CHAPTER SEVEN.

THEY BEGIN THEIR TRAVELS IN EARNEST.

When their weapons were complete our three travellers started on their journey of exploration in the new-found land.

Captain Trench armed himself with a strong, heavily-made cross-bow, and a birch-bark quiver full of bolts. Paul Burns carried a bow as long as himself, with a quiver full of the orthodox "cloth-yard shafts." Oliver provided himself with a bow and arrows more suited to his size, and, being naturally sanguine, he had also made for himself a sling with the cord he chanced to possess and the leathern tongue of one of his shoes. He likewise carried a heavy bludgeon, somewhat like a policeman's baton, which was slung at his side. Not content with this, he sought and obtained permission to carry the axe in his belt. Of course, none of the bolts or arrows had metal points; but that mattered little, as the wood of which they were made was very hard, and could be sharpened to a fine point; and, being feathered, the missiles flew straight to the mark when pointed in the right direction.

"Now, captain," said Paul, on the morning they set out, "let's see what you can do with your cross-bow at the first bird you meet. I mean the first eatable bird; for I have no heart to kill the little twitterers around us for the mere sake of practice."

"That will I right gladly," said Trench, fixing his bow and string, and inserting a bolt with a confident air. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. How many travelers are there?
2. Who was the capitan?
3. The second person?
4. and the third?
5. What did the captain put around him?
6. What about Paul?
7. and what about Oliver?
8. Did he even make a sling for himself?
9. and did he obtain permission for something?
10. what was it?
11. who challenged the captain?
Answer: 1. three
2. Captain Trench
3. Paul Burns
4. Oliver
5. a cross-bow
6. a bow as long as himself
7. a bow and arrows
8. yes
9. yes
10. to carry the axe
11. Paul

CHAPTER XXX

On the way back from the sick mare, Dick paused once to listen to the restless stamp of Mountain Lad and his fellows in the stallion barn. In the quiet air, from somewhere up the hills, came the ringing of a single bell from some grazing animal. A cat's-paw of breeze fanned him with sudden balmy warmth. All the night was balmy with the faint and almost aromatic scent of ripening grain and drying grass. The stallion stamped again, and Dick, with a deep breath and realization that never had he more loved it all, looked up and circled the sky-line where the crests of the mountains blotted the field of stars.

"No, Cato," he mused aloud. "One cannot agree with you. Man does not depart from life as from an inn. He departs as from a dwelling, the one dwelling he will ever know. He departs ... nowhere. It is good night. For him the Noiseless One ... and the dark."

He made as if to start, but once again the stamp of the stallions held him, and the hillside bell rang out. He drew a deep inhalation through his nostrils of the air of balm, and loved it, and loved the fair land of his devising.

"'I looked into time and saw none of me there,'" he quoted, then capped it, smiling, with a second quotation: "'She gat me nine great sons.... The other nine were daughters.'"

Back at the house, he did not immediately go in, but stood a space gazing at the far flung lines of it. Nor, inside, did he immediately go to his own quarters. Instead, he wandered through the silent rooms, across the patios, and along the dim-lit halls. His frame of mind was as of one about to depart on a journey. He pressed on the lights in Paula's fairy patio, and, sitting in an austere Roman seat of marble, smoked a cigarette quite through while he made his plans. What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Who was travelling?
2. Where was Dick coming from?
3. Did he stop?
4. To do what?
5. Listen to what?
6. What was Mountain Lad?
7. Did Dick go into the house?
8. Did he sit down?
9. Where?
10. In what kind of chair?
11. Did he do anything while sitting?
Answer: 1. unknown
2. from the sick mare
3. yes
4. listen
5. the restless stamp of Mountain Lad and his fellows in the stallion bar
6. stallion
7. yes
8. yes
9. Paula's fairy patio
10. Roman seat of marble
11. made his plans

CHAPTER XXXIII.

THE LOST HEIR.

'Seemed to the boy some comrade gay Led him forth to the woods to play.'--SCOTT.

Though it was the Derby day, Mr. Egremont's racing days were over, and he only took his daughter with him in quest of the spectacles he wanted. When they came back, Nuttie mounted to the nursery, but no little brother met her on the stairs, and she found nurse in deep displeasure with her subordinate.

'I sent him out with Ellen to play in the garden at Springfield, and swim his ship, where he couldn't come to no harm,' said nurse; 'being that my foot is that bad I can't walk the length of the street; and what does the girl do but lets that there Gregorio take the dear child and go--goodness knows where--without her.'

'I'm sure, ma'am,' said the girl crying, 'I would never have done it, but Mr. Gregory said as how 'twas his papa's wish.'

'What was?' said Nuttie.

'That he shouldn't never go and play at Mr. Dutton's again,' said Ellen.

'I told her she was to take her orders off me, and no one else,' returned nurse, 'except, of course, you, Miss Egremont, as has the right.'

'Quite so; you should have told Mr. Gregorio so, Ellen.'

'I did, ma'am, but he said those was Mr. Egremont's orders; and he said,' cried the girl, unable to withstand the pleasure of repeating something disagreeable, 'that Mr. Egremont wouldn't have no messengers between you and a low tradesman fellow, as made umbrellas, and wanted to insinuate himself in here.' What are the answers to this following set of questions: 1. Is the nurse able to run?
2. Why not?
3. Is the end of the street too far for her to walk?
4. Was Mr. Egremont a racer?
5. Does he still race?
6. What day is it?
7. What did he go looking for?
8. Who went along?
9. What is her name?
10. Who is missing?
11. Who should have been watching him?
Answer:
1. no
2. foot is injured
3. yes
4. yes
5. no
6. Derby day
7. spectacles
8. his daughter
9. Miss Egremont
10. little brother
11. nurse