or not ; then from 
 another quarter would be heard a more confident clock striking the 
 hour clearly and distinctly. When they were quite ready, but not 
 a moment before, the seven bells of the large church on the square 
 would chime the hour ; after which, at a respectful interval of time, 
 the other church clocks of the town would strike. After the lapse 
 of three or four minutes, the sound of all these bells seemed to 
 wake up the stone man in the tower of the town building, and he 
 struck the hour with his hammer. When this had been done, the 
 other municipal clocks felt at liberty to strike, and they did so. 
 And when every sound had died away, so that he would be certain 
 to be heard if there was any one awake to hear, it would be very 
 likely that the iron donkey would kick out the hour on his bell. 
 But there were times when he kicked before any of the clocks 
 began to strike. One by one the clocks on the street corners 
 struck, the uptown ones first, and afterward those near the river. 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 These were followed by the two clocks on the bridge, 
 the one at the country end waiting until it was quite 
 sure that the one at the town end had finished. Some- 
 what later would be heard the clock of Vougereau, an 
 old country house in the suburbs. This clock, 
 a very large one, was on the top of a great 
 square stone tower, and from its age it had 
 acquired a habit of deliberation ; and when 
 it began to strike people were very apt to 
 think that it was one o'clock, until after a 
 considerable interval another stroke would 
 assure them that it was later 
 or earlier than that, and if 
 they really wanted to know 
 what hour the old clock was 
 striking they must give them- 
 
 OVER THE ROOFS OF RONDAINE. 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 selves time enough to listen until they were entirely certain that it 
 had finished. 
 
 The very last clock to strike in Rondaine was one belonging to 
 a little old lady with white hair, who lived in a little white house 
 in one of the prettiest and cleanest streets in the town. Her clock 
 was in a little white tower at the corner of her house, and was the 
 only strictly private clock which was in the habit of making itself 
 publicly heard. Long after every other clock had struck, and 
 when there was every reason to believe that for a considerable 
 time nothing but half-hours would be heard in Rondaine, the old 
 lady's clock would strike quickly and decisively, and with a confi- 
 dent tone, as if it knew it was right, and wished everybody to 
 know that it knew. 
 
 In an unpretentious house which stood on a corner of two of the 
 smaller streets in the town lived a young girl named Aria. For a 
 year or more Aria had been in the habit of waking up very early 
 in the morning, sometimes long before daylight, and it had become 
 a habit with her to lie and listen to the clocks. Her room was at 
 the top of the house, and one of its windows opened to the west 
 and another to the south, so that sounds entered from different 
 quarters. Aria liked to leave these windows open so that the 
 sounds of the clocks might come in. 
 
 Aria knew every clock by its tone, and she always made it a 
 point to lie awake until she was positively sure that the last stroke 
 of the clock at Vougereau had sounded ; but it often happened 
 that sleep overcame her before she heard the clock of the little old 
 lady with white hair. It was so very long to wait for that ! 
 
 It was not because she wanted to know the hour that Aria used 
 to lie and listen to the clocks. She had a little clock of her own, 
 which stood in her room, and on which she depended for correct 
 information regarding the time of day or night. This little clock, 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 which had been given to her when she was a small girl, not only 
 struck the hours and half-hours and quarter-hours, but there was 
 attached to it a very pretty piece of mechanism which also indi- 
 cated the time. On the front of the clock, just below the dial, was 
 a sprig of a rosebush beautifully made of metal, and on this, just 
 after the hour had sounded, there was a large green bud ; at a 
 quarter past the hour this bud opened a little, so that the red 
 petals could be seen ; fifteen minutes later it was a half-blown 
 rose, and at a quarter of an hour more it was nearly full blown ; 
 just before the hour the rose opened to its fullest extent, and so 
 remained until the clock had finished striking, when it immediately 
 shut up into a great green bud. This clock was a great delight 
 to Aria ; for not only was it a very pleasant thing to watch the 
 unfolding of the rose, but it was a continual satisfaction to her 
 to think that her little clock always told her exactly what time it 
 was, no matter what the other clocks of Rondaine might say. 
 
 Aria's father and mother were thrifty, industrious people, who 
 were very fond of their daughter. They not only taught her how 
 to employ herself usefully, but insisted that she should take the 
 recreation and exercise that a young girl ought to have. All day 
 she was so occupied with work or play that she had little oppor- 
 tunity of thinking for herself ; but even if they had considered the 
 matter, this fact would not have troubled her parents, as they 
 looked upon Aria as entirely too young for that sort of thing. In 
 the very early morning, however, listening to the clocks of Ron- 
 daine or waiting for them, Aria did a great deal of thinking ; and 
 it so happened, on the morning of the day before Christmas, when 
 the stars were bright and the air frosty, and every outside sound 
 very clear and distinct, that Aria began to think of something 
 which had never entered her mind before. 
 
 " How in the world," she said to herself, "do the people of 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDA1NE. 
 
 Rondaine know when it is really Christmas ? Christmas begins as 
 soon as it is twelve o'clock on Christmas Eve ; but as some of the 
 people depend for the time upon one clock and some upon others, 
 a great many of them cannot truly know when Christmas Day has 
 really begun. Even some of the church clocks make people think 
 that Christmas has come, when in reality it is yet the day before. 
 And not one of them strikes at the right time ! As for that iron 
 donkey, I believe he kicks whenever he feels like it. And yet 
 there are people who go by him ! I know this, for they have told 
 me so. But the little old lady with white hair is worse off than 
 anybody else. Christmas must always come ever so long before 
 she knows it." 
 
 With these important thoughts on her mind, Aria could not 
 go to sleep again. She heard all the clocks strike, and lay 
 awake until her own little clock told her that she ought to get 
 up. During this time she had made up her mind what she 
 should do. There was yet one day before Christmas ; and if the 
 people of the town could be made to see in what a deplorable 
 condition they were on account of the difference in their clocks, 
 they might have time to rectify the matter so that all the clocks 
 should strike the correct hour, and everybody should know ex- 
 actly when Christmas Day began. She was sure that the citizens 
 had never given this matter proper consideration ; and it was quite 
 natural that such should be the case, for it was not every one who 
 was in the habit of lying awake in the very early morning ; and in 
 the daytime, with all the out-door noises, one could not hear all the 
 clocks strike in Rondaine. Aria, therefore, thought that a great 
 deal depended upon her, who knew exactly how this matter stood. 
 
 When she went down to breakfast she asked permission of her 
 mother to take a day's holiday. As she was a good girl, and 
 never neglected either her lessons or her tasks, her mother was 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 quite willing to give her the day before Christmas in which she 
 could do as she pleased, and she did not think it necessary to ask 
 if she intended to spend it in any particular way. 
 
 The day was cool, but the sun shone brightly and the air was 
 pleasant. In the country around about Rondaine Christmas-time 
 was not a very cold season. Aria put on a warm jacket and a 
 pretty blue hood, and started out gayly to attend to the business 
 in hand. Everybody in Rondaine knew her father and mother, 
 and a great many of them knew her, so there was no reason why 
 she should be afraid to go where she chose. In one hand she 
 carried a small covered basket in which she had placed her rose 
 clock. The works of this little clock were regulated by a balance- 
 wheel, like those of a watch, and therefore it could be carried 
 about without stopping it. 
 
 The first place she visited was the church at which she and her 
 parents always attended service. It was a small building in a 
 little square at the bottom of a hill, and, to reach it, one had to go 
 down a long flight of stone steps. When she entered the dimly 
 lighted church, Aria soon saw the sacristan, a pleasant-faced little 
 old man whom she knew very well. 
 
 " Good-morning, sir," said she. " Do you take care of the 
 church clock ? " 
 
 The sacristan was sweeping the stone pavements of the church, 
 just inside the door. He stopped and leaned upon his broom. 
 " Yes, my little friend," he said, " I take care of everything here 
 except the souls of the people." 
 
 " Well, then," said Aria, " I think you ought to know that your 
 clock is eleven minutes too fast. I came here to tell you that, so 
 that you might change it, and make it strike properly." 
 
 The sacristan's eyes began to twinkle. He was a man of merry 
 mood. " That is very good of you, little Aria ; very good indeed. 
 
8 
 
 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 And, now that we are about it, isn't there something else you 
 would like to change ? What do you say to having these stone 
 pillars put to one side, so that they may be out of the way of the 
 people when they come in ? Or those great beams in the roof 
 they might be turned over, and perhaps we might find that the 
 upper side would look fresher than this lower part, which is some- 
 what time-stained, as you 
 see ? Or, for the matter of 
 that, what do you say to 
 having our clock-tower 
 taken down and set out 
 there in the square before 
 the church door? Then 
 short-sighted people could 
 see the time much better, 
 don't you think ? Now tell 
 me, shall we do all these 
 things together, wise little 
 friend?" 
 
 A tear or two came into 
 Aria's eyes, but she made 
 no answer. 
 
 " Good-morning, sir," she 
 said, and went away. 
 
 " I suppose," she said 
 
 to herself as she ran up the stone steps, "that he thought it would 
 be too much trouble to climb to the top of the tower to set the 
 clock right. But that was no reason why he should make fun of 
 me. I don't like him as much as I used to." 
 
 The next church to which Aria went was a large one, and it 
 was some time before she could find the sacristan. At last she 
 
 u I DON'T LIKE HIM AS MUCH AS I USED TO, 
 SAID ARLA. 
 
ARLA AND THE 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. n 
 
 saw him in a side chapel at the upper end of the church, engaged 
 in dusting some old books. He was a large man, with a red face, 
 and he turned around quickly, with a stern expression, as she 
 entered. 
 
 " Please, sir," said Aria, " I came to tell you that your church 
 clock is wrong. It strikes from four to six minutes before it ought 
 to ; sometimes the one and sometimes the other. It should be 
 changed so that it will be sure to strike at the right time." 
 
 The face of the sacristan grew redder and twitched visibly at 
 her remark. 
 
 " Do you know what I wish ? " he almost shouted in reply. 
 
 " No, sir," answered Aria. 
 
 " I wish," he said, " that you were a boy, so that I might take 
 you by the collar and soundly cuff your ears, for coming here to 
 insult an officer of the church in the midst of his duties ! But, as 
 you are a girl, I can only tell you to go away from here as rapidly 
 and as quietly as you can, or I shall have to put you in the hands 
 of the ecclesiastical authorities ! " 
 
 Aria was truly frightened, and although she did not run for 
 she knew that would not be proper in a church she walked as 
 fast as she could into the outer air. 
 
 " What a bad man," she then said to herself, "to be employed 
 in a church ! It surely is not known what sort of person he is, 
 or he would not be allowed to stay there a day ! " 
 
 Aria thought she would not go to any more churches at pres- 
 ent, for she did not know what sort of sacristans she might find in 
 them. 
 
 " When the other clocks in the town all strike properly," she 
 thought, "it is most likely they will see for themselves that their 
 clocks are wrong, and they will have them changed." 
 
 She now made her way to the great square of the town, and 
 
12 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 entered the building at the top of which stood the stone man with 
 his hammer. She found the concierge, or doorkeeper, in a little 
 room by the side of the entrance. She knew where to go, for she 
 had been there with her mother to ask permission to go up and 
 see the stone man strike the hour with his hammer, and the stone 
 woman strike the half-hour with her broom. 
 
 The concierge was a grave, middle-aged man with spectacles ; 
 and, remembering what had just happened, Aria thought she would 
 be careful how she spoke to him. 
 
 " If you please, sir," she said, with a courtesy, " I should like to 
 say something to you. And I hope you will not be offended when 
 I tell you that your clock is not quite right. Your stone man and 
 your stone woman are both too slow ; they sometimes strike as 
 much as seven minutes after they ought to strike." 
 
 The grave, middle-aged man looked steadily at her through his 
 spectacles. 
 
 " I thought," continued Aria, "that if this should be made 
 known to you, you would have the works of the stone man and 
 the -stone woman altered so that they might strike at the right 
 time. They can be heard so far, you know, that it is very necessary 
 they should not make mistakes." 
 
 " Child," said the man, with his spectacles still steadily fixed on 
 her, " for one hundred and fifty-seven years the open tower on 
 this building has stood there. For one hundred and fifty-seven 
 years the thunder and the lightning in time of storm have roared 
 and flashed around it, and the sun in time of fair weather has shone 
 upon it. In that century and a half and seven years men and 
 women have lived and have died, and their children and their 
 grandchildren and their great-grandchildren, and even the children 
 of these, have lived and died after them. Kings and queens have 
 passed away, one after another ; and all things living have grown 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDA1NE. 13 
 
 old and died, one generation after another, many times. And yet, 
 through all these years, that stone man and that stone woman have 
 stood there, and in storm and in fair weather, by daylight or in 
 the darkness of night, they have struck the hours and the half- 
 hours. Of all things that one hundred and fifty-seven years ago 
 were able to lift an arm to strike, they alone are left. And now 
 you, a child of thirteen, or perhaps fourteen years, come to me and 
 ask me to change that which has not been changed for a century 
 and a half and seven years ! " 
 
 Aria could answer nothing with those spectacles fixed upon her. 
 They seemed to glare more and more as she looked at them. 
 " Good- morning, sir," she said, dropping a courtesy as she moved 
 backward toward the door. Reaching it, she turned and hurried 
 into the street. 
 
 " If those stone people," she thought, " have not been altered 
 in all these years, it is likely they would now be striking two or 
 three hours out of the way ! But I don't know. If they kept on 
 going slow for more than a century, they must have come around 
 to the right hour sometimes. But they will have to strike ever 
 and ever so much longer before they come around there again ! " 
 
 Aria now walked on until she came to a street corner where a 
 cobbler had a little shop. In the angle of the wall of the house, at 
 the height of the second story, was a clock. This cobbler did not 
 like the confined air and poor light of his shop, and whenever the 
 weather allowed he always worked outside on the sidewalk. To- 
 day, although it was winter, the sun shone brightly on this side of 
 the street, and he had put his bench outside, close to his door, and 
 was sitting there, hard at work. When Aria stopped before him 
 he looked up and said, cheerfully : 
 
 " Good-morning, Mistress Aria. Do you want them half-soled, 
 or heeled, or a patch put on the toes ? " 
 
14 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 " My shoes do not need mending," said Aria. " I came to ask 
 you if you could tell me who has charge of the clock at this 
 corner ? " 
 
 " I can easily do that," he said, " for I am the man. I am paid 
 by the year, for winding it up and keeping it in order, as much as 
 I should get for putting the soles, heels, tops, linings, and buckles 
 on a pair of shoes." 
 
 " Which means making them out and out," said Aria. 
 
 "You are right," said he, "and the pay is not great; but if it 
 were larger, more people might want it and I might lose it ; and 
 if it were less, how could I afford to do it at all ? So I am 
 satisfied." 
 
 " But you ought not to be entirely satisfied," said Aria, " for 
 the clock does not keep good time. I know when it is striking, for 
 it has a very jangling sound, and it is the most irregular clock in 
 Rondaine. Sometimes it strikes as much as twenty-five minutes 
 after the hour, and very often it does not strike at all." 
 
 The cobbler looked up at her with a smile. " I am sorry," he 
 said, " that it has a jangling stroke, but the fashioning of clocks is 
 not my trade, and I could not mend its sound with awl, hammer, 
 or waxed-end. But it seems to me, my good maiden, that you 
 never mended a pair of shoes." 
 
 " No, indeed ! " said Aria ; " I should do that even worse than 
 you would make clocks." 
 
 " Never having mended shoes, then," said the cobbler, " you do 
 not know what a grievous thing it is to have twelve o'clock, or six 
 o'clock, or any other hour, in fact, come before you are ready for 
 it. Now, I don't mind telling you, because I know you are too 
 good to spoil the trade of a hard-working cobbler and shoemaker 
 too, whenever he gets the chance to be one that when I have 
 promised a customer that he shall have his shoes or his boots at a 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 15 
 
 f certain time of day, and that time is drawing near, and the end of 
 the job is still somewhat distant, then do I skip up the stairway 
 and set back the hands of the clock according to the work that has 
 to be done. And when my customer comes I look up to the clock- 
 face and I say to him, ' Glad to see you ! ' and then he will look up 
 at the clock and will say, ' Yes, I am a little too soon ; ' and then, 
 as likely as not, he will sit down on the door-step here by me and 
 talk entertainingly ; and it may happen that he will sit there with- 
 out grumbling for many minutes after the clock has pointed out 
 the hour at which the shoes were promised. Sometimes, when I 
 have been much belated in beginning a job, I stop the clock alto- 
 gether, for you can well see for yourself that it would not do to 
 have it strike eleven when it is truly twelve. And so, if my man 
 be willing to sit down, and our talk be very entertaining, the clock 
 being above him where he cannot see it without stepping outward 
 from the house, he may not notice that it is stopped. This 
 expedient once served me very well, for an old gentleman, over- 
 testy and over-punctual, once came to me for his shoes, and looking 
 up at the clock, which I had prepared for him, exclaimed, * Bless 
 me ! I am much too early ! ' And he sat down by me for three- 
 quarters of an hour, in which time I persuaded him that his shoes 
 were far too much worn to be worth mending any more, and that 
 he should have a new pair, which, afterward, I made." 
 
 "I do not believe it is right for you to do that," said Aria; 
 " but even if you think so, there is no reason why your clock 
 should go wrong at night, when so many people can hear it 
 because of the stillness." 
 
 "Ah, me! "said the cobbler, "I do not object to the clock 
 being as right as you please in the night ; but when my day's work 
 is done, I so desire to go home to my supper that I often forget 
 to put the clock right, or to set it going if it is stopped. But so 
 
16 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 many things stop at night such as the day itself and so many 
 things then go wrong such as the ways of evil-minded people 
 that I think you truly ought to pardon my poor clock." 
 
 " Then you will not consent," said Aria, " to make it go 
 right?" 
 
 " I will do that with all cheerfulness," answered the cobbler, 
 pulling out a pair of waxed-ends with a great jerk, " as soon as I 
 can make myself go right. The most important thing should 
 always be done first ; and, surely, I am more important than a 
 clock ! " And he smiled with great good-humor. 
 
 Aria knew that it would be of no use to stand there any longer 
 and talk with this cobbler. Turning to go, she said : 
 
 " When I bring you shoes to mend, you shall finish them by 
 my clock, and not by yours." 
 
 " That will I, my good little Aria," said the cobbler, heartily. 
 " They shall be finished by any clock in town, and five minutes 
 before the hour, or no payment." 
 
 Aria now walked on until she came to the bridge over the 
 river. It was a long, covered structure, and by the entrance sat 
 the bridge-keeper. 
 
 " Do you know, sir," said she, " that the clock at this end of 
 your bridge does not keep the same time as the one at the other 
 end ? They are not so very different, but I have noticed that this 
 one is always done striking at least two minutes before the other 
 begins." 
 
 The bridge-keeper looked at her with one eye, which was all 
 he had. 
 
 " You are as wrong as anybody can be," said he. " I do not 
 say anything about the striking, because my ears are not now good 
 enough to hear the clock at the other end when I am near this 
 one ; but I know they both keep the same time. I have often 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 17 
 
 looked at this clock and have then walked to the other end of the 
 bridge, and have found that the clock there was exactly like it." 
 
 Aria looked at the poor old man, whose legs were warmly 
 swaddled on account of his rheumatism, and said : 
 
 " But it must take you a good while to walk to the other end 
 of the bridge." 
 
 " Out upon you ! " cried the bridge-keeper. " I am not so old 
 as that yet ! I can walk there in no time ! " 
 
 Aria now crossed the bridge and went a short distance along a 
 country road until she came to the great stone house known as 
 Vougereau. This belonged to a rich family who seldom came 
 there, and the place was in charge of an elderly man who was the 
 brother of Aria's mother. When his niece was shown into a room 
 on the ground floor, which served for his parlor and his office, he 
 was very glad to see her ; and while Aria was having something 
 to eat and drink after her walk, the two had a pleasant chat. 
 
 " I came this time, Uncle Anton," she said, " not only to see 
 you, but to tell you that the great clock in your tower does not 
 keep good time." 
 
 Uncle Anton looked at her a little surprised. 
 
 " How do you know that, my dear?" he said. 
 
 Then Aria told him how she had lain awake in the early morn- 
 ing, and had heard the striking of the different clocks. " If you 
 wish to make it right," said she, " I can give you the proper time, 
 for I have brought my own little clock with me." 
 
 She was about to take her rose-clock out of her basket, when 
 her uncle motioned to her not to do so. 
 
 " Let me tell you something," said he. " The altering of the 
 time of day, which you speak of so lightly, is a very serious 
 matter, which should be considered with all gravity. If you set 
 back a clock, even as little as ten minutes, you add that much to 
 
18 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 the time that has passed. The hour which has just gone by has 
 been made seventy minutes long. Now, no human being has the 
 right to add anything to the past, nor to make hours longer than 
 they were originally made. And, on the other hand, if you set a 
 clock forward even so little as ten minutes, you take away that 
 much from the future, and you make the coming hour only fifty 
 minutes long. Now, no human being has a right to take anything 
 away from the future, or to make the hours shorter than they 
 were originally intended to be. I desire, my dear niece, that you 
 will earnestly think over what I have said, and I am sure that you 
 will then see for yourself how unwise and even culpable it would 
 be to trifle with the length of the hours' which make up our day. 
 And now, Aria, let us talk of other things." 
 
 And so they talked of other things until Aria thought it was 
 time to go.. She saw there was something wrong in her uncle's 
 reasoning, although she could not tell exactly what it was, and 
 thinking about it, she slowly returned to the town. As she 
 approached the house of the little old lady with white hair, she 
 concluded to stop and speak to her about her clock. " She will 
 surely be willing to alter that," said Aria, " for it is so very much 
 out of the way." 
 
 The old lady knew who Aria was, and received her very 
 kindly ; but when she heard why the young girl had come to her, 
 she flew into a passion. 
 
 " Never, since I was born," she said, "have I been spoken to 
 like this ! My great-grandfather lived in this house before me ; 
 that clock was good enough for him ! My grandfather lived in 
 this house before me ; that clock was good enough for him ! My 
 father and mother lived in this house before me ; that clock was 
 good enough for them ! I was born in this house, have always 
 lived in it, and expect to die in it ; that clock is good enough for 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 19 
 
 me ! I heard its strokes when I was but a little child, I hope to 
 hear them at my last hour ; and sooner than raise my hand against 
 the clock of my ancestors, and the clock of my whole life, I would 
 cut off that hand ! " 
 
 Some tears came into Aria's eyes ; she was a little frightened. 
 11 I hope you will pardon me, good madam," she said, " for, truly, 
 I did not wish to offend you. Nor did I think that your clock is 
 not a good one. I only meant that you should make it better ; it 
 is nearly an hour out of the way." 
 
 The sight of Aria's tears cooled the anger of the little old lady 
 with white hair. " Child," she said, " you do not know what you 
 are talking about, and I "forgive you. But remember this : never 
 ask persons as old as I am to alter the principles which have always 
 made clear to them what they should do, or the clocks which have 
 always told them when they should do it." 
 
 And, kissing Aria, she bade her good-by. 
 
 " Principles may last a great while without altering," thought 
 Aria, as she went away, " but I am sure it is very different with 
 clocks." 
 
 The poor girl now felt a good deal discouraged. 
 
 " People don't seem to care whether their clocks are right or 
 not," she said to herself, " and if they don't care, I am sure it is of 
 no use for me to tell them about it. If even one clock could be 
 made to go properly, it might help to make the people of Ro n daine 
 care to know exactly what time it is. Now, there is that iron 
 donkey. If he would but kick at the right hour it would be an 
 excellent thing, for he kicks so hard that he is heard all over the 
 town." 
 
 Determined to make this one more effort, Aria walked quickly 
 to the town-building, at the top of which was the clock with the 
 iron donkey. This building was a sort of museum ; it had a 
 
2 o THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 great many curious things in it, and it was in charge of a very 
 ingenious man, who was learned and skilful in various ways. 
 
 When Aria had informed the superintendent of the museum 
 why she had come to him, he did not laugh at her nor did he get 
 angry. He was accustomed to giving earnest consideration to 
 matters of this sort, and he listened attentively to all that Aria 
 had to say. 
 
 "You must know," he said, "that our iron donkey is a very 
 complicated piece of mechanism. Not only must he kick out the 
 hours, but five minutes before doing so he must turn his head 
 around and look at the bell behind him ; and then, when he has 
 done kicking, he must put his head back into its former position. 
 All this action requires a great many wheels and cogs and springs 
 and levers, and these cannot be made to move with absolute regular- 
 ity. When it is cold, some of his works contract ; and when it is 
 warm, they expand ; and there are other reasons why he is very 
 likely to lose or gain time. At noon on every bright day I set 
 him right, being able to get the correct time from a sun-dial which 
 stands in the courtyard. But his works which I am sorry to say 
 are not well made are sure to get a great deal out of the way 
 before I set him again." 
 
 " Then, if there are several cloudy or rainy days together, he 
 goes Very wrong indeed," said Aria. 
 
 'Yes, he truly does," replied the superintendent, "and I am 
 sorry for it. But there is no way to remedy his irregularities 
 except for me to make him all over again at my own* expense, and 
 that is something I cannot afford to do. The clock belongs to 
 the town, and I am sure the citizens will not be willing to spend 
 the ; money necessary for a new donkey-clock; for, so far as I 
 know, every person but yourself is perfectly satisfied with this 
 
 one."' 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 21 
 
 " I suppose so," said Aria, with a sigh ; ''but it really is a great 
 pity that every striking-clock in Rondaine should be wrong ! " 
 
 "But how do you know they are all wrong ? " asked the super- 
 intendent. 
 
 " Oh, that is easy enough," said Aria. " When I lie awake 
 in the early morning, when all else is very still, I listen to their 
 striking, and then I look at my own rose-clock to see what time it 
 really is." 
 
 "Your rose-clock?" said the superintendent. 
 
 " This is it," said Aria, opening her basket and taking out her 
 little clock. 
 
 The superintendent took it into his hands and looked at it 
 attentively, both outside and inside. And then, still holding it, 
 he stepped out into the courtyard. When in a few moments 
 he returned, he said : 
 
 " I have compared your clock with my sun-dial, and find that 
 it is ten minutes slow. I also see that, like the donkey-clock, its 
 works are not adjusted in such a way as to be unaffected by heat 
 and cold." 
 
 " My clock ten minutes slow ! " exclaimed Aria, with wide- 
 open eyes. 
 
 " Yes," said the superintendent, " that is the case to-day, and on 
 some days it is, probably, a great deal too fast. Such a clock as 
 this which is a very ingenious and beautiful one ought fre- 
 quently to be compared with a sun-dial or other correct time- 
 keeper, and set to the proper hour. I see it requires a peculiar 
 key with which to set it. Have you brought this with you ?" 
 
 " No, sir," said Aria ; " I did not suppose it would be 
 needed." 
 
 " Well, then," said the superintendent, " you can set it forward 
 ten minutes when you reach home ; and if to-morrow morning you 
 
22 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. 
 
 compare the other clocks with it, I think you will find that not all 
 of them are wrong." 
 
 Aria sat quiet for a moment, and then she said : " I think I 
 shall not care any more to compare the clocks of Rondaine with 
 my little rose-clock. If the people are satisfied with their own 
 clocks, whether they are fast or slow, and do not desire to know 
 exactly when Christmas Day begins, I can do nobody any good by 
 listening to the different strikings and then looking at my own little 
 clock, with a night-lamp by it." 
 
 " Especially," said the superintendent, with a smile, "when you 
 are not sure that your rose-clock is right. But if you will bring 
 here your little clock and your key on any day when the sun is 
 shining, I will set it to the time shadowed on the sun-dial, or show 
 you how to do it yourself." 
 
 " Thank you very much," said Aria, and she took her leave. 
 
 As she walked home, she lifted the lid of her basket and looked 
 at her little rose-clock. " To think of it ! " she said. " That you 
 should be sometimes too fast and sometimes too slow ! And, 
 worse than that, to think that some of the other clocks have been 
 right and you have been wrong ! But I do not feel like altering 
 you to-day. If you go fast sometimes, and slow sometimes, you 
 must be right sometimes, and one of these days, when I take you 
 to be compared with the sun-dial, perhaps you will not have to be 
 altered so much." 
 
 Aria went to bed that night quite tired with her long walks, and 
 when she awoke it was broad daylight. " I do not know," she said 
 to herself, "exactly when Christmas began, but I am very sure that 
 the happy day is here." 
 
 "Do you lie awake in the morning as much as you used to?" 
 asked Aria's mother, a few weeks after the Christmas holidays. 
 
 "No, mother, dear," said Aria; "I now sleep with one of my 
 
THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE. ' 23 
 
 windows shut, and I am no longer awakened by that chilly feeling 
 which used to come to me in the early morning, when I would draw 
 the bed-covers close about me and think how wrong were the clocks 
 of Rondaine." 
 
 And the little rose-clock never went to be compared with the 
 sun-dial. " Perhaps you are right now," Aria would say to her 
 clock each day when the sun shone, " and I will not take you until 
 some time when I feel very sure that you are wrong." 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 THE winter in which the events of this history occurred opened 
 very disagreeably. The cold was not intense nor the snows 
 deep, but it was a sloppy, sleety, slippery December, in 
 which one could expect neither good ice nor good sleighing. 
 
 The probabilities of an unseasonable 
 Christmas were very much discussed by 
 the members of a family named Kinton, 
 who lived in a country house about thirty 
 miles from New York. Mrs. Kinton was 
 a widow, and her family was made up 
 of herself and three daughters, whose 
 ages ranged from seventeen to six. Her 
 brother, Mr. Rodney Carr, was very 
 often with them, but his presence was 
 not at all to be depended upon. 
 
 The two older girls, Elinor and Maud, 
 were generally ready to enjoy Christmas 
 in any weather and in any place ; but 
 this year the prospect of a Christmas at 
 
 home appeared extremely distasteful to them, on account of a cer- 
 tain other prospect that had been held out to them by their Uncle 
 Rodney. This uncle was a generous man, and always glad to pro- 
 mote the pleasure of his nieces ; and early in this winter he had 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 25 
 
 made them a half-promise of something which Mrs. Kinton thought 
 he should have said nothing about until he had felt himself able to 
 make a whole promise. He had gone to California upon business; 
 and, before starting, had told Elinor and Maud that, if a certain 
 enterprise proved successful, he would make them a Christmas 
 present of a trip to the Bermudas. This unusual gift had been 
 suggested to him by the fact that the most intimate friends of 
 Elinor and Maud, the two Sanderson girls, who spent their win- 
 ters in New York, were going with their mother to the Bermu- 
 das for their Christmas holidays ; and Mrs. Sanderson had told 
 him that she would be very glad if his nieces could go with them. 
 
 The state of mind of the Kinton girls can easily be imagined. 
 A Christmas in the Bermudas two weeks of balmy air, warm 
 sunshine, oranges, bananas, pineapples, roses in the open air ! It 
 made them wild to talk about it ! 
 
 Christmas was coming nearer and nearer, when a letter was 
 received from Uncle Rodney ; and he, it appeared, was also coming 
 nearer and nearer. He was on his way from California; and, to the 
 surprise of the Kinton family, he was also on his way to England. 
 The business which took him there, he wrote, was pressing ; and 
 as he wished to catch a certain steamer, it would be impossible for 
 him to stop to see his relatives. He had not yet decided the 
 important question of a trip to the Bermudas ; but on the way he 
 would make some calculations, and see whether or not he would be 
 able to give them this pleasure, and, as he would pass through 
 Aftor, ; their railroad station, where the train stopped for a few 
 minutes, he would send them his decision by telephone. 
 
 The Kinton house, like several other residences in the neigh- 
 borhood, was connected with the railroad station, about four miles 
 distant, by a telephone wire ; and communication in this way was 
 often very useful, especially in bad weather. 
 
26 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 At first the girls declared that they would wait for no telephone, 
 but would go to the station and see Uncle Rodney, if it were only 
 for a minute ; but on consulting a time-table of the railroad they 
 found that the train on which their uncle would travel would reach 
 Afton very early in the morning ; and Mrs. Kinton put a veto upon 
 the proposition to take the long drive at such an unseasonable 
 hour. Consequently there was nothing to do but to wait for the 
 day on which Uncle Rodney had said he would pass through 
 Afton, and be ready at the telephone at the proper time. 
 
 On the day after the receipt of this letter there came to the 
 Kinton house a pleasant, little, middle-aged gentleman, who 
 received a hearty welcome from every member of the family. 
 This was Professor Cupper, an old friend and a man of science. 
 It was his custom, whenever he felt like it, to spend a few days 
 with the Kintons. Seasons and weather made no difference to 
 him. Friends were friends at any time of the year ; and weather 
 which might be bad for ordinary purposes was often very suitable 
 for scientific investigations. 
 
 Of course the professor was soon made acquainted with the 
 exciting state of affairs, in which he immediately took an animated 
 interest. He well knew what winter-time was in the Bermudas. 
 He knew how his dear young friends would enjoy Christmas 
 among the roses and the palmettos ; and he talked so enthusiasti- 
 cally about the land of flowers that the girls were filled with 
 a wilder impatience, and even their mother admitted that she 
 was beginning to be nervously anxious to know what Rodney 
 would say. If the girls were to be in the Bermudas before Christ- 
 mas, it was necessary to know the fact soon, for certain prep- 
 arations would have to be made. If Rodney were not such a 
 queer sort of fellow, she said, he would have made up his mind 
 days ago, and would have written or telegraphed his decision. 
 
ELINOR AND MAUD. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 29 
 
 But this sort of touch-and-go communication suited his fancies 
 exactly. 
 
 The eventful morning arrived. Before it was yet light the 
 two girls were up, dressed, and at the telephone. They had no 
 reason to expect the message so soon ; but the train might be 
 ahead of time, and Uncle Rodney might have but half a minute 
 in which to say what he had to tell them. On no account must 
 the telephone bell ring without some one being there to give an 
 instant response. 
 
 Consequently the Kinton girls, even little Ruth, were at the 
 instrument, where Professor Cupper speedily made his appearance, 
 and not long afterward Mrs. Kinton joined the expectant group. 
 
 The moment arrived at which the message could reasonably be 
 expected. All were in a tingle ! The moment passed ; it became 
 long past. The girls looked aghast at each other ! What had 
 happened ? Even the ruddy face of the professor seemed to pale 
 a little. He stepped to the instrument and sounded the signal. 
 No answer came. He sounded again and again, with like result. 
 For ten or fifteen minutes he called and rang without response. 
 
 " What can possibly be the matter?" cried Elinor " Is every ^ 
 body dead or asleep at the station ? " 
 
 "Not likely," said the professor. " But it is likely that your 
 wire is broken." 
 
 At this announcement the girls broke into lamentations. 
 Uncle Rodney must have arrived and departed, and the words 
 which he had undoubtedly spoken into the telephone at the 
 station had been lost ! Now, how could they know what their 
 uncle had decided upon ? How could they know whether he in- 
 tended them to go to the Bermudas or not ? He was to sail from 
 New York that day, but he had not informed them what steamer 
 he intended to take, and they did not know where to send a tele- 
 
3 o THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 gram. He had asked them to write to him in the care of a banker 
 in London ; but if they were to send a letter after him, it would 
 be so long before they could get an answer to it ! Even a message 
 by cable would not be much better, for he would not receive it 
 long before he would receive a letter. There was absolutely noth- 
 ing which they could do. 
 
 This mournful conclusion weighed heavily upon the whole 
 family. Even little Ruth, who did not exactly understand the state 
 of affairs, looked as if she were about to cry. 
 
 " I should have liked it better," exclaimed Maud, " if Uncle 
 Rodney had told us we could not go ; but to hear, after the holi- 
 days are over, that we might have gone, would be simply too hard 
 to bear." 
 
 " As soon as I have had some breakfast," said the professor, 
 " I will go the station if Mrs. Kinton will give me a conveyance 
 and I will find out what has happened." 
 
 " And we will go with you ! " cried Elinor and Maud. 
 
 After a hasty breakfast the professor and the two girls set out 
 in a sleigh for Afton. The snow was soft and not very deep, and 
 the roadway beneath was rough ; but notwithstanding the bumps 
 and jolts, and the occasional blood-curdling gratings of the runners 
 upon bare places, the impatient girls urged George, the driver, to 
 keep his horses on their fastest trot. 
 
 When they were about half-way to the station the professor 
 cried out 
 
 " Hi ! there it is ! The line is broken ! " 
 
 All looked around and could see plainly enough that the wire 
 had parted near one of the poles, and that part of it was resting 
 on the ground. But it was of no use to stop ; they were in a 
 hurry to reach Afton to learn if Uncle Rodney had been there, 
 and if he had left a message. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 31 
 
 When they reached the railroad station they found that Mr. 
 Carr had arrived on time ; that he had telephoned to his sister's 
 house ; and that he had gone. The station-master told them that 
 he had been outside, and had not heard what Mr. Carr had said, 
 but that he thought it probable, since he had a very short time in 
 which to say anything, that he had rung the bell, and, without 
 waiting for an answering ring, had delivered his message. 
 
 u That is very likely," said the professor, " for Mr. Carr knew 
 that his nieces were expecting to hear from him at the moment 
 the train arrived here, and that they would, therefore, be ready at 
 their telephone. But as the line was broken, of course the mes- 
 sage never reached them." 
 
 Very much dispirited, the little party drove home. The girls 
 had been buoying themselves up with the hope that Uncle Rod- 
 ney knew that the wire was broken, and had left a message for 
 them at the station ; but, instead of this, he had gone away in the 
 belief that he had communicated with them, and would, therefore, 
 do no more. Now they could not expect to hear from him until 
 he reached England, and it would then be too late. The kindly 
 nature of the professor was affected by this disappointment of his 
 young friends ; and the thought came to him that, had he been 
 rich enough, he would himself have made them a present of a 
 trip to the Bermudas. Even George, the driver, who knew all 
 about the affair, and was deeply interested in it, wore a doleful 
 face. 
 
 They drove slowly homeward, and when they reached the 
 place where the wire had been broken the professor asked 
 George to stop, and he got out to take a look into the condi- 
 tion of affairs. There was no real need that he should do this, 
 for, of course, he could not repair the damage, and the station- 
 master had promised to attend to that. But he had an invest!- 
 
32 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 gating mind, and he wished to find out just how the accident had 
 happened. 
 
 It was easy enough to see how the wire had been broken. A 
 
 
 
 "V 
 
 tall tree stood near the spot, 
 and from this a heavy dead 
 limb had fallen, which must 
 have struck the wire ; this had 
 been broken off close to one 
 of the poles, and from the sup- 
 porting insulator near the top 
 of the pole an end of the wire, 
 an inch or two in length, pro- 
 jected. From looking up at 
 the damaged wire, the profes- 
 sor glanced down the pole, and 
 when his eyes rested upon the ground he saw there, lying on the 
 frozen crust of the snow, a little dead bird, its wings partly out- 
 spread. 
 
 THE PROFESSOR WISHED TO FIND OUT JUST 
 HOW THE ACCIDENT HAD HAPPENED. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A JfSSAG. 35 
 
 The professor stepped quickly to the pole, and, stooping, 
 regarded the bird. Then he stood up, stepped back a little and 
 looked up at the broken wire. After which he advanced toward 
 the bird, and looked down at it. From these observations he was 
 called away by the girls, who wished to know what he was look- 
 ing at. 
 
 Without answering, the professor carefully picked up the bird, 
 and returned to the sleigh. 
 
 "It is a poor little dead bird ! " exclaimed Maud ; "a dead, 
 frozen bird ! " 
 
 " Yes," said the professor, " that is what it is." And, resum- 
 ing his seat, they moved on. 
 
 For the rest of the way the professor did not talk much ; and 
 when they reached the house, without taking off his hat, coat, or 
 overshoes, he sat down on a chair in the hall and steadfastly 
 regarded the bird, which lay in his outspread hands. 
 
 Mrs. Kinton, with Ruth, came hurrying down-stairs. " Did you 
 discover anything ? " she asked. 
 
 Maud was about to speak when the professor interrupted. 
 " Yes," he said, delivering his words slowly and with earnestness, 
 " I think I have discovered something. I have reason to believe 
 that the message sent by Rodney Carr is in this bird." 
 
 Exclamations of amazement burst from all his hearers. "What 
 do you mean ? " cried Mrs. Kinton. 
 
 " I will tell you," said the professor. And they all gathered 
 around him, gazing with astonished eyes at the bird which he 
 held. " By a falling limb," he said, "your telephone wire was 
 broken close to the glass insulator on one of the poles, and on the 
 side of the pole nearest this house. At the bottom of the pole% 
 directly under the fracture, I found this dead bird. Now, my 
 theory is this. The limb probably fell during the high wind of 
 
34 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 last night. The bird, taking an early morning flight, alighted on 
 the broken end of the wire, which projected a little from the pole 
 after the manner of a twig. While settling on this slight perch, 
 and probably fluttering its wings as it took its position, Mr. Carr 
 sent his message along the wire. 
 
 "If the end had merely projected into the air, there would 
 have been no circuit, and no message : but the bird's little feet 
 were on the wire, one of his fluttering wings probably touched the 
 pole or the block, a connection with the earth was made, and the 
 message passed into the bird. The little creature was instantly 
 killed, and dropped to the ground, its wings still outspread." 
 
 " Do you mean," cried Elinor, " that you believe Uncle Rod- 
 ney's message is now in that bird ?" 
 
 " Yes," said the professor, his eyes sparkling as he spoke, " I 
 believe, or, at least, I strongly conjecture, that your uncle's mes- 
 sage is now in that curious complication of electric threads which 
 is diffused through the body of a bird, as it is through that of a 
 man, and which is known as the nervous system." 
 
 Mrs. Kinton and her eldest daughter were too surprised to say 
 a word, but Maud exclaimed : 
 
 " A dead bird with a message in his nervous system is of no 
 good to anybody ! Oh, you poor little thing, not only dead, but 
 frozen, if you could but wake up and tell us whether Uncle Rod- 
 ney said we were to go to the Bermudas or not to go, you would 
 be the dearest and best bird in the world ! " 
 
 " I have been considering this matter very earnestly," said 
 Professor Cupper, " and I am going to try to get that message out 
 of the bird. If its nervous system is charged with the modulated 
 electric current produced by your uncle's words, I do not see 
 why those modulations should not be transferred to a delicate 
 electrical machine, which should record or repeat the message, 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 35 
 
 faintly perhaps, but with force enough for us to determine its 
 purport." 
 
 " If you can do that," said Elinor, " it will be a miracle ! " 
 
 Mrs. Kinton's mind was in a state of bewilderment. She could 
 not readily put full faith in what the professor had said, and yet 
 science had done so many wonderful things, and the professor him- 
 self had done so many wonderful things, that she could not bring 
 herself to entirely doubt him ; so she gave up all attempts to com- 
 prehend the matter, and went away to attend to her household 
 duties. At any rate, his efforts to get a telephone message out of 
 a bird could hurt nobody, and if he succeeded in interesting and 
 diverting her daughters it would be a positive benefit. 
 
 The girls plied the professor with questions, and the more he 
 discussed the subject the more firmly he became persuaded that it 
 would be a crime against science to allow this great and unique 
 opportunity to pass unimproved. 
 
 He did not take off his hat and coat at all ; but, calling to Mrs. 
 Kinton, he earnestly requested her to send him to the station in 
 time to take the next train to New York. There he would pro- 
 cure the electrical appliances which he needed, and return to her 
 house in the evening, or, at the latest, the next morning. 
 
 Of course the professor went to New York, for everybody 
 could see that he must not be thwarted in this most important 
 investigation. He would have taken the bird with him, to try his 
 experiments on it in the city, but apart from the fear that the 
 electrical conditions of the little thing's nervous system might be 
 disturbed by the journey, he was determined that the girls should 
 hear their uncle's message the moment it was reproduced, if, 
 indeed, he should be able to reproduce it at all. 
 
 How this message was to be made known, whether by means of 
 a phonograph or a graphophone, or some other electric appliance, 
 
36 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 the professor did not say. He was going to consult with some 
 scientific brethren, and they would help him to determine what 
 sort of experiments ought to be tried. He would bring back with 
 him the necessary instruments, and perhaps also one or more of 
 his learned friends, for this was a matter in which he was sure 
 all scientific minds would be interested. 
 
 The bird whose nervous system, according to Professor 
 Cupper's belief, was charged with the electric message in which 
 Elinor and Maud took so deep an interest, was left with these two 
 girls by the professor, with injunctions to take the best of care of 
 it. Accordingly they carried it into an unused upper room, and 
 there it was gently placed upon a small table ; and when they went 
 out they carefully closed the door, in order that no cat or other 
 enemy should disturb or injure what Maud called " the ornitho- 
 logical depository of their fate." 
 
 The direct interest of little Ruth in this affair was not great, 
 for there was- no idea of her going to the Bermudas. But she had 
 heard what had been said about this mysterious bird, and although 
 she did not understand it, that did not at all interfere with her 
 curiosity and desire to have an undisturbed look at the little 
 creature which had been choked to death by a message from her 
 Uncle Rodney, who, she thought, should not have spoken so loud if 
 there was any danger of a little bird being at the other end of the 
 wire. 
 
 She went up-stairs and entered the room, and as she was a care- 
 ful little girl, she shut the door behind her. Then she drew a 
 chair up to the table, and, leaning upon it, earnestly regarded the 
 bird. So far as she could see, there was nothing the matter with 
 it except that it was dead ; and she knew very well that in various 
 ways and manners a great many birds do become dead. There 
 seemed to her nothing very peculiar in the condition of this one. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 37 
 
 Presently, however, she observed something which did seem to 
 her to be peculiar. She drew back from the table, let her hands 
 fall in her lap, and a thoughtful expression came into her face. 
 
 " Do dead birds wink?" she softly said to herself. 
 
 It seemed as if this were really the case, for while she spoke 
 one eye of the bird was, for the second time, slowly opened and 
 quickly shut. While she was pondering upon this strange occur- 
 rence a momentary tremor passed through the body of the bird. 
 It was very slight, but her young eyes were sharp. 
 
 " It is shivering," she said. " Poor thing! it must be cold !" 
 
 She glanced at the window and saw that one of the upper 
 sashes had been lowered. This had been done by her sisters, who 
 had thought the room too warm. She went to the window and 
 found that, even standing on a chair, she could not push up the 
 sash. 
 
 Then another idea entered her mind. She went to her own 
 little room, which was on the same floor, and brought back with 
 her her dolls bed and bedstead. She knew perfectly well what a 
 fond mother should do to warm a doll who was too cold. She put 
 the bedstead on the floor, away from the window ; then she took 
 off the two little blankets, and, opening the register, laid them 
 upon it. When they were thoroughly warmed she took them to 
 the bed, and, having arranged everything very neatly, she went to 
 the table, tenderly picked up the poor, cold little bird, and carry- 
 ing it to the bed, snugly tucked it in between the blankets. 
 
 Ruth now seated herself upon the floor near by to watch over 
 her little charge, and very soon she saw a decided shaking between 
 the blankets. 
 
 " It keeps on being cold," she said. And taking up a little 
 down quilt which was used by her doll only in very cold weather, 
 she placed that over the bird. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 This additional covering, however, did not seem to have any 
 effect in quieting the little creature. From shaking, it began to 
 struggle. In a few moments one wing was almost entirely out from 
 under the covering and exposed to the air ; and while Ruth was 
 endeavoring to put back 
 this wing the other one 
 came out, and then one 
 leg. When she felt the 
 sharp little claws on her 
 hand she was startled, 
 although they did not 
 hurt her, and involun- 
 tarily drew back. In a 
 moment the bird wrig- 
 gled itself out from 
 between the blankets. 
 Then it hopped into the 
 middle of the bed, and as 
 Ruth put out her hand 
 to catch it, it spread its 
 wings and flew to the 
 back of a chair. 
 
 Ruth started to her 
 feet, and as she did so 
 the bird flew from the 
 chair and began circling 
 around and around the 
 
 room. The little girl did not know what to do. She felt that the 
 bird ought to be caught, or that somebody ought to be called ; but 
 before she had decided upon any further action the bird perceived 
 the open window, and, darting through it, was lost to her view. 
 
 THE BIRD BEGAN CIRCLING AROUND THE ROOM. 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 39 
 
 Tears now came into the eyes of the little girl, and slowly she 
 went down-stairs and told what had happened. Elinor and Maud 
 were shocked and distressed, and even their mother was truly 
 grieved. No matter how things resulted, it would be a great 
 disappointment to the professor not to be able to try his experi- 
 ments. Ruth was too young to be blamed very much for doing 
 what she thought was an act of kindness, but the girls found 
 great fault with themselves for not having locked the door of the 
 room. 
 
 " As it was likely that the bird was merely stunned by the elec- 
 tric current, and frozen stiff as it lay upon the snow," said Elinor, 
 " it might have been easier for the professor to get at the message 
 than if it were really dead. A live nervous system, I should think, 
 would be more likely to retain an electrical impression than a 
 dead one." 
 
 " Don't talk that way," cried Maud, "or you will have us all 
 wild to go out and catch that bird. It would be the worst kind of 
 a wild-goose chase, for a bird with a message in him looks just like 
 any other ; and even if we had tied a rag to its leg or put a mark 
 on it, I think that by the time it had been chased from field to 
 forest, and had had stones hurled at it and nets thrown over* it, its 
 electrical conditions would have been a good deal disturbed. No ! 
 We may as well drop this bird of Fate as it has dropped us. I 
 don't believe the message went into him anyway. It simply shot 
 out into the air, and we shall never know what it was until Uncle 
 Rodney reaches England and writes or telegraphs back. Then, of 
 course, it will be too late, and we shall have to be content to wait 
 for the Bermudas until some other winter." 
 
 " One thing must be done instantly," said Mrs. Kinton. "We 
 must telegraph to Professor Cupper what has happened. It would 
 be very unkind to let him put himself to any further trouble now 
 
40 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 that the bird is gone and there is nothing for himself or his friends 
 to experiment upon." 
 
 In twenty minutes George was riding to the station with a 
 message which briefly stated that the bird of hope had revived and 
 flown away. 
 
 Elinor and Maud went early to bed that night. They had a 
 feeling that this world was a very tiresome place, and there was 
 nothing in it worth sitting up for. But the next morning's mail 
 brought a letter from Professor Cupper which made different 
 beings of them. 
 
 The letter had "been written late the night before, and was 
 brief and hurried, as the professor wished to get it into the post- 
 office before the last mail closed. In it he said that he had been 
 greatly disappointed and grieved by the news that it was impossible 
 for him to proceed with the most interesting experiment of his life. 
 That was over and done with, but he had been earnestly pondering 
 upon the subject, and had come to the conclusion, for reasons 
 which he would afterward explain, that the message was a favor- 
 able one, and that Mr. Carr had told his nieces that they were to 
 go to the Bermudas. The professor had decided to remain in 
 New York for a few days, but would then return and finish his 
 visit ; and would give in full his grounds for the conviction that 
 the Christmas present which the girls so earnestly desired had 
 been sent to them. 
 
 "I believe it!" cried Elinor. " It is certain that Uncle 
 Rodney sent us a message, and if Professor Cupper, who knows 
 all about these things, says it was the right message, I see no 
 reason to doubt it." 
 
 " I don't doubt it," said Maud. " I believe any other kind of a 
 message would have killed that bird as dead as a door nail." 
 
 At first Mrs. Kinton felt perplexed, but as she so well under- 
 
THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 4* 
 
 stood her brother's generous disposition, and had such confidence 
 in Professor Cupper's scientific ability, she did not feel warranted 
 in opposing the conviction of the professor and the desires of her 
 daughters ; and preparations for the trip to the Bermudas were 
 immediately commenced. Of course her brother had sent no 
 money, but it had been arranged how his sister could draw the 
 money on his account. 
 
 Fingers now began to fly, and Elinor and Maud felt that the 
 world offered many reasons why they should sit up late. In two 
 days they were in New York, and on the day afterward, with their 
 friends, they sailed for the Bermudas. 
 
 Shortly after their departure the professor arrived at Mrs. 
 Kinton's house, and, for the first time in his life, was delighted to 
 find that his young friends were not there. He lost no time in 
 giving Mrs. Kinton his grounds for the opinion he had sent her. 
 
 " On some accounts," he said, " it is a pity the bird escaped ; 
 but, after all, this matters little, for, alive, it could have been of no 
 use to me. Its emotions on reviving in a state of captivity would 
 probably have obliterated, in its nervous system, all electric impres- 
 sions. Having, therefore, nothing positive on which to base my 
 judgment, I was obliged to consider the subject with reference to- 
 probabilities. The bird was not killed by the electric current ; it 
 was merely stunned, and afterward stiffened by lying upon the 
 snow. I therefore infer that the message sent was a very brief 
 one ; and, being brief, I infer that it was favorable. Your brother 
 has too kind a heart to say to the girls : ' No ; ' or, ' You cannot go/ 
 No matter how limited his time, he would have managed to say 
 something in the way of explanation and palliation. On the other 
 hand, ' Yes,' or, ' Go and be happy,' would be all-sufficient. Such 
 a message might merely stun a bird ; a longer one might kill it." 
 
 " Maud said something of that kind," remarked Mrs. Kinton. 
 
42 THE CURIOUS HISTORY OF A MESSAGE. 
 
 "Maud is a very intelligent girl," said the professor, "and it 
 will not surprise me if she ultimately engages in scientific pursuits. 
 And now, madam," he continued, " how grateful should we be to 
 science ! If we had not been able to induce, even inferentially, 
 through the medium of an ordinary bird, the purport of your 
 brother's message, we should have known nothing of his desires 
 and intentions." 
 
 " No," said Mrs. Kinton, smiling, " nothing ! " 
 
 The girls spent a royal two weeks in the Bermudas, and shortly 
 after their return there came a letter from their Uncle Rodney in 
 answer to one in which their mother had given him a full account 
 of the state of affairs. In this letter Mr. Carr wrote : 
 
 "As well as I can recollect them, I telephoned to you these words, 'Very 
 sorry, but I can't send the girls this year. Better luck next Christmas ! All well ?' 
 But I could not wait for an answer to this question, for the whistle sounded, and I 
 was obliged to run for the train. It was much against my will that I sent this 
 message. Affairs had gone badly with me in California ; and I found, too, that if 
 I did not very speedily show myself in England I should have heavy losses. I 
 earnestly considered the question on my way toward Afton, but finally decided 
 that under the circumstances I could not afford to give the girls that Bermuda trip. 
 But when I reached England I found my affairs in a great deal better shape than I 
 had any reason to expect. By the time I got down to London, and found your letter, 
 I was already considering what I should do to compensate the girls for the loss of 
 their semi-tropical Christmas ; for I knew it was then too late for them to go south 
 with the Sandersons. So when I learned that my message had not been received, 
 and the girls had gone to the Bermudas, I was delighted. In spite of your expla- 
 nations, I must admit that I do not comprehend how that bird and Professor Cupper 
 managed the matter ; but nobody can be happier than I am that they managed il 
 so well." 
 
 Maud sprang to her feet, one hand in the air. 
 " How grateful we should be," she cried, " for the blessings of 
 science ! " 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 "\ T 7 ELL, boys," said Mr. Bartlett to a party of his young 
 
 y y friends who gathered around him after supper, " I am 
 going to tell you a story, since you are so anxious to 
 hear one, and it will be a story of adventure, but it will have no 
 boy hero. Its heroes are two persons whom you know very well, 
 but I do not think the story will be less interesting on that 
 account." 
 
 One of the young people here remarked that he liked stories 
 of adventure about grown people better than those about boys, 
 because boys generally were not allowed to have such good ad- 
 ventures as grown people' could have. 
 
 " That may or may not be," said Mr. Bartlett. " But to go on 
 with my story : 
 
 " When I was about thirty-five years old, and that was a num- 
 ber of years ago, I failed in business and found myself poor. To 
 add to my trouble, my health failed also ; and it was considered 
 advisable that I should take a trip to one of the West Indian 
 islands i/.:. order to gain strength before beginning business again. 
 My wife went with me, but our little boy was left behind with his 
 grandmother. 
 
 " Our affairs were soon arranged. We collected money enough 
 for a trip of a few months, and soon after we set sail for an isle of 
 the sea. This island was a beautiful one, in a charming climate, 
 
44 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 and here we lived for three happy months ; but when at last the 
 time came for us to go, we were perfectly satisfied to do so, and 
 we felt that the object of the trip had been attained. 
 
 " We left the island on the steamer Joseph Barker, which 
 touched there on a homeward trip from South America, stop- 
 ping to leave a party of scientific men who had made a special 
 contract to be landed there ; and, as the regular steamer would not 
 leave for a week or longer, we were very glad to take passage in 
 the Barker. 
 
 "We sailed over delightful summer seas for a day and a night 
 and another day and a part of a night, and then something, very 
 mysterious to me, occurred. We ran into a great ship, or rather, 
 the ship, which was under full sail, ran into us. The reason why this 
 seemed mysterious to me was that there were hundreds of miles of 
 unobstructed ocean on each side of us, in any strip of which, forty 
 yards wide, the two vessels could have passed in safety ; why, 
 therefore, unless there is some mysterious attraction between ves- 
 sels at sea, these two should have happened to select the same spot 
 of water for occupation at the same time, I could not imagine. 
 
 " The shock of the collision was tremendous ; everybody woke 
 up instantly, and many were tumbled out of their berths. 
 
 " My wife and I were soon dressed and on deck. There we 
 found a great commotion. The general idea seemed to be that 
 we had sunk the other ship. Immediately after the collision our 
 steamer had backed away, and the two vessels were separated but 
 where was the other now ? It was very dark, but certainly, if she 
 were above water, she would have hung out lights and made signs 
 of distress or desire to relieve distress. But she was not to be seen. 
 
 " When our steamer was examined, however, it was found that 
 the bow of the other vessel had struck us on the port side, just 
 aft the foremast, and had made a hole as big as a front door. No 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 45 
 
 one now thought of assisting the other ship. She was, probably, 
 but slightly injured, and it was to her that we must look for help, 
 for it was certain that our ship could not keep afloat long with 
 such a hole as that in its side. Indeed, reports from below stated 
 that she was rapidly filling. 
 
 " There were not many passengers, and we gathered together 
 in a knot on the upper deck ; some were very much frightened, 
 and all anxious to know what was to be done. A tall gentleman, 
 who was travelling alone, told us what would probably be done. 
 He said rockets would be sent up to indicate our position to the 
 other ship ; a gun would be fired ; the crew, and perhaps the pas- 
 sengers, would be set to work at the pumps ; the donkey-engine 
 would be assigned similar duty, and immediate efforts would be 
 made to stop up the hole. We saw signs, or what we supposed to 
 be signs, of intentions on the part of the crew to do some of these 
 things ; but we could not understand what was going on, in the 
 hurry and confusion on the decks. 
 
 " The tall gentleman left us .to make some suggestions to the 
 captain, who, however, scolded at him in such a way that he came 
 back to us, and was just in the midst of some very ungracious 
 remarks when so unearthly a yell issued from the escape-pipe 
 behind us, that several of us thought the boilers had burst. But 
 the tall man, ceasing his complaints, screamed in our ears that 
 the engineer was merely letting off the steam. 
 
 " There is no doubt that the captain and the officers tried to 
 do all that they could, but it was not long before there were evi- 
 dent signs of a panic. It was too dark, even with the lights on 
 deck, for us to see much, but we soon found that there was a gen- 
 eral rush for the boats. Then we also rushed. 
 
 " The confusion was now so great, and the deafening noise 
 from the steam-pipe made it so impossible to hear any orders, if 
 
46 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 any were given, while the darkness made everything seem so 
 obscure and uncertain, that I cannot describe how we got into the 
 boats. I know I hurried my wife to a large boat not very far from 
 us, which was just about to be lowered, but it was already so full 
 of people that there was no possible chance for us to get into it. I 
 then ran aft, and found a small empty boat at which two men were 
 working. Without a word, I helped my wife into this, and the 
 two men soon got in, and, one working at the bow and the other at 
 the stern, they let it down to the water. Each man then took an 
 oar and began to pull away from the steamer as fast as possible. 
 
 " I suggested that we might take some one else into the boat, 
 but one of the men asked me if I wanted to stay by a sinking 
 craft until it should go down and carry us with it ; and then they 
 pulled away even harder than before. 
 
 " My wife had said little during all these fearful scenes. She 
 had done exactly as I had told her ; our action accordingly had 
 been expeditious, and with as little flurry as was possible under 
 the circumstances. Unrolling a bundle of shawls, which I had 
 thrown into the boat, I now began to make my wife warm and 
 comfortable. This action attracted the attention of the men. 
 We were very close to one another in the boat, and our eyes hav- 
 ing become accustomed to the darkness, we could see one another 
 tolerably well. 
 
 '' ' Was that bundle only shawls ? ' asked the man nearer us. 
 I answered that it was. . I had picked up the shawls as we ran out 
 of the stateroom, thinking it might be cool on deck, and had 
 rolled them up and kept them under my arm until we were about 
 to get into the boat. I knew they would be needed. 
 
 " The men now stopped rowing- for a minute. One of them 
 took up a little water-keg which was in the bow of the boat, and 
 shook it. 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 47 
 
 " ' Nothin' there/ he said. Then some remarks which I did 
 not catch were made about my bundle. I am quite sure that they 
 thought it contained some sort of provision for what might be an 
 extended boat-trip. With their heads together, the two men said 
 a few words, and then sat still as if listening. In a few moments, 
 they began again to row with their utmost strength. Before long 
 they stopped again to listen, and then I heard the sound of oars. 
 They pulled on, and we soon could make out a large boat not far 
 ahead of us. 
 
 " ' That's not the one ! ' said one of the sailors, turning around. 
 ' That's the fust mate's boat, an' loaded up. It's the purser's 
 boat we want. That isn't half full.' 
 
 " So on they went, stopping every now and then to listen, and 
 it was not long before we heard oars again, at which the men in 
 our boat pulled with renewed vigor. I wondered how they knew 
 in which direction to row, so as to be likely to fall in with the other 
 boats ; but I did not ask, for I did not believe the men would stop 
 to answer me. I supposed, however, that boats' crews, on such 
 occasions, might prefer to go with the wind. There was enough 
 wind for us to feel it very plainly. And now we began to near 
 another boat, although it was hard work pulling up to it. I won- 
 dered again why they all rowed so hard. They could not be 
 trying to make any particular point. As soon as we were close 
 enough, one of our men hailed the other boat. ' Hullo ! ' he cried, 
 'room (zi anybody else aboard?' 
 
 " ' How many ?' a voice called out. 
 
 " I instantly rose in my seat. ' Four,' I shouted. 
 
 " ' Can't do it,' came back the answer. ' You'd swamp us.' 
 
 " Our men made no answer to this, but, bending to their oars, 
 they pulled like madmen. The other boat seemed trying to get 
 away from us, but if this were so it was a useless effort, for we 
 
48 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 rapidly overhauled it. The moment we came near enough, our 
 bow-oarsman reached out and seized the stern of the other boat. 
 Then both men dropped their oars, and, in a second, they scram- 
 bled into the other boat. As they did so, our boat fell behind. 
 I rose to my feet and called out to the other boat to stop, that 
 there were two more in our boat. But no voice answered us, and 
 the boat disappeared in the gloom. For a minute or two ! heard the 
 sound of oars, and then even that was lost. We were left alone. 
 
 " For a time neither of us could speak. And then my wife 
 began to cry. The cruel desertion by our oarsmen broke down 
 her strong spirit. I tried to comfort her, although I was glad 
 she could not see my face, or know what despair I felt. I told her 
 the men could do us no good, and that we were just as well off 
 without them. 
 
 " 'You can row,' she said, a little reassured. 
 
 " ' Oh, yes ! ' I replied, and I sat down in the place of one of the 
 men, and took the oars, which, fortunately, remained in the row- 
 locks. I began to row, although I had no idea in what direction I 
 should go. I could not catch the other boats, and it would be of 
 no advantage if I could. The nearest land must surely be several 
 hundred miles away, and besides, for all I knew, I might be row- 
 ing toward the Straits of Gibraltar. But the exercise kept me 
 warm, and that was something. I was not thickly clad, and the 
 wind began to feel quite cool. My wife was warmly wrapped up, 
 and that was the only comfort I had. And there we were in the 
 darkness; I gently rowing, and she seated in the stern with h r 
 face bent down on her knees, sobbing. Once I heard her say : 
 1 My poor child ! ' 
 
 " The sea was moderately smooth, although there were long, 
 swelling waves, on which we rose and fell. The wind was evi- 
 dently decreasing. 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 49 
 
 " After a time my wife raised her head I had been talking to 
 her, bufc she had seldom spoken and she said : ' Do you think 
 there is any chance at all for us ? ' 
 
 " ' Oh, yes,' I replied ; ' as soon as it is daylight we have a 
 great many chances of being picked up. Perhaps the vessel that 
 ran into us will come back and cruise about in search of us. She 
 probably had to take a long tack before she could return, and 
 she could not expect to come back to the same spot in the dark/ 
 
 " She made no answer to this, although I think it must have 
 encouraged her a little, and for a long time we sat in silence ; at 
 last she went to sleep. I was very glad to find she was sleeping, 
 for, as she lay upon her side, with her head resting on her arm, I 
 knew that, for a time at least, she would forget her despair and our 
 little boy at home. 
 
 " But I felt all the more lonely and desolate, now that she 
 slept. No sound could be heard but the plash of the waves, and 
 nothing could be seen but a little water around the boat. The sky 
 was covered with an even mass of motionless clouds. For some 
 time after we had left the steamer I could hear the sound of the 
 escaping steam. But that was not to be heard now. Perhaps we 
 were too far away, or perhaps she had gone down. And then I 
 thought, with horror, that perhaps she had not yet sunk, and that 
 she might come slowly drifting down upon us, and then, rolling 
 over on our boat, sink us with herself to the dreadful depths 
 below. This idea made me so nervous that I could not help look- 
 ing behind me, fearing I should see above me the great black hull, 
 with the masts and spars bending down toward us. 
 
 " At last I too went to sleep. My head dropped on my breast, 
 and I sat, with the oars still in my hands, and slept, I know not 
 how long. I was awakened by an exclamation from my wife. 
 Starting up, I gazed around. It was daylight ; the sky was still 
 
50 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 cloudy, and, as far as I could see, there stretched an expanse of 
 dull green water, rising and falling in long and gentle swells. 
 
 " But my wife was sitting up very straight, gazing past me, with 
 her eyes opened wider than I had ever seen them. She had evi- 
 dently just awakened. 
 
 " * Look there ! ' she said, pointing over my shoulder. 
 
 " I turned quickly, but saw nothing. But then, as we rose upon 
 a swell, I distinctly saw a vessel. It seemed to me to be about 
 half a mile away, but it was probably farther. 
 
 "'We're saved!' I shouted, and I took hold of the oars and 
 began to pull with all the vigor that was in me. I wanted to say 
 something, but remember thinking that every word would waste 
 breath and I must row, row, row. It would be death to let that 
 vessel get away from us. 
 
 " My wife was as much excited as I was. 
 
 " ' Shall I wave something ? ' she cried. I nodded, and she 
 drew out her handkerchief and waved it over her head. 
 
 "'If I only had a pole,' she said, 'or something to tie it 
 to!' 
 
 "There were two oars behind me, but I could not stop rowing 
 to reach back to get them. She stood up to wave her signal, but 
 I made her sit down again. I felt I must speak then. 
 
 " ' You must not stand up,' I said ; ' you will fall overboard. 
 Is she coming this way ? ' 
 
 '"I think she is,' was the reply. ' She is nearer to us.' And 
 with both hands she continued wildly to wave the handkerchief, 
 while I rowed on. 
 
 " Suddenly she stopped waving. For an instant I ceased row- 
 ing and looked at her. 
 
 "'Go on!' she said, and on I went. Once, when I rowed a 
 little out of the right direction, she told me of my error. She 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 51 
 
 looked straight ahead, neither waving her handkerchief nor saying 
 anything. 
 
 " ' Are we near? ' I said, for my arms were growing lame with 
 the unaccustomed work. 
 
 " ' Quite near,' she said. ' Row a little more to the left. Yes, 
 I knew it ; it is our steamer ! I can see the name/ 
 
 " I quickly turned. We were within a couple of hundred yards 
 of the vessel. It was our steamer. I too could read the words 
 Joseph Barker on the stern. She had not sunk yet. 
 
 " I don't know how my wife bore up under this terrible disap- 
 pointment. But she did. She even smiled weakly when she said 
 we might have stayed on board all night, and have taken the boats 
 by daylight if we had only known. 
 
 " The dread of the ship which had haunted me during the night 
 had passed away. I did not care very much whether she sank and 
 carried us down with her, or not. It was a relief to see anything 
 that reminded me of humanity on that desolate, lonely sea. I 
 rowed up quite close to her. 
 
 " ' Perhaps there is some one left on board,' said my wife, and 
 she and I both shouted as loudly as we could, but no answer came 
 from the ship. 
 
 " Then I rowed around her, and we saw the frightful hole in 
 her side. While we were looking at it my wife said : 
 
 "'Do you know that I should just as soon be on board that 
 ship as to be in this little boat ! I don't believe she will sink a bit 
 sooner than we shall.' 
 
 " ' I was thinking of that/ I replied. ' The lower edge of the 
 hole in her side is four feet from the water-level when she rolls this 
 way, and nine or ten when she rolls the other way. It must have 
 been because the waves were high last night that the water came in. 
 As long as the sea is quiet, I don't believe she will sink at all/ 
 
52 A FOR'lUbA'lL UP Eft ING. 
 
 " I then rowed up close to the vessel and examined her injuries 
 as well as I could. The side of the vessel, which was a wooden 
 one, did not seem to be damaged below the tremendous gap which 
 the bow of the other vessel had made. The sheathing, as I believe 
 the outside boards of a ship's hull are called, seemed tight enough 
 between the water-line and the hole. 
 
 " I agreed with my wife that it would be much better to be on 
 board the steamer than to remain in our little boat, especially as we 
 began to be hungry. Even if a storm should come on, we should 
 feel safer in the larger craft. So I set about trying to get on 
 board. There were some ropes, with blocks and hooks, hanging 
 from the davits from which the boats had been lowered/ and, 
 having managed to get hold of one of these, I thought I might 
 climb up it to the deck. But my wife was strongly opposed to 
 this, for, when she saw how the ropes swung as the ship rolled, she 
 declared that I should never go up one of them. And when I 
 came to try the ropes and found that there were four of them 
 together, passing through a pulley above, and that, if I should not 
 pull on them equally, I might come down with a run, I gave up 
 this plan. 
 
 " Suddenly I had a happy thought. I rowed to one of the 
 for vard davits, and fastened the hook that hung from it to the 
 bow of our boat. I then paddled the boat around until we were 
 under, and very near to, the fractured aperture, which was not far 
 from the forward davits. 
 
 "'What are you going to do?' asked my wife. 'We ought 
 not to go so near the ship. She will push us under as she 
 rolls. 1 
 
 " ' I wish to go still nearer,' said I. ' I don't believe there is 
 any danger, with that easy rolling. I wish to get in through that 
 hole. Then I'll make my way on deck/ 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 53 
 
 " ' But what shall / do ? ' asked my wife, anxiously. ' I can 
 never climb in there !' 
 
 " ' No, indeed !' said I. ' I don't intend to let you try. When 
 I get on deck Pll haul you up.' 
 
 " ' But can you do it?' she asked, a little doubtfully. 
 
 " ' Certainly I can,' I answered ; and I immediately began to 
 prepare for boarding the ship. 
 
 " First, I tied two of the shawls around my wife, just under her 
 arms, making the knots as secure as I could. Then I showed her 
 how to fasten the hook that held the boat into these shawls, when 
 the time came. I insisted that she should be sure to hook it into 
 both shawls, so that if one gave way there might be another to 
 depend upon. I did not like to leave my wife alone in the boat, 
 but there seemed to be no help for it ; and, as it could not float 
 away, there was no danger if she was careful. 
 
 " When I had given her all the necessary directions I paddled 
 the boat as near to the hole as I could with safety, and then, stand- 
 ing up, I waited until the rolling of the ship brought the lower 
 edge of the aperture within my reach, when I seized it, and in a 
 moment was raised high out of the little boat as the ship rolled 
 back again. I heard my wife scream, but I knew it was only 
 on account of my apparently dangerous rise in the air, and 
 I lost no time in drawing myself up and scrambling into the 
 hole. It was only by the exercise of my utmost strength and 
 activity that I did this. It would have been better if I had 
 made a spring from the boat as soon as I had taken hold, but 
 I did not think of that. Fortunately, the planking on which I 
 was hanging was firm, and I quickly made my way in between 
 the splintered boards and timbers. As soon as I was safely inside, 
 standing on something I knew not what I put my head out of 
 the hole and called down to my wife. She was in the boat, all 
 
54 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 right, a short distance from me, with her face as white as her 
 handkerchief. 
 
 < ..."'I was sure you would never get in!' she cried. 'I knew 
 you would drown ! ' 
 
 " ' But you see I didn't/ said I. ' It's all right now. I'll hurry 
 on deck, and have you up in no time.' 
 
 " For a moment I thought of trying to help her in through the 
 hole, but such an attempt would have been very hazardous, and I 
 did not propose it. She could not have brought the boat up prop- 
 erly, and would probably have fallen overboard in attempting to 
 reach me. So I told her to sit perfectly still until I saw her again, 
 and I withdrew into the interior of the vessel. I found myself in 
 the upper part of the hold, among freight and timber and splin- 
 ters, and many obstructions of various kinds, but it was not dark. 
 Light came through the hole in the ship's side and also from 
 above. Making my way further into the interior, I saw that the 
 light from above came from the open hatchway in the forward 
 deck. This had probably been opened after the accident, with the 
 idea of lightening the vessel by throwing out part of the cargo. Or 
 it may have been that the men came down that way to investigate 
 the damage done by the collision. It matters not. The hatch- 
 way was open, and through it I could probably make my way on 
 deck. 
 
 " I was surprised to find no water in the part of the vessel 
 where I entered. I expected to have to wade or swim after I was 
 inside. But the water which had come in was probably far be- 
 neath me. The lower part of the hold might be full for all I 
 knew. I had no difficulty in climbing out of the hold. In one of 
 the great upright beams which supported the corner of the hatch- 
 way there was a series of pegs, by the aid of which I easily 
 mounted to the deck. There I stopped for a moment, and looked 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 55 
 
 about me. Everything appeared so desolate and lonely that my 
 heart sank. But there was no time for the indulgence of melan- 
 choly. I hurried to the upper deck, where the davits were, and 
 looked over. 
 
 ."' ' Hurrah ! ' I cried, ' I'm all right ! ' 
 
 '' & I wish I were,' came back the plaintive answer from the 
 figure in the little boat. 
 
 " ' You shall be, directly,' I said. ' Wait one moment, and I'll 
 haul you up.' 
 
 " I now directed my wife to unhook the block from the boat, 
 and to fasten the hook securely in her shawls in the way I had 
 shown her. She immediately rose, stepped from seat to seat, and, 
 unfastening the hook, coolly stood up in the boat to attach it to 
 her shawls. 
 
 "I was horror-stricken! 'Sit down!' I cried; * if you lose 
 your balance you will be overboard in an instant. You can't 
 stand up in a boat, especially when it's rolling about like that.' 
 
 " She sat down immediately, but the thought of her dangerous 
 position made me feel sick for a moment. Would she ever be safe 
 on deck beside me ? 
 
 " She now called up that she was ready, and that the hook was 
 all right. I then took hold of the upper end of the rope which ran 
 throug.i the pulleys in the blocks, and began to haul it in. This 
 soon oroduced a pressure on the shawls, and my wife declared 
 that if ! pulled much harder she would have to stand up. 
 
 " ' Very well ! ' I called down, ' you may stand up as soon as 
 you please, now. I have you tight. You may hold on to the 
 block or the hook, if you like, but don't touch the ropes. Now I 
 am going to haul you up.' 
 
 " I said this very confidently, but I did not feel confident. I 
 was terribly afraid that I could not do it. I put the rope over my 
 
5 6 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 shoulder and began to walk across the deck. As the vessel gave 
 a roll, I felt that I had my wife hanging at the other end of that 
 rope ! Now I must do it ! If the deck had been stationary, I 
 might have pressed on and slowly pulled her up ; but the first time 
 the vessel rolled over toward me I should have fallen backward, 
 had I not grasped the railing which ran across the deck in front of 
 the pilot-house. This railing was my salvation. With the rope 
 over my right shoulder and wrapped around my right hand, I 
 clutched the railing with my left hand, and step by step, and clutch 
 by clutch, I forced myself along. Once I thought of my wife, 
 dangling and swinging above the water ; but I banished the idea 
 my business was to pull, and keep pulling. 
 
 " When the vessel rolled toward me so that I was walking up a 
 steep hill, the strain was terrible, but I had advantages when it 
 rolled the other way, and I could throw much of my weight against 
 the rope. 
 
 " Now the rope had run out a long way. I was nearly to the 
 other side of the deck. She ought to be up. I glanced back, but 
 there was no sign of her. But I knew she had not fallen off. I 
 could feel her weight. Indeed, it seemed greater than before. 
 Could I, by some accidental attachment, be hauling up the boat ? 
 If so, there was no help for it. I must keep on hauling. 
 
 " Again I looked back, and, oh, happy sight ! I saw the top of 
 my wife's back hair just showing above the side. I gave one 
 powerful pull ; I made the line fast to the railing, and then I ran 
 back. There she hung, with her whole head above the side ! I 
 ought to have pulled her up higher, but I could not go back to 
 do it now. So I reached over and lifted her in. This effort 
 exhausted what was left of my strength. I managed to take the 
 hook from the shawls, and then we sank down beside each other 
 on the deck. 
 
" THE GULF STREAM GOES TO ENGLAND, DOESN'T IT ? DO YOU SUPPOSE IT WILL DRIFT 
 
 US AS FAR AS THAT / " 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 59 
 
 "In about half an hour I went below to get my wife some 
 water. I found water in the cooler in the dining-room, and glasses 
 by it. As I filled one of these, I thought of the curious conveni- 
 ence of all this. Here we were, alone on the ocean, and yet I could 
 go down-stairs and get my wife a glass of water as easily as if I 
 were in my own house. 
 
 " ' Were you frightened when I was drawing you up ? ' I asked 
 my wife. 
 
 " ' Frightened ! ' she answered, ' I almost died ! The boat 
 went from under me as soon as the steamer rolled and lifted me 
 up, and then, when she rolled back, I was sure I would be dipped 
 into the water. But I wasn't. And then, when I looked down 
 and saw nothing but that black water moving and yawning there 
 beneath me, and thought of falling into it if any accident should 
 happen, I could not bear to see it, and shut my eyes. I bumped 
 against the vessel every time it rolled, but I didn't mind that. 
 They were gentle bumps.' 
 
 " At this moment I happened to think of the little boat. 
 Without attracting my wife's attention, I looked over the side. It 
 had floated away and was entirely out of our reach. I ought to 
 have secured it. But it was of no use to regret the accident now ; 
 and, as we began to feel that we ought to have some food, I pro- 
 posed we should go below to look for some. We easily found the 
 kitchen and a pantry, where there were bread and butter, and a 
 variety of cold meats and vegetables, apparently left from the 
 previous day's dinner. We did not stop to make much of a choice 
 of these eatables, but stood up and ate bread and butter and cold 
 meat until we were satisfied. 
 
 " ' It is astonishing how hungry we are,' said my wife, ' con- 
 sidering that it is now but very little after our usual breakfast 
 time.' 
 
6o A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 " But I did not think it astonishing after all we had gone 
 through. The strange thing was that we should have so much to 
 eat. When we had finished our meal and had satisfied our thirst 
 at the water-cooler, we made a tour of the ship that is, of the 
 more accessible parts of it. We looked into every stateroom. 
 All were empty. We made sure that there was not a soul on 
 board but ourselves. 
 
 " When we went into our stateroom we found everything as 
 we left it ; and the sight of the berths was so tempting to our 
 tired bodies that we agreed to turn in and take a nap. It was late 
 in the afternoon when we awoke ; and when I looked at my watch 
 and jumped to the floor I felt conscience-stricken at having lost so 
 much time in sleep,, What vessels might not have sailed near 
 enough to us to have seen a signal of distress, if I had but put one 
 out ? .\nd yet, I think that if any vessel had seen the Joseph Bar- 
 ker it would have known that something was the matter with her. 
 
 " I determined not to run the risk of another collision when 
 night should come on. I found the lamps in the dining-room 
 empty, and supposed that all the lamps on board had probably 
 burned out, and therefore set about looking for oil to fill some of 
 them. I found a can after a deal of searching, and filled a couple 
 of the dining-room lamps. I would have lighted the red and 
 green lights that were burned on deck at night, but they were 
 difficult to get at, and I thought I might not know how to manage 
 them. So I contented myself with hanging a large lantern ; n the 
 rigging near the bow, and another one at the stern. These wera 
 not placed very high, but I thought they would be sufficiently 
 visible. The larger lantern I found in the engine-room, and, to 
 my astonishment, it was burning whe~ T took it down. It seemed 
 the only sign of life on board. 
 
 " By the time I had hung out my lights I found that my wife 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 61 
 
 had prepared supper, which she had spread on the captain's end of 
 the long table in the dining-saloon. She had no tea or coffee, for 
 there was no fire in the kitchen, but she had arranged everything 
 very nicely, and we really had a pleasant meal, considering the 
 circumstances. 
 
 " We did not sit up very long, for the steamer looked extremely 
 lonely by lamplight and it was so very little lamplight, too. 
 
 "The next day, when we went on deck, and looked anxiously 
 over the ocean, not a sign could we see of sail or vessel. We spent 
 a great part of the morning in putting up a signal of distress. 
 This consisted of a sheet from one of the berths, which I fastened 
 to the halyards on the mainmast, and ran up as high as it would 
 go. There was not much wind, but it fluttered out quite well. 
 
 " We now began to consider our chances of safety in case we 
 were not soon rescued. I thought, and my wife agreed with me, 
 that if the sea remained smooth the vessel would continue to 
 float ; but what would happen if the waves rose, and dashed into 
 the great hole in her side, we scarcely dared to think. We both 
 believed we ought to do something, but what to do we could not 
 determine. The small boat was gone, and our fate was joined to 
 that of the ship. I had heard of fastening a large sail over a 
 leak or break in a vessel, so as to keep out the water to some 
 extent ; but a sail big enough to cover that hole would be far too 
 heavy for my wife and me to manage. 
 
 11 We thought and talked the matter over all day, and the 
 next morning we considered it even more seriously, for the wind 
 had risen considerably. It blew from the south, and, as our vessel 
 lay with her bow to the west I knew this from the compass on 
 deck the waves frequently broke against her injured side, and 
 sometimes, when she rolled over that way, the spray did come 
 into the aperture. 
 
62 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 " l If we could steer her around/ said my wife, ' so that the 
 other side would be toward the wind, it would be better, wouldn't 
 it ? Can't we go into the pilot's house, and turn the wheel, and 
 steer her around ? ' 
 
 " ' No,' said I, 'we couldn't do that. You can't steer a vessel 
 unless she is under way is going, that is.' 
 
 " ' And is there any way in which we could make her go ? ' she 
 continued. 
 
 " I laughed. The idea of our making this great vessel move 
 was rather ridiculous. But my wife did not laugh. Walking about 
 the ship, we went into the engine-room. We looked at the bright 
 steel cranks and bars, and all the complicated machinery, now 
 motionless and quiet, and down through the grating on which we 
 stood, to the great furnaces far beneath us, where the coals were 
 all dead and cold. 
 
 " 'This looks as if it were all in order,' she said, ' and yet I 
 suppose you couldn't set it going.' 
 
 " I assured her that I certainly could not. I did not know any- 
 thing about an engine, and even if the fires were burning and the 
 boilers full of steam, I could never hope to turn handles and work 
 levers so that the great wheels would go around and move the 
 vessel. 
 
 " 'You would probably blow us up,' she remarked, 'and so it is 
 just as well as it is.' 
 
 " But later in the day she said, ' Why don't we put up a sail ? 
 I have an idea about a sail. If we put one up that ran lengthways 
 with the vessel, like the sail on a sailboat, and the wind kept blow- 
 ing on this side of us, it would blow the ship over a little sideways, 
 as sailboats are when they are sailing, and that would raise the 
 hole up so that the water wouldn't get in.' 
 
 " ' It might act that way,' I said. ' But we couldn't put up a sail. 1 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 63 
 
 " ' Why not ? ' she asked. 
 
 " * We're not strong enough, for one reason,' said I, ' and 
 don't know how, for another/ 
 
 " ' Well, let's go and look at them/ said she. 
 
 " As it was certainly better to move about and occupy our 
 minds and bodies, instead of sitting still and thinking of all sorts 
 of dangers, we went to look at the sails. There were two masts to 
 the steamer. On the mainmast was a large sail, like a schooner's 
 mainsail, which, I was sure, we could not raise a foot. On the 
 foremast was a square sail, much smaller, and this my wife thought 
 we certainly ought to be able to set. I was not so sure about it. 
 The difficulty in our case would be to get the sail loose from the 
 yard to which it was furled. I had seen the sail set, and knew 
 there was no lower yard, the bottom of the sail being fastened by 
 ropes at the corners to the vessel. I suppose it is easy enough for 
 sailors to go out along the yards and untie or whatever they call 
 it the sails, but I could not do it. Nor did my wife wish me to 
 try, when she saw what was necessary. 
 
 " ' If we had the yard on deck/ she said, ' we could untie the 
 sail and then haul it up again/ 
 
 " I knew this would not do, for even if we could have let the 
 yard down, we could never have hoisted it up again, and so, after a 
 good deal of examination and cogitation, I told my wife that we 
 should have to be content to give it up. 
 
 " For the rest of that day we said no more about setting sails, 
 but the desire to do the thing had so grown upon me that I got up 
 very early the next morning without waking my wife and went on 
 deck. To my delight I found that the wind had gone down almost 
 entirely. Then, in great fear lest my wife and the wind should 
 rise, I mounted the shrouds carefully, and slowly made my way out 
 on each side of the yard as I had often seen sailors make their 
 
6 4 
 
 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 way, and with a large knife, which I found on deck, I cut all the 
 ropes which confined the sail, so that it gradually fell down to its 
 full length. I could not unfasten the knots nor comprehend the 
 turnings of the ropes that held the sail, and even to cut them was 
 a work of time and danger to me. But at last it hung down, 
 slowly waving and curling with the motion of the ship ; for the 
 swell on the sea still continued. I descended, trembling with the 
 exertion and excitement. By ropes attached to the lower corners 
 
 of the sail I loosely fastened 
 it to the deck, so that it 
 should be under control in 
 case the wind arose, and then 
 I went aft. I met my wife 
 coming up the companion- 
 way. To her inquiries as to 
 what I had been doing, I told 
 her I had been setting the 
 foresail, at which she went 
 forward to see how I had 
 done it. When she came 
 back she found me lying 
 down on a sofa in the dining- 
 saloon. 
 
 " ' And so you went out on that yard and undid those ropes ?' 
 she said. 
 
 . " I answered that I was obliged to do so, or I could not have 
 set the sail. It is not necessary to report the lecture that ensued, 
 but it was a long and a serious one. When all was over, I 
 promised never to do anything of the kind again, and then we 
 had breakfast. 
 
 /'From the time when we boarded the steamer we had not 
 
 I CUT ALL THE ROPES THAT CONFINED 
 THE SAIL. 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 65 
 
 failed, at every convenient moment during the daytime, to look for 
 sails. But we had seen only two, and those were very far off, and 
 had soon disappeared. Our signal of distress was kept flying ; 
 but, after a time, we began to wonder whether or not it was a sig- 
 nal of distress. 
 
 " ' Perhaps a white flag on the highest mast means that every- 
 thing's all right,' remarked my wife. 
 
 " I did not know how such a flag would be regarded, but thought 
 that if any vessel could catch sight of our steamer rolling about 
 without any smoke visible, we would need no signal of distress. 
 I wondered that we did not meet other vessels. I had thought 
 there were so many ships on the ocean that, in the course of a 
 day or two, we could not help meeting at least one. But I worked 
 out a theory on the subject. 
 
 " ' We are probably,' I said to my wife, ' in the Gulf Stream, 
 which flows northward. Vessels going south avoid this stream, 
 and therefore we do not meet them.' 
 
 " ' But shall we never meet a vessel ? ' asked my wife. ' The 
 Gulf Stream goes to England, doesn't it ? Do you suppose it will 
 drift us as far as that ? ' 
 
 " ' Oh,' I said, ' I have no doubt there will be vessels crossing 
 the stream before long. Or one may overtake us/ 
 
 " We now had our meals regularly, for my wife had gone to 
 work in the kitchen. She declared it was the most ' cluttered-up ' 
 place she ever saw in her life, but she had made wood fires in the 
 curious stove, which it took her a long time to understand, and we 
 had hot tea and coffee and warm food of various kinds. I always 
 sat at table in the captain's place, with my wife, representing the 
 most honored passenger, at my right hand. 
 
 " After a brief calm a breeze sprang up, and as soon as we felt 
 it, as we stood on deck, looking out for sails, we ran forward to see 
 
66 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 what effect it had on our foresail. The great canvas was puffed 
 out and swelling. It made me proud to look at it. 
 
 " ' Now we shall sail before the wind/ I said, ' if we sail at 
 all. I don't know that one sail will be enough to move the ship.' 
 
 " ' But how about the waves coming in at the side where it is 
 stove in ?' asked my wife. 
 
 " ' We shall have the wind and waves at the stern of the ship/ 
 I said ; ' so that will be all right.' 
 
 " She thought this might be so, and we went to the vessel's 
 side and threw over bits of paper, to see if it really moved. Before 
 long it was evident that the steamer did move a little, for the 
 papers gradually began to float backward. When I saw that this 
 was truly the case, I gave a cheer. 
 
 " ' Hurrah !' I cried, ' she's offj And now let's hurry up and 
 steer ! ' 
 
 " Up to the pilot-house we rushed, and we both took hold of 
 the great wheel. I pulled one side up and my wife pressed the 
 other side down, standing on the spokes with a full appreciation of 
 the importance of her weight. We put the rudder around a little 
 to the starboard, I think it was ; and then we watched the clouds, 
 the only points of comparison we had, to see if it steered any. 
 We were pretty sure it did. If the clouds did not move so as to 
 deceive us, our bow had certainly turned a little to the right, and I 
 also found that there was a difference in the swelling of the sail. 
 We then brought the rudder back as before, and the sail filled out 
 again beautifully. Then we knew that we could steer. 
 
 " The success pleased us wonderfully. We forgot our danger- 
 ous situation, our loneliness, and our helplessness. Indeed, we 
 ceased to consider ourselves helpless. Could we not make this 
 great vessel go, and even alter its course if we chose ? 
 
 " My wife wished thoroughly to understand the master. 
 
11 
 
 UP TO THE PILOT-HOUSE WE RUSHED, AND WE BOTH TOOK HOLD OF THE GREAT WHEEL.' 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 69 
 
 " * How fast do you think we are going ?' said she. 
 
 " I replied that a mile an hour was perhaps as high a rate of 
 speed as we could claim, but she thought we were doing better 
 than that. The Gulf Stream itself would carry us some miles an 
 hour she had read how many, but had forgotten and certainly 
 our sail would help a great deal, besides keeping the steamer from 
 drifting along stern foremost. 
 
 " ' And then/ she said, ' as long as the vessel is movii, & at all, 
 which way do you think it would be best to steer it ? ' 
 
 " I had been thinking over that matter, and had come to the 
 conclusion that, with our limited facilities for moving the steamer, 
 it would be well to keep before the wind. Indeed, I did not know 
 any other way to sail than this, which was exactly the principle on 
 which, when I was a boy, I used to sail little shingle boats with 
 paper squaresails upon a pond. 
 
 " And thus we sailed the vessel. We steered merely enough 
 to keep the wind behind us ; and, as it blew from the south, I was 
 well satisfied with our course, for I knew that if we sailed north 
 long enough, we should near some part of the coast of the United 
 States, where we should be certain to meet vessels that would 
 rescue us. 
 
 " The wind soon began to grow stronger, and it was not long 
 before we were moving on at a rate which was quite perceptible. 
 We did not remain in the pilot-house all the time. I frequently 
 tied the wheel so that the rudder could not ' wobble/ as my wife 
 expressed it, and went up again when the conduct of the sail 
 seemed to indicate that a little steering was needed. At night I 
 tied up the wheel with the rudder straight behind us I wish I 
 could express the matter more nautically lighted our deck-lights, 
 and went to bed. The first night the wind was quite violent, and 
 I was afraid it would blow our sail away, but there was no help for 
 
7o A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 it. I could not take the sail in, nor did I wish to cut it loose, for I 
 might never get it back again if the wind continued. So I saw 
 that everything was as tight and as strong as I could make it, and 
 then I retired in the hope that I would find it all right in the 
 morning, which I did. 
 
 " One night I think it was the fourth night after we set our 
 sail we were just going below to our stateroom, when my wife 
 looked over the side of the vessel and gave a scream. 
 
 " ' A light ! ' she cried ; ' a vessel ! ' I looked and saw it. It 
 was a little speck of light down on the top of the water in the 
 horizon. 
 
 " ' Look at it ! ' she said, clutching my arm. ' Now it's down 
 behind the waves now it's up again ! How regularly it rises and 
 falls I Do you think oh, do you really think it is coming this 
 way ?' 
 
 " I stood staring at it. At last I spoke. ' It is not a vessel/ I 
 said ; 'it is a lighthouse with an intermittent light.' 
 
 "She threw her arms around my neck. 'Oh, happiness! 
 happiness ! ' she cried ; ' it is land ! ' And then she fainted. 
 
 " I carried her below and laid her in her berth. I did not try 
 to revive her, but with a chilling sensation of despair I ran to the 
 pilot-house. The thought of land brought no happiness to me. 
 In a few hours we might be beating to pieces on the shore where 
 stood that light of warning. With all my strength I put the 
 rudder around so as to turn the ship's bow away from the light. 
 Whether or not the wind would serve in the new direction I could 
 not tell, but I felt that I must do all that I could and this was all. 
 I tied up the wheel and went down to my wife. I found her 
 sitting up. To her excited inquiries in regard to our approach to 
 shore, and, as she thought, to a safe end to our strange voyage, I 
 told her that I would avoid, if possible, drawing near to the coast 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 at night that in the morning we would be able to see what we 
 were about. 
 
 " After she had gone to sleep I went on deck again, and I 
 stayed there all night, going below at intervals. An hour or two 
 before dawn the light disappeared altogether. We had floated or 
 sailed away from it at least I had reason to hope so. When the 
 day broke, bright and clear, I got a glass from the captain's room, 
 but could see no sign of land. 
 
 " My wife was much disappointed when she came on deck, but I 
 explained that we did not wish to make a landing in this ship. But if 
 we were near the coast we must soon meet some vessel ; so we kept 
 the ship before the wind as well as we could, and waited and looked 
 out, and hoped and feared, and that afternoon we saw a sail. 
 
 "It was a small vessel and was approaching us. It grew larger 
 and larger. I made it out to be a schooner. We stood hand in 
 hand, with our eyes steadily fixed upon it. It came nearer and 
 nearer. It was a pilot-boat. Soon we could distinguish a great 
 figure 3 upon its well-filled sail. 
 
 "In an hour, apparently, but it may have been in much less 
 time than that, the pilot with four negro men clambered on board. 
 They came up a rope-ladder that I let down to them. I had a 
 nervous time finding the ladder, which I had not noticed until they 
 called for it. 
 
 " I cannot attempt to describe our feelings, or the amazement 
 of the men when I told our story. We were off Charleston, South 
 Carolina. I asked the pilot if he could take us in with our sails. 
 He said he thought he could take us along until we could signal a 
 tug, but he did not consent to do this until he and his men had 
 made an examination of our ship's injuries. 
 
 "'Can't we go ashore in the pilot's vessel ?' my wife asked. 
 " There are some men on board of it. They could take us in.' 
 
72 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 " * No, my dear/ I said. ' Let us stick to our steamer. She 
 has floated well enough so far, and she will bear us to shore, I 
 think/ 
 
 " So she consented to stay by the steamer, and she felt better 
 about it when she saw how the men set to work. They went 
 about it as if they knew how. They laughed at our foresail and 
 they set it right. I had not imagined there was anything wrong 
 about it. They hauled up the jib and set it. They raised the big 
 mainsail on the after-deck. The wind was fair and strong, and now 
 the steamer really seemed to move. The pilot-boat sailed rapidly 
 away ahead of us. The pilot thought we had been near the inner 
 edge of the Gulf Stream when the collision occurred. He also 
 thought that our sail had helped us along somewhat during our 
 voyage toward the coast. There had been a strong southeastern 
 breeze during most of the time. 
 
 " The next morning a tug met us, and we were towed up to 
 the city, and eventually found ourselves at anchor in the harbor. 
 Our vessel was an object of great interest, and a number of boats 
 came out to us. But we did not go on shore. I refused to leave 
 the vessel or to allow anybody to advise me to do or not to do 
 anything. My wife set to work to pack up our effects. 
 
 " I sent a telegram to the owners of the vessel in New York, 
 and a note to a lawyer in the city. The latter came on board in 
 due time, and I put my case before him. By his advice I paid the 
 pilot and the captain of the tug and this took every dollar I had, 
 with some money I borrowed of the lawyer and then I made, 
 through him, the formal claim that I had found the steamer aban- 
 doned at sea, and that I had brought her into port, having em- 
 ployed and paid for all the assistance I had had, except what was 
 given me by my wife. And I also demanded salvage proportionate 
 to the value of the vessel and cargo. 
 
A FORTUNATE OPENING. 73 
 
 " This scheme came into my head while the pilot-boat was 
 approaching us at sea. And therefore it was that I declined to go 
 ashore in the pilot-boat, and so abandon the steamer to the pilot 
 and his men. 
 
 " There was a lawsuit brought by me. The affair was sub- 
 mitted to arbitration and settled satisfactorily. The pilot made a 
 claim, and, by advice, I allowed him a portion of the salvage. 
 
 " The vessel contained a valuable cargo of fine woods, coffee, 
 and other South American products, and, after weeks of valua- 
 tions, appraisements, and arbitrations, during which my wife went 
 home to her boy, I came into the possession of a sum which was 
 to me a modest fortune. I could again go into business for myself, 
 or I could live upon my income in a quiet way for the rest of my 
 life. 
 
 " Very little water was found in the hold of ti\z Joseph Barker, 
 The panic among the sailors had doubtless been caused by the 
 sight of the waves through the gap in the side of the vessel r and 
 by the spray dashing through the aperture the extent of which 
 could not be easily determined from the inside on account of the 
 arrangement of the cargo. 
 
 " There was great sorrow and anxiety on the part of the fami- 
 lies and friends of the crew and passengers of the steamer, and I 
 received hundreds of letters and many visits of inquiry in regard 
 to the probable fate of those unfortunate persons, but I could tell 
 very little, and that little was by no means comforting. 
 
 " In a couple of weeks, however, news came. The ship that 
 had collided with us had not put back ; but, at the end of the 
 second day after the disaster, a schooner bound for Martinique had 
 picked up all the boats except our little one and the overloaded 
 boat of the first mate. It had then continued its voyage, no 
 search being made for the steamer, which was supposed to have 
 
74 A FORTUNATE OPENING. 
 
 gone down. The survivors were brought to the United States by 
 another schooner. 
 
 "And now, boys," said Mr. Bartlett, " don't you think that was 
 a very fortunate opening for a man in my circumstances ? " 
 
 " What opening, sir ?" asked several of the boys. 
 
 " Why, the hole in the side of the ship," said Mr. Bartlett. 
 
 " Oh ! " exclaimed the boys in chorus. 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 CHRISTMAS was coming a long time ago, and the boys in 
 a certain far-away school were talking and thinking about 
 it. Eleven of these youngsters, who were all great friends, 
 and generally kept together, whether at work or play, held a 
 secret meeting, at which they resolved that they were tired of the 
 ordinary ways of spending Christmas. 
 
 "We are bored to death," said one of the older boys, "with 
 Christmas trees, with Christmas games, with Christmas carols, 
 and with the hanging-up of stockings on Christmas Eve. Such 
 things may do very well for children, but we have grown out of 
 them." 
 
 "That's true ! " cried the others. "We've grown out of that 
 kind of nonsense." 
 
 "Yes, sir ! " exclaimed the smallest boy of all, who was gener- 
 ally known as Tomtit. " We've grown out of that." 
 
 " Of course," said the biggest boy, who was called by his com- 
 panions Old Pluck, because he had never been found to be afraid 
 of anything, " there will be this Christmas childishness at the school, 
 just as there has been always ; and I propose that instead of stay- 
 ing here and submitting to it, we run away, and have a Christmas 
 to suit ourselves." 
 
 " Hurrah !" cried the other boys. " That's what we shall do. 
 Have a Christmas to suit ourselves." 
 
76 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 In consequence of this resolution, on the afternoon of the next 
 day but one to Christmas these eleven boys ran away from school, 
 with the intention of finding some place where they would be free 
 to celebrate the great holiday in whatever way they pleased. They 
 walked as fast as they could, little Tomtit keeping up bravely in 
 the rear, although he was obliged to run almost as much as he 
 walked, until they were at a long distance from the school. Night 
 was now coming on, and Old Pluck called a halt. 
 
 " Boys," said he, "we will camp at the edge of that forest, and 
 those of you who have brought bows and arrows had better look 
 about and see if you can't shoot some birds and rabbits for our 
 supper. The unarmed members must gather wood to make a camp- 
 fire. But if you are tired, Tomtit, you needn't do anything." 
 
 " Tired ! " exclaimed the little fellow, standing up very straight 
 and throwing out his chest, " I should like to know why I should 
 be tired, I'll go and bring some logs." 
 
 Tomtit was very anxious to be considered just as strong and 
 active as the other boys. Every morning he used to get one of 
 his companions to feel the muscles of his arms, to see if they had 
 not increased in size since the day before. 
 
 The camp-fire was burning brightly when the boys with the 
 bows and arrows returned, stating that they had found it rather too 
 late in the day for game, and that it would be better to postpone 
 the shooting of birds and rabbits till the next morning. Old Pluck 
 then asked the members of his little company what provisions they 
 had brought with them, and it was found that no one except 
 Tomtit had thought of bringing anything. He had in his coat 
 pocket a luncheon of bread and meat. It was thereupon ordered 
 that Tomtit's luncheon should be divided into eleven portions, and 
 the little fellow was given a knife with which to cut it up. 
 
 It was at this time that there came through the forest a band 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 77 
 
 of robbers five men and a chief. These men, on their way to 
 their castle, had been talking about the approach of Christmas. 
 
 " I am getting very tired," said the chief, " of the wild revelries 
 with which on great occasions we make our castle ring. It would 
 be a most agreeable relief, methinks, if we could celebrate the 
 coming Christmasas ordinary people do. The trouble is, we don't 
 know how." 
 
 " You speak well," replied one of his followers. " We would 
 be glad enough to have the ordinary Christmas festivities if we did 
 but know how such things are managed." 
 
 The conversation was cut short at this point by the discovery 
 of a camp-fire at the edge of the wood. Instantly every robber 
 crouched close to the ground, and crept silently to the spot where 
 the boys were gathered around Tomtit, watching him as he cut up 
 his luncheon. 
 
 In a few moments the chief gave a whistle, and then the rob- 
 bers rushed out, and each of the men seized two of the larger boys, 
 while the chief stooped down and grasped Tomtit by the collar. 
 Some of the boys kicked and scuffled a great deal ; but this was of 
 no use, and they were all marched away to the robbers' castle, little 
 Tomtit feeling very proud that it took a whole man to hold him by 
 the collar. 
 
 When they reached the castle the boys were shut up in a large 
 room, where they were soon provided with a plentiful supper. 
 Having finished their meal, they were conducted to the great hall 
 of the castle, where the robber chief sat in his chair of state, a 
 huge fire blazing upon the hearth, while suits of armor, glitter- 
 ing weapons, and trophies of many kinds were hung upon the 
 walls. 
 
 The boys were now ordered to tell their story, and when Old 
 Pluck had finished it the chief addressed his captives thus : "I am 
 
7 8 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 sure that you young fellows could never have imagined the pleas- 
 ure you were going to give to me when you determined to run 
 away from school at this happy season. My men and myself have 
 a fancy for a Christmas like that of other people. We want a 
 Christmas tree, Christmas carols and games, and all that sort of 
 festivity. We know nothing about these things ourselves, and 
 were wondering how we could manage to have the kind of Christ- 
 mas we want. But now that we have you boys with us, it will all 
 be simple and easy enough. You shall celebrate Christmas for us 
 in the manner to which you have always been accustomed. We 
 will provide you with everything that is necessary, and we will have 
 a good old school-and-home Christmas. You shall even hang up 
 your stockings, and I will see to it that Santa Claus for the first 
 time visits this castle. And now, my fine fellows, to bed with you, 
 and to-morrow we will all go to work to prepare for a good old- 
 fashioned Christmas." 
 
 The boys were conducted to a large upper room, where they 
 found eleven mattresses spread out upon the floor. They threw 
 themselves upon their beds, but not one of them could close his 
 eyes through thinking of the doleful plight which they were in. 
 They had run away to get rid of the tiresome old Christmas doings, 
 and now they were to go through all those very things just to 
 please a band of robbers. The thought of it was insupportable, 
 and for an hour or two each boy rolled and moaned upon his 
 mattress. 
 
 At last Old Pluck spoke. " Boys," he said, "all is now quiet 
 below, and I believe those rascally robbers have gone to bed. Let 
 us wait a little while longer, and then slip down-stairs and run away. 
 We can surely find some door or window which we can open, and 
 I, for one, am not willing to stay here and act the part of a Christ- 
 mas slave for the pleasure of these bariditb." 
 
THEY WERE MARCHED AWAY TO THE ROBBERS* CAVE. 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 81 
 
 " No," exclaimed Tomtit, sitting up in bed, so as to expand his 
 chest, " we will never consent to that." 
 
 The boys eagerly agreed to Old Pluck's plan, and in about half 
 an hour they quietly arose and stole toward the stairs. The full 
 moon was shining in through the windows, so that they could see 
 perfectly well where they were going. They had gone a short dis- 
 tance down the great staircase, when Old Pluck, who led the way, 
 heard a slight noise behind him. Turning to inquire what this was, 
 he was told it was the cracking of Tomtit's knees. 
 
 " Pass the word to Tomtit," he said, in a whisper, " that if he 
 can't keep his knees from cracking he must stay where he is." 
 
 Poor little Tomtit, who brought up the rear, was dreadfully 
 troubled when he heard this, but he bravely passed the word back 
 that his knees should not crack any more, and the line moved on. 
 
 It was difficult now for Tomtit to take a step, for if he bent his 
 knees they were sure to crack. He tried going down-stairs stiff- 
 legged, like a pair of scissors, but this he found almost impossible, 
 so he made up his mind that the only thing he could do was to 
 slide down the broad banister. He was used to this feat, and he 
 performed it with much dexterity. The banister, however, was very 
 smooth and steep, and he went down much faster than he intended, 
 shooting off at the bottom, and landing on the floor on the broad 
 of his back. 
 
 The boys were now in the great hall, and seeing a light in the 
 adjoining room they looked into it. There, upon couches made 
 of the skins of wild beasts, they saw the six robbers, fast asleep. 
 A happy thought now came into the mind of Old Pluck. Stepping 
 back, he looked around him, and soon perceived in one corner of 
 the hall a quantity of rich stuffs and other booty, bound up into 
 bundles with heavy cords. Taking out his knife he quickly cut off 
 a number of these cords and gave them to his companions. 
 
82 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 " Boys," he then whispered, " I have thought of a splendid 
 plan. Let us bind these robbers hand and foot, and then, instead 
 of doing what they want us to do, we can make them do what we 
 want. That will be ever so much better fun than running away." 
 
 " Good ! " said the boys. " But suppose they wake up while 
 we are tying them ? " 
 
 "If we are truly brave," said Old Pluck, "we must just go 
 ahead, and not think of anything like that." 
 
 " Yes, sir," said Tomtit, straightening himself and throwing out 
 his chest, "we mustn't think of anything of that sort." 
 
 The little fellow was terribly frightened at the idea of going 
 into that room and tying those big, savage men, but if the other 
 fellows did it, he was bound to do it too. 
 
 The boys now softly slipped into the room, and as the robbers 
 slept very soundly, it was not long before they were all securely 
 bound hand and foot, Old Pluck going around himself to see that 
 every cord was well drawn and knotted. Then, motioning to the 
 boys to follow him, he went into the great hall, and there he ordered 
 his companions to arm themselves. 
 
 This command was obeyed with delight by the boys. Some 
 took swords, some spears, while others bound around their waists 
 great belts containing daggers and knives. Old Pluck laid hold of 
 a huge battleaxe, while Tomtit clapped on his head the chiefs hat, 
 ornamented with eagle plumes, and took into his hand a thin, 
 sharp rapier, the blade of which was quite as long as himself. 
 
 When all were ready, the boys reentered the other room, and, 
 with their weapons in their hands, stood over the sleeping robbers. 
 Raising his heavy battleaxe high above the head of the chief, Old 
 Pluck called out to him to awake. Instantly every man opened 
 his eyes, and struggled to rise. But when they found their hands 
 and feet were tied, and saw the boys with their swords and spears 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. S 3 
 
 standing over them, and heard Old Pluck's loud voice ordering 
 them not to move, every robber lay flat on his back, and remained 
 perfectly still. 
 
 " Now, then," said Old Pluck to the chief, " if you do not prom- 
 ise that you and your men will obey me for the next two days, I 
 will split your head with this axe." 
 
 " I am willing to parley with you," said the chief, "and will 
 listen to all you have to say; but for mercy's sake put down that 
 battleaxe. It is too heavy for you, and you will let it drop on me 
 without intending it." 
 
 " No," said Old Pluck, steadying the great axe as well as he 
 could,, " I will hold it over you until we have made our bargain." 
 
 " Speak quickly, then," said the chief, his face turning pale as 
 he looked up at the trembling axe. 
 
 " All you have to do," said Old Pluck, " is to promise that you 
 and your men will do everything that we tell you to do to-morrow 
 and next day. You will not find our tasks at all difficult, and it 
 will only be for two days, you know." 
 
 "Any sort of task, if it lasted a year," said the chief, "would 
 be better than having you staggering over me with that battleaxe. 
 I promise without reserve for myself and men." 
 
 "Very good," said Old Pluck, letting down his axe as carefully 
 as he could. " And now we will set you free." 
 
 The men were untied, and the boys went to bed, and the next 
 mornmg all breakfasted together in the great hall. When the meal 
 was over the chief pushed back his chair, and addressed the boys. 
 
 " Now, then, my young friends," said he, " what is it tha: you 
 wish me and my men to do ? " 
 
 Then stood up Old Pluck and said, " We boys, as I told you 
 before, ran away from school because we are tired of the old hum- 
 drutil Christmas, and nothing better could have happened to us 
 
84 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 than to get you fine fellows into our power, as we have done. It 
 will be the jolliest thing in the world for us to see you and your 
 band go through all the wild feats and bold exploits which belong 
 to robber life ; and we would like you to begin now, and keep it 
 up all day and to-morrow." 
 
 " But what would you have us do ? " asked the chief, somewhat 
 surprised. 
 
 " I should like to see you sack a village," said Old Pluck. 
 " How would that suit you, boys?" 
 
 The boys all declared that they thought that would do very 
 well, to begin with. 
 
 The chief turned to his lieutenant and said, " Is there any vil- 
 lage round here that has not been recently sacked ? " 
 
 The lieutenant reflected a moment. " There is Buville," he 
 said. " We haven't been there for six months." 
 
 " Very good," said the captain, rising; "we'll sack Buville." 
 
 In a short time the robber band, followed by the eleven boys, 
 set out for Buville, a few miles distant. When they came within 
 sight of the village the chief ordered his company to get behind 
 a hedge which ran on one side of the road, and thus stealthily 
 approach the place. 
 
 As soon as they were near enough the chief gave a loud whistle, 
 and the whole company rushed wildly into the main street. The 
 robbers flashed their drawn swords in the sunlight and brandished 
 their spears, while the boys jumped and howled like so many 
 apprentice bandits. 
 
 " Buville is ours ! " cried the chief. " Come forth, ye base vil- 
 lagers, and pay us tribute." 
 
 " Come forth ! " yelled little Tomtit. " Surrender, and trib ! 
 I mean, pay tribute." 
 
 At this the people began to flock into the street ; and presently 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 85 
 
 the principal man of the village appeared, carrying a sheet of paper 
 and pen and ink. 
 
 " Good-morning, bold sir," he said, addressing the chief. 
 " And what is it you'll have to-day ? Shall we begin with flour ? 
 How will two barrels do ? " 
 
 The chief nodded, and the man wrote down on his paper, two 
 barrels of flour. 
 
 " Sugar, hams, and eggs, I suppose ? " continued the man. 
 
 The chief assented, and these were written down. 
 
 " Sundry groceries, of course?" said he. "And would you 
 care for any rich stuffs ? " 
 
 " Well, I don't know that we need any just now," said the 
 chief ; " but you might throw in enough gold-threaded blue taffeta 
 to make a jerkin for that little codger back there." 
 
 " Three-quarters of a yard of blue taffeta," wrote the man. 
 And then he looked up and asked : " Anything else to-day?" 
 
 " I believe not," said the chief. And then, brandishing his 
 sword, he shouted, " Back to your homes, base villagers, and thank 
 your stars that I let ye off so easily." 
 
 " Home with ye ! " shouted Tomtit, "and keep on star-thank- 
 ing till we come again." 
 
 "You need be in no hurry about sending those things," said 
 the chief to the principal man, as he was about to leave, " except 
 the taffeta. I'd like to have that to-day." 
 
 " Very good," said the other ; " I'll send it immediately." 
 
 As the robbers and boys departed, the latter were not at all 
 slow to say that they were very much disappointed at what they 
 had seen. It was tamer than a game of football. 
 
 " The fact is," said the chief, " these villages have been sacked 
 so often that the people are used to it, and they just walk out 
 and pay up without making any row about it. It's the easiest 
 
86 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 way, both for them and for us ; but I admit that it is not very 
 exciting." 
 
 " I should say not," said Old Pluck. " What I want is 'the wild 
 rush and dash, the clink and the clank, and the jingly-jank, hi-ho ! ' " 
 
 " That's so ! " shouted little Tomtit. " ' The clink and the 
 clank, and the jingly-jank, ho-hi ! ' ' 
 
 " I think we'll next try a highway robbery," said Old Pluck, 
 " and stop a company of travellers on the road. That must be 
 exciting." 
 
 The boys all shouted their assent to this plan, and the robber 
 chief led the way to the nearest highroad. 
 
 Here the whole party concealed themselves behind rocks and 
 bushes, and waited patiently for a company of travellers to pass 
 by. It was a long, long time before anybody came, and Tomtit 
 had a sound nap in the shade of a hedge. 
 
 At last dust was seen in the distance, and before long five 
 horsemen came riding up. They were all elderly men, and each 
 of them led a mule or a horse, loaded with heavy panniers and 
 packages. With drawn swords and brandished spears the robbers 
 rushed out, followed by the boys, with yells and shouts. Instantly 
 the elderly men stopped and descended from their horses. 
 
 11 We surrender," said the leader to the robber chief, " but we 
 pray you will not pillage us utterly. We are going to seek a new 
 home for our families, and for the money we get for the sale of 
 these goods we hope to buy the little land we need. If you take 
 these, you leave us nothing." 
 
 The chief turned to Old Pluck, and said : " Well, what shall 
 we do about it ? Shall we take their goods ? " 
 
 " If you set out to do a thing," said Old Pluck, " I don't see 
 why you don't do it. There's no sense in backing down." 
 
 " That's so ! " cried Tomtit, who had just wakened up, and 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 87 
 
 pushed his way through the hedge. " No backing down. Your 
 money or your lives, travellers. Take notice of that." 
 
 " Lead away the horses and mules," said the chief to his men, 
 "and let the travellers go." 
 
 As they were leaving the scene of this exploit Old Pluck did 
 not feel altogether easy in his mind. " There used to be a good 
 habit among robbers," he said to the chief, "and that was to give 
 to the poor what they took from the rich. We will go along this 
 road until we meet some really poor people, and we will give them 
 these goods." 
 
 The robbers and boys, with the loaded horses and mules, 
 walked along the road for nearly an hour, but met with no poor 
 people. At last the chief declared that it was time to turn and go 
 back to the castle, if they wanted to be there by dinner-time. The 
 boys were very willing to go to dinner, and the whole party re- 
 traced their steps. 
 
 When they reached the spot where they had robbed the travel- 
 lers they were surprised to see the five elderly men sitting by the 
 roadside, groaning mournfully. 
 
 " What, here yet ! " cried the chief. " What's the matter ? " 
 
 " There is no use going anywhere," sadly replied the leader. 
 " We have no money with which to buy even food to eat, and no 
 goods to sell. We might as well die here as in any other place." 
 
 " Boys," exclaimed Old Pluck, after gazing a few moments on 
 the unfortunate group, " I don't believe we will ever find anybody 
 as poor as these travellers now are. Let us give them the goods." 
 
 " All right ! " shouted the boys. And the loaded horses and 
 mules were delivered to their former owners. 
 
 After dinner the boys began to grumble a good deal at the 
 disappointments of the morning. 
 
 " We've done nothing yet," cried Old Pluck, " that is half ex- 
 
88 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 citing enough, and we are bound to have a good time this after- 
 noon. I go in for burning a town." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " said the boys. " We'll burn a town ! " 
 
 " That is a very serious thing," said the chief. " Can't you 
 think of something else ? " 
 
 Old Pluck looked at him reproachfully. " We want something 
 serious," he said. " What we've had so far is nothing but child's 
 play." 
 
 The chief now saw that if he persisted in his objections he 
 would hurt the feelings of the boys, and so he consented to burn 
 a town. A few miles to the south there was a good-svzed town, 
 which the chief thought would burn very well, and thither the boys 
 and robbers repaired, carrying blazing torches and firebrands. 
 
 When they reached the town and had proclaimed their purpose 
 the inhabitants were filled with consternation. The people crowded 
 into the street, and besought the robbers not to consume by fire 
 their houses, their goods, and perhaps themselves and their chil- 
 dren. The chief now took the boys aside, and consulted with 
 them. 
 
 " I wish you would consider this matter a little more before you 
 order me to set this town in flames. I am told that there is a 
 magazine filled with gunpowder in the centre of the place, and 
 there will be a terrible explosion when the fire reaches it." 
 
 " Hurrah ! " cried the boys ; " that will be splendid." 
 
 " Many of these citizens will lose their lives," said the chief, 
 "and the rest will be utterly ruined." 
 
 " Now, look here," cried Old Pluck, " there's no use of always 
 backing down. I'm tired of it." 
 
 "Very well," said the chief, "but you yourselves must inform 
 the people of your decision." 
 
 "We'll do that," said Old Pluck. "Tomtit, you go tell those 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 89 
 
 people that the town has got to burn, and there's no use talking any 
 more about it." 
 
 " That's so," said Tomtit. " She has got to burn." And with 
 his chest thrown out, and his hands in his pockets, the little fellow 
 boldly advanced to the crowd of people. 
 
 As soon as he came near the old men, the women, and the chil- 
 dren fell on their knees around him, and with tears and lamenta- 
 tions besought him to intercede with the robbers to save their 
 town. Poor little Tomtit was very much moved by their wild grief 
 and despair. Tears came into his eyes, and his little chest heaved 
 with emotion ; but he kept up a brave heart, and stood true to his 
 companions. 
 
 " It's no use," he said, "for you to be blubbering and crying. 
 Your houses have all got to be burned up, and the powder-magazine 
 has got to go off with a big bang, and your furniture and beds will 
 all be burned, and the babies' cradles, and and I'm awful sorry 
 for it," and here the tears rolled down his cheeks; "but we boys 
 have got to stick by each other, and you won't have any homes, 
 and I expect you will all perish boo-hoo ! But it won't do to back 
 down boo-hoo-hoo ! And the little babies will die ; but the old 
 thing has got to burn, you know." 
 
 " Now look here, Tomtit," said Old Pluck, who, with the rest 
 of the boys, had drawn near, " don't you be too hard on these 
 people. I say, let the town stand." 
 
 The boys agreed with one voice. And Tomtit, kicking one of 
 his little legs above his head, shouted in ecstasy, "Yes, sir, let 
 the town stand, babies and all." 
 
 At this the women rushed up to the little fellow, and, seizing 
 him in their arms, nearly kissed him to death. 
 
 " I'd like to know what we are to do next," sadly remarked Old 
 Pluck. 
 
90 THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 
 
 " I'll tell you," cried Tomtit. " Let the chief steal a bride." 
 
 The whole company stopped and looked at Tomtit. " Little 
 boy," said they, "what do you mean ?" 
 
 "Why, of course," said Tomtit, "I mean for the chief to seize 
 a fair damsel and carry her off on his horse to be his bride, the 
 wild hoofs clattering amid the crags." 
 
 " Hoot ! " cried all the boys in derision. And the chief said to 
 Tomtit : M Little boy, I know of no fair damsel to steal, and, be- 
 sides, I do not want a bride." 
 
 " It's pretty hard," said Tomtit, wiping his eyes with his little 
 sleeve. "I've done just what you fellows told me to, and now you 
 won't order anything I want to see." 
 
 That night the boys ordered the robbers to hold high revels in 
 the great hall. The flowing bowl was passed, and the great flagons 
 were filled high ; wild songs were sung, and the welkin was made 
 to ring, as well as the robbers could do it, with jovial glee. The 
 boys watched the proceedings for some time, but they did not find 
 them very interesting, and soon went to bed. 
 
 The next morning Old Pluck called a meeting of his compan- 
 ions. " Boys," he said, " this robber life is a good deal stupider 
 than anything we left behind us. Let's get back to school as 
 fast as we can, and enjoy what is left of the Christmas fun. We 
 will all admit that we are sorry for what we have done, and will 
 promise not to run away again, and Tomtit can go to the master 
 and tell him so." 
 
 " I'll be the first one whipped," ruefully remarked Tomtit ; " but 
 if you boys say so, of course I'll do it." 
 
 The boys now took leave of the robbers, Tomtit having been 
 first presented with the piece of blue taffeta to make him a jerkin. 
 When they reached the school Tomtit told his tale, and he was the 
 only one who was not punished. 
 
THE CHRISTMAS TRUANTS. 91 
 
 The next year these eleven boys were leaving school for a va- 
 cation, and on their way home they thought they would stop and 
 see their old friends, the robbers. Much to their surprise, they 
 found everything changed at the castle. It was now a boys' school ; 
 the chie? was the principal, and each of the other robbers was a 
 teacher. 
 
 " You see," said the principal to Old Pluck, " we never knew 
 how stupid and uninteresting a robber's life was until we were 
 forced to lead it against our will. While you were here we learned 
 to like boys very much, and so we concluded to set up this school." 
 
 " Do you have Christmas trees, and carols, and games ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," answered the principal. 
 
 " So do we," said Old Pluck. 
 
 "Yes, sir," exclaimed Tomtit, standing up very straight. "No 
 more fire and tribute for us. We've grown out of that kind of 
 
 nonsense." 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURF 
 
 FRED HUMPHREYS was a boy of an original mind; that 
 is to say, he was very fond of thinking for himself and doing 
 things of which he had never either heard or read. This 
 may or may not be a good disposition in a boy. It depends alto- 
 gether upon what kind of a boy he is. If he mixes a great deal of 
 reason with his original thinking if he is able to see when he has 
 made a mistake, and is willing to acknowledge it and if he is of a 
 prudent turn of mind, and is not likely to dive into a new enter- 
 prise until he knows how deep it is and whether or not the current 
 is too strong for him, it may be very well for him to do his own 
 thinking. But if he does not possess these requisites, it would be 
 better, until he is older, to let some one else attend to this matter 
 for him. 
 
 Fred was an only son, and his father was desirous that he 
 should find out as much as possible for himself during his boyhood. 
 He was to be a business man, and would probably have a great 
 many ups and downs in the course of his life ; and Mr. Humphreys 
 had an idea that if his son could get through with some of the 
 "downs" during his minority, the experience he would thereby 
 gain would prevent his having just as many of them in after life, 
 when they would be much more important. 
 
 When the bicycle came into use in this country Fred Hum- 
 phreys was one of the first boys who had one. When an improved 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 93 
 
 form of the machine was invented Fred sold his old one, and his 
 father added money enough to what he received to buy one of the 
 new kind. This change from good to better occurred several 
 times ; and when the tricycle came before the public Fred gave up 
 his last bicycle, and bought one of the three-wheeled machines, 
 and, after using this for some months, he disposed of it, and 
 became the possessor of a first-class double tricycle, that would 
 carry two persons. Sometimes with his sister, and sometimes with 
 a boy friend, Fred made excursions in this tricycle through the 
 country round about the town in which he lived. 
 
 This town was situated in the interior of one of our northern 
 States. It was much frequented in the summer-time as a watering- 
 place, and some of the roads leading to hotels and places of 
 popular resort in the neighborhood were unusually smooth and 
 well made, and, therefore, admirably adapted to bicycles and tri- 
 cycles. On these fine roads Fred and his machine soon became 
 almost as well known as were the famous " tally-hoes," with four or 
 six horses, which in the season made regular trips between the 
 town and various pleasant spots in the surrounding country. 
 
 But, much as Fred enjoyed his tricycle, he became convinced in 
 time that there might be something better ; and as nothing better 
 had, as yet, been invented by any one else, he determined, if 
 possible, to invent it himself. The idea which gradually developed 
 itself in his mind was this : if a boy can pull a vehicle, say, a tri- 
 cycle, at the rate of a certain number of miles per hour, and with 
 an amount of exertion which he can keep up for a certain time, 
 and if that boy, by getting into that tricycle, and working it with 
 his legs, can propel it at a far greater rate of speed and can keep 
 up the exercise for a much longer time than when he was pulling 
 it then it must follow that if a horse which pulls a vehicle of any 
 kind could get inside that vehicle and work it with his legs, he 
 
94 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 could propel it at a much higher rate of speed than when he was 
 dragging it along the ground. And if one horse, why not two, or 
 four ? Why should there not be a great tally-ho coach, with six 
 horses working treadmills on the lower story, while crowds of 
 passengers sat above enjoying the rapid and exhilarating excur- 
 sion ? This last idea came into Fred's mind as a picture of the 
 Great Tricycle of the Future. How proud and happy he would 
 be to build and own a machine of this kind ! He would sit in front 
 with his hand upon the steering gear, while six fine horses steadily 
 trod the propelling arrangement behind him, eating as they worked, 
 from mangers under their noses ; while the ladies and gentlemen 
 who used to crowd the old "tally-hoes" would sit comfortably on 
 the second story, and never tire of telling one another how much 
 better this was than the comparatively slow trips they used to take 
 in the ordinary coaches and carriages. 
 
 After thinking over this matter for about a week, and making 
 a good many plans and drawings, Fred determined to try to carry 
 out his invention. He would not set out to build at first a machine 
 for six horses and two or three coach-loads of passengers ; but he 
 would attempt to make something much more modest, although 
 constructed upon the great principle that it would be better for the 
 horse to be inside the vehicle and propel both it and himself than 
 to stay outside and pull it. If the comparatively simple contriv- 
 ance which he proposed to make should work satisfactorily, then it 
 would be easy enough to get sufficient capital to build the grand 
 machine (with driving-wheels twenty feet high and a six-horse team 
 to work it) which, in his mind, he called the Tricycle of the Future. 
 
 When he laid his plans and his schemes before his father, Mr. 
 Humphreys considered them very carefully. He had not much 
 faith in Fred's grand idea of the two-storied tricycle with six 
 horses, but he thought that something on a smaller scale might 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 95 
 
 succeed. He agreed with his son that experiments with dogs or 
 goats, which Fred had first thought of, would be a loss of time and 
 labor, because it would be so much trouble to teach these animals 
 to act properly ; whereas, an ordinary horse was already trained 
 sufficiently for the purpose. Besides, a dog or goat machine, 
 in Fred's eyes, appeared like a mere plaything, and would not 
 attract the attention of capitalists ; but one worked by horses, 
 however rough it might be, would show at once what could actually 
 be done. 
 
 Having received his father's consent and the promise of a 
 moderate amount of money for his expenses for Mr. Humphreys 
 was a rich man, and very generous toward his son Fred went to 
 work upon the machine, which was intended to show the principle 
 of his invention. It would be a rough affair, but if it worked 
 properly its crudity would not matter ; all he wished was to show 
 that the thing could be done. For the building of his machine 
 Fred employed a man who was both a carpenter and a blacksmith ; 
 and as he himself was very handy with tools, and this was summer 
 holiday time, he worked nearly all day and was of great help in 
 finishing the thing. 
 
 When all was done the new vehicle was indeed a curious affair, 
 and attracted a great deal of attention, especially from Fred's boy 
 friends. It consisted of a strong framework, or floor, at the back 
 of which was a pair of enormous wheels, which had been made for 
 a truck used for hauling great stones and slabs of marble. These 
 were the driving-wheels, and in front was a small but strong wheel, 
 which was turned by a tiller, like the helm of a ship ; and with this 
 the vehicle was steered. Between the driving-wheels was set up a 
 Machine known in some parts of the country as a " double horse- 
 power," and which is used by many farmers to give motive power 
 to various kinds of agricultural machines. It consists, in the first 
 
96 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 place, of an inclined floor of slats which moves like an endless 
 chain ; and when a horse walks on this the animal remains where 
 he is, but the floor moves, and continually passing from under him 
 and going down to the lower part of the machine, comes up again 
 in front of him. This motion of the floor turns various cog-wheels 
 under it, and a very rapid motion is communicated from them to 
 the machine which is to be worked. The horses are penned in by 
 a low fence, and all they have to do is to walk or tread steadily on, 
 along the moving floor. Some of these " horse-powers" are for one 
 horse and some for two ; and Fred had hired a double one from a 
 farmer who lived not far away. This machine was connected with 
 the driving-wheels of his tricycle, and, when horses were put into 
 it and started, the great wheels would be turned, the vehicle would 
 move forward, and the tricyclism of the future would begin. 
 
 There were no accommodations for passengers ; all that could 
 come afterward. What Fred wanted to show was that a tricycle 
 could be run by horse-power as well as by man or boy-power, the 
 horses being carried along just as the man or boy is carried. In 
 front was a seat for the steersman, who was to be Fred himself, 
 and in the extreme rear was a small platform for his assistant, 
 whose duty it would be to attend to the brakes and to stop the 
 horse-power, when necessary, so that the floor on which the 
 horses stood should become immovable. 
 
 A great many opinions were expressed in regard to this new 
 vehicle. Men generally laughed at it ; some of the boys thought 
 it would work, while others thought it would not. Among the 
 latter was one, small for his age but old for his years, who was 
 generally known as " Putty " Morris this name having been 
 given to him by his companions on account of his having a com- 
 plexion the color of which was not unlike that of ordinary putty. 
 
 This youth did not believe in the new tricycle at all. Every- 
 6 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 97 
 
 thing was too heavy and lumbering, he said, and if Fred ever did 
 succeed in setting it going, it would be a very difficult machine to 
 control, and there was certain to be some sort of a smash-up. 
 
 " Now, look here, Putty," said Fred, taking him to one side 
 and speaking to him in a manner which he intended should be of 
 service to the youngster, " I've been thinking of asking you to be 
 my assistant ; but I wish you to know that I am not going to do it 
 
 now." 
 
 " All right ! " said Putty. 
 
 " I don't want any boy with me who is a pessimist," continued 
 Fred. 
 
 " What's that ?" asked Putty. 
 
 " Why, that's a fellow who's always thinking that everything is 
 certain to go wrong. Now, I like optimists, who believe that 
 things are sure to go right ; that is, as long as there's any chance 
 for 'em. Everybody who ever did anything great in this world 
 was an optimist ; for, of course, he wouldn't keep hammering at 
 or fighting out anything if he didn't think it would succeed. Don't 
 you see that ? " 
 
 "Of course," said Putty, "if a fellow really thought a thing 
 would work, and wanted it to work, he'd better be an optimist ; 
 but if he thought the other way about it, why, I think the more 
 he pessimed the better." 
 
 "Well, Putty," said Fred, laughing, "if you should twist my 
 machinery as badly as you twist the English language, you'd spoil 
 everything for me very soon. So we'll do without you." 
 
 A boy who believed irt the new machine, and who was willing 
 to act in the position of brakeman and general assistant, was found 
 in the person of Johnny Hammond, a stout fellow of sixteen, who 
 was always ready for anything of a novel or lively character. 
 
 Nothing now remained but to secure the working power, that 
 
98 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 is to say, the horses. Fred had hoped that his father would let 
 him have the carriage-horses, but to this Mr. Humphreys ob- 
 jected ; he did not wish them used for that sort of work. He 
 had, however, a steady brown mare named Jenny, who was often 
 employed in farm-work, and was accustomed to a "horse-power," 
 and he told Fred that he was welcome to use this animal for his 
 experiment. After some trouble, for horses were much needed by 
 their owners at that time of the year, Fred hired from a farmer an 
 elderly animal known as Glaucus, which had once been, according 
 to tradition, a very fine and spirited horse, but had now settled 
 down into the soberness and placidity of age. Glaucus was tall 
 and bony and not anxious to work, but he had weight and strength, 
 and these are important points in a beast which is to work a 
 horse-power. These two horses did not make quite so good a 
 team as Fred had hoped to have, but, as he said, they did very 
 well to begin with. 
 
 It was determined that the trial trip should take place 
 early in the forenoon, before there were many carriages and 
 vehicles on the road, and they did not make any general announce- 
 ment of the matter, as both Fred and his father thought it would 
 be better to have as few spectators as possible at this first experi- 
 ment of the running of the machine. If it succeeded, then every 
 one who chose could see it work. 
 
 In spite of their precautions, however, quite a crowd of boys 
 assembled to see the horse-tricycle start, and Mr. Humphreys and 
 the man who made the machine were also there. Heavy planks 
 with cross-slats nailed on them were laid from the back of the 
 vehicle to the ground, and up these the horses were led, and placed 
 in the two divisions of the horse-power. The bars were put up 
 behind them, and each horse was tied by its halter to the front 
 rails. The gate of the yard in which the machine had been built 
 
C/i 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 101 
 
 was opened ; Fred climbed up in front and took the tiller, Johnny 
 Hammond mounted the rear platform, and all was ready. 
 
 " Take off the brakes, and start the horses ! " cried Fred. 
 
 Whereupon, Johnny released the big wheels from the press- 
 ure of the brakes, and then moved the lever which gave play 
 to the machinery of the horse-power, at the same time starting 
 the horses into a walk. Around went the moving floor on which 
 the horses stood ; around and around went the two driving-wheels, 
 and the tricycle was off ! 
 
 At first it moved very slowly, as was to have been expected, 
 for the ground in the yard was rough ; but when Fred had safely 
 steered through the gate, and the tricycle was on the hard, smooth 
 road, it began to go along much more easily. Mr. Humphreys 
 and the man walked by the side of it, greatly pleased with the 
 success of the experiment, while the boys surrounded it on all 
 sides, some cheering and some chaffing ; for, although it moved 
 along very well, it certainly was an odd affair to look at. They 
 were in the suburbs of the town, but a great many people stopped 
 to gaze at the horse tricycle, and very soon Fred determined to 
 let every one see that his new vehicle could go at a much faster 
 speed than a walk. The machine was a heavy one, and rather 
 awkward and clumsy in its appearance, but the wheels turned 
 easily on their axles, which were well oiled, while the machinery 
 which connected the horse-power with the driving-wheels was 
 simple and worked smoothly. Therefore, although he could make 
 no such speed as he expected to give to the great Tricycle 
 of the Future, Fred felt sure he could go along at a pretty fair 
 rate, and ordered Johnny Hammond to make the horses trot. 
 Johnny therefore touched up Jenny and Glaucus, and, after 
 some unwillingness, they broke into a trot, and the tricycle began 
 to move over the road at a very creditable speed. Mr. Humphreys 
 
102 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 and the mechanic soon ceased to follow ; and although the boys ran 
 after the machine for some distance, they dropped off, one by one. 
 A few of them tried to climb up behind and enjoy a free ride, but 
 this the sturdy Johnny Hammond would not allow. 
 
 Fred steered his tricycle into a wide and handsome road which 
 led to a much-frequented hotel standing on the shore of the lake, 
 about four miles from town. The boy was flushed and happy. 
 The experiment was a success, and he was going along as fast as a 
 horse at an ordinary trot. If he could do so much with a home- 
 made affair like this, what could not be accomplished with a vast 
 machine for six horses, which should be as light and strong and as 
 perfect in all its parts as the finest bicycle or tricycle in the world ? 
 Johnny Hammond, too, was in high spirits, and he continually 
 shouted to Fred his approbation of the working of his " gay old 
 machine." The only individual on the big tricycle that seemed to 
 be discontented was Glaucus. He had never been in the habit of 
 going so fast on the horse-power, and besides, there was some- 
 thing in the manner of his progression along the road which 
 seemed to disturb his mind. He tossed up his head, the fire of his 
 youth came into his eyes, and from trotting he began to canter. 
 Johnny's shouts did not moderate his pace, and Jenny, feeling that 
 she must do as Glaucus did, also broke into a canter. Fred 
 shouted to put on the brakes and stop the horses ; but this Johnny 
 found to be no easy job. The horse-power was going with 
 such force and rapidity, that the regulating apparatus could not 
 work, and the brakes seemed to take but little hold upon the 
 driving-wheels. Then he climbed up by the side of Glaucus, and, 
 seizing him by the halter, tried to moderate his speed ; but he 
 found that the horse was thoroughly frightened, and that he could 
 do nothing with him. The spirit of Jenny, too, was now aroused, 
 and she seemed to be trying to get out of this scrape by running 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 103 
 
 as fast as she could. Fred could do nothing to help, for, if he let 
 go of the tiller for a moment, the steering-wheel would turn round, 
 and the great tricycle would be dashed to one side and be upset 
 and wrecked in an instant. 
 
 Fred mentally noted the fact that in a properly constructed 
 machine of this sort there would need to be some way of throw- 
 ing the driving-wheels out of gear, so that there would be no 
 connection between them and the horse-power. In that case 
 the vehicle could be stopped, no matter how fast the horses were 
 going. 
 
 Johnny now again put his whole weight on the brakes of the 
 driving-wheels, but he found this was of no use. 
 
 The fact that the road began to slope gently before them, so 
 that they were really going down hill, made matters all the worse, 
 and the panic which seemed to possess the two horses now ex- 
 tended to Johnny Hammond, who, shouting to Fred to save him- 
 self while he could, promptly jumped off behind. 
 
 Fred was pale and frightened, but he did not jump off. He 
 knew that if he did the tricycle would upset, and the horses would 
 probably be killed ; and besides, he knew well that it would be a 
 very dangerous thing to jump off in front of those great driving- 
 wheels. All that he could do was to stay at his post, and hope 
 that the horses would soon tire themselves out. 
 
 The two animals were now working the horse-power at a 
 furious rate ; the few people in the road stood in amazement, or 
 ran after the machine as it passed, while carriages and wagons 
 gave the on-coming tricycle, with its rattling and its banging, and 
 its bounding horses, a wide berth. 
 
 Fred was now nearing the hotel by the lake. The broad road 
 led directly to the water, but on one side it branched off into a 
 narrower drive which ran along the shore. It was Fred's intention 
 
io 4 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 to turn into this road, because his only safety seemed to be to go 
 as far as he could, and so tire out the horses. But he was dashing 
 on so fast that he made a miscalculation ; when he reached the 
 turning-point he did not move his tiller quickly enough, and so lost 
 his chance of running upon the lake road. Now, before him, at a 
 very short distance, lay the lake, and on its edge, directly in front 
 of him, was a row of sheds for the accommodation of the horses 
 and carriages of the visitors to the hotel. Fred's first thought was 
 to steer directly into these sheds, and so stop the mad career of his 
 tricycle ; but this would result in a general smash-up, and, as he 
 was in front of everything, he would probably be killed. He did 
 not dare to jump off, as he would have to jump directly in front of 
 the driving-wheels. There seemed nothing for him to do but 
 to steer into the lake. If this had to be done, the deeper the 
 water into which he plunged the better ; and with this idea in his 
 mind, he deftly guided his machine past the sheds, and toward a 
 pier which extended a short distance into the lake. Thundering 
 upon the plank floor came the great tricycle, and in the next 
 instant it had gone off the end of the pier and down into the 
 water. 
 
 There was a huge splash ; there were shouts from the hotel and 
 from the road ; a fountain of spray shot high into the air, and 
 then a foaming, whirling, gurgling pool closed over the spot where 
 the great dive had been made. Down to the bottom of the lake 
 sank, not only Fred's Tricycle of the Present, but his ideal Tri- 
 cycle of the Future, with its two stories, its beautifully working 
 machinery, its crowds of passengers, and its wonderful achieve- 
 ments. There was nothing of the kind now for Fred but a wrecked 
 and sunken Tricycle of the Past. 
 
 At the moment the steering-wheel left the edge of the pier 
 Fred made a wild spring into the water, and so went down by him- 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 105 
 
 self, off at one side of the descending machine. As he sank, 
 thoughts and ideas passed through Fred's mind as rapidly as if 
 they were being telegraphed on a wire. One of these was that all 
 he had been working for so hard had now come to a disastrous end ; 
 for his father would never more allow him to have anything to do 
 with such an unmanageable machine as a horse-tricycle. But the 
 thought that overshadowed everything else was the fate of those 
 poor horses ! They were tied to the horse-power by their 
 halters, and would, therefore, be kept down at the bottom of the 
 lake, and be drowned. There was so much heavy iron-work about 
 the machinery, it would certainly hold them there like an anchor. 
 Fred had no fears in regard to himself. No thought of sorrow- 
 stricken parents or weeping friends passed through his mind ; he 
 had been down to the bottom of the lake before, and although he 
 was encumbered with clothing his coat was thin, his shoes were 
 light, and he knew that he could swim to shore. 
 
 In a very short time he rose to the top of the water and began 
 to strike out for the pier. Then, some distance behind him, came 
 up the head of a horse, and Jenny, with a little snort, went swimming 
 landward. Now appeared another horse's head, and Glaucus, with 
 wildly staring eyes, came floundering up, and, after gazing about 
 in much amazement, made for a distant point along the shore, as if 
 he did not wish to land at a place where he had come to such 
 grief. T^ast of all, up came Putty Morris, his hair dripping with 
 watei, and his mouth spluttering vigorously as he slowly swam 
 shoreward. 
 
 When Fred reached the pier and had taken one of the dozen 
 hands which were extended to him from the little crowd of people 
 who had hurried there, he was quickly pulled up, and whatever he 
 had intended to say was cut short by his astonishment at seeing 
 Jenny just coming to land. Then, turning around, his amazement 
 
106 THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 was increased by the sight of Glaucus, still making for his distant 
 point. But when he beheld Putty Morris, spluttering and paddling 
 steadily for the pier, Fred's hair, wet as it was, felt as if it would 
 like to stand on end. 
 
 " Do you live down there ? " he said to Putty, a moment later, 
 when that dripping boy was hauled upon the pier. 
 
 " Not exactly," was the answer, after several vigorous shakes 
 and puffs; " and if I'd known that you were going to take me 
 to the bottom of the lake, you may be sure I'd never have jumped 
 aboard your crazy old machine." 
 
 " How did you come to do it?" asked Fred. " I didn't know 
 you were there." 
 
 " Well," said Putty, " I was up the road there, and saw you 
 coming like a lot of wild Indians. I saw Johnny Hammond jump 
 off, and guessed something was the matter. Before the thing was 
 up to me I knew that the horses were running away, or trying to, 
 and that you were hanging on to your steering gear with a rather 
 pessimy look on your face, and that you couldn't let go to do any- 
 thing with the horses. So I ran after you, and climbed up behind, 
 and I had to be a pretty lively hoptimist to do it, I can tell you. 
 All I could try to do was to get you rid of your horses, and I 
 thought that if I untied their halters and took down their bars 
 they'd slide out behind, and then you'd stop. I didn't say anything 
 to you, for there was such a noise I didn't suppose you'd hear me ; 
 and just as I unfastened the second halter we were out on the pier, 
 and before I had time to jump, down we all went together ! " 
 
 " Fred," said Putty Morris to his friend a few days after these 
 events, " are you going to make any more of your big machines ?" 
 
 " Well, no," said Fred, " not at present. These things can't be 
 done without money, and father is rather touchy on that subject 
 
THE TRICYCLE OF THE FUTURE. 
 
 107 
 
 just now. He has had to pay for that double horse-power and 
 everything else is a dead loss ; and besides that, old Glaucus 
 scraped his leg in the scrimmage, and he'll not be fit to be used for 
 a month. I am going to begin again at the very bottom round, 
 and if I run anything else of the kind this summer, I shall get a 
 unicycle." 
 
 " A unicycle ! " exclaimed Putty ; " what is that ? " 
 "Why, don't you know?" said Fred. " There goes a fellow 
 with one now." 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 IT was on a bright afternoon, many, many years ago, that a 
 young baron stood on the stone steps that led down from the 
 door of his ancestral home. That great castle was closed and 
 untenanted, and the baron was taking leave of it forever. His 
 father, who was now dead, had been very unfortunate, and had 
 been obliged to sell his castle and his lands. But he had made 
 it a condition that the nobleman who bought the estate should 
 allow the young baron to occupy it until he was twenty-one years 
 of age. 
 
 This period had now arrived, and although the purchaser, who 
 did not need the castle, had told the baron that he might remain 
 there as long as he chose, the young man was too high-spirited to 
 depend upon the charity of any one, and he determined to go forth 
 and seek a fortune for himself. His purpose was to go to the 
 town of the Prince of Zisk, a journey of a few days, and to offer to 
 join an army which the prince intended to lead against a formida- 
 ble band of robbers which had set up a stronghold in his domin- 
 ions. If he should distinguish himself in this army, the young 
 baron hoped that he might rise to an honorable position. At any 
 rate, he would earn a livelihood for himself, and be dependent upon 
 no one. 
 
 But it was a very sad thing for him to leave this home where he 
 was born, and where he had spent most of his life. His parents 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 109 
 
 were dead, he had no relatives, and now he was to leave the house 
 which had been so dear to him. He stood with one foot upon the 
 ground, and the other upon the bottom step, and looked up to the 
 great hall door which he had shut and locked behind him, as if he 
 were unwilling to make the movement which would finally separate 
 him from the old place. 
 
 As he stood thus he heard some one approaching, and, turning, 
 he saw an old woman and a young girl coming toward the castle. 
 Each carried a small bundle, and, besides these, the young girl had 
 a little leathern bag, which was fastened securely to her belt. 
 
 " Good sir," said the old woman, " can you tell me if we can rest 
 for the night in this castle ? My granddaughter and I have walked 
 since early morning, and I am very tired. It is a long time since 
 we have passed a house, and I fear we might not come to another 
 one to-day." 
 
 The baron hesitated for a moment. It was true that there was 
 no other house for several miles, and the old woman looked as if 
 she was not able to walk any farther. The castle was shut up and 
 deserted, for he had discharged his few servants that morning, and 
 he was just about to leave it himself ; but, for all that, he could 
 not find it in his heart to say that there was no refuge there for 
 these two weary travellers. His family had always been generous 
 and hospitable, and although there was very little that he could 
 offer now, he felt that he must do what he could, and not send 
 away an old woman and a young girl to perish on the road in the 
 cold winter night which was approaching. 
 
 " The castle is a bare and empty place," he said, "but you can 
 rest here for the night." And so saying he went up the steps, 
 opened the door, and invited the travellers to enter. 
 
 Of course if they stayed there that night, he must do so also, 
 for he could not leave the castle in the care of strangers, although 
 
no THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 these appeared to be very inoffensive people. And thus he very 
 unexpectedly reentered the home he thought he had left forever. 
 
 There was some wood by the fireplace in the great hall, and 
 the baron made a fire. He had left no provisions in the house, 
 having given everything of the kind to the servants, but he had 
 packed into his wallet a goodly store of bread, meat, and cheese, 
 and with these he spread a meal for the wayfarers. When they 
 had been strengthened by the food and warmed by the fire, the 
 old woman told her story. 
 
 " You must not think, kind sir," she said, " that we are poor 
 outcasts and wanderers. I have a very pleasant little home of my 
 own, where my granddaughter and myself have lived very happily 
 ever since she was a little baby, and now, as you see, she is quite 
 grown up. But Litza that is her name has a godmother who is 
 a very peculiar person, whom we are all obliged to obey, and she 
 came to us yesterday and gave Litza a little iron box, which is in 
 that leathern bag she carries, and charged her to start with me the 
 next morning, and take it to its destination." 
 
 In order to account for the condition of his house, the baron 
 then told his story. Litza and her grandmother were grieved to 
 hear the account of the young nobleman's ill fortune, and the old 
 woman said if they prevented his journey they might yet try to 
 go on. 
 
 " Oh, no," said the baron. " I was starting too late anyway, 
 for it had taken me so long to bid good-by to my old home. It 
 will be just as well for me to go to-morrow. So you and your 
 granddaughter shall have a room here to-night, and all will be 
 well." 
 
 The next morning, after a breakfast which quite finished the 
 baron's provisions, the three set out together, as their roads lay 
 in the same direction. About noon the old woman became very 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 tired and hungry. There was no house in sight, and the road 
 seemed quite deserted. 
 
 "If I had known it would be so far," she said to herself, " we 
 would not have come. I am too old to walk for two days. If I 
 could only remember the meaning of the words, I would surely 
 try them now. But I cannot remember I cannot remember." 
 
 When this old woman was a little girl, she had lived with 
 Litza's godmother, who was the daughter of a magician, and was 
 now over a hundred years old. From this person she had learned 
 five magical words, which, when repeated, would each bring up a 
 different kind of goblin or spirit. In her youth Litza's grand- 
 mother had never used these words, for she was a timid girl ; 
 and now for years, although she remembered the words, she 
 had entirely forgotten what sort of creature each one would call 
 forth. Some of these beings were good, and some she knew were 
 very bad, and so, for fear of repeating the wrong word, she had 
 never used any one of them. But now she felt that if ever she 
 needed the help of goblin or fairy, she needed it this day. 
 
 " I can walk no farther," she said, " and that young man can- 
 not carry me. If I do not use my words, I must perish here. I 
 will try one of them, come what may." And so, with fear and 
 trembling, she repeated aloud the third word. 
 
 Instantly there appeared before her a strange being. He was 
 of a pale pea-green color, with great black eyes, and long arms and 
 legs which seemed continually in motion. He jumped into the 
 air, he snapped his fingers over his head, and suddenly taking from 
 his pockets two empty bottles and an earthen jar, he began 
 tossing them in the air, catching them dexterously as they fell. 
 
 "Who on earth are you?" said the old woman, much aston- 
 ished. 
 
 " I am the Green Goblin of the Third Word," replied the other, 
 
ii2 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 still tossing up his jar and bottles ; " but I am generally known as 
 the Accommodating Circumstance." 
 
 " I don't know exactly what that may be/' said the old woman, 
 " but I wish that instead of a juggler with empty bottles and 
 jars, you were a pastry-cook with a basket full of something to 
 eat." 
 
 Instantly the goblin changed into a pastry-cook carrying a 
 large basket rilled with hot meat pies and buns. The old woman 
 jumped to her feet with delight, and beckoned to the others, who 
 had just turned round to see where she was. 
 
 " Come here," she cried. " Here is a pastry-cook who has 
 arrived just in the nick of time." 
 
 The party now made a good meal, for which the old woman 
 would not allow the baron to pay anything, as it was a repast to 
 which she had invited him. And then they moved on again, the 
 pastry-cook following. But although the grandmother was re- 
 freshed by the food, she was still very tired. She fell back a little 
 and walked by the side of the pastry-cook. 
 
 " I wish," she said, "that you were a man with a chair on your 
 back. Then you might carry me." 
 
 Instantly the pastry-cook changed into a stout man in a blue 
 blouse, with a wooden armchair strapped to his back. He stooped 
 down, and the old woman got into the chair. He then walked on, 
 and soon overtook the baron and Litza. 
 
 " Ah ! " cried the old woman, " see what good fortune has 
 befallen me ! The pastry-cook has gone, and this man with his 
 chair has just arrived. Now I can travel with ease and comfort." 
 
 " What wonderful good fortune ! " cried Litza. 
 
 " Wonderful good fortune, indeed ! " exclaimed the baron, 
 equally pleased. 
 
 The four now pursued their way, the old woman comfortably 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 113 
 
 nodding in the chair, to which the baron had secured her with his 
 belt. In about an hour the road branched, and the baron asked 
 the chairman which way led to the town of Zisk. But the man, 
 who was a dull, heavy fellow, did not know, and the baron took 
 the road to the right. After walking two or three miles they 
 came to a wide river, at the edge of which the road stopped. On 
 a post was a signboard on which was painted, " Blow ye horn for 
 ye ferryman." Below this hung a large horn, with a small pair of 
 bellows attached to the mouthpiece. 
 
 " That is a good idea,' said the baron. " One ought to be 
 able to blow a horn very well with a pair of bellows." And so say- 
 ing, he seized the handle of the bellows and blew a blast upon the 
 horn that made Litza and her grandmother clap their hands to 
 their ears. " I think that will bring the ferryman," said the baron, 
 as he helped the old woman to get out of her chair. 
 
 In a few minutes they heard the sound of oars, and a boat 
 made its appearance from behind a point of land to the right. To 
 their surprise it was rowed by a boy about fourteen years old. 
 When the boat touched the shore they all got in. 
 
 " I am afraid you cannot row so heavy a load," said the baron 
 to the boy ; " but perhaps this good man will help you." 
 
 The boy, who was well dressed and of a grave demeanor, 
 looked sternly at the baron. " Order must be kept in the boat," 
 he said. " Sit down, all of you, and I will attend to the rowing." 
 And he began to pull slowly but steadily from the shore. But 
 instead of rowing directly across the river, he rounded the high 
 point to the right, and then headed toward an island in the 
 stream. 
 
 " Where are you taking us ? " asked the baron. 
 
 " This is the place to land," replied the boy, gruffly. And in a 
 few strokes he ran the boat ashore at the island. 
 
ii 4 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 A large house stood not far away from the water, and the baron 
 thought he would go there and make some inquiries, for he did not 
 like the manner of the boy in the boat. He accordingly stepped 
 ashore, and, followed by the rest of his party, approached the 
 house. When they reached it they saw over the door, in large 
 black letters, the words, " School for Men." Two boys, well 
 dressed and sedate, came out to meet them, and ushered them in. 
 
 " What is this place ? " asked the baron, looking about him. 
 
 " It is a school," was the reply, " established by boys for the 
 proper instruction and education of men. We have found that 
 there are no human beings who need to be taught so much as 
 men ; and it is to supply this long-felt want that we have set up our 
 school. By diverting the ferry from its original course we have 
 obtained a good many scholars who would not otherwise have en- 
 tered." 
 
 " What do you teach men ? " asked the baron. 
 
 " The principal thing we try to teach them," said the other, " is 
 the proper treatment of boys. But you will know all about this 
 in good time." 
 
 " What I wish most now to know," said the baron, smiling, "is 
 whether or not we can all obtain lodging here to-night. It is 
 already growing dark." 
 
 " Did these two ladies come with you ?" asked the boy. 
 
 " Yes," answered the baron. 
 
 " It was very good of them," said the boy. " Of course they 
 can stay here all night. We always try to accommodate friends 
 who come with scholars." 
 
 It was past supper time at the school, but the baron and his 
 party were provided with a good meal, and Litza and her grand- 
 mother were shown to a guest chamber on the ground floor. One 
 boy then took charge of the chair-carrier, while another conducted 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 115 
 
 the baron to a small chamber up-stairs, where he found everything 
 very comfortable and convenient. 
 
 " You can sit up and read for an hour or two," said the boy. 
 " We don't put our scholars all into one great room like a barrack, 
 and make them put out their lights and go to bed just at the time 
 when other people begin to enjoy the evening." 
 
 When the baron arose the next morning he was informed that 
 the principal wished to see him, and he was taken down-stairs into 
 a room where there was a very solemn-looking boy sitting in an 
 armchair before a fire. This was the principal, and he arose and 
 gravely shook hands with the baron. 
 
 " I am glad to welcome you to our school," he said, " and I 
 hope you will do honor to it." 
 
 " I have no intention of remaining here," said the baron. 
 
 The principal regarded him with a look of great severity. 
 " Silence, sir!" he said. "It pains me to think of the sorrow 
 which would fill the hearts of your children or your young rela- 
 tives if they could hear you deliberately declare that you did not 
 wish to avail yourself of the extraordinary educational opportuni- 
 ties which are offered to you here." 
 
 The principal then rang a bell, and two of the largest scholars, 
 who acted as monitors, entered the room. " Take this new pupil," 
 he said to them, " to the schoolrooms, and have him entered in the 
 lowest class. He has much to learn." 
 
 The baron saw that it would be useless to resist these two tall 
 fellows, who conducted him from the room, and he peacefully fol- 
 lowed them to the large schoolroom, where he was put in a class 
 and given a lesson to learn. 
 
 The subject of the lesson was the folly of supposing that boys 
 ought not to be trusted with horses, battleaxes, and all the arms 
 used in war and hunting. There were twelve reasons proving 
 
n6 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 that men were very wrong in denying these privileges to boys, and 
 the baron was obliged to learn them all by heart. 
 
 At the other end of the room he saw the chair carrier, who 
 was hard at work over a lesson on the wickedness of whipping 
 boys. On the wall, at one end of the room, was the legend in 
 large letters, " The Boy: Know Him, and You are Educated." 
 At the other end were the words, " Respect your Youngers." 
 
 In the afternoon the baron studied sixteen rules which proved 
 that boys ought to be consulted in regard to the schools they were 
 sent to, the number of their holidays, the style of their new clothes, 
 and many other things which concerned them more than any one 
 else. At the end of the afternoon session the principal made a 
 short address to the school, in which he said that in four days 
 it would be Christmas, at which time the scholars would have a 
 month's holiday. 
 
 " We believe," he said, "that scholars ought to have at least 
 that much time at Christmas ; and, besides, your instructors need 
 relaxation. But," said he, with a severe look at the baron, ''dis- 
 affected new-comers must not suppose that they will be allowed 
 this privilege. Such pupils will remain here during the holidays." 
 
 After this speech school was dismissed, and the scholars were 
 allowed three hours to play. 
 
 The baron was disturbed when he found that he would not be 
 permitted to leave. He had heard that the Prince of Zisk intended 
 to start on his expedition immediately after Christmas ; and if he 
 did not get to the town very soon he could not join his army. 
 So he determined to escape. 
 
 Walking about, he met Litza and her grandmother. The old 
 woman was much troubled. She had been told that she could 
 leave whenever she chose, but she felt she could not go away 
 without the chair-carrier, and he was detained as a pupil. She 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 117 
 
 would not explain her trouble to her granddaughter, for she did 
 not wish her to know anything about the magical nature of the 
 assistance she had received. In a few moments the chair-carrier 
 also made his appearance, and then the baron, seeing that none of 
 the boys were in sight, proposed that they should go down to the 
 beach and escape in a ferry-boat. 
 
 The boat was found there, with the oars, and they all jumped 
 in. The baron and the chair-carrier then each seized an oar and 
 pushed off. They were not a dozen yards from the shore when 
 several of the boys, accompanied by some of the larger pupils, 
 came running down to the beach. The baron could not help smil- 
 ing when he saw them, and, resting on his oar, he made a little 
 speech. 
 
 " My young friends," he said, "you seem to have forgotten, 
 when you set up your school, that men, when they become scholars, 
 are as likely to play truant as if they were boys." 
 
 To these remarks the boy teachers made no answer, but the big 
 scholars on shore looked at each other and grinned. Then they 
 all stooped down and took hold of a long chain that lay coiled in 
 the shallow water. They began to pull, and the baron soon per- 
 ceived that the other end of the chain was attached to the boat. 
 He and the chair-man pulled as hard as they could at the oars, but 
 in spite of their efforts they were steadily drawn to shore. Litza 
 and her grandmother were then sent to their room, while the baron 
 and the chair-man were put to bed without their suppers. 
 
 The next day the old grandmother walked about by herself, 
 more troubled than ever, for she was very anxious that Litza 
 should fulfil her mission, and that they should get back home 
 before Christmas. And yet she would not go away and leave her 
 magical companion. Just then she saw the chair-carrier looking 
 out of a second-story window, with a blanket wrapped around him. 
 
n8 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 " Come down here/' she said. 
 
 " I can't," he answered. " They say I am to stay in bed all 
 day, and they have taken away my clothes." 
 
 "You might as well be back with your goblin companions," 
 said the old woman, "for all the use you are to me. I wish you 
 were somebody who could set things straight here." 
 
 Instantly there stood by her side a school trustee. He was a 
 boy of grave and pompous demeanor, handsomely dressed, and 
 carrying a large gold-headed cane. 
 
 " My good woman," he said, in a stately voice, " is there any- 
 thing I can do to serve you ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir," she replied. "My granddaughter and I," pointing 
 to Litza, who just then came up, " wish to leave this place as soon 
 as possible, and to pursue our journey." 
 
 " Of course you may do so," said he. " This is not a school 
 for women." 
 
 " But, grandma," said Litza, "it would be a shame to go away 
 without the poor baron, who is as anxious to get on as we are." 
 
 "There is a gentleman here, sir," said the old woman, "who 
 does not wish to stay." 
 
 " Did you bring him ?" asked the trustee. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; he came with us." 
 
 " And you wish to take him away again ? " said he. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; we do," said Litza. 
 
 "Very well, then," said the trustee, severely, "he shall be dis- 
 missed. We will have no pupils here whose children or guard- 
 ians desire their removal. I will give orders in regard to the 
 matter." 
 
 In a few moments the baron's clothes were brought to him, and 
 he was told that he might get out of bed and leave the establish- 
 ment. When he came down and joined Litza and her grand- 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 119 
 
 mother, he looked about him and said: " Where is the chair-car- 
 rier ? I cannot consent to go away and leave him here." 
 
 " Do not trouble yourself about that man," said the grand- 
 mother ; " he has already taken himself away." 
 
 The party, accompanied by the trustee, proceeded to the boat, 
 where the boy ferryman was waiting for them. To the surprise of 
 the baron the trustee got in with them, and they were all rowed to 
 the other side of the river, where they found the road that led to 
 Zisk. The school trustee walked with them, delivering his opin- 
 ions in regard to the education of men. The baron grew very 
 tired of hearing this talk. 
 
 " I am much obliged to this person," he thought, " for having 
 enabled me to get away from that queer school ; but he certainly 
 is a dreadful bore. I wish he were going on some other road." 
 
 Litza and her grandmother agreed with the baron, and the old 
 woman would gladly have changed the trustee into a chair-carrier 
 again, but she had no opportunity of doing so, for the pompous 
 little fellow never fell back behind the rest of the party, where he 
 could be transformed unobserved. So they all walked on together 
 until they reached the middle of a great plain, when suddenly a 
 large body of horsemen appeared from behind a clump of trees at 
 no great distance. 
 
 "It is a band of robbers ! " said the baron, stopping, and draw- 
 ing his sword. " I know their flag. And they are coming directly 
 toward us." 
 
 The grandmother and Litza were terribly frightened, and the 
 baron turned very pale, for what could his one sword do against all 
 those savage horsemen ? As for the school trustee, he was glad 
 to fall back now, and he crouched behind the baron, nearly scared 
 out of his wits. He even pushed the old woman aside, so as to 
 better conceal himself. 
 
'..-L. :.v 011 wretched? coward 1 " ,;sHet exclaimed. ic I wish you 
 somebody able to defend us agamst these robbers." - ; 
 
 I -IftStaittly;there was a;great clank:of steel, and in the place of 
 the trustee there sto.od an immense man, fully eight feet .high, 
 clothed in mail, and armed to the teeth. At his left side he lear- 
 ned a great sword, and on the other a heavy mace. In his hand 
 he held a strong bow, higher than himself, his belt was filled with 
 daggers and arrows, and at his back was an immense shield, 
 
 " Hold this in front of your party," he said to the baron, set- 
 ting the shield down before him, "and I will attend to these 
 rascals." 
 
 Quickly fitting a long arrow to his bow, he sent it directly 
 through the foremost horseman, and killed a man behind him. 
 Arrow after arrow flew through the air, until half the robbers lay 
 dead on the field. The rest turned to fly, but the armed giant 
 sprang in among them, his sword in one hand and his mace in the 
 other, and in less than five minutes he had slain every one of them. 
 
 " Now, then," said he, returning, and taking up his bow and 
 shield, " I think we may proceed without further fear." 
 
 The baron and Litza were no less delighted at their deliver- 
 ance than surprised at the appearance of this defender, and the old 
 woman was obliged to explain the whole matter to them. " I did 
 not want you to know anything about it," she said to Litza, "for 
 a young girl's head should not be filled with notions of magic ; but 
 the case was very urgent, and I could not hesitate." 
 
 "I am very glad you did not hesitate," said the baron, "for in 
 a few minutes we should all have been killed. There was certainly 
 never anything so useful as your Accommodating Circumstance." 
 
 The armed giant was a quiet and obliging fellow, and he offered 
 to carry the old woman on his shoulder, which she found a very 
 comfortable seat. 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 121 
 
 Toward evening they arrived in sight of the town of Zisk, and 
 the baron said to the grandmother, " I am very much afraid you 
 will lose your giant, for when the prince sees such a splendid sol- 
 dier he will certainly enlist him into his army." 
 
 "Oh, dear!" cried the old woman, slipping down from the 
 giant's shoulder. " I wish this great fellow was somebody who 
 could not possibly be of any use to the prince as a soldier." 
 
 Instantly there toddled toward her a little baby about a year 
 old. She had a white cap on her funny little head, and was very 
 round and plump. She had scarcely taken three steps when she 
 stumbled and sat down very suddenly, and then she began to try 
 to pull off one of her little shoes. They all burst out laughing at 
 this queer little creature, and Litza rushed toward the baby and 
 snatched her up in her arms. 
 
 "You dear little thing !" she said, " the prince will never take 
 you for a soldier." 
 
 " No," said the baron, laughing, " and she can never grow up 
 into one." 
 
 It was too late for the baron to see the Prince of Zisk that day, 
 and the party stopped for the night at a little inn in the town. 
 The next morning, as the baron was about to go to the palace, 
 he asked Litza what was her business in Zisk, and if he could 
 help her. 
 
 " All my godmother told me to do," said the young girl, "was 
 to give this box to the noblest man in Zisk, and of course he is the 
 prince." 
 
 " Yes," said the baron ; " and as I am on my way to the palace, 
 I may help you to see him." 
 
 " Go you with the baron," said the grandmother to Litza, " and 
 I will stay here and take care of this baby. And as soon as you 
 come back I will change her into a long-legged man with two chairs 
 
122 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 on his back, and we will get home to my cottage as fast as we 
 
 can." 
 
 When the baron and the young girl reached the palace they 
 found the prince in his audience-chamber, surrounded by officers 
 and courtiers. Litza stood by the door, while the baron approached 
 the prince and respectfully told him why he had come. 
 
 " You are the very man we want !" cried the prince. " I have 
 conceived a most admirable plan of conquering my robber foes, 
 and you shall carry it out. The day after to-morrow is Christmas, 
 and these highwaymen always keep this festival as if they were 
 decent people and good Christians. They gather together all their 
 wives and children, and their old parents, and they sing carols and 
 make merry all day long. At this time they never think of attack- 
 ing anybody or of being attacked, and if we fall upon them then 
 we can easily destroy them all, young and old, and thus be rid of 
 the wretches forever. I have a strong body of soldiers ready to 
 send, but they must be led by a man of rank, and all my officers of 
 high degree wish to remain here with their families to celebrate 
 Christmas. Now you are a stranger, and have nothing to keep 
 you here, and you are the very man to lead my soldiers. Destroy 
 that colony of robbers, and you shall have a good share of the 
 booty that you find there." 
 
 " Oh, prince !" exclaimed the baron, "would you have me, on 
 holy Christmas Day, when these families are assembled together to 
 celebrate the blessed festival, rush upon them with an armed band, 
 and slay them, old and young, women and children, at the very 
 foot of the Christmas tree ? No man needs occupation more than 
 I, but this is a thing I cannot do." 
 
 " Impudent upstart ! " cried the prince, in a rage ; "if you can- 
 not do this, there is nothing for you here. Begone ! " 
 
 Without an answer the baron turned and left the hall. Litza, 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 123 
 
 who still stood by the door, did not now approach the prince, but 
 ran after the baron, who was walking rapidly away. " This is 
 yours," she said, taking the iron box from her little bag. " You 
 are the noblest man." 
 
 The baron, surprised, objected to receiving the box, but Litza 
 was firm. " I was told," she said, " to give it to the noblest man 
 in Zisk, and I have done so." 
 
 When the baron found that he must keep the box he asked 
 Litza what was in it. 
 
 " I do not know," said Litza; "but the key is fastened to the 
 handle." 
 
 They sat down under a tree, in a quiet corner of the palace 
 grounds, and opened the box. Something inside was covered with 
 a piece of velvet, on top of which lay a golden locket. The 
 baron opened it, and beheld a portrait of the beautiful Litza. 
 " Why, you have given me yourself ! " he cried, delighted. 
 
 " So it appears," said Litza, looking down upon the ground. 
 
 " And will you marry me ? " he cried. 
 
 " If you wish it," said Litza. So that matter was settled. 
 
 The two then went to the inn, and told the grandmother what 
 had occurred. She looked quite pleased when she heard this story, 
 and then she asked what else was in the box. 
 
 " I found so much," said the baron, " that I did not think of 
 looking for anything more." He then opened the box, and, lift- 
 ing the piece of velvet, found it filled with sparkling diamonds. 
 
 " That is Litza's dowry," cried the old woman. " It was a wise 
 thing in her godmother to send her out to look for a noble hus- 
 band, for one would never have come to my little cottage to look 
 for her. But it seems to me that the box might as well have been 
 given to you at your castle. It would have saved us a weary 
 journey." 
 
I2 4 THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 
 
 " But if we had not taken that journey," said Litza, " we should 
 not have become so well acquainted, and I would not have known 
 he was the noblest man." 
 
 " It is all right," said the grandmother, lt and your dowry will 
 enable the baron to buy his castle again, and to live there as his 
 ancestors did before him." 
 
 The grandmother desired to leave Zisk immediately, but the 
 baron objected. " There is something I wish to do to-day," he 
 said ; " and if we start early to-morrow morning on horseback we 
 can reach my castle before dark." 
 
 The old woman agreed to this, and the baron continued : " I 
 would like you to lend me the baby for the rest of the day ; and 
 when the sun-dial in the courtyard shall mark three hours after 
 noon you will please open this piece of paper and wish what I have 
 written upon it." 
 
 The grandmother took the folded piece of paper, and let him 
 have the baby. She and Litza wondered much what he was going 
 to do, but they asked no questions. 
 
 The baron had learned that it was a three hours' walk from the 
 town to the stronghold of the robbers, and just at noon he set out 
 for that place, carrying the baby in his arms. Before he had gone 
 a mile he wished that the baby had been changed into somebody 
 who could walk, but it was too late now. 
 
 At three hours after noon the grandmother was about to open 
 the paper, when Litza exclaimed, " Before you wish anything, dear 
 grandmother, let me read what the baron has written." 
 
 Litza then took the paper and read it. " It is just what I ex- 
 pected," she cried. " He has gone out to fight the robbers, and he 
 wants you to change the baby into that great armed giant to help 
 him. But don't you do it, for the baron will certainly be killed, 
 there are so many robbers in that place. Please change the baby 
 9 
 
"YOU ARE THE NOBLEST MAN," SAID LITZA. 
 
THE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE. 127 
 
 into a very strong, fleet man who knows the country, and who will 
 take the baron in his arms and bring him back here just as fast as 
 he can." 
 
 " I will wish that," said the grandmother. And she did so. 
 
 The baron had just arrived in sight of the robbers' stronghold, 
 when he was very much surprised to find that, instead of carrying 
 a baby in his arms, he himself was in the grasp of a tall, powerful 
 man, who was carrying him at the top of his speed toward the 
 town. The baron kicked and struggled much worse than the baby 
 had, but the man paid no attention to his violent remonstrances, 
 and soon set him down in the courtyard of the inn. 
 
 " This is your doing," he said to Litza. " I wished to show the 
 prince that it was not fear that kept me from fighting the robbers, 
 and you have prevented me." 
 
 " You have proved that you are brave," said Litza, "and that 
 is enough. The prince is a bad man ; let him fight his own 
 robbers." 
 
 The baron could not be angry at this proof of Litza's prudent 
 affection. And the next morning the party left the town on three 
 horses, which the baron bought with one of his diamonds. The 
 tall, fleet man who knew the country acted as guide, and led them 
 by a by-road which did not pass near the School for Men. They 
 arrived at the castle early on Christmas Eve, and the baron sent for 
 his servants, his friends, and a priest, and he and Litza were mar- 
 ried amid great rejoicing, for everybody was glad to see him come 
 to his own again. 
 
 The next day Litza and the baron asked the grandmother to 
 show them her magical servant in his original form. The old 
 woman called the tall, fleet guide, and transformed him into the 
 Green Goblin of the Third Word. This strange creature wildly 
 danced and skipped before them, and, taking a watermelon and 
 
128 TtjE ACCOMMODATING CIRCUMSTANCE, 
 
 three pumpkins from his pocket, he tossed them up, keeping two 
 of them .always in the air. 
 
 The baron and his wife were very much amused by the antics 
 of the goblin, and Litza exclaimed : "Oh, grandmother, if I were 
 yoq I would keep him this way always. He would be wonderfully 
 amusing, and I am sure he could carry you about, and scare away 
 robbers, and do ever so many things." 
 
 " A merry green goblin might suit you/' said the old woman, 
 shaking her head, " but it would not suit me. I want to return to 
 my own little home, and what I now wish is a suitable companion." 
 
 Instantly the goblin changed into a healthy middle-aged woman 
 of agreeable manners, and willing to make herself useful. With 
 this " suitable companion " the old grandmother returned, after the 
 holidays, to her much-loved cottage, where she was often visited 
 by the young baron and his wife ; but, although they sometimes 
 asked it, she never let them see the green goblin again. 
 
 " When a circumstance is just as accommodating as you want it 
 to be," she said, " the less you meddle with it the better." 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 IN by-gone days, and in a distant land, there was a certain small 
 kingdom called Tanobar, which was governed in a manner not 
 altogether satisfactory to the people. About ten years before 
 the beginning of this story there had sat upon the throne two kings 
 who, being twin brothers, had an equal right to rule. Being men 
 of good disposition, and of much the same mind, they had for 
 many years governed the country to the satisfaction of everybody. 
 
 When these twin kings died, within a few days of each other, 
 one left a son about twelve years old and the other a daughter of 
 the same age. The queen mothers, both estimable women, reigned 
 as regents until their children came of age. And now, for more 
 than a year, the two young people had sat upon the throne, and 
 worn the crowns of the twin kings, their fathers. 
 
 Chamian was the name of the young king, and Millice, that of 
 his cousin, the queen. It was the hope of all who desired the good 
 of the country that these two should marry, and thus form a united 
 government, but it did not seem probable that this would ever hap- 
 pen. The cousins were of very different dispositions, and although 
 they had not yet quarrelled, or violently opposed each other, there 
 was no sympathy between them, and one seldom approved of what 
 the other did. 
 
 Chamian was a bold, active, and athletic fellow, and delighted 
 in field sports and all sorts of out-door life, while Millice was of 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 an intellectual turn of mind, and devoted to the study of art and 
 science. During the time that these two had governed, no ques- 
 
 THE TWIN KINGS. 
 
 tions of public importance had arisen, but it was feared that if it 
 should be necessary for the government to take any decided action 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 131 
 
 it would be difficult to make the cousins agree upon a course. 
 If the two should marry there would probably be no further cause 
 for anxiety, for the queen would naturally defer to the king, and 
 all would go on smoothly ; but, as has been said before, for this 
 happy issue there was no reason to hope. 
 
 But there was one man in Tanobar who did not desire the 
 cousins to marry ; who did not desire the government to go on 
 smoothly, and whose earnest purpose was to effect a general revo- 
 lution in public affairs, in order that he might reconstruct them to 
 suit his own plans. This man was named Gromline, and he was 
 the Minister of Agriculture. He was a man of great ability and 
 very much given to stirring up political dissensions, and the princi- 
 pal reason for making him Minister of Agriculture had been that 
 it was thought that in that department he could do no mischief. 
 But since he had occupied this position he had come very near 
 inflicting upon the country what most sensible people thought 
 would be a terrible injury. 
 
 He had discovered a plant, which, after years of experiment 
 and culture, he had now brought to what he considered perfection. 
 This plant he named the Cosmic Bean, for the reason that it was 
 capable of taking the place of all other food, and becoming the 
 universal nutriment of mankind. Cooked in certain ways, it 
 tasted like meats, and afforded the same nourishment. Prepared 
 in other methods, it resembled different kinds of vegetables, bread, 
 and even cheese and butter. It could be dried in various ways, 
 and so used to make drinks resembling tea, coffee, and chocolate, 
 and its juices when fermented produced several sorts of wines and 
 spirits. In fact, there was no article of common food for which an 
 excellent substitute could not be produced from the Cosmic Bean. 
 
 A most important property of this plant was that it would 
 grow in any soil, with little or no cultivation, and that it was an 
 
I 3 2 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 evergreen, and produced its fruits in great abundance all the -year 
 round. Gromline's experiments and exhibitions had satisfied the 
 government that his bean would do everything that he claimed 
 for it, and that it might, indeed, take the place of all other food. 
 
 But from the wise people of the country Gromline's efforts to 
 introduce his bean had met with the most decided opposition.. It 
 had not been brought to perfection during the lives of the twin 
 kings, but they had both declared that should Gromline ever suc- 
 ceed in his efforts, the plant ought to be immediately eradicated 
 from the face of the earth. Their wives, the queens regent, were 
 of the same opinion, and when the Cosmic Bean was ready for 
 cultivation and introduction, had forbidden Gromline or anybody 
 else to grow it, and had ordered the destruction of all plants, 
 wherever found. The young king and queen had done nothing, 
 so far, in regard to the matter. Neither of them took any interest 
 in beans or in Gromline. 
 
 The reasons urged against the production of the new food were 
 very good ones. If this were a plant capable of giving people, 
 old and young, all the different sorts of nutriment they needed or 
 cared for, and which would grow everywhere without trouble to 
 anybody and yield fruit in abundance at all seasons, it was quite 
 certain that a great part of the people of the country would be 
 content to let nature provide for them and to cease to provide for 
 themselves. If all persons could live comfortably who chose to 
 do a little work for themselves, nobody would do any work for 
 anybody else. This state of affairs, as the officers of the govern- 
 ment plainly saw, would soon turn everything upside down ; the 
 upper classes would soon cease to be upper if the lower classes 
 ceased to work for them, and so this mischievous Cosmic Bean 
 must be suppressed and, if possible, annihilated. 
 
 Gromline knew as well as any one what might happen if he 
 
THE 'GREAT SHOW IN KOBQL-LAtfD. 133 
 
 succeeded in making it possible for every man to be. as lazy as : he 
 pleased, but he still persevered in his purpose. If he could intro- 
 duce his universal food the greater part of the people in the coun- 
 try would look upon him as a benefactor, accept him as a leader, 
 and perhaps make him their king. If he should succeed in put- 
 ting himself on the throne he knew how to treat people who would 
 not work for him. He had discovered a blight for the Cosmic 
 Bean ! 
 
 Since the accession of the new king and queen Gromline had 
 made no progress in his plans, and he was getting very impatient 
 The worst thing that could happen to him would be for these two 
 to marry. In that case all would probably go on as before, and he 
 would have no chance. But if each of the two were to^marry some 
 outsider, there would be two royal families, dissensions must soon 
 follow, and these would give him the opportunity to work out his 
 own plans. 
 
 Not knowing what to do, Gromline went to a sorcerer to ask 
 advice. The old gentleman listened to the case with great atten- 
 tion. 
 
 " I see your point," said he, when the minister had finished. 
 " Did you ever happen to consider, in this connection, Prince Atto 
 and the Princess Lista ? " 
 
 " Never thought of them ! " exclaimed Gromline. 
 
 " Well, sir," said the sorcerer, " I believe these two will answer 
 your purpose in every respect. Nustyria, their miserable, stony 
 country, adjoins this. Their parents will be glad for them to 
 marry anybody who will have them. Lista is a wild, harum- 
 scarum, horsy and doggy girl, who would enter gladly into all 
 the pursuits of the king, and Atto is a thin-legged, round-sh,oul- 
 dered bookworm, who devotes himself to the very things that 
 please Queen Millice. More than this, these two hate each other 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 heartily, and if they married our sovereigns the dissensions you de- 
 sire would come on quickly enough." 
 "Admirable!" cried Gromline. 
 " Those two youngsters are just the 
 couple I want, but the king and 
 queen have never seen them. The 
 two nations are not friendly, and 
 how will it be possible to bring these 
 young people together ? " 
 
 The sorcerer considered. "The 
 simplest thing will be," he said, " to 
 have them meet on neutral ground. 
 What do you think of getting some 
 sort of a show in the lower part of 
 Kobol-land, in the Dimmer-Glade, for 
 instance, which lies near both coun- 
 tries? If you make it attractive in 
 the proper way, I have no doubt that 
 our king and queen, as well as Prince 
 Atto and Princess Lista, will be sure 
 to attend it." 
 
 Gromline waved his hat around 
 his head. " You hit the mark," he 
 cried, "and I know exactly what I 
 shall do. I will get up a great flower 
 show, and in connection with it there 
 shall be athletic sports. Queen Mil- 
 lice adores flowers, and so does that 
 young Atto. The sports will bring 
 the other two, and in Kobol-land we 
 
 can do as we please. No laws can interfere with us there. I 
 
 GRAGLICK, MEASURE MY GRIN.' 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 135 
 
 shall exhibit my bean. My friend, I owe you everlasting grati- 
 tude." 
 
 "And seventy sequins," said the sorcerer. 
 
 When the Minister of Agriculture had departed, the sorcerer 
 sat and smiled and smiled and smiled. His amusement was so 
 great that it impressed itself upon his attention, apd he summoned 
 his body servant. 
 
 " Graglick," said he, " measure my grin." 
 
 Taking a tape measure from his pocket, the servant obeyed. 
 
 " Master," he said, " it is eight inches and a quarter long." 
 
 "Ha!" exclaimed the sorcerer, "that is my largest grin, and 
 well might it be. I shall have a fine joke on this fellow with his 
 Cosmic Bean, and his schemes for revolution. This royal match- 
 maker and throne-upsetter ! A flower show and athletic sports in 
 Kobol-land ! Oh, there will be rare times ! " 
 
 The sorcerer had good cause for expecting rare times. Kobol- 
 land, which, at its southern extremity, touched the two kingdoms, 
 extended far away into the unknown regions, and was the home 
 of fairies, gnomes, giants, genii, afrits, centaurs, nymphs, dryads, 
 brownies, dragons, griffins, and other wonderful and curious beings. 
 Few people from either of the adjoining countries ever wandered 
 far into Kobol-land. But the Dimmer-Glade, a beautiful region, 
 scarcely a mile from the southern boundary, had frequently been 
 visited by parties who were fond of lovely scenery and took an 
 interest in the strange inhabitants of the place, who, even those 
 with terrible aspects, had always been friendly enough to occasional 
 visitors. 
 
 There could be no doubt that a great show, a short distance 
 within the borders of Kobol-land, would attract a vast crowd of 
 strangers of both high and low degree, and not only that and the 
 sorcerer laughed aloud as he thought of it such an exhibition 
 
136 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 would draw to it every queer creature of the land, from the biggest 
 giant to the smallest pigwidgeon, and if this rare mixture of 
 exhibitors and spectators at a flower show, and of competitors 
 in-athletic games, did not result in a high old time it would be 
 wonderful indeed. 
 
 But the sorcerer had hopes that the show would have far more 
 important results than the fun, the excitement, and the surprising 
 occurrences which might be expected at a great concourse, where 
 visitors from ordinary countries would mingle on common ground 
 with the strange inhabitants of Kobol-land. He thought he had 
 reason to believe that something of advantage to his country would 
 result from this exhibition. 
 
 The sorcerer was a good sort of man, and knowing that the 
 Minister of Agriculture was a most dangerous plotter against the 
 public welfare, he was delighted to think that he had proposed a 
 plan the influence and effect of which would probably be exactly 
 the opposite to those for which Gromline was scheming. 
 
 On the next day after the conversation between Gromline and 
 the sorcerer the whole kingdom of Tanobar was gorgeous with 
 many-colored placards announcing the great show in Kobol-land, 
 and very shortly afterward the walls and trees of Nustyria were 
 decorated with like brilliant placards, which the Minister of Agri- 
 culture sent over the border by the wagon-load. 
 
 The announcement created great interest and excitement, and 
 early on the opening day nearly everybody in the two countries 
 who was able to do so was on the road to the Dimmer-Glade. 
 People on horses, people in wagons, people on camels, elephants, 
 and on foot, with here and there a man bestriding an ox or an 
 ostrich, crowded the highways and byways leading to Kobol-land. 
 
 King Chamian, on a tall hunter, rode boldly thither with a little 
 band of courtiers and companions, while, in a handsome carriage, 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 drawn by four cream-colored horses, and followed by other car- 
 riages containing the ladies of her court, the young Queen Millice 
 journeyed to the flower show. 
 
 From the capital of Nustyria came the Princess Lista on a wiry 
 bob-tailed steed, with wicked back-turned ears, and a pace so swift 
 
 THE JOURNEY TO KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 that her attendants were left behind long before she reached the 
 Dimmer-Glade. And from that city came also the Prince Atto, 
 stretched at full length on a cushioned platform, borne on the back 
 of an elephant, and busily engaged in the study of a book of 
 logarithms, while an attendant crouched by him and held a sun 
 umbrella over his head. 
 
138 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 The desire of this Princess and this Prince of Nustyria to visit 
 the show in Kobol-land had been greatly increased when they heard 
 that King Chamian and Queen Millice would be there. Although 
 Atto and Lista belonged to a royal family they were not heirs to 
 the throne of Nustyria, and having but very poor prospects in their 
 native land would be very glad to make marriages which would 
 bring them good positions and fortunes, and what could suit them 
 better than alliances with the noble young King and beautiful 
 young Queen of Tanobar? 
 
 Lista had never met Chamian, but she had heard of his deeds 
 of horsemanship and athletics, and felt certain he was just the 
 sort of man she would like, while Atto knew all about Millice and 
 was quite as sure that she would suit him as he was that she could 
 not find a better husband than himself. 
 
 Of the possibilities of a divided kingdom the prince and prin- 
 cess thought not at all, and, in fact, they gave very little thought 
 to each other ; and, when they did, Atto wished that the king and 
 Lista might break their necks together, and Lista said to herself 
 that if Atto would travel away with Queen Millice, or with any- 
 body else, and go so far that she would never see him again, she 
 would be very glad indeed. 
 
 Arrived at the Dimmer-Glade, the visitors found there a grand 
 pavilion erected for the flower show, while booths and tents of 
 various sizes and colors decorated the grassy plain. A wide stretch 
 of level land at the upper end of the glade, and nearly surrounded 
 by low hills, on which thousands of spectators could sit or stand, 
 was set aside for the athletic games. As the show was to last three 
 days, kings, queens, princes, princesses, rich people and poor ones 
 pitched their tents far up and down the smooth expanse of the 
 Dimmer-Glade. 
 
 Although the news of the show had created a great popular 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 sensation throughout Tanobar and Nustyria, the excitement among 
 the inhabitants of Kobol-land was even greater. The affair was 
 so novel and promised to be so inter- 
 esting that even the mighty giant 
 Jirg, who seldom came out of his 
 lofty castle, except to hunt in the 
 wild mountains of the north, de- 
 clared his intention of attending the 
 show. From the mysterious laby- 
 rinths of the dark gorges came afrits, 
 black, shiny, and with stealthy tread. 
 And from the mines and the hills 
 crept many a gnome, wondering what 
 he was going to see. 
 
 As to fairies, there was no end 
 to them. The queen and her court 
 were there, and nearly all her sub- 
 jects. A troop of dryads took pos- 
 session of a grove of oak-trees near 
 the glade, and among some high 
 rocks at the head of a quiet little 
 lake four sirens ensconced them- 
 selves with their harps. 
 
 As many of the Kobol-landers 
 intended to exhibit in the flower 
 show and compete in the games, 
 these mixed freely with the other 
 exhibitors and the visitors, and it 
 
 was not long before a general air of sociability pervaded the 
 glade. 
 
 Queen Millice was in her royal tent sipping a cup of chocolate 
 
 ALL FAIRYLAND WAS THERE. 
 
1 40 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBUL-LAND. 
 
 when suddenly the tent was filled with a sort of smoky fog, so 
 dense that she could see nothing about her. Supposing that the 
 furniture had taken fire she was about to cry out for assistance, 
 when the vapor resolved itself into the form of a tall genie, who 
 seated himself upon the divan, crossed his legs, and with a bland 
 smile inquired how she liked the country. 
 
 As this individual had never been presented to her, and for 
 other reasons, the young queen hesitated a little before entering 
 into conversation ; but remembering where she was, and that this 
 was one of the natives of the soil, she replied with her usual cour- 
 tesy, and the two were soon engaged in a pleasant chat. The 
 genie was curious to know if this was her first visit to Kobol-land, 
 and how long she intended to stay, and with much animation he 
 told her of points of great interest which she should not fail to 
 visit before leaving. 
 
 The queen of the fairies paid a royal visit to Chamian, and he 
 was so delighted with her that he said to some of his courtiers that 
 if she were bigger, or he were smaller, he would give up his throne 
 and ask to be made king of the fairies. 
 
 Princess Lista rode directly to Chamian's stables, where she 
 found a company of brownies, combing and brushing the horses 
 till they shone like silk. This greatly pleased Lista, and she was 
 about to offer the brownies a permanent engagement in her stables, 
 but on second thought she concluded to wait and see how things 
 turned out. 
 
 Prince Atto had always doubted the existence of griffins, but 
 walking near the flower pavilion he beheld one of these great creat- 
 ures descending from the upper air, and holding between its fore 
 paws a large pot of chrysanthemums. Swooping down close to 
 him the griffin said to Atto : 
 
 " Will you be so good, sir, as to take hold of one side of this 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 141 
 
 pot, so that I can set it on the ground without shaking the earth 
 or injuring the flowers ? " 
 
 Atto had never been asked to help anybody to do any sort of 
 work, and his princely soul instantly rebelled at this request, but 
 after a second look at the griffin he took hold of one side of the 
 pot and helped the winged monster to set it gently on the ground. 
 
 When the flower pavilion was opened it was soon filled with an 
 animated crowd. The display of flowers and plants was so curious 
 and wonderful that even Chamian and Lista, who usually cared 
 little for such things, were greatly interested. The first thing that 
 met the eyes of the people as they came in at the grand entrance 
 was a double row of plants of the Cosmic Bean, brought from 
 Gromline's secret gardens. 
 
 The ripe beans, which, mingled with the blossoms and pods in 
 all stages of growth, hung in astonishing profusion from the tall 
 plants, were freely offered to the visitors. And as these had a 
 delicious flavor when eaten raw, the people were delighted with 
 them, and eagerly read the great placards on which were printed 
 the wonderful virtues and advantages of the Cosmic Bean. 
 
 Around the great central space of the pavilion, and up and 
 down its long passageways, was arranged a collection of plants 
 such as never before had been seen in this world. 
 
 The plants contributed by the Kobol-landers were far more curi- 
 ous than any others. The chrysanthemum brought by the griffin 
 occupied a conspicuous place. Its flowers were as large as saucers 
 and of a blood-red color. Whenever the plant was watered streaks 
 of fiery yellow shot through the petals, and a shower of little sparks 
 was thrown off in every direction. This chrysanthemum was labelled 
 Miss Sophia Hypogrif. 
 
 There was a very odd cactus, which was exhibited by two brown- 
 ies, who had taken years to bring it to perfection. Every quarter 
 
i 4 2 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 of an hour a bud appeared on one of the leaves of this cactus, 
 and this bud grew and swelled for about two minutes, when it 
 opened and displayed a large cucumber pickle, ready to eat. 
 
 In a circular tank was a water lily, exhibited by an elderly 
 mermaid. The leaves of the lily, which were large and lay 
 flat upon the water, were very hot, so that food could be cooked 
 upon them, particularly griddle cakes, which were made in great 
 numbers by some little black imps, who took a keen delight in 
 serving them to the visitors who surrounded the tank. The mer- 
 maid herself never ate griddle cakes, which might be inferred from 
 the fact that she was elderly. 
 
 The fairies contributed a great number of beautiful flowers, 
 among which were the convertible blossoms. A bud on one of 
 these plants would open and disclose a rose. In an hour this would 
 change to a marigold, in another hour to a chrysanthemum. It 
 would then become a zinnia, a tulip, and so change hourly into 
 other flowers, until at the twelfth transformation it became an 
 immortelle and lasted indefinitely. 
 
 There was a species of dogwood, grown principally by afrits, 
 the long branches of which were trained to hang close to the ground 
 and catch rats. 
 
 There were blossoms like great sunflowers, each of which re- 
 volved on a pivot, and dazzled the eyes of the beholders ; there 
 were egg-plants, the fruit of which could be hatched in the sun, 
 and produced different sorts of barnyard fowls ; and there was the 
 " ghost-plant," misty and vaporous to the view, through the leaves 
 and stems of which one might pass his hand without injury to the 
 plant. There was the " tourist vine," which, growing under a tree, 
 would send up a long shoot until it reached a lower branch. Fast- 
 ening itself to this, it would suddenly contract and pull itself up 
 by the roots ; these would be drawn up and attached to the limb, 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 143 
 
 and the plant would again send up its shoot, reach a higher limb, 
 and draw itself up as before. In this way it would climb to the 
 top of the tree, where, attaching its roots to the topmost branch, 
 it would send its shoot high into the air, where it would seize on 
 the first large bird that passed near enough, and, loosening its root 
 from the tree, would be carried to a foreign land. 
 
 There were talking flowers which said, "good morning," 
 " papa," " mamma " ; there were flowers contributed by the demon 
 of the glacier, which looked like roses and dahlias and other blos- 
 soms, but were really water-ices of delicious flavors, which, when 
 plucked for eating, would quickly be succeeded by others upon the 
 same stems. Besides these unnatural and curious plants there 
 could be seen in this show every sort of ordinary flower, the size, 
 fragrance, and beauty of which had been so improved that it could 
 scarcely be recognized. 
 
 King Chamian and Lista soon became, of course, good friends, 
 and wandered together through the pavilion ; and, although they 
 could not fail to be amused at the curious and wonderful plants 
 they saw, they were impatient for the afternoon and the beginning 
 of the sports. 
 
 Millice walked by herself, followed by some of her ladies and 
 watched by Atto, who intended to make himself known to her, but 
 wished to wait a little in order to find out what sort of a girl 
 she was. Gromline was near by, and, seeing that the queen and 
 Prince Atto were not likely to become acquainted, hastened to 
 Atto, led him to Millice, and presented him. The queen and the 
 prince had walked together but a short distance when they came 
 upon a plant contributed by a Nustyrian gardener, which rivalled 
 some of the productions of the Kobol-landers. He had grafted 
 the water-lily, the sugar-cane, the cow-tree, and the fire-weed upon 
 a tea-plant, and when one of the large, cup-like blossoms was pulled 
 
144 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 off and held under the end of the broken stem, it was speedily 
 filled with fragrant and delicious tea. Although Millice did not 
 care for many of the monstrosities she had seen, this plant attracted 
 her, and Atto was also interested in it, for he was fond of tea. 
 After drinking two cups of the beverage, an idea struck him. 
 
 " Would you like a plant like this, Queen Millice ? " 
 
 " I should like it very much. I wonder if the seed can be 
 procured ? " 
 
 "The plant itself would be much better," said Atto, and, turn- 
 ing to the gardener, he inquired the price. 
 
 " One hundred sequins, your highness," replied the man. 
 
 " Nonsense," said the prince ; "twenty-five will be quite enough. 
 I will take the plant, and you can have it carried immediately to 
 my tent." 
 
 " But, your highness," said the poor man, turning a little pale, 
 " I have spent more than that upon it, and besides, it would injure 
 me very much to have it removed from exhibition at the very 
 beginning of the flower show. Without this plant my collection 
 is nothing." 
 
 " Take it to my tent," said Atto, who wished to put a pretty 
 inscription on it and send it to the queen. " You have to be very 
 careful with these fellows," he said, turning to Millice, " or they 
 will cheat you dreadfully." 
 
 The young queen answered not a word, but stepping back- 
 ward, called one of her ladies, and with her walked away, leaving 
 Atto standing by himself. The prince was a good deal discon- 
 certed by this proceeding, and after gazing a few minutes after 
 Millice, he said to the gardener that he could leave the plant where 
 it was for the present, as he might not want it ; and then walked 
 away to consider the situation. 
 
 " I have made a mistake," he said to himself. " I have shown 
 
THE GR&A1 SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND 145 
 
 her, too abruptly, my habits of prudence and economy. I must 
 do something to make a good impression upon her." 
 
 By this time he had reached one of the doors of the pavilion, 
 and he stepped into the open air. At the end of the glade he saw 
 the most lively preparations going on for the games in the after- 
 noon. Even now the people were leaving the pavilion and flocking 
 to the hills to secure good places. At one of the best points for 
 observation he saw that there had been erected two royal stands. 
 
 " Aha ! " said he to himself, " the queen intends to view the 
 games. It might be well if I were to take a part in them. Wom- 
 en, even the best of them, are so foolish as to like that sort 
 of thing. But the trouble is, I don't know how to do anything 
 athletic. I have never engaged in such fatiguing and senseless 
 exercises. But nearly everybody will be doing something, and I 
 do not like to be left out." 
 
 At this moment he heard a sound like a great wind behind him, 
 and quickly turning he saw the griffin swooping to the ground. 
 
 " I am glad to see you again, young man," said the monster. 
 " You were very kind to help me with that flower-pot, so that I 
 did not injure a blossom of my chrysanthemums, which will proba- 
 bly get the prize. I should like to do something for you. I sup- 
 pose you are going to take part in the games. How would you 
 like to ride me bareback around the arena ? That is a great chance 
 for a young man, and one seldom offered." 
 
 Atto trembled in every fibre. 
 
 " Oh, I could never do that ! " he exclaimed ; " I cannot ride 
 bareback even on a horse, and it would be impossible on anything 
 flying through the air." 
 
 ''Nonsense," said the griffin; "it is as easy and as safe as 
 winking. You can stand on my back." 
 
 " Stand ? " cried Atto, in horror. 
 
146 
 
 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 " Yes," said the monster, " you will find that even more secure 
 than sitting, and it will make a much better show. I will curl my 
 
 tail high over my back, 
 and make it as stiff as 
 a bar of iron. My horny 
 lumps will give you a 
 good footing, and with 
 your hands firmly grasp- 
 ing the upper end of 
 my tail, it will be im- 
 possible for you to fall 
 off. Good ! The thing 
 is settled ! I was look- 
 ing for some one to ride 
 me, and you are the 
 very man. You are not 
 heavy and I want to do 
 you a favor. I will go 
 now and arrange for 
 our performance, and 
 at the proper time I 
 will look you up." 
 
 So saying, thegrifHn 
 surged away through 
 the air, and poor Atto 
 remained, shaking in 
 
 GROMLINE AND HIS BEAN. his boOtS. 
 
 " Here will .be a 
 
 blood-curdling way of appearing before the queen," he thought. 
 " And there's no getting out of it ; that winged monster will be 
 sure to look me up ! " 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 147 
 
 Gromline was in a very good humor ; his plans appeared to be 
 working admirably. Everybody was talking about his Cosmic 
 Bean, and even the Princess Lista, who usually paid little attention 
 to such things, had said that she wished it could be introduced 
 into her country, and then, perhaps, there might be less said about 
 the starving poor. 
 
 Moreover, King Chamian and Lista were getting acquainted 
 very fast, and he had invited her to sit in his royal box when she 
 was not taking part in the games. This was all very well. If 
 these two should marry there would be a great chance for him and 
 his bean, but in regard to Queen Millice things were not going on 
 so well ; she had soon separated herself from Prince Atto, and was 
 now sitting alone in her box reading a book until the games should 
 begin. The prince had not been invited to sit with her, that was 
 plain to see. 
 
 This was not all satisfactory to Gromline, but it did not dampen 
 his spirits. It could scarcely be expected that grave and studious 
 people like Millice and Atto could come together as quickly as the 
 more lively Chamian and Lista. But if the prince had any sense 
 or wit at all, he could not fail to make an impression upon Millice 
 before the show was over. 
 
 The games were just about to begin when Gromline met Atto. 
 
 "What is the matter with your highness?" the minister ex- 
 claimed. " Are you not feeling well ?" 
 
 " Not very," replied Atto, and in the hope that Gromline 
 might be able to help him he told him of the proposition of the 
 griffin. 
 
 " I am afraid," said the prince, "to absolutely refuse his offer, 
 for if he is made angry there is no knowing what he may do. Can 
 you think of any way in which I can get out of this scrape ? " 
 
 "Get out of it!" cried Gromline. "Don't dream of such a 
 
i 4 8 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 thing. Here is a chance of performing an astounding and unheard- 
 of feat without the least danger in the world. It will not do for 
 you to lose it. It will impress everybody, especially Queen Millice, 
 with the conviction that, although a prince of intellect does not 
 in general care for useless sports, still, when he pleases, he can 
 with ease perform a feat far above anything which the athletes 
 have even thought of." 
 
 Poor Atto sighed. It appeared that he was in for it. 
 
 The games began with a hurdle footrace, open to all com- 
 petitors. Among those who ran were stout-legged young men 
 from Tanobar and Nustyria, three youthful giants from the moun- 
 tains who were, however, too heavy to jump, and broke down 
 several hurdles a lot of nimble brownies, and many other two- 
 legged Kobol-landers. A genie, with blazing eyes, soon took the 
 lead, often going over two hurdles at once, although they were 
 a considerable distance apart, but he was ruled out of the race 
 because his soaring flights were neither running nor jumping. 
 Near the head of the long line was the sorcerer's kangaroo, who 
 at one time made a beautiful bound entirely over a Nustyrian 
 athlete, who at that moment was clearing a hurdle, but he was also 
 ruled out of the race because he did nothing but jump, and did not 
 run at all. 
 
 There were others who did not understand the rules, and 
 among these were several gnomes of the mines, with long beards 
 and spindle legs, who ran with great swiftness but went under the 
 hurdles without so much as bobbing their heads, never imagining 
 that they were expected to jump over those lofty bars. An afrit 
 won this race, his long, black, shining body bounding and darting 
 ahead like an India-rubber savage dipped in oil. 
 
 Next came a grand horserace, in which each steed was to be 
 ridden by its owner. And in this King Chamian and Princess 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 149 
 
 Lista took part. The young king rode a black courser of the 
 desert ; the princess was mounted on her raw-boned mare, all fire 
 and muscle, with wicked eyes and back-bent ears. There were 
 about fifty other steeds, mounted by all sorts of riders. Among 
 these was a lively sprite bestriding a Pegasus colt, but he was not 
 allowed to enter the race, because it was quite certain that his horse 
 would use his wings. The sprite was greatly grieved by this 
 decision, and said he was perfectly willing that all the other riders 
 should put up sails if that would make things even. Another rider 
 was a ghost who had formerly been a celebrated horseman, but he 
 soon came to grief, for his horse, imagining that no one was on his 
 back, kicked up his heels and tossed himself entirely through the 
 body of his rider, and, flirting his tail through the separated 
 portion, dashed to one side and left the course. 
 
 Chamian rode splendidly, and his swift horse soon carried him 
 to the head of the line, but Lista was beside him, and her wicked 
 mare with glaring eyes, who sped faster and faster as her blood 
 grew hotter, soon took the lead and kept it till the race was done, 
 and the shouts of the multitude proclaimed her the victor. 
 
 Queen Millice had watched this race with much interest, for she 
 liked to see the fine action of a spirited horse, and she was very 
 sorry that Lista' s ugly beast had won the race. She would have 
 been much better pleased if her cousin's beautiful charger had 
 been the winner, not because he belonged to Chamian, but because 
 he was such a noble animal. 
 
 The princess was very proud of her victory, and her heart beat 
 high at the congratulations which poured in on her from every side. 
 
 " I have a colt at home," she cried to Chamian, "who is more 
 fiery and wicked than this mare, with better withers, pasterns, hocks 
 and cannon bones, and I am going to train him so that I can outdo 
 even what I have done to-day," and she laughed triumphantly. 
 
150 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 King Chamian did not very much like to be beaten, but as he 
 was beaten he was glad that it was Lista, and no one else, who 
 had come in ahead of him. She was a fine, spirited horse-woman, 
 and he liked that sort of a girl, but he could not help wishing that 
 she did not laugh and talk quite so loudly, and did not speak so 
 familiarly to her grooms. 
 
 There now trotted into the arena a handsome centaur, both 
 his man part and his horse part denoting high breeding. He 
 approached the royal boxes, and bowed to the occupants. Queen 
 Millice was pleased with the courteous air and the graceful move- 
 ments of the centaur, and was curious to know what he was going 
 to do. She beckoned him toward her. 
 
 " Have you no competitors ?" she asked. 
 
 " None, your majesty," replied the centaur, with a bow and a 
 smile, "excepting old Father Time." 
 
 " I do not understand," said Millice. 
 
 " It is my intention, your majesty," explained the centaur, " to 
 trot alone around this arena, and to endeavor to beat any previous 
 record of fast time ; and not only this, but to make such a record 
 for myself as cannot easily be beaten in the future." 
 
 The queen was very much interested in the effort the centaur 
 was about to make in this race against his ancestors and his pos- 
 terity she liked a high ambition. 
 
 " What is the quickest time a mile has yet been trotted in ?" 
 she asked., 
 
 " Two minutes and eight and a quarter seconds," replied the 
 centaur, " and by your majesty's permission, I will now endeavor 
 to beat that." And with a bow, which he repeated as he passed 
 the other royal box, the centaur began to trot around the ring, so 
 as to warm himself for his work. 
 
 He did not go very fast at first, but when he reached the start- 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 151 
 
 ing post he set off at a great pace. His legs moved beneath him 
 with such rapidity that they could scarcely be seen, and his body 
 shook and trembled as if a steam-engine were working at its 
 highest velocity inside of him. 
 
 Around he went, the spectators almost holding their breaths as 
 he passed, until he shot by the judges' stand, and slackened his 
 speed. In an instant one of the judges dashed at a tall blackboard, 
 and marked upon it, in great figures, two minutes and seven and 
 three-quarters seconds. The centaur had beaten all previous 
 records. 
 
 Then went up a great shout from the multitude, and for a time 
 nothing could be heard but cheering and clapping. Lista and 
 Chamian came down from their box, and shook the centaur by 
 the hand, while Queen Millice beckoned to him to approach her. 
 Pushing through the crowd that surrounded him, and wiping his 
 heated face with his handkerchief, the centaur came to the queen's 
 box. 
 
 " You have done well," said she. " I congratulate you on your 
 success." 
 
 The centaur bowed and thanked her. 
 
 " But it is only half a success," he said. " It is true I have 
 beaten the past, but I must now trot against coming ages." 
 
 Again the track was cleared, and the centaur prepared for his 
 second heat. This time he held a stop-watch in his hand, so that 
 he might see as he trotted how fast he was going, and, if neces- 
 sary, increase his efforts. Away he sped, and at the half-mile post 
 he held up his watch before him, and then all could see that his 
 wonderful speed was increased. 
 
 If it had seemed before that a steam-engine were working 
 within him, one might now imagine that same engine had broken 
 loose from all government, and was tearing him to pieces as it 
 
152 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 hurled him forward. The people's eyes could scarcely move fast 
 enough to follow him. The judges were pale with excitement as 
 he passed their stand, and then high on the blackboard, where 
 every one could see them, were inscribed the figures 1.59!. 
 
 With a wild yell of delight the whole audience prepared to 
 rush toward the centaur, and in a moment he would have been 
 embraced and perhaps smothered by hundreds of enthusiastic 
 spectators, but dashing to the queen's box he stopped only long 
 enough to say : 
 
 " That, your majesty, is for posterity to beat," and then gal- 
 loped away out of the reach of the roaring multitude. 
 
 The Minister of Agriculture had been watching Millice, and was 
 greatly pleased to see the interest she had taken in the centaur. 
 
 " Things go even better than I thought they would," he said 
 to himself ; " it could hardly be expected that at a time like this, 
 when everything is in such a lively hubbub, she and Atto could 
 have a chance to get interested in each other's ideas about books 
 and education ; but if she likes the trotting of that man-horse, 
 she is bound to care ever so much more for the daring and cour- 
 age of a prince who rides a bare-backed griffin. I never imagined 
 that Atto would have such a chance as that to ingratiate himself 
 with our queen. Truly, I am having most excellent luck." 
 
 At that moment Gromline espied the griffin, who, with his 
 wings folded, was hurrying here and there along the outskirts of 
 the crowd, evidently looking for some one. 
 
 " Do you know," said the monster, coming up to the minister, 
 " where I can find Prince Atto ? Our great mid-air performance 
 is set down for this afternoon, but it strikes me that the little 
 coward has run away. But I must find him if I can, for it will be 
 a great thing for me to go through the act with a blooded prince 
 on my back." 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 153 
 
 " Indeed it will," said Gromline, "and it will be a great thing 
 for him, too. I would advise you by no means to perform with 
 out him, and I will go now and help you look for him." 
 
 Prince Atto had not seen much of the performance in the 
 arena, for he had been busily and anxiously engaged endeavoring 
 to find some one who would act as his substitute in the griffin 
 performance. Every one to whom he made the proposal declined 
 with the greatest promptness. But a mischievous imp of the hot 
 springs, who overheard the prince endeavoring to bribe an afrit 
 with two bunches of bananas, offered himself as a rider, and said 
 he would do the job for a bottle of ink and a squirt gun ; but Atto 
 knew the griffin would never accept such a substitute as that, and 
 so, in great perplexity and apprehension, continued his search. 
 He would have been glad to hide himself till night and then hurry 
 back to his home, but he knew this would not help him. An angry 
 griffin could find him as well in Nustyria as anywhere else. 
 
 Hurrying on, and scarcely knowing where he was going, Atto 
 found himself on the shores of a lake, and moored close by he 
 saw a little boat. This pleased him ; he was tired and warm, and 
 to float over the smooth water would rest and revive him. He 
 had not gone far when he heard the sound of sweet voices sing- 
 ing, and the music of harps. Looking in the direction of the 
 sounds he saw four beautiful sirens on the top of some high rocks. 
 Atto was fond of music, and rowed near the rocks. 
 
 As Prince Atto approached the rocks, the sirens, who had not 
 seen a person upon the lake that day, everybody having gone to 
 the show and the races, were greatly pleased and animated, and 
 they sung more sweetly and touched their harps more melodiously. 
 Atto, who had given up all hopes of finding a substitute, and ex- 
 pected every moment to hear the griffin rushing through the air in 
 quest of him, thought he might as well enjoy himself while he had 
 
154 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 3, chance, and rested on his oars as he listened to this charming 
 music. 
 
 But this did not suit the sirens. They wanted him to come 
 nearer, so that his boat might be wrecked upon the rocks. They 
 sung the most delightful love songs, in which they called him by 
 name, and tenderly reproached him for refusing them his delight- 
 ful society. But Atto smiled, and shook his head. He had read 
 about sirens and shipwrecked sailors, and he was not going to 
 be caught in their trap. But he was quite willing to enjoy what 
 might be called a free concert, and so kept at a safe distance and 
 listened with great satisfaction. 
 
 After a time the fair singers perceived that their songs would 
 never lure this wary youth upon the rocks, and their music ceased. 
 The prince now began to row away, but the sirens did not intend 
 to let him off so easily. One of them leaned over the rocks, and 
 called to him. 
 
 " Fair prince," said she, " one moment stay, we pray you. We 
 have heard of your great learning and of your quick wit, and we 
 had hoped, by our songs, to draw you near to us, so that we might 
 put to you a question which has greatly puzzled us, and since we 
 have first heard it, has kept us awake night after night. We be- 
 lieve you to be the only one in all this region who can solve this 
 problem for us, and we humbly pray you to listen to it and give us 
 the answer." 
 
 This interested Prince Atto. He was proud of his ability to 
 work out problems, and was always willing to show it, so he stopped 
 and then rowed a little nearer to the rocks. 
 
 " What do you want to know ? " he said ; " speak plainly, and 
 I can hear it at this distance." 
 
 " The puzzle we wish you to solve for us is this," said the siren 
 who had before spoken. " I am composed of four parts, but repre- 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 155 
 
 sent one thousand five hundred rind fifty-one separate portions. 
 My first part is far greater than the other three, but my second 
 is as good as any one. My first will go twice as far as my last, 
 twenty times as far as my third, and yet my second can see farther 
 than all the rest put together. My third is the square root of 
 double my first, plus my fourth. My whole is soft and gentle, 
 and yet my second and third have only to change places, and there 
 is a falsehood in my very centre." 
 
 Atto's eyes sparkled as he heard this puzzle. 
 
 "That is truly difficult," said he, "but I think I can work it 
 out for you," and so saying he drew in his oars, and took a piece 
 of paper and a pencil from his pocket. 
 
 " Tell it to me again," he said to the siren, " and I will write it 
 down ; then in a few minutes I will give you the answer." 
 
 The siren obeyed, and the prince went to work on the puzzle. 
 He worked and worked and worked, but he found the problem a 
 good deal harder than he had expected it to be, and the time 
 passed rapidly without his knowing it. As he sat completely 
 absorbed in his occupation, one of the sirens took the wire strings 
 from her harp and, after fastening them together, made a little 
 hook in one end of this cord, which she deftly threw into the bow 
 of the boat without Atto perceiving it. Then, very gently, she 
 began to pull him toward the rocks, the other sirens breathlessly 
 watching her operations. If they could wreck and drown the 
 prince, it would be the rarest fun for them. 
 
 The slender cord was drawn in so gradually that Atto did not 
 feel the motion of the boat, which slowly but surely approached 
 some sharp points of rock, which could not fail to penetrate the 
 delicate and fragile bottom of this Iktle bark. 
 
 But the sport of the sirens was not unobserved ; the company of 
 dryads who had taken up their quarters in the oak grove near 
 
156 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 by, and who had not ventured among the crowds at the races, 
 although they had all seen the flower show, had watched with 
 much interest the solitary boatman on the lake and had been 
 greatly concerned for his safety when they found that the sirens 
 were endeavoring to allure him to destruction. It had delighted 
 them to see that the prince was aware of his danger, and that he 
 prudently kept away from the rocks ; but now that the sirens were 
 taking an undue advantage of him the dryads grew very angry, 
 and gliding gently between the trees they approached the shore. 
 
 The siren had now drawn the boat so near the points of rock 
 that a strong jerk would knock it against them, and her eyes and 
 those of her, sisters were glistening with the anticipation of the 
 delightful scene which would follow. But one of the dryads, run- 
 ning ahead of the others, sprang behind the siren who held the 
 cord, and gave her a vigorous push, which sent her headlong into 
 the water. 
 
 Atto, startled by the great splash, turned quickly, and imagin- 
 ing that the sirens were jumping into the lake to capture him by 
 main force, he seized the oars and pulled rapidly to a safe distance, 
 and then stopped. 
 
 . " Heigho !" he cried, as the unfortunate siren rose to the sur- 
 face, and began to swim toward the shore ; " what is the meaning 
 of all this?" 
 
 The sirens themselves scarcely knew what had happened, for 
 every dryad was now behind a tree ; but they called to the prince 
 that he need not be frightened ; one of their sisters had accidentally 
 fallen into the water, that was all, and they besought him to 
 come back, and tell them the answer to the puzzle. But Atto 
 believed that the siren had tried to jump into his boat, and he 
 would not again approach the rocks. Turning around he began to 
 row toward the place where he had found the boat. 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 157 
 
 " Come back, come back," the sirens screamed angrily after 
 him, *' and tell us the answer to our puzzle. You have no right to 
 cheat us of it." Atto stopped rowing for a moment, and called 
 back. 
 
 " I have the answer," he cried, " and it is very different from 
 you, for it is the word ' mild,' and you are anything but mild," and 
 laughing at them he quickly pulled ashore. 
 
 It was dark when Prince Atto reached his tent. 
 
 " Those sirens were really of great service to me," he said to 
 himself, " for not only did they give me a very interesting puzzle, 
 but they kept me out of the way till the games were over. I sup- 
 pose the griffin found some one else to ride him, and I hope he 
 has forgotten all about me." 
 
 That evening there was a grand display of fireworks, and this 
 consisted entirely of the performance of ten or twelve fiery dragons, 
 who flew through the air around and around, darting upward and 
 downward and in every direction, all the time shooting showers 
 of sparks and jets of flame from their nostrils, while their red-hot 
 tails described fantastic figures in the air. It was a great scene. 
 The whole Dimmer-Glade was lighted up by the sparks and flames 
 of the swooping, snorting monsters as they circled overhead. 
 
 Everybody was out of doors, and Prince Atto stood by his tent, 
 greatly impressed by the exhibition. Presently he heard his name 
 called, and turning his eyes from the sky to the earth, he beheld 
 the griffin standing by him. 
 
 "Fine show, isn't it ?" said the winged creature. " It's a great 
 success, and they are going to do it again to-morrow night. That 
 big dragon up there, the one whose tail glows brightest, and who 
 shoots sparks in every direction at once, will vary the performance 
 to-morrow by carrying a man on his back. The man is to hold a 
 great bouquet, and the dragon will keep the flowers lighted up all 
 ii 
 
158 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 the time he is flying. I have recommended you for the rider. It 
 is a great idea. A prince on a firework ! Such a thing was never 
 seen before, and will probably never be seen again." 
 
 Atto could not say a word. A chill went down his back, and 
 his legs gave way beneath him, so that he sat suddenly upon the 
 ground. 
 
 " Of course," continued the griffin, " if you should perform 
 your bare-backed feat with me to-morrow afternoon you would be 
 too tired to ride the dragon in the evening, and it would not be 
 expected of you." 
 
 " Didn't you perform to-day ? " gasped Atto. 
 
 " Oh, no," replied the griffin <l I wouldn't be so mean as to go 
 through that act without you, unless you would prefer the evening 
 performance." 
 
 " Oh, no, no, no ! " cried Atto, " I would rather ride you. I pre- 
 fer that, I assure you." 
 
 kt Very well, then," said the griffin, " be ready at five o'clock." 
 
 The next morning Atto met Gromline, and told him what had 
 happened. 
 
 " I beg you will not trifle with that griffin again," said the Min- 
 ister. " I never saw such an angry monster as he was yesterday 
 afternoon, when it became necessary to postpone his act, because 
 you could not be found. If I had not pacified him by ordering 
 the judges of the flower show to give him a first prize for his 
 chrysanthemum, there is no knowing what violent act he might 
 have committed, so do not fail to be on hand to-day." 
 
 " You may be sure I shall not," Atto answered, dolefully. " He 
 spoke gently to me, but I could see the fire in his eyes." 
 
 During the morning Queen Millice again visited the flower 
 show, where she met King Chamian, who was selecting a bouquet 
 for the Princess Lista. 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 159 
 
 "Are you going to take part in the sports to-day ?" she asked 
 him. 
 
 " Oh, yes," he replied, " this afternoon is to be devoted to games 
 of strength and agility." 
 
 " If you do engage in these contests," said Millice, " I hope 
 you will not allow yourself to be beaten. You rode well yesterday, 
 but I did not like to see you come in second best." 
 
 " Why, cousin ! " exclaimed Chamian, " I did not suppose you 
 cared for such things." 
 
 " I care very much for the honor of the family," said the young 
 queen. 
 
 Shortly afterward Millice encountered Atto. He was in low 
 spirits, but he brightened up a little when he saw her. 
 
 " I have a puzzle which I will put to you," said he ; "I know 
 you like puzzles, and this is a fresh one which I heard yesterday ; " 
 and then he went on, and told her the siren's puzzle. 
 
 Queen Millice was much interested, and asking Atto to repeat 
 the puzzle, she sat down to solve it. In about fifteen minutes she 
 succeeded. 
 
 " That is an excellent puzzle," said she; "do you know any 
 more as good as it is ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes," said Atto, " I have at least a dozen of them in a 
 little book. I will bring it, and read them to you." 
 
 " I shall like that," said Millice. " I do not think I shall care 
 for the game this afternoon, and if you will bring your book to my 
 pavilion I will try and work out some of the puzzles." 
 
 Atto sighed. " I am afraid I cannot be with you at that time," 
 he said ; " I perform myself this afternoon. I ride a griffin bare- 
 back." 
 
 " You !" exclaimed Millice. " Is it possible that you not only 
 devote yourself to intellectual pursuits but to physical exercises?" 
 
j6o THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 "Oh, yes," said Atto, straightening himself, and putting on an 
 air of conscious merit ; " I give preference to the perfection of my 
 mental powers, but as a matter of course, I do not neglect my 
 physical development. However, I never forget that I am a 
 prince, and when I perform in public, I choose an act which no 
 one but myself would dare undertake." 
 
 As the young queen walked back to her tent she could not 
 help cbmparing Chamian and Atto. Here was her cousin, caring 
 only for bodily exercises, taking part in games with low-born com- 
 petitors, and worse than all, coming out second best. On the 
 other hand, Atto was not only a prince of intellect, but a man of 
 most daring courage, willing to undertake an unheard-of feat. In 
 these reflections she quite forgot the incident of the cup-of-tea 
 plant. 
 
 The first part of the afternoon was devoted to athletic games, 
 such as vaulting, long jumps, high jumps, trapeze, tight-rope per- 
 formances and other gymnastic acts. In several of these King 
 Chamian took part, and each time he entered the arena he looked 
 at the box of Queen Millice to see if she were observing him. It 
 was not necessary for him to look at his own box, in which Lista 
 sat. She watched everything, and was generally more excited and 
 clapped her hands louder than anybody elsec The young king 
 was determined that, if he could help it, Millice should not see him 
 come out second best again. He had never before given any 
 thought to her opinion, for he had never before had reason to 
 suppose k she cared whether he succeeded or failed in anything. 
 
 Thus animated, Chamian vaulted higher than anybody else, 
 not a Kobol-lander, and in hurling a javelin at a mark he surpassed 
 all competitors. Lista loudly applauded his success, and wanted 
 to go into the arena and hurl a javelin herself, but he dissuaded 
 her. 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 161 
 
 There was then a grand fencing match, in which a unicorn 
 entered the ring and challenged all comers. 
 
 After this spirited animal, with his long, tapering horn, had dis- 
 concerted some of the best swordsmen of Nustyria and Tanobar, 
 King Chamian entered the lists against him, and by the rapid and 
 skilful play of his stout blade not only warded off all the attacks 
 of the unicorn, but at last forced him to turn tail and fly. At this 
 
 DUEL BETWEEN THE KING AND THE UNICORN. 
 
 victory Queen Millice stood up, clapped her hands and waved her 
 handkerchief. That was a contest fit for a king. 
 
 In some of the games Chamian took no part, and throwing the 
 great hammer was one of these. There were many competitors en- 
 tered in this game, but they did not all have a chance, for the giant 
 Jirg swung and hurled the hammer with such force that it flew as 
 far as the lake where the sirens sang, and then descended into the 
 water with such a tremendous splash that the four sisters on the 
 
162 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 rocks were nearly frightened out of their wits, and the dryads in 
 the grove above, who ran out from their tree trunks when they 
 heard the great noise, were all well wet by the descending shower 
 of drops. 
 
 The tug of war next followed, in which a great number of 
 Kobol-landers took hold of one end of a long cable, and the 
 athletes from Tanobar and Nustyria grasped the other. As this 
 was a sort of international contest everybody was wildly excited 
 over it. The Kobol-landers would, undoubtedly, have won the 
 victory had it not been for the bright thought of a judge from 
 Tanobar, who, seeing how matters were likely to go, hastily made 
 out naturalization papers for three wild giants who had just arrived, 
 and were standing among the spectators. When these great hairy 
 fellows became citizens of Tanobar and seized the end of the rope 
 the struggling mass of Kobol-landers were dragged over the divid- 
 ing line in less that twenty seconds. It is needless to say that this 
 judge obtained preferment. 
 
 When this exciting contest had been finished a mounted herald, 
 clad in crimson and gold, rode into the arena, and after blowing his 
 trumpet, proclaimed in a loud voice that the sports of the day 
 would conclude with a grand performance in mid-air, in which the 
 valiant and fearless Prince Atto of Nustyria would ride a bareback 
 griffin. This announcement created a great sensation, for no one 
 who knew Prince Atto had supposed that he was a man who would 
 undertake such an unheard-of feat. 
 
 The prince now entered the arena, and bowed to the ladies in 
 the two royal boxes. Then he approached Queen Millice, and 
 asked her if he had her good wishes in his present perilous .feat. 
 He looked bold and determined enough, for Gromline had been 
 with him all the morning, assuring him that it would be the easiest 
 thing in the world to ride a quiet, careful griffin, who would assist 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 163 
 
 him in every possible way to keep his position, and to feel at ease ; 
 and the minister had, furthermore, fortified and encouraged him by 
 an excellent luncheon, composed entirely of Cosmic Beans, cooked 
 and prepared in many different ways. The queen was pleased with 
 his brave appearance, and gave him a silken scarf to wear as a 
 token of her interest. 
 
 Now the sound of great wings was heard, and the griffin, 
 swooping through the air, came down to the ground in front of the 
 royal boxes. Then, curling his tail high over his back, he informed 
 Prince Atto that he was ready to begin the act. Without hesita- 
 tion the young man stepped on the horny back of the monster, and 
 stood upright, steadying himself by holding fast to the stiffened tail. 
 
 Slowly uprose the great griffin into the air, Prince Atto stand- 
 ing upright on his back. This was not a difficult feat, nor an 
 unsafe one, so long as the griffin's tail, by which Atto steadied 
 himself, remained stifBy in position. As the first gentle circle 
 above the arena was made, Atto looked a little pale, but he felt 
 that his position was secure, and bowed and smiled as shouts of 
 applause came up from the great multitude. 
 
 This griffin was a monster of a very hot and revengeful disposi- 
 tion, and his anger against Atto for deserting him and preventing 
 his performance on the first day had not in the least cooled, and 
 although his manner toward the young man had been very mild, 
 he had determined that, during this act, he would punish him for 
 his treachery. 
 
 On the second grand tour, during which the griffin flew much 
 more rapidly than before, his tail was raised higher in the air, so 
 that Atto, still clinging to it, was obliged to stand on the tips of 
 his toes. The prince shouted to the griffin to lower his tail, but 
 the latter paid no attention to him, but flew faster and faster, dart- 
 ing upward and downward and from one side to the other. 
 
164 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 Now the tail was stuck perpendicularly upward, and Atto clung 
 to it, as he would to the mast of a tossing ship. Then, without 
 the least warning, and in the midst of a wild swoop, the tail went 
 straight out behind, and Atto found himself hanging beneath it, his 
 legs and arms turned about it, as if it had been a horizontal bar 
 in a gymnasium. 
 
 Nearly frightened out of his wits, the young prince began to 
 shout for help, and as he did so the griffin swung his tail from 
 right to left, and sometimes dipped it downward, so that Atto's 
 feet were higher than his head. The flights became swifter and 
 wilder than before, and mounting high into the air, the griffin sud- 
 denly dropped downward as if he would strike the earth, but before 
 reaching it, rose again with a great swoop and recommenced his 
 mad gyrations above the people's heads. 
 
 During this astounding and blood-thrilling performance every 
 breath was held and every heart beat fast. Even the flying 
 monsters of Kobol-land had never known of anything like this. 
 Every one was wild with admiration at Atto's amazing strength 
 and courage. His cries had been heard, but it was supposed that 
 he was shouting to his steed and urging him to swifter speed. But 
 the griffin did not intend that Atto should get any credit for his 
 performance. He understood the applause, and having thoroughly 
 frightened the prince, he proceeded to let the public know what 
 sort of a man this bold rider really was. 
 
 He curled up his tail so that Atto was able to scramble on his 
 back and sit astride of him ; then he sailed slowly around the 
 arena not very far above the heads of the spectators. Atto now 
 began to cry piteously for help. He besought the king, the queen, 
 Lista, anybody, to stop the monster and take him down. He de- 
 clared that he had not wanted to do this thing, that he had been 
 forced into it, and if the griffin began again to rush through the 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 165 
 
 air he should certainly fall to the ground and be killed. He wiped 
 his weeping eyes with the scarf Millice had given him, and when 
 it was thoroughly wet he threw it to the ground. 
 
 Many of the spectators pitied the prince, but more laughed at 
 
 PRINCE ATTO TAKES A RIDE WITH THE GRIFFIN. 
 
 him. The Kobol-landers were delighted ; here was a grand victory 
 by one of themselves over a human being of high degree. 
 
 But the griffin was resolved that Atto should not even be 
 pitied. Presently a young dragon came toward him, bearing a 
 large banner with an inscription upon it. This the monster took 
 
166 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 in his fore-paws, and holding it high over his head, continued 
 his slow course. The inscription, in great black letters, read as 
 follows : 
 
 " The fellow on my back has been punished for playing false 
 with a griffin and trying to cheat a gardener." 
 
 As nearly all the people of Tanobar and Nustyria were inter- 
 ested in gardening and gardeners, and as all the inhabitants of 
 Kobol-land sympathized with griffins, a yell of derision arose from 
 the crowd. But Atto paid little attention to this, nor did he even 
 look upward to read the inscription. All he cared for was to get 
 down from the griffin's back, and he continued to weep and beg 
 and pray that some man, woman, giant, or even gnome or fairy, 
 would take pity on him. 
 
 Now uprose Queen Millice, and as the flying monster passed 
 near her, she cried out to him : 
 
 " Good griffin, he has had enough of punishment. I beg that 
 you will take him to his tent and leave him there." 
 
 At these words the griffin turned, and Atto began to pour out 
 thanks to the young queen, but she did not so much as look at 
 him, and the griffin carried him to his tent and dumped him off at 
 the door. 
 
 The griffin's performance was much enjoyed by those people of 
 Tanobar who had a contempt for Nustyrians, by those Nustyrians 
 who had a contempt for Atto, and by those Kobol-landers who had 
 a contempt for human beings. 
 
 The entertainment of the next afternoon began with something 
 of a totally different character from the griffin act. This was a 
 spelling bee, and the judges were a learned man, a wizard, and the 
 Queen of the Fairies. As Millice had done nothing so far, she 
 thought it but right that she should enter this contest. Chamian 
 and Lista were also among the competitors, as well as many per- 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 167 
 
 sons attached to the courts of the two countries, and a miscella- 
 neous lot of Kobol-landers. 
 
 The words given out by the judges were generally very odd 
 and unusual ones, and a good deal of the spelling of the competi- 
 
 THE JUDGES OF THE GAMES. 
 
 tors was even more odd and unusual. All the afrits, gnomes, 
 dragons, genii, and other inhabitants of Kobol-land spoke the 
 languages of the adjoining countries. For if these strange and 
 semi-natural creatures could not use and comprehend the speech 
 of man, they would lose a greater part of the interest which has 
 
168 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 always attached to them, but as few of them knew anything about 
 reading or writing their ideas of spelling were mystical and vague. 
 
 When a goat-legged satyr spelled " supersapient " as a word of 
 two letters beginning and ending with y, and when a bottle-green 
 imp, perched on the shoulders of a giant in order that he might 
 see and be seen, spelled " gormandizer " with the figures i, 8, 4, 3, 
 it was plain that they knew what they wanted to spell if they did 
 not know how to do it. 
 
 King Chamian did very well, although he failed on some five- 
 syllabled word, but Lista spelled " euphemistic " youphumistick, and 
 when the judges, seeing she was not at home in this class of words, 
 gave her " saddle," she spelled it with one d, and the e where the / 
 ought to be. 
 
 Queen Millice was by all odds the best speller on the grounds, 
 and the audience became quite enthusiastic at her success with 
 every word given her, no matter how hard it was, or how many 
 had failed before her. Even " rodomontade " she spelled without 
 an h, although " rhododendron " had been given out a little while 
 before. 
 
 When Prince Atto, who had not shown himself since his griffin 
 act, heard there was to be a spelling bee, he was anxious to take 
 part, for he was very proud of his abilities as a speller ; and feeling 
 that he might now regain some of the reputation he had lost the 
 day before, he ventured into the arena. He had changed his 
 clothes and was not recognized by the greater part of the crowd, 
 but the judges knew him and they gave him the hardest words 
 they could think of. However, they found no fault with his spell- 
 ing until he came to the word " xylophagan," and then the Queen 
 of the Fairies cried out, "Wrong, he should spell it with a z" 
 
 " 1 beg your pardon," said the learned man, "but if I am not 
 mistaken the word begins with an x t as he spelled it." 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 169 
 
 " Nonsense," exclaimed the Fairy Queen, whose face had begun 
 to glow with indignation the moment she had perceived Atto, "you 
 need not try to make me believe that a cowardly cheat such as that 
 fellow understands spelling better than I do. No one can hear the 
 word without knowing that it begins with a z. What say you, 
 wizard ? " 
 
 The wizard, who knew on which side his bread was buttered, 
 replied to the Fairy Queen that he agreed with her perfectly. 
 The learned man, with two against him, could do no more, and Atto 
 was told to sit down. 
 
 The athletic games ended with a grand football match, in which 
 there were hundreds of players. The contest was very exciting, 
 and Lista became so wildly enthusiastic that she fairly scolded 
 Chamian for not joining in this grand sport. 
 
 " Oh, if I were only a man," she cried, " I should show you how 
 I could kick." 
 
 But Chamian did not care to take part in this game. He had 
 begun to think more of his dignity, and therefore restrained his 
 inclination to enter the rough-and-tumble scramble in the arena. 
 During the applause which followed the exploits of a jet-black 
 centaur, with a curly head and enormous hind hoofs, Chamian 
 left Lista and went to the pavilion of Millice. He learned that 
 she had left the arena and gone to see the last of the flower 
 show. Joining her there, he found her in conversation with the 
 griffin. 
 
 " Yes," the monster was saying, " you are the only person in 
 all that crowd who had the courage to speak to me and ask me to 
 stop tormenting that poor rascal, and in order to show you how I 
 appreciate your brave spirit I am going to give you my prize 
 chrysanthemum," and he thereupon presented her with the great 
 plant covered with its fiery and sparkling flowers. 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 When the monster had left, Chamian and Millice walked 
 together through the beautiful passageways, and he congratulated 
 her on her victory at the spelling bee. 
 
 " It must be ever so much harder," he said, " to spell the words 
 they gave you than to fence with a unicorn." 
 
 ATHLETES AT THE GAMES. 
 
 Just then they came to the cup-of-tea plant, which Chamian 
 had not before noticed. Millice wanted some tea, and stopping, 
 she broke off and filled two blossoms, one of which she handed to 
 Chamian. The king sipped it, and declared that as a rule he did 
 not care for tea, but that this was delicious. 
 
 Not far away the sorcerer stood, watching the young couple, 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 171 
 
 and as he watched, he smiled more and more. Presently he sum- 
 moned his body servant. 
 
 " Graglick," he said, " measure my grin." 
 
 Taking a tape measure from his pocket, the servant obeyed. 
 
 " Master," he said, " it is nine and a half inches long." 
 
 " I thought things would turn out in that way," the sorcerer 
 said to himself, " if they were brought together away from home." 
 
 When Millice had retired to her tent, Chamian said to the 
 gardener : 
 
 " I wish to buy this cup-of-tea plant, and make it a present to 
 the queen. Send it to the palace, and I will pay you your price." 
 
 That evening the exhibition was pronounced closed, and every 
 road was covered with the visitors returning to their homes, all 
 delighted with the success of the great show in Kobol-land. 
 
 At daybreak Lista mounted her wicked mare, and set off for 
 home at full speed, soon outstripping her attendants, as was her 
 custom. In the course of the morning she overtook Atto, on his 
 elephant. He had left the Dimmer-Glade in the night, and was 
 now reclining on his cushioned platform studying a book of loga- 
 rithms. Lista pulled up her horse. 
 
 11 Heigho, Miss Atto," she cried, " going home, are you, to show 
 your papa and mamma the prize you took in the great griffin act ? w 
 
 Atto turned slowly over and looked down at her. 
 
 " Where is your great prize ?" he said ; " I don't see him any- 
 where. Did you ride so fast that you left him behind you ? " 
 
 " What prize do you mean ? " asked Lista, sharply. 
 
 " I mean the King of Tanobar," replied Atto. 
 
 Lista turned red in the face and shook her whip at Atto, and 
 then, too angry to say a word, she dashed away. 
 
 Two days after his return King Chamian left his apartments 
 in the royal palace, and walked to the other end of the splendid 
 
172 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 building to visit Millice, which was a very unusual thing for him 
 to do. 
 
 " Cousin," he said, when they were together, " do you not think 
 it would be well if this kingdom should have but one throne, and 
 that we both should sit upon it ? " 
 
 The young queen played with her fan. 
 
 " Do you think it could be made wide enough ? " she asked. 
 
 " Oh, I will see to that," he exclaimed. 
 
 " And we shall each wear the crown we inherited ?" said she. 
 
 " Indeed we shall," he cried, " and you shall be doubly queen 
 queen as my wife, and queen as your father's child." 
 
 The eyes of Millice sparkled as she looked upon the noble and 
 glowing face of Chamian. 
 
 " And you shall be the king that you are," she said, " and my 
 king besides." 
 
 When it was proclaimed that Millice and Chamian were to 
 marry, and that there was to be but one royal family in Tanobar, 
 the joy of the people knew no bounds. But in the midst of the 
 universal happiness the Minister of Agriculture stood shocked and 
 downcast. He had not expected this blow but he was a man of 
 action, and he felt that if he made any hay at all he must do it 
 while the sun yet shone, so he hastened to the king. 
 
 " Your majesty," said he, " as a proof of my rapturous delight 
 on this glad day I wish to offer you the best I have the result of 
 my life's most earnest labors. I give to you my Cosmic Bean. It 
 gained four first prizes at the great show, and its value is now 
 undoubted. Take it, my king ! Through you I give it to my 
 country." 
 
 " How many plants have you ?" asked the king. 
 
 " I have twenty," answered Gromline ; " they are here in these 
 pots, which my servants have brought you." 
 
THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 173 
 
 " And have you any seeds or slips besides ? " inquired Chamian. 
 
 "None, your majesty," said the minister, "but there are pods 
 there which will soon be ripe, and you will have seeds enough to 
 spread broadcast over the kingdom." 
 
 " Very good," said Chamian. " I accept your gift." 
 
 When the king next saw Millice, he found her admiring her 
 chrysanthemum and her cup-of-tea plant. 
 
 "I, too, have had a horticultural present," he said, and he told 
 her of Gromline's gift of the Cosmic Bean. 
 
 " That is the plant which will make it unnecessary for people 
 to work, is it not ? " she asked., 
 
 "Yes," he said, "and I want to consult you as to what shall be 
 done with it." 
 
 " It is my opinion," said Millice, " that if we do not wish to be 
 king and queen of Lazyland, it will be well to utterly destroy this 
 plant. For if no one need work, no one would work, and in the 
 course of time we should become as cattle, and live on beans as 
 they live on grass." 
 
 " You speak well," said the king, " and I agree with you en- 
 tirely." And he ordered the twenty plants of the Cosmic Bean, 
 pots and all, to be cast into a furnace and burned up. 
 
 Shortly after this had been done the sorcerer called on the 
 Minister of Agriculture and found him in a very angry mood, and 
 engaged in packing up his goods and chattels. 
 
 " I am going to leave this wretched country," said Gromline ; 
 "everything has gone wrong. Your advice about getting up the 
 great show in Kobol-land was worse than worthless, and you ought 
 to repay me the seventy sequins I gave you for it." 
 
 " I don't do business in that way," said the sorcerer. " I con- 
 sider that the advice was worth double the money. It made you 
 a positive benefactor to your country. In your efforts to create 
 
174 THE GREAT SHOW IN KOBOL-LAND. 
 
 dissensions in the land, and by means of your universal food, 
 to put yourself at the head of a mob of lazy people, whom you 
 would cheat into the belief that you would allow them to live with- 
 out work, you have brought together our king and queen, who 
 otherwise might never have found out how well suited to each 
 other they were. You have cultivated friendly relations between 
 Tanobar and Nustyria, and above all, in endeavoring to work upon 
 the generous feelings of the king you have put out of existence 
 that baneful plant, which would have taken from men the incentive 
 to the improvement of their condition ; and so I say there never 
 was a grander success than the great show in Kobol-land." 
 
 " Away with you," cried Gromline, and went on with his 
 packing. 
 
Charles Scribner's Sons' Books for Young Readers. 
 Frank R. Stockton's Books for the Young. 
 
 " His books for boys and girls art classics." NEWARK ADVERTISER. 
 
 THE CLOCKS OF RONDAINE, AND OTHER STORIES. With 24 illustrations 
 by BLASHFIELD, ROGERS, BEARD, and others. Square 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 PERSONALLY CONDUCTED. Illustrated by 
 PENNELL, PARSONS, and others. Sq. 8vo, $2.00. 
 
 THE STORY OF VITEAU. Illustrated by R. 
 B. BIRCH. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 A JOLLY FELLOWSHIP. With 20 illustrations. 
 
 I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 THE FLOATING PRINCE AND OTHER FAIRY 
 
 TALES. Illustrated. Square 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 THE TING-A-LING TALES. Illustrated. I2mo, FRANK R. STOCKTON. 
 
 $1.00. 
 
 ROUNDABOUT RAMBLES IN LANDS OF FACT AND FICTION. 
 
 Illustrated. Square 8vo, $1.50. 
 
 TALES OUT OF SCHOOL. With nearly 200 illustrations. Square 
 8vo, Ci-50. 
 
 " The volumes are profusely illustrated and contain the most entertaining sketches in 
 Mr. Stockton's most entertaining manner." CHRISTIAN UNION. 
 
 Edward Eggleston's Two Popular Books. 
 
 THE HOOSIER SCHOOL-BOY. 
 
 Illustrated. I2mo, $1.00. 
 
 "' The Hoosier School-Boy' depicts some of the charac- 
 teristics of boy-life years ago on the Ohio ; characteristics, 
 however, that were not peculiar to that section. The story 
 presents a vrv ' ' 
 in those dai 
 cation.' 
 
 er, Tnai were not peculiar to tnat section, i ne story 
 s a vivid and interesting picture of the difficulties which 
 e days beset the path of the youth aspiring for an edu- 
 " CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN. 
 
 QUEER STORIES FOR BOYS AND 
 
 GIRLS. I2IT10, $1.00. 
 
 " A very bright and attractive little volume for young 
 readers. The stories are fresh, breezy, and healthy, with a 
 good point to them and a good, sound American view of life 
 and the road to success. The book abounds in good feeling 
 and good sense, and is written in a style of homely art." IN- 
 
 DEPENDENT. 
 
 Evening Tales. 
 
 Done into English from the French of Frederic Ortoli, by JOEL CHANDLER 
 
 HARRIS. I2mo, $1.00. 
 
 " It is a veritable French ' Uncle Remus ' that Mr. Harris has discovered in Frederic Ortoli. The 
 book has the genuine piquancy of Gallic wit, and will be sure to charm American children. Mr. Har- 
 ris's version is delightfully written." BOSTON BEACON. 
 
 Hans Brinker : 
 
 Or, The Silver Skates. A Story of Life in Holland. By Mary 
 Mapes Dodge. With 60 illustrations. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 " The author has shown, in her former works for the young, a very rare ability to meet their 
 wants; but she has produced nothing better than this charming tale alive with incident and action, 
 adorned rather than freighted with useful facts, and moral without moralization." THE NATION. 
 
Charles Scribner' 1 s Sons' 1 ^Books for Young Readers. 
 
 Written and Illustrated by Howard Pyle 
 
 A NEW BOOK JUST PUBLISHED. 
 
 THE 
 STORY OF SIR LAUNCELOT AND HIS COMPANIONS 
 
 Profusely illustrated. Royal 8vo, $2.50 net. 
 
 The account of the adventures and deeds of Sir Launcelot, fully 
 and beautifully illustrated in Mr. Pyle's characteristic style, and uniform 
 with his other two books, "The Story of King Arthur and His Knights" 
 and "The Story of the Champions of the Round Table." This book 
 takes up the adventures of the greatest of the Arthurian heroes, from 
 the very beginning, and also that of his son Sir Galahad. 
 
 "There is nobody quite like Howard Pyle, after all, when it comes to stories for children, 
 nobody with his peculiar freshness and enthusiasm, and his power of choosing quaint and 
 lovely settings for the sometimes quiet, sometimes stirring tales that appeal at once to his 
 readers by their truth and naturalness." THE SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN. 
 
 OTHER "BOOKS BY MR. PYLE. 
 
 THE STORY OF THE CHAMPIONS OF THE ROUND TABLE. Profusely illustrated. 
 
 Royal 8vo, $2.50 net. 
 " He has caught the very spirit of chivalry. It is one of the best of holiday books." SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. 
 
 THE STORY OF KING ARTHUR AND HIS KNIGHTS. Profusely illustrated. Royal 
 8vo, $2.50 net. 
 
 "Nothing could be better to give a boy or girl for Christmas than Mr. 
 Pyle's rendition of these stately, ennobling old legends." 
 
 CHICAGO RECORD-HERALD. 
 
 THE MERRY ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD. 
 
 Illustrated. Royal 8vo, $3.00. 
 
 "This superb book is unquestionably the most original and elaborate ever 
 produced by any American author. Mr. Pyle has told, with pencil and pen, 
 the complete and consecutive story of Robin Hood and his merry men in their 
 haunts in Sherwood Forest, gathered from the old ballads and legends." 
 BOSTON TRANSCRIPT. 
 
 OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND. Illustrated. Royal 
 8vo, $2.00. 
 
 "The scene of the story is mediaeval Germany in the time of the feuds and 
 robber barons and romance. The kidnapping of Otto, his adventures 
 
 among rough soldiers and his daring rescue make up a spirited and thrilling FROM "OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND.' 
 
 story." CHRISTIAN UNION. Reduced. 
 
Charles Scribner's Sons' 1 'Books for Young Readers. 
 
 By William Henry Frost. 
 
 FAIRIES AND FOLK OF IRELAND. Illustrated by SIDNEY R. BUPLEIGH. lamo, $1.50. 
 "Fresh and delightful materials are incorporated in witty and interesting narratives." PHILADELPHIA PRESS. 
 
 THE KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE. Stories of King Arthur and the Holy Grail. Il- 
 lustrated by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. lamo, $1.50. 
 
 "The book is especially commended to boys, who will delight in the martial spirit breathed through the ta'rs, and tanrc t 
 fail to be benefited by reading of the courage, honor, and truth of these 'brave knights of old.'" 
 
 CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN. 
 
 THE COURT OF KING ARTHUR. Stories from the Land of the Round Table. Illustrated 
 by SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. i2mo, $1.50. 
 
 "Mr. William Henry Frost in 'The Court of King Arthur' has succeeded admirably in his attempt to make the doughty 
 knights and fair ladies of ancient days seem distinct and interesting to boys and girls of our own time." 
 
 PUBLIC OPINION. 
 
 THE WAGNER STORY BOOK. Firelight Tales of the Great Music Dramas. Illustrated by 
 SIDNEY R. BURLEIGH. i2mo, $1.50. 
 
 "The story of the Knight of the Swan, of the Ring of the Nibelungen, the Search for the Grail, of Lohengrin and of 
 Parsifal, are among the richest and deepest of the great mediaeval stories. They are pre-eminentlv the natural food for 
 children of imagination, and in this volume these stories are retold in a very effective way." THE OUTLOOK. 
 
 Robert Grant's Two Books for Boys. 
 
 JACK HALL; or, the School Days of an American Boy. Illustrated by F. G. ATTWOOD. 
 lamo, $1.25. 
 
 "A better book for boys has never been written. It is pure, clean and healthy, and has throughout a vigorous 
 action that holds the reader breathless." BOSTON HERALD. 
 
 "A capital story for boys, wholesome and interesting. It reminds one of 'Tom Brown.'" BOSTON TRANSCRIPT. 
 
 JACK IN THE BUSH; or, a Summer on a Salmon River. Illustrated by F 1 . MERRILL. 
 
 i2mo, $1.25. 
 
 "A clever book for bovs. It is the story of the camp-life of a lot of hoys, and is destined to please every boy reader. 
 It is attractively illustrated." DETROIT FREE PRESS. 
 
 "An ideal story of out-door lite and genuine experiences." BOSTON TRAVELLER. 
 
Charles Scribner^s Sons 1 *Books for Young Readers. 
 
 Books by Kirk Munroe. 
 
 A SON OF SATSUMA; or, WITH PERRY IN JAPAN. Illustrated by RUFUS F. ZOGBAUM. 
 
 i2mo, $1.00 net. 
 
 "If there is a man who understands writing a story for boys better than another, it is Kirk Munroe." SPRINGFIELD 
 REPUBLICAN. 
 
 BRETHREN OF THE COAST: A TALE OF WEST INDIAN PIRATES. Illustrated by 
 RUFUS F. ZOGBAUM. i2mo, $1.25. 
 
 "There is enough of history and enough of action in this story to make it valuable as well as readable, and this story 
 of adventure and description will be read with interest and profit." HERALD AND PRESBYTER. 
 
 MIDSHIPMAN STUART; OR, THE LAST CRUISE OF THE ESSEX. A tale of 1812. 
 
 Illustrated. i2mo, $1.25. 
 
 The story tells of the exciting adventures of an unusually plucky and enterprising American boy whose career at 
 sea is marked with hairbreadth escapes. 
 
 IN PIRATE WATERS: A TALE OF THE AMERICAN NAVY. Illustrated by I. W. TABER. 
 
 i2mo, $1.25. 
 
 The boy hero of this book assists in the extinction of this cowardly system, taking part in some of the sea fights 
 which brought glory to the American navy. 
 
 The White Conqueror's Series. 
 
 Each i2mo, $1.25. The set in a box, four volumes, $5.00. 
 
 WITH CROCKETT AND BOWIE; or, Fighting for the Lone Star State. Illustrated by VICTOR 
 S. PERARD. 
 
 " One of the most spirited and interesting tales that he has written." NEWS AND COURIER. 
 
 THROUGH SWAMP AND GLADE. A tale of the Seminole War. 
 Illustrated by VICTOR S. PERARD. 
 
 " No boy can get hold of this story without being carried away with it." 
 
 BOSTON COURIER. 
 
 AT WAR WITH PONTIAC; or, the Totem of the Bear. A tale of 
 redcoat and redskin. Illustrated by J. FENNEMORE. 
 
 " The book is admirably written throughout and has not a dull page in it." 
 
 BOSTON BEACON. 
 
 THE WHITE CONQUERORS. A tale of Toltec and Aztec. Illus- 
 trated by W. S. STAGEY. 
 
 "The book is filled with incident and permeated with the high color and life of the 
 period and country " CAMBRIDGE TRIBUNE. 
 
Charles Scribner's Sons 9 "Books for Young Readers. 
 
 The Norseland Series, 
 
 <BY H. H. <BOYESEN. 
 
 NORSELAND TALES. Illustrated. I2mo, $1.25. 
 BOYHOOD IN NORWAY : NINE STORIES OF DEEDS OF THE SONS 
 OF THE VIKINGS. With 8 illustrations. I2mo, $1.25 
 
 AGAINST HEAVY ODDS, AND A FEARLESS TRIO. With 13 full- 
 page illustrations by W. L. TAYLOR. I2mo, $1.25. 
 
 THE MODERN VIKINGS : STORIES OF LIFE AND SPORT IN THE 
 
 NORSELAND. With many full-page illustrations. I2mo, $1.25. 
 
 The four above volumes in a box, $5.00. 
 
 " Charmingly told stories of boy-life in the Land of the Midnight Sun, illustrated 
 with pictures giving a capital idea of the incidents and scenes described. The tales 
 have a delight all their own, as they tell of scenes and sports and circumstances so 
 different from those of our American life." N. Y. OBSERVER. 
 
 Two Books by Rossiter Johnson. 
 
 THE END OF A RAINBOW. AN AMERICAN STORY. Illustrated. I2mo, 
 
 $1.50. 
 
 " It will be read with breathless interest. It is interesting and full of boyish experiences." 
 N. Y. INDEPENDENT. 
 
 PHAETON ROGERS. A NOVEL OF BOY LIFE. Illustrated. I2mo, Oi-5o. 
 
 "Mr. Johnson has shown in this book capabilities of a really high quality, for his story 
 abounds with humor, and there are endless bits ot quiet fun in it, which bring out the 
 hearty laugh, even when it is read by older people. It is a capital book for boys." NEW 
 YORK TIMES. 
 
 Mrs. Burton Harrison's Tales. 
 
 BRIC-A-BRAC STORIES. 
 
 With 24 illustrations by WALTER CRANE. I2mo, $1.50. 
 "When the little boy, for whose benefit the various articles of bric-a-brac in his 
 father's drawing-room relate stories appropriate to their several native countries, 
 exclaims at the conclusion of one of them : * I almost think there can't be a better 
 one than that 1 ' the reader, of whatever age, will probably feel inclined to agree 
 with him. Upon the whole, it is to be wished that every boy and girl might become 
 acquainted with the contents of this book." JULIAN HAWTHORNE. 
 
 THE OLD FASHIONED FAIRY BOOK. 
 
 Illustrated by ROSIN A EMMET. i6mo, $1.25. 
 
 " The little ones, who so willingly go back with us to 'Jack the Giant Killer,' 
 4 Bluebeard,' and the kindred stories of our childhood, will gladly welcome Mrs. 
 Burton Harrison's l Old- Fashioned Fairy Tales.' The graceful pencil of Miss Ro- 
 sina Emmet has given a pictorial interest to the book." FRANK R. STOCKTON. 
 
 BBOM "BRIC-A-BRAC STORIES.' 
 Reduced. 
 
Cbarle^ Scribner's Sons' !3ooks for Young Readers. 
 
 Heroes of the Olden Time. 
 
 By JAMES BALDWIN. Three volumes, I2mo, each 
 
 beautifully illustrated. Singly, $1.50; 
 
 the set, $4.00. 
 
 A STORY OF THE GOLDEN AGE. Illustrated 
 by HOWARD PYLE. 
 
 " Mr. Baldwin's book is redolent with the spirit of the Odyssey, that glo- 
 rious primitive epic, fresh with the dew of the morning of time. It is an unal- 
 loyed pleasure to read his recital of the adventures of the wily Odysseus. How- 
 ard Pyle's illustrations render the spirit of the Homeric age with admirable 
 felicity. "PROF. H. H. BOYESEN. 
 
 THE STORY OF SIEGFRIED. Illustrated by HOWARD PYLE. 
 
 " The story of ' Siegfried ' is charmingly told. The author makes up the stcrv f r m the various myths in a fascinating 
 way which cannot fail to interest the reader. It is as enjoyable as any fairy tale." HARTFORD COURANT. 
 
 THE STORY OF ROLAND. Illustrated by R. B. EIRCH. 
 
 " Mr. Baldwin has culled from a wide range of epics, French, Italian, and German, and has once more proved his aptitude 
 M a story-teller for the young." THE NATION. 
 
 The Boy's Library of Legend and Chivalry. 
 
 Edited by SIDNEY LANIER, and richly illustrated by FREDERICKS, BENSELL, and 
 KAPPES. Four volumes, cloth, uniform binding, price per set $7.00. Sold 
 separately, price per volume, $2.00. 
 
 Mr. Lanier's books present to boy readers the old 
 English classics of history and legend in an attract- 
 ive form. While they are stories of actiot. and 
 stirring incident, they teach those lessons which 
 manly, honest boys ought to learn. 
 
 THE BOY'S KING ARTHUR. 
 THE BOY'S FROISSART. 
 THE BOY'S PERCY. 
 THE KNIGHTLY LEGENDS OF 
 WALES. 
 
 " Amid all the strange and fanciful scenery of these stories, 
 character and ideals of character remain at the simplest and 
 purest. The romantic history transpires in the healthy atmos- 
 phere of the open air on the green earth beneath the open sky." 
 THE INDEPENDENT- 
 
Charles Scribner's Sons' Tlooks for Young Readers. 
 
 Stories for Boys. 
 
 By RICHARD HARDING DAVIS. With 6 full-page illustra- 
 tions. I2mo, $1.00 
 
 CONTENTS : The Reporter who made himself King Midsummer Pi- 4 
 rates Richard Carr's Baby, a Football Story The Great Tri-Club 
 Tennis Tournament The Jump at Corey's Slip The Van Bibber 
 Baseball Club The Story of a Jockey. 
 
 "It will be astonishing indeed if youths of all ages are not fascinated with these 
 'Stories for Boys.' Mr. Davis knows infallibly what will interest his young readers." 
 ^BOSTON BEACON. 
 
 RICHARD HARDING DAVIS. 
 
 Marvels of Animal Life Series. 
 
 By CHARLES F. HOLDER. Three volumes, 8vo, 
 each profusely illustrated. Singly, $1.75 ; 
 the Set, $5.00. 
 
 THE IVORY KING. A POPULAR HISTORY OF THE ELE- 
 PHANT AND ITS ALLIES. 
 
 "The author talks in a lively and pleasant way about white 
 elephants, rojue elephants, baby elephants, trick elephants, of the 
 elephant in war, pageantry, sports and games* A charming accession 
 to books for young people." CHICAGO INTERIOR. 
 
 MARVELS OF ANIMAL LIFE. 
 
 " Mr. Holder combines his description of these odd creatures with 
 stories of his own adventures in pursuit of them in many parts of the 
 world. These arz told with much spirit, and add greatly to the fasci- 
 nation of the book." WORCESTER SPY. 
 
 LIVING LIGHTS. A POPULAR ACCOUNT OF PHOSPHOR- 
 ESCENT ANIMALS AND VEGETABLES. 
 
 " A very curious branch of natural history is expounded in most 
 agreeable style by this delightful book. He has revealed a world of 
 new wonders." PHILADELPHIA BULLETIN. 
 
 'THE IVORY KING. 
 
 Reduced. 
 
 White Cockades. 
 
 An Incident of the "Forty-five." By EDWARD I. STEVENSON. I2mo, $1.00. 
 
 " A bright historical tale. The scene is Scotland ; the time that of Prince Charles' rebellion. The hero is a certain gallant 
 young nobleman devoted to the last of the Stuarts and his cause. The action turns mainly upon the hiding, the hunting, and the 
 narrow escapes of Lord Geoffrey Armitage from the spies and soldiers of the King." NEW YORK MAIL AND EXPRESS. 
 
 Prince Peerless. 
 
 A Fairy-Folk Story Book. By MARGARET COLLIER (Madam Gelletti Di Cadilhac). 
 Illustrated by John Collier. lamo, $1.25. 
 
 " More admirable and fascinating a fairy-story book we have not lately set eyes upon. The stblries'are most airily 
 conceived and gracefully executed." HARTFORD POST. 
 
Cbarles Scribner's Sons' "Books for Young Readers. 
 
 Samuel Adams Drake's Historical Books. 
 
 THE MAKING OF THE OHIO VALLEY STATES. 1660-1837. 
 Illustrated. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 THE MAKING OF VIRGINIA AND THE MIDDLE COLONIES. 
 1578-1701. Illustrated. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 THE MAKING OF NEW ENGLAND. 1580-1643. With 148 
 illustrations and with maps. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 THE MAKING OF THE GREAT WEST. 1812-1853. With 
 145 illustiations and with maps. I2mo, $1.50. 
 
 " The author's aim in these books is that they shall occupy a place between the 
 larger and lesser histories of the lands and of the periods of which they treat, and 
 that each topic therein shall be treated as a unit and worked out to a clear understand- 
 ing of its objects and results before passing to another topic. In the furtherance of this 
 method each subject has its own descriptive notes, maps, plans and illustrations, 
 the whole contributing to a thorough, though condensed, knowledge of the sub- 
 ject in hand." NEW YORK MAIL AND EXPRESS. 
 
 The Butterfly Hunters in the Caribbees. 
 
 By Dr. EUGENE MURRAY-AARON. With 8 full-page illustrations. Square I2mo, $2.00. 
 
 " The book is written in a very interesting style. The author is a recognized authority on the subjects or which he writes. 
 He takes a company of young explorers over ground with which he is thoroughly familiar." THE INDEPENDENT. 
 
 '* Our author only reproduces the incidents and scenes of his own life as an exploring naturalist in a way to capture the 
 attention of younger readers. The incidents are told entertainingly, and his descriptions of country and the methods of capture o< 
 butterflies and bugs of rare varieties are full of interest." CHICAGO INTER-OCEAN. 
 
 A New Mexico David. 
 
 AND OTHER STORIES AND SKETCHES OF THE SOUTH WEST. By CHARLES F. LUMMIS. Illustrated. I2mo, 
 
 $1.25. 
 
 " Mr. Lummis has lived for years in the land of the Pueblos ; has traversed it in every direction, both on foot and on horse* 
 tack : arid it is an enthralling treat set before youthful readers by him in this series of lively chronicles." BOSTON BEACON. 
 
 bUGENE FIELD 
 
 Poems of Childhood by Eugene Field. 
 
 LOVE SONGS OF CHILDHOOD. i6mo, $1.00. 
 
 WITH TRUMPET AND DRUM. By EUGENE FIELD. i6mo, $..un 
 
 " His poems of childhood have gone home, not only to the hearts of children, but to 
 the heart of the country as well, and he is one of the few contributors to that genuine 
 literature of childhood which expresses ideas trom the standpoint of a child." THE OUTLOOK. 
 

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