The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-10-26
STOLEN BY APES.

This is the story of Ruflles. who got
his funny little name i'll IL faroff East
Indian army post, and 1t tells how he
came near being adopted by tribe of
balloons just about tho time when no
got his name
Ruflles is quite n big boy now When
his father. who is II captain in tho
British Indian army, comes home after
parade. Rutiles can carry his big saber
quite like soldier, and he can go
around by the back of the compound.
which il the name for tho big yard
where his father and lots of other sol
diers live, and, walking very heavily
upon tho veranda Of his own home he
can make his mother believe that very
important visitor has arrived ut the
front door. Then his mother looks at
herself in tho mirror for fear her pretty
hair may be mussed and sends one of
tho black servants to receive the caller
Then, Of course, Ruffics Ia very delight
ed with his joke and everybody laughs,
including the now "syce, or groom,
just down from the hills, where there
are only black people. and no doesn't
understand in tho least what it Is all
about.
1t was long time ago when Ruflles
was carried off by the balloons, but it il
the most exciting Of stories still. In the
long evenings when Ruillea' father Is
busy in his study with reports and pa
pers and other tiresome things Ruflles
draws II eassoek up to his mothers knee
and says. Nov, MON, toll mo how
daddy found mo when the balloons were
carrying mo away" Then Ruffles'
mother twists her fingers in the ourls
which Rufiies secretly hopes to get rid
of before long, and her eyes shine with
tho memory of tho terrible night when
she thought her poor little son was the
victim of tho jungle boasts.
at was when tho regiment was sta
toned in littlo fort up in the hills
near King Williams Town" says she.
"Thero had been fighting with the
Kaffirs, and just tho minute it was over
you and l and Nurse o Brien set Off In
bullock carts to see your daddy. When
we got there, they made great vel
come for you, because you were the first
white baby ever seen in that part of
India. We had taken your porambulator
along, and Nurse O. Brien used to wheel
you about in the kloof." As Ruffies had
been raised In India he, OF course knew
that tho "kloof" was simply space In
the Jungle where trees and bushes had
been cleared away, so that prowling
boasts or providing Kafflrs might not
como too near. That was before Nurse
o 'Brien married Sergeant Brown, con
tinued Rufiles' mother.
"Of course" said Ruflles sagely.
Her name wasn't Brown then. +"
"Correctl'' said Ruffles' mother with
what Ruffies called her "young lady
laugh"
Now" she continued, whether it
Browns fault that you were carried Off
by the balloons hasn't ever been set
tied -
Wasn't it both of thor faultsl' in
quired Ruffies.
81 rather think it was, replied his
mother, though they haven't yet
agreed to that between themselves. At
any rate, every ono knew that when
Nurse O'Brien pushed your perambu.
lator about the kloof Sergeant Brown
always walked along and talked to
Nurse o 'Brien. 1t was very wild,
lonesome place, our fort was. not near
ly as nice a station as this, where you
have lots of little friends to 90 to school
with you"
Wasn't there any school there?"
asked Ruiiles
Not "a sign of one, replied his
mother. mot school within 200
miles. Why, they couldn't have had IA
school for just one little white baby,
you know"
Rufiies was silent and breathed sigh
which might have indicated that even
this frontier hardship could DO borne by
patriotic infants.
Nearly every night, continued his
mother, "the balloons used to come all
round tho kloof. jumping in the trees
and bowling like-like"-
Like this said Rufiies, howling
beautifully.
Just like that" said his mother
well. she continued, "one night you
were out in your perambulator, and
Nurse O'Brien and Sergeant Brown
were talking very busily. Suddenly there
was an awful howl right at their elbows,
and the perambulator was overturned.
Before either Of them could guess
what had happened four or five balloons
rushed past them, and the very biggest
ona snatched you up in his arms and
ran off with you into the jungle. You
just gave one little squeal, and tho last
they saw Of you was your rufiles fiutter.
ing in tho moonlight as the baboon car.