[Illustration: Cover art]

[Illustration: Title]

[Frontispiece: Fort]

[Illustration: Title page]

A Tale of the Summer Holidays

by

G. Mockler

Thomas Nelson and Sons. 

1899

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CONTENTS

 I. THE SECRET MEETING II. A FRIEND IN NEED III. HAL FINDS A FRIEND IV. DISAPPOINTED HOPES V. THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS

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[Illustration: Drusie with balls]

ILLUSTRATIONS

"_Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper. _"

"_Jumbo began to wash his face and ears. _"

"_I suppose you will own that you really are out this time?_"

"_The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim. _"

[Illustration: "_Jim scribbled the word 'yes' on his piece of paper. _"]

[Illustration: Chapter I headpiece]

CHAPTER I. 

THE SECRET MEETING. 

Two days after the holidays began, the four younger members of theDanvers family received a note summoning them to a secret meeting athalf-past seven the next morning in the summer-house. Drusie, who hadwritten and delivered the notes, including one to herself, was thefirst to reach the appointed place; and when, a few minutes later, theother three arrived, they found her seated at the rustic table with asheet of paper and a pencil before her, and a glass of water at herelbow. 

"Good-morning, " she said, rising and shaking hands with them all round. "Helen, will you sit facing me, and Jim and Tommy at either side?"

In a solemn silence they obeyed; and then seating herself again, shetook a sip of water. Not that she was thirsty, but she was rathernervous. 

It was so long since the last meeting, and hitherto Hal had always beenthe chairman. She stifled a sigh; it seemed so strange to hold asecret meeting without him. 

"Go ahead, " said Jim, encouragingly; "or would you like me to bechairman, Drusie?"

"Certainly not, " she replied hastily. "I am the eldest here, and ofcourse I must be chairman. And you must be serious, Jim, for we havegot a lot to talk about this morning, and it won't do for Hal to comeout and find us here. "

"He is asleep and snoring, " said Helen, in a tone of great contempt. "He has learned a lot of silly things at school, and one of them isnever to get up until he is called. "

"Order, please, " said Drusie, rapping on the table. "You must notbegin to discuss the subject until I have announced it. " She rose, gulped down a few mouthfuls of water, and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are met here this morning to discuss a question of paramountimportance. " She paused, partly for breath and partly to take note ofthe effect of her words. She was proud of that beginning, which shehad learned from the report of a missionary meeting. She was pleasedto observe that Helen and Tommy looked decidedly impressed, but Jim wasgrinning. Frowning at him, she resumed: "I may say that the matteraffects us all very seriously, and it is one that ought to be taken upby the nation at large. But I regret to say that the people of Englandare only too apt to shirk their very obvious, their very obvious--"

But at that point she stuck hopelessly fast. Though she had carefullyavoided glancing at Jim, she had seen his face out of the corner of oneeye, and the wide, fixed grin that ornamented it had put her outdreadfully. 

"Oh, come, " he said, striking in; "aren't you laying it on ratherthick? Even though Hal has come back from school with so much side onthat he does not know what to do with himself, I don't see that thenation at large is concerned. "

"No, of course not, " Drusie acknowledged; "but it said that in thepaper, you know, and it seemed a nice beginning. "

"Well, suppose we skip that part, " said Jim, "and get to the realbusiness, which is of course about Hal. "

"Very well, " said Drusie, though she rather regretted her longsentences. "I called this meeting to talk about Hal, " she said, "andto ask what you all thought about the birthday. You know we have beenbusy making the ammunition to storm the fort with; but if he doesn'twant to defend it, it won't be much good preparing any more cannonballs. Of course, one of us could defend it; but a fight without Halwouldn't be any fun at all. At least, that is what I think; but whatdo you say?"

This time Drusie had been heard with as much attention as she couldwish for. The matter really was a very serious one. In two days' timeit would be the twins'--Hal and Drusie's--birthday; and ever since theyhad been big enough to throw straight, they had always celebrated thisdouble birthday with a big battle, followed by a feast in thesummer-house. Hal had always defended the fort, while Drusie led theattacking party; and this year they had expected to have a reallysplendid fight, for during the past fortnight they had spent all theirspare time in making ammunition, and the supply of cannon balls waslarger than ever before. 

But if Hal was not going to take part in the fight, all thesepreparations would be thrown away. It was really very difficult toknow what he would or would not do, for he was so altered by his oneterm at school that he hardly seemed like the same boy. He did nottease or bully them, but he simply took as little notice as possible, and spoke to them in a lofty, superior sort of way, as though he were avery grown-up person and they very little children. Sometimes, however, he quite forgot to be dignified and condescending, and thenDrusie hoped he meant to take part in the birthday fight as usual. Andthe awkward part of it was that Drusie could not ask him hisintentions, as it was against their rules to say one word to him aboutthe fight until the very day on which it was to take place. 

"I suppose, " said Helen, with a scornful little sniff, "he has growntoo grand to fight. He would call it baby-play. "

"What about the feast?" asked Jim. "Weren't you going to say somethingabout that too, Drusie?"

"Oh yes, " she said; and after she had drunk a little more water sherose to her feet again. The chairman was always supposed to finish theglass of water, and that was a part of her duties that Drusie did notmuch relish when the meeting was held before breakfast. Under pretenceof moving it out of her way, Jim drew the tumbler towards him, and whenshe was not looking he filled it up from a jug which he had hiddenunder the table the evening before. 

"The feast, " she said earnestly, "is going to be a specially nice one. I am making all the wine myself, and I taste it ever so many times aday to see if it is still good. I won't tell you everything that is init; but you can guess how lovely it will be when I say that it was madefrom apples, and pears, and prune juice, and sugar, and some tea that Isaved from breakfast. There are lots of other things in it, too, " shesaid, interrupting herself; "but that is a secret. The best of my wineis that it hasn't cost anything, and so we shall have more money tospend on other things. It is pocket-money day to-day, and it must allgo towards the feast. My sixpence and yours, Jim, and Helen's andTommy's threepences make one and sixpence. That is a lot of money, andI am sure Hal will give us his shilling. "

"I don't think he will, " said Jim, biting his lips to keep fromlaughing as he saw Drusie look down with mingled surprise and dismay ather nearly full glass; "he is hard up. He borrowed a penny half-pennyfrom me the other day, and hasn't paid it back yet; and he told me thathe had got rather a big bill in the village. "

"Well, " Drusie continued, after she had bravely gulped down some morewater, "it doesn't matter very much if he doesn't give anything. Wehave plenty. And now we must vote. " Tearing the sheet of paper intofour pieces, she passed them round the table. "If you want to go onpreparing for the fight and the feast, you must each write 'yes;' ifyou don't want to go on, you must write 'no. '"

Then she sat down, feeling rather proud of the clear way in which shehad spoken, and made another attempt to finish her glass of water. 

Without the slightest hesitation Jim scribbled the word "yes" on hispiece of paper, and when Tommy saw what Jim had written he put "yes, "too. Helen took longer to make up her mind. She could not helpthinking that if they went on with the preparations for the fight, andHal refused to have anything to do with it, they would look very silly. For at the bottom of her heart Helen was rather impressed by the airsthat Hal gave himself, and would have liked very much to imitate them. But knowing well that the other three would vote for going on with thefight, she, too, wrote "yes, " and put her folded slip with the othersinto the hat which Jim passed round. 

The chairman opened them hastily. 

"They are all 'yeses, ' so we must go on with the preparations just thesame, " she said, rising once more to address the meeting; "and if Halgives us his shilling after breakfast, it will mean that he is going todefend the fort. That is all, I think. I now declare this meetingended. "

"Hear, hear!" said Jim. "But you must finish your water, Drusie. Weshan't think anything of you as a chairman if you leave a drop. "

"I keep on drinking all the time, " said poor Drusie, giving hertumbler, still nearly full, a glance of strong distaste. 

"Perhaps you only sip it, " said Jim gravely. "Shut your eyes, and takebig mouthfuls. You _must_ finish it, you know. "

The sense of duty was strong in Drusie, and so she shut her eyes andmade one more heroic effort. The instant her eyes were closed, Jimfilled up her glass as she drank. He had hoped to make her finish theentire jugful, but he shook so with suppressed laughter that instead ofpouring it into her glass he poured it on to her nose. 

"O Jim!" she said reproachfully, as the truth burst upon her; "how muchhave I drunk?"

"Four tumblers full, " he said triumphantly. "You make a splendidchairman, Drusie. "

She couldn't help laughing, too, when she saw the nearly empty jug. She dried her face, scolded Jim, and then forgave him in the samebreath, for a sweeter-tempered child than Drusie never lived. Afterthat the meeting broke up, and a few minutes later the bell rang forbreakfast. 

Hal was already seated at the table when they reached the nursery. Hewas a nice-looking boy, taller than Drusie by a couple of inches, andwell grown for his years, which would be twelve on the followingTuesday. 

"Hallo!" he said, as they all trooped in; "what have you been up to? Iknow, " he said, catching sight of the tumbler now really empty at lastin Drusie's hand. "A secret meeting. You might have asked me. Whatwas it about?"

[Illustration: Hal at table]

Drusie flushed up and looked guilty. She could not tell him that themeeting had been about himself. But just then Helen interposed. 

"Why, you wouldn't have cared to come, " she said. "You said yesterdaythat secret meetings were baby things. "

So he had, but it nevertheless was a pity that Helen reminded him of itjust then. He had come down to breakfast that morning inclined to dropback into his old place among them, and his tone and manner werefriendly and pleasant. But Helen's speech rubbed him up the wrong wayat once, and in an instant he became the lofty and contemptuousschool-boy brother again. 

"And so they are baby things, Miss Helen, " he said; "but it is ratheramusing, you know, to watch babies at play. That is why I should haveliked to be told of this important secret meeting in time. "

That that was not the reason Drusie knew as well as he did. And hefelt rather ashamed when he saw the hurt expression that came to herface. But Helen really must be taught that there was a greatdifference between a little girl of eight who had never been away fromhome in her life and a boy of twelve who had been to school. But itwas not always easy to snub Helen. 

"You are silly, Hal, " she said. "Just because you have been to schoolfor one term, you fancy that you are too big to play with us. Suchnonsense. "

Well, of course, that led to a sharp answer from Hal. Helen repliedagain, and a hot wrangle went on across the breakfast table. 

"Come, come, Master Hal, " said nurse at last--for though Helen hadcertainly begun this quarrel, it was generally Hal who had done sosince he came home--"what would your father and mother say if they wereat home and heard you? They would not think that you had been verykind to your brothers and sisters since you came back. "

"I wish they were at home, " said Hal, suddenly flaming out, "and then Ishould have my meals with them, instead of being shut up with all ofyou. I hate having my meals in the nursery. I am not a little boy anylonger, and I don't see why I should. "

There was a moment's dead silence after this outburst, and all theothers gazed wonderingly at Hal. They were astonished that he shouldhave dared to speak in that rebellious tone to nurse. She, however, looked neither surprised nor angry. 

"Very well, Master Hal, " she said; "if that is all your grievance, itis easily put to rights. You shall have your meals in the schoolroom, if you like. I can't let you have them in the dining-room, because itwould make extra work, and the parlour-maid is away. But Ann caneasily carry in what I send you from here. "

[Illustration: Tommy]

That was not at all what Hal wanted. He was too proud, however, andalso far too sulky, to say any more on the subject. He was glad whennurse rose and said grace, and he was at liberty to leave the nursery. 

"One minute, Master Hal, " she said, as he was hurrying to the door;"have you forgotten that this is Saturday and pocket-money day? Waitwhile I get out my purse and pay you all. "

Drusie watched him anxiously. Would he remember the birthday feast, and hand her the shilling, or would he keep it himself? Alas! Jim hadbeen right, and she wrong. He received the shilling with a mutteredword of thanks, and slipping it into his pocket left the room. 

"I wonder, " said Tommy, in an awestruck, thoughtful voice, "what Halwill do with a _whole_ shilling? Will he spend it all at once, do youthink?"

[Illustration: Chapter I tailpiece]

[Illustration: Chapter II headpiece]

CHAPTER II. 

A FRIEND IN NEED. 

Though Hal's crossness at breakfast had made Drusie feel rather sad, itwas impossible for her to unhappy for long on such a beautiful morning;and when Helen suggested that they should take a few of the rabbitswith them to the clover field she cheerfully agreed. 

"Punch and Judy and Toby went with us last time, " she said, "and theydidn't behave very well, so we won't take them with us to-day. Let'stake Jumbo. "

Jumbo was the oldest of all the rabbits, and he belonged to Hal, whichwas perhaps the reason that Drusie wished to take him. She thought itwould please Hal. 

Partly because Jumbo was so old, and partly because he was also verybad tempered, he lived by himself in a comfortable, roomy hutch, with asoft bed of hay at one end and a great wide space at the other, inwhich he took his meals and looked out of the door at the otherrabbits. Helen, who did not care very much for Jumbo, declared that hedid that on purpose to aggravate them, for they all finished their foodlong before he was half-way through his, and then they had nothing elseto do but to sit and watch him. And that made them feel hungry again. He was sitting before his door now munching bran and oats, and at themention of his name he pricked up his long ears and sleepily blinkedhis eyes. "H'm, " said Helen, looking at him rather distrustfully;"Jumbo too can be dreadfully naughty when he likes, and he rather looksas if he meant it to-day. "

But that, Drusie said laughing, was all nonsense, for no rabbit couldhave looked meeker or better-behaved than Jumbo that morning. So itwas decided that he should accompany them; and as Punch and Judy andToby scratched at their doors when they saw him on the ground, Jim saidit would be unkind not to take them as well. And Drusie declined toleave Salt and Pepper behind, for they were always good. Thus, whenthe four children started for the clover field, it was a very big partyof rabbits that went with them. But as Jumbo followed a great dealbetter than many dogs do, and as all the other rabbits followed Jumbo, the children had no trouble at all with them. 

The way to the clover field lay through their own garden, and thenacross a big, sunny meadow. By the time they reached the meadow it wasgrowing very hot, and the children sauntered along under the shade of ahigh hedge, and talked about the fight to be held on the followingTuesday. 

Drusie felt more hopeful than she had done before breakfast, and shewas perfectly sure that Hal would defend the fort. She was full ofplans for making the fight a better and more exciting one than any theyhad yet had, and she was suggesting a scheme by which Tommy could actboth as scout and advanced outpost, when a strong, delicious scent fromthe clover field was wafted towards them on the soft summer, breeze. 

Jumbo smelt it, and lifting up his black nose gave one or two sniffs, and then darting past them at a rate surprising in a rabbit of his agemade straight for the gap in the hedge; and, of course, after thatthere was no more time for conversation, for where Jumbo went the otherrabbits followed. It was quite as much as the children could do tokeep them in sight, and when they scrambled through the gap five of thesix rabbits were sitting in a row contentedly munching away at thejuicy stalks and cool green leaves of the clover. But Jumbo would notcondescend to eat anything but pink, honey-filled flowers, and goingfrom plant to plant he sat up on his hind legs and bit off the stalkjust below the head. 

"Jumbo _is_ a clever rabbit, " said Helen admiringly; "the others don'tknow the difference between the flowers and the leaves. "

Then suddenly they all burst out laughing. For Jumbo, getting tiredperhaps of sitting up so much on his hind legs, tried to supporthimself against a stalk while he nibbled at the flowers. But the stalkgave way, and Jumbo fell heavily across Pepper's neck, who, indignantat such a liberty, gave a squeak and darted away. Jumbo, trying hardto look as though he had tumbled down on purpose, began to wash hisface and ears in a very diligent manner. 

[Illustration: "_Jumbo began to wash his face and ears_"]

It was some time before the children thought of returning; butpresently Jim, who never cared to sit still for very long, said thatthey might as well be going, and added that as the rabbits had been sogood they would give them an extra ramble, and take them home by thelane that ran along the top of the hill. 

But that, as Helen remarked, was saying one word for the rabbits andtwo for himself; for the lane bordered the land belonging to an oldgentleman, named Grey, who had lately come to live there, and from agate at the top of the hill a glimpse could be caught of the river, where, too, a lovely pair of swans might be seen. Jim took a greatinterest in these swans, and longed to get down to the water so as tobe close to them. But the gamekeeper was a surly fellow, and if he sawthe children lingering near he would tell them that his master"couldn't abear boys nor girls either, " and always was most severe ifany people were caught trespassing on his land. Thus Jim had neverdared to climb the gate. But Jumbo this morning was to give him anexcuse for so doing. When they reached it, the children paused to gazedown at the river, which there broadened out into a sort of lake, witha grassy islet in the centre. The six rabbits paused also. 

The clover they had eaten had made them feel rather sleepy, but nowthey were beginning to recover from the effects of it, and now theysuddenly became quite frisky. Punch leaped over Judy's back, and thenchased her into the middle of the road and back again. Even old Jumbocaught the infection, and though he very seldom condescended to takeany notice of the other rabbits, now he gave Toby a playful poke withhis nose, following it up by a bite on his ear that was not quite soplayful. Toby gave a loud squeak of pain, and Jumbo, afraid perhapsthat he might receive a bite in return, jumped through the bars andscampered down the field. He was half-way to the river before thechildren recovered from their surprise, and shouted to him to comeback. But the more they shouted the faster he ran. And that was notthe worst either, for the other rabbits were after him in a twinkling. But quick as they were Jim was quicker. He had no intention ofallowing such an excellent opportunity of exploring the forbiddenground to slip, and crying that it was of no use to call to Jumbo hescrambled over the gate and rushed helter-skelter down the field, taking great care, however, not to get in front of Jumbo, but runningbehind him shouting and waving his hands. 

[Illustration: Jim climbing gate]

To the interested onlookers at the gate, whom an uneasy fear of thegamekeeper kept from entering the field, it really seemed much more asthough Jim were chasing Jumbo down the field than trying to capture him. 

But, perhaps, even if Jim had wished to catch Jumbo he could not havedone so, for the old rabbit was thoroughly enjoying his scamper, andwith his little, short tail cocked up and his long ears streamingbehind him he raced along like the wind. 

And then a dreadful thing happened. Some twenty feet from the riverthe ground sloped very steeply, and such was the rate at which Jumbowas going that, when he reached this part, he could not stop himself, but tumbled head over heels, and rolling down the bank disappeared witha big, loud splash into the water. 

Jim uttered a shout of dismay, which was echoed by all the others, who, hastily climbing over the gate, came rushing pell-mell down the field. 

"Oh, where is he? Oh, is poor darling Jumbo drowned?" Drusie gasped. 

But he was not drowned. Even as Drusie spoke his soft, black nose cameto the surface, and kicking vigorously he struck out for the oppositebank. 

"Why, he can swim!" Drusie cried joyfully. "But don't go that way, Jumbo; come here. Jumbo! Jumbo!"

[Illustration: Drusie kneeling on bank of stream]

Kneeling down on the bank she called to him; but Jumbo had quite losthis presence of mind, and, far too bewildered and alarmed to heed thechildren's cries, he paddled away from them as fast as ever he could. 

"Oh, what shall we do?" Drusie cried in great distress. "His long furwill soon get so heavy that he will not be able to keep himself up. OJumbo darling, come here!"

Jim was quite as frightened as she was. If only he had known how toswim, he would have plunged in to the rescue at once. 

Then, as if matters were not already bad enough, they suddenly becameworse. The swans, which Jim had been so anxious to see, suddenlysailed majestically round the bend of the small island, and cametowards the children, expecting crumbs. 

[Illustration: swans]

But none of the children, not even Jim, had any attention to spare forthem, beautiful though they were. Their eyes were fixed on Jumbo, whose breath was coming in quick, short pants, and whose poor, short, little legs were growing more and more tired. 

Disappointed at not getting the crumbs, the swans slowly turned roundand were sailing away again when they caught sight of Jumbo, and withangry hisses and long necks outstretched they bore down upon him as heswam about half-way between the island and the bank. 

"Oh, go to the island; it is nearer!" Drusie shrieked; "and O Jumbo, make haste!"

It almost seemed as if Jumbo understood what she said. At any rate hebegan to swim towards the island as fast as ever he could. Butweighted with his long fur, and unaccustomed to swimming--for he hadnever in his life before been in the water, and how he had learned toswim always remained a mystery to the children--he yet struck outvaliantly. He knew that he was swimming for his very life, and henever ceased paddling for one moment. 

The children watched the race in a state of frantic excitement, whileJim ran up and down the bank looking in vain for something to throw atthe swans and drive them away. And now came a moment during which thechildren literally held their breath. Jumbo was within two or threeyards of the island when the foremost of the two swans stooped its longneck and made a savage grab at his hind legs. It seemed impossiblethat the cruel beak could miss him, yet it did; for poor Jumbo was bythat time so exhausted that he suddenly sank and disappeared. Theangry, surprised swan dived his head down in search of him; but thecurrent, which swept round here with some force, carried Jumbo away, and finally flung him, a bedraggled and most unhappy-looking rabbit, onto a corner of the island. Drusie always declared afterwards thatJumbo had dived and swum under water; but whether that was true or not, saved he certainly was. Luckily for him the swans did not follow him, but contented themselves with sailing majestically up and down betweenthe island and the bank, ready, if he showed the least sign of takingto the water again, to pursue him. But Jumbo had had enough ofswimming to last him all his life, and preferred to stay where he wasrather than venture again into the river. 

But what was to happen next? They could not go home and leave Jumbo onthe island, and yet there seemed no way in which they could get at him. And at any moment the cross gamekeeper might appear, and at thisthought Drusie glanced round uneasily. 

As she did so she gave a little jump, for running quickly towards themwas somebody who, she was afraid at first, might be the gamekeeperhimself. But a second glance showed her that the new-comer was only aboy, and a very nice-looking boy too, with merry, dark-blue eyes and afriendly manner. 

"Hallo!" he said, rather breathlessly. "Is anything the matter? Iheard a lot of shouting, and I came to see if anybody had tumbled intothe river. But you are all quite dry. "

"Yes, we are all right, " Drusie explained hurriedly. "But one of ourrabbits--Jumbo--has tumbled in, and the swans have chased him on to theisland, and we don't know how to get him back again. "

She pointed as she spoke to the island, and the boy, following thedirection of her glance, burst out laughing. 

"Is that a rabbit?" he said. "Why, it looks more like a drowned ratthan anything else. "

"Jumbo is very handsome when he is dry, " Drusie said, inclined at firstto be a little offended. But his laughter was infectious, and Jumbodid after all look so very much like a drowned rat that she could nothelp laughing too. 

"I say, what a jolly lot of rabbits you have got!" the boy said, looking down at the other five, who were busy nibbling away at thegrass, without seeming to care in the least what happened to Jumbo;"but aren't you afraid of their running away?"

"They generally behave beautifully, " Drusie said, who, because theother three were rather shy, was obliged to do all the talking herself;"but something must have startled Jumbo when we were at the top of thehill, for he set off at a tremendous scamper, and tumbled inheadforemost before we knew what was happening to him. "

"Poor old Jumbo!" said the boy, as he looked across at the shivering, melancholy rabbit. "We must rescue him though, and that is easilydone. "

As he spoke he led the way along the bank to a spot where a thick clumpof willows grew; and moored to one of these trees was a small, lightcanoe. 

"I'll paddle across in less than no time, " he said, "and if the swansdo not interfere, I'll soon bring him safely back to you. "

The swans did not interfere, however, and Jumbo a minute or two laterwas clasped in Drusie's arms. She almost cried over him in her joy athis safety. 

Sitting down on the bank she began to dry him with her handkerchief;but it was soaked through at once, and the boy suggested that theyshould rub him with their hands. So Drusie placed him tenderly on thegrass, and they rubbed him until their arms ached; and no doubt Jumboached too, for they all rubbed with a will. 

"But at any rate, " Drusie said in a tone of satisfaction, "he won'tcatch cold now, and he is so old that he might have had a dreadfulattack of rheumatism. "

Long before Jumbo was dry they had all become very friendly with theirnew acquaintance. Jim and Helen and Tommy forgot to be shy, and theyall chatted away together as if they had known each other for quite along time. It was not until half an hour later, as, with Jumbo lyingcomfortably in Drusie's arms, for she said he was too weak to walk, they were all hurrying home, that they remembered they did not evenknow what their new friend's name was, or where he lived. 

"Perhaps, " said Helen, "he lives at the Grange, and Captain Grey is hisfather. "

[Illustration: gamekeeper]

"Captain Grey hasn't any children, " Drusie said. "I heard nurse sayso. "

"Then perhaps he is staying there on a visit, " Jim said. 

But Drusie did not think that that was likely either, for had not thegamekeeper said that his master "could not abear boys"? And if thatwas the case, he certainly would not have one staying in the house. 

But whoever he was, they all four agreed that he was an exceedinglynice boy, and they hoped that they might meet him again. 

[Illustration: Chapter II tailpiece]

[Illustration: Chapter III headpiece]

CHAPTER III. 

HAL FINDS A FRIEND. 

On their way through the garden they met Hal. Directly they saw himhis brothers and sisters rushed up and told him all about Jumbo'sadventures, and about the boy who had been so kind to them. Hal wasnot greatly interested. He was looking pale and listless, and therewere heavy, dark lines about his eyes. When they asked him eagerly ifhe knew who the boy could be, he shook his head and yawned, and saidthat he was sure he did not know. 

"Come and have a game of cricket, " he said, rousing himself a little. "I have got my bat here, and the ball is somewhere about. Just have alook for it, Tommy. We won't bother about stumps. This tree will doquite well for the wicket. "

"All right, " Drusie said, delighted to find that Hal was willing to befriends again. "I should love a game; but we must put Jumbo and theother rabbits away first. --Come along, Jim and Helen. "

She and Jim ran off at once, but Helen followed more slowly. She had ashrewd suspicion that Hal merely wanted them to bowl and field for him, and that he did not intend to allow them to bat. And she did not seethe fun of running about in the hot sun after his balls, if she was notgoing to have any of the batting. 

But Drusie and Jim were too excited at the prospect of a game to listento her words of warning, and as soon as the rabbits had been hastilybundled into their hutches they raced back to the tree where Hal waswaiting for them. 

"You shall bowl first, Jim, " he said. --"Drusie, you can stand behindthe tree and be wicket-keeper, for, unless Jim has improved wonderfullysince I went away, most of his balls will be fearful wides. --Helen, yougo over there, and mind to throw the balls up sharp. "

"Then you are going in first, " said Helen, "and we are not going totoss?"

But Hal was busy measuring out the distance at which Jim was to stand, and did not hear her question. Or if he did, he evidently did notconsider it worthy of an answer. 

"Now then, " Hal said, coming back; "I am ready. I am not going to makeany runs, you know, as it is too hot; but you others must send the ballup promptly, or else it makes it slow work for me. "

Jim's bowling was not very difficult to deal with, and Hal knocked theballs about pretty much as he pleased, and gave the fielders, andespecially Helen, plenty of running about. 

"Well, at this rate, " Drusie said merrily, as she cleverly stopped aball that was a very bad "wide" indeed, "we shall never get you out. "

"No, I don't suppose you will, " said Hal; and then he addedungratefully, "That is the worst of playing with a set of girls; onenever gets any practice. "

Whether Jim was annoyed at being classed as a girl, and was thereforeput on his mettle, cannot be said for certain, but at any rate his verynext ball hit the tree fair and square, and with so much violence thata piece of the rough elm bark was knocked off. 

"Hurrah!" shouted Drusie, clapping her hands; "bowled at last. Whogoes in next?"

"Don't be in such a mighty hurry, " said Hal, who was looking distinctlyangry. "I am not out--not a bit of it. Why, that ball was notanything like in the middle of the tree. Who ever heard of a wicket ayard and a quarter wide? You'll have to bowl better than that, Jim, toget me out. "

"All right, " Jim said, recovering himself. He had looked rather blankfor a moment when Hal declared so emphatically that he was not out. "Isuppose that ball was rather to one side of the tree. I will haveanother try. "

But Helen was not so easily satisfied. 

"You said, Hal, that the tree was to be the wicket; you never saidanything about only counting the middle of the tree. "

"Did I say so?" he replied. "Well, I made a mistake. Of course, itwould be rather absurd to count the whole tree. I tell you what I willdo. I will hang my cap on this little twig here, and if the ball hitsthat I am out. Now, are you satisfied?"

They all, with the exception of Helen, hastened to say that they were, and the game went on. A few minutes later he sent an easy catch, anddarting forward Helen caught the ball. 

"How about playing with girls now, Master Hal?" she cried. "I supposeyou will own that you are fairly out this time?"

But he did nothing of the sort. 

"Pooh!" he said contemptuously; "that was a pure fluke. Any one couldhave caught that; and so it does not count either. I am not going out. "

"Oh, I say, " Jim said in a remonstrating tone, "is that the way youplay at your school?"

"Of course, it is not, " said Hal. "Don't be a donkey, Jim. How oftenam I to tell you that this is not a regular game, but just a sort ofknock up, you know?"

"In which you get all the knocking up, " Helen said indignantly. 

Hal laughed. 

"Now, don't get into a temper, Helen. I don't see what girls want toplay cricket for. It is not a girls' game. All they are good for isjust to field, and that sort of thing. "

At that Helen fairly choked with anger, Drusie opened her eyes verywide, and Jim lay down on the grass and laughed quietly to himself. Considering that both his sisters had been toiling on his behalf forthe last half-hour, it certainly was very cool of Hal to make such aspeech. 

[Illustration: Jim and Helen]

"I knew how it would be, " Helen exclaimed passionately, as soon as shecould find her voice; "and I warned you two others, only you would notlisten. I knew perfectly well that Hal was not going to let us go in, and I call it downright unfair, and I for one am not going to field forhim any more. --And you say, " she added, turning indignantly to Hal, "that girls can't play cricket. Well, they can. Father says himselfthat Drusie plays awfully well for a girl, and I suppose he ought toknow. "

"For a girl, " Hal said slightingly; "yes, that is just it. "

"Please don't quarrel, " Drusie said quickly. "You may stay in if youlike, Hal, and I will bowl for you. --Jump up, Jim, and go and bewicket-keeper. "

With a scornful sniff for what she considered to be great weakness onDrusie's part, Helen returned to her place, where, in spite of herdeclaration that she did not intend to play any more, she continued tofield. 

For a girl Drusie did bowl remarkably well, and Hal would have been thefirst to own it, had he not perceived a sort of triumphant "told youso" expression on Helen's face, which annoyed him greatly, and made himwithhold the praise which Drusie would have been so pleased to hear. 

She exerted herself to do her very best, and before many minutes hadpassed she clean bowled him. There could be no doubt about it thistime, for the twig on which the cap had been hung was broken by theforce of the ball, and the cap fell to the ground. 

"Hurrah!" Helen shrieked, dancing about and clapping her hands. "Howabout girls not being able to bowl now, Master Hal? I suppose you willown that you really are out this time?"

[Illustration: "_I suppose you will own that you really are out thistime?_"]

Hal looked not only mortified but exceedingly angry into the bargain. 

"You are a precious set, I must say, " he said, looking contemptuouslyat the excited capers which Helen was cutting. "One would think thatyou had done something awfully wonderful by the way in which you aregoing on. That is just like a girl. Let her do something which shethinks rather clever, and there is no end to her airs. "

This was really rather severe on Drusie, who had neither said nor doneanything to justify Hal's scornful remarks. But he was too annoyed tobe fair, and as a punishment for what he chose to call Drusie'sbragging, he tucked his bat under his arm, and told them that he wasnot going to play with them any more. 

"You can brag by yourselves, " he said, "of your wonderful cricket. Iam not going to put up with you any longer. I am sick of you all. Imust say it is awfully hard on a fellow to come home and find that notone of his brothers or sisters is worth playing with. A moreconceited, disagreeable lot I never met with. "

A dismayed silence followed this abrupt departure. It was broken by ashort, quick sigh from Drusie. 

"Oh dear, oh dear!" she said, looking after Hal as he marched off withas much dignity as he could. "I do wish that I had not bowled him. IfI had guessed that it would make him so cross, I would have sent himeasy, baby-balls. "

"And got told for your pains that you could not bowl, " Helen said withmuch scorn. "I do wonder how you can be so silly, Drusie. I think itserves Hal quite right. But I told you how it would be. I knew weshould not get our innings. You can't say that I did not warn you. "

"No, we certainly can't, " Jim said with a chuckle. "You have had asort of 'I told you so' expression on your face ever since we began toplay. And you know, Helen, if you ask me, I think it is all your faultthat Hal went off in such a huff. He simply couldn't stand your beingso awfully delighted when Drusie bowled him. "

If Hal's sudden display of temper had struck dismay into the hearts ofhis brothers and sisters, it had not left him particularly happyeither. Though he would not own it, even to himself, he had anuncomfortable feeling that it was he who was conceited anddisagreeable. He was, however, full of excuses for himself, and whenhis conscience pricked him he answered impatiently that nobody could beexpected to put up with the fearful airs that they had all been givingthemselves. 

Then, looking round to see that he was not being followed, he made hisway to a hiding-place he had discovered behind the summer-house, andproceeded to employ himself there after a fashion of which nurse wouldmost strongly have disapproved. He remained until the dinner-bellrang, when he crept out with a pale face and with every bit of hisappetite gone. 

He dined alone in the schoolroom, and nurse shook her head as hisplates were carried back to the nursery, for he had scarcely touchedanything that she had sent in to him. 

"I hope, Master Hal, you are not going to be ill, " she said, as soon asdinner was over. "What has come to you? You have not eaten anything. "

"I am not hungry, " Hal muttered, flushing under her scrutinizing gaze. "I have got rather a headache--that's all. "

"Well, don't run about much in the sun, " nurse said, only halfsatisfied. "You are looking very pale. Put on your straw hat too;that little cap is of no use at all. And don't go eating any greenapples or gooseberries. I expect you have been in the kitchen-gardenthis morning, and that is what is the matter with you. "

But it was neither green apples nor gooseberries which had given Halthe very uncomfortable sensations from which he was suffering. That, however, he did not explain to nurse; and feeling very wretched andunhappy he wandered out into the garden, and flung himself under a big, shady elm-tree. The others were nowhere in sight, and he felt injuredthat they should, even after his conduct of the morning, have left himto himself. 

"A nice, sociable set they are, " he said moodily. "Oh dear, how I dowish that I had somebody sensible to play with!"

But though he chose to grumble, he knew perfectly well that he was notjust then in the humour to appreciate any society, however sensible, and pillowing his head upon his arm he dropped off to sleep. 

[Illustration: Hal asleep]

Meanwhile, Drusie had planned a busy afternoon for herself and theothers, for they intended to go to the fort and make ammunition forTuesday. 

Few children had nicer grounds to play in than the Danvers children. The garden was very large, and besides the lawn and the winding walksamong the shrubberies, which afforded such capital hiding-places whenthey played hide-and-seek, there was the large kitchen-garden as well. Beyond the kitchen-garden lay pleasant, sunny fields, at the foot ofwhich flowed a small stream that farther down joined the river in whichJumbo had been so nearly drowned. On the other side of the stream laya long slip of land which Mr. Danvers always spoke of as a waste pieceof ground, and over which he sometimes threatened to send the plough. But partly because the ground was really too poor to be of much good, and partly because the children begged him to leave it alone, it hadnever yet been disturbed, and the Wilderness, as they had named it, remained theirs to all intents and purposes. 

That the Wilderness was a brambly place could not be denied. It hadoriginally been a grove of nut trees, and though some of these stillflourished and bore nuts that had not their equal for size and flavourin all the country-side, they had for the most part been strangled byblackberry bushes and briers, and smothered by masses of wild clematis. 

The fort stood in a corner of the Wilderness. Within a few yards of iton one side was the stream; on the other and at the back it wassurrounded by densely-growing hawthorn bushes. But the front was openand exposed to attack, for a cleared space in which only a fewscattered nut trees grew lay before it. 

This fort had once been a summer-house, but it had long since beendisused, and would, no doubt, have fallen into decay, had not thechildren hit upon the idea of making it the scene of their pitchedbattles, and had so propped it up and strengthened it that it wasimpossible to take except by surprise. 

The door had been nailed up and so had the window, and entrance couldonly be effected by scrambling up on the flat roof, and droppingthrough a hole which had been made there for that purpose. Even thathole could be closed by a hatch in time of need, and the besieged couldlie snugly inside and listen to the heavy firing without, secure in theknowledge that as long as he chose to remain there none of thebesiegers could touch him. But then his flag would be in danger; andby their rules of warfare, if the flag were captured or shot down, thefort was held to have capitulated. 

For more than a week before Hal's return from school the others hadbeen busy getting the ammunition ready; they had dug up a quantity ofsand from the bed of the stream, which, when mixed with a little clayand moistened with water, represented cannon-balls. As, however, theyhad no cannon, these balls had to be thrown by hand; and as theyscattered when they struck, they appeared more formidable than theyreally were. But still one had been known to bring down the flag, andso win the day for the besiegers. 

The fort was mainly defended with a catapult loaded with mud pellets, shot being strictly forbidden as too dangerous. To protect them thebesiegers wore a kind of helmet, which, though it gave them a somewhatludicrous appearance, saved them from many a nasty blow. These helmetswere neither more nor less than fine wire-gauze dish-covers, which theytied across their faces and fastened at the back of their heads. Butthe holder of the fort had to rely chiefly upon capture to win avictory, and when his enemies approached too closely, a bold rush oftenresulted in one of them being made prisoner. But, of course, even abrief absence from the fort left the flag undefended, and there wasalways a chance that, while one of the attackers was being pursued, some of the others might steal up and succeed in going off with theflag. 

So it will be easily understood that courage and skill, combined with aspirit that was bold and yet not too rash, were required to hold thefort. And as none of them possessed these qualities to the same extentas Hal, it followed that none of them held the fort as well as he did, or made such a good fight of it. 

Superintended by Drusie, they all worked very busily at the ammunition, and as they kneaded cannon-balls and pellets they laid out a plan ofattack for the following Tuesday. Jim was of the opinion that theynever took enough advantage of the shelter afforded by the thick andalmost impenetrable bushes that grew on one side of the fort, and heproposed that while two of them made an attack in the open air, he orDrusie should lie concealed, and if Hal could be drawn out in pursuitthey might get a chance of slipping in during his absence. 

"He may have brought back some new dodges, " said Drusie hopefully. "Iwonder if he has ever played a game of this sort at school? Do youthink he has, Jim?"

Jim thought it was doubtful. 

"I believe they always play cricket in the summer term, " he said. "Butthis will be a splendid change for him. "

"I hope it will, " said Drusie, with a sigh. "But I am simply not goingto think what we shall do if, after all our trouble, Hal turns up hisnose at a fight on Tuesday. "

[Illustration: Hal running]

At tea-time Hal did not put in an appearance at all. 

"He ought to be hungry, " nurse said, "for he did not eat much dinner. I wonder where he can be?"

Tea was over, and they had all gone out into the garden again for alast stroll before bed-time, when they saw him come running across thefield, which was separated from the lawn by a sunk fence. Leapingthis, he rushed towards them, looking brighter and happier than he haddone since his return. 

"I say, " he called out; "whom do you think I have met this afternoon?I have had such a splendid time; just guess. "

They shook their heads; they could form no guess at all. 

"Well, you will hardly believe it, but Dodds is down here. DoddsMajor, " he added, seeing that somehow his news did not produce as mucheffect as he had anticipated. 

"Who is Dodds Major?" Drusie asked. 

"Oh, how stupid you are!" Hal cried; "Why, I have told you about him inmy letters lots of times. He is out and away the nicest fellow in ourschool. A big fellow, too, thirteen and a half, and simply splendid atcricket. He is leaving at Christmas, and going to the college. "

"Does he live down here?" said Drusie. 

"No; he is staying at the Grange with his uncle, Captain Grey. He isgoing to be here the whole holidays. Isn't it splendid for me?"

"Why, " said Drusie, with a sudden sinking of her heart, "will you bemuch with him?"

"Rather, " said Hal; "as much as ever he will have me. Of course, " headded, with an important air, "he is jolly glad, too, to find anotherfellow down here. We are going fishing to-morrow in Captain Grey'strout stream. Dodds says that it is simply packed with fish. Won'tthat be jolly? I was playing cricket with him all this afternoon. Heis going to play in a match that some friends of his uncle's aregetting up next week, and he says that perhaps he can get me into ittoo. Won't that be jolly?"

In short, Hal was brimming over with good spirits. When, soonafterwards, nurse called Helen and Tommy to come to bed, Hal invitedDrusie and Jim to come and sit with him while he had his tea, in orderthat he might chatter to them of his doings that afternoon, and aboutwhat he intended to do in future. And, of course, Dodds's name figuredlargely in his conversation, and neither Drusie nor Jim could helpfeeling rather glum as they heard how completely they were to be leftout in the cold. 

"It was a lucky chance meeting him, " Hal rattled on. "After dinner Ihad a nap, and then I went for a stroll. I crossed over the river andwent up the field that lies next to the Wilderness, and there, sittingon a gate, I saw Dodds. I can tell you I was surprised, and so was he. We talked for a bit, and then he asked me to come and play cricket. Wehad an awfully jolly afternoon, I can tell you, " Hal added for thefiftieth time, at least. "I am jolly glad that he is here. "

"Will you ask him to come over here and play?" said Drusie. "It wouldbe rather nice to have some cricket with him--wouldn't it, Jim?"

Hal looked as though his ears had been deceiving him. 

"What?" he said. "Ask Dodds over here to play with all of you? Why, you must be out of your senses, Drusie. The idea of Dodds playing witha girl! I say, how he would laugh!--We might have you, though, sometimes, Jim; you would be useful for fielding. I will ask himto-morrow if he would mind. "

Jim, far from being overwhelmed at the possible honour in store forhim, privately made up his mind to decline it with thanks when the timecame. 

While Hal had been speaking, a sudden idea had occurred to Drusie, andher face lit up with eagerness and excitement. 

"O Hal, " she exclaimed, "I believe that Dodds Major is our boy--thenice boy who rescued Jumbo, and who talked to us for such a long time. "

Hal laughed scornfully. 

"You don't know Dodds Major, " he said. "He is not a bit like that. Why, I tell you that he hates girls, and wouldn't take any notice atall of any of you. Why, he is older even than I am. "

"So was this boy, " said Drusie. "But, of course, if you say that DoddsMajor is not nice, they cannot be the same. "

"I never said Dodds was not nice, " Hal said impatiently. "I only saidthat he was not the sort of boy to play with girls. I expect thatfellow you met this morning was an awful muff. "

[Illustration: Chapter IV headpiece]

CHAPTER IV. 

DISAPPOINTED HOPES. 

For the next two or three days his family saw little of Hal. Morning, afternoon, and evening he was over at the Greys'. His meals he took inthe schoolroom, and though nurse would have allowed him to come back tothe nursery, if he had cared to do so, he very much preferred to havethem in solitary state. He seemed to see nothing ridiculous in sittingthere by himself; indeed, as he confided to Drusie, he thought itperfectly absurd that a boy of his age should ever have been expectedto take them in the nursery. 

She and the rest had plenty of time to make all their preparations forthe double birthday to be celebrated on Tuesday, for Hal left themcompletely to themselves; and when he did see them, he was so full ofall that he and Dodds Major did together that he had no time to showany interest in them. 

"I should very much like to ask him whether he intends to take part inthe fight to-morrow, or whether he means to spend the day as usual withhis friend, " said Helen. 

It was late on Monday evening, and they had brought all theirpreparations to a satisfactory conclusion. The flag--a bright, newUnion Jack--had been fastened to a long, slender pole, and was quiteready to be hoisted. The ammunition was arranged in a neat, high pile, and the armour lay ready to hand. 

And in the garden summer-house, where, a few days back, the secretmeeting had been held, the materials for a most sumptuous feast were inreadiness to refresh the weary warriors when the day's work was done. 

On previous birthdays they had always been satisfied with lemonade as adrink, but Drusie, feeling that this was a special occasion, hadconsidered that lemonade was, perhaps, hardly a suitable form ofrefreshment; and so, from a recipe which she was proud to think wasentirely out of her own head, she had concocted a bottle of red wine. 

"And I think, " she said, as she carefully hid it under the seat--"Ithink that when you taste it you will say that you never in all yourlives before drank anything like it. "

Tartlets and buns and a few other delicacies were to be ordered fromthe pastry-cook's on the eventful day itself. 

So, everything being ready, and it wanting still an hour or more tilltheir bedtime, they were rather at a loss to know what to do withthemselves; and then it was that Helen expressed a desire to know whatpart Hal intended to take in the morrow's proceedings. 

"No part at all, if you ask me, " she added. "I say, Drusie, don't youthink we might go up to the Greys' gate, and see if we can get a lookat Hal and his precious friend Dodds?"

"Hal would be awfully angry if he saw us, " said Drusie. "I don't thinkwe should go. "

But the hesitating tone in which she spoke showed that she was open topersuasion; and when Jim added his word to Helen's, and said that hethought there would be no harm in just going up and having a look over, she gave way. They soon reached the five-barred gate on which Hal hadfound Dodds sitting. 

Neither of them was there, now, however; and so Helen proposed thatthey should climb over, and go down the grassy glade, which would bringthem on to a small knoll, from whence they could command a view of thehouse and the wide lawn that lay in front of it. 

The temptation to see Hal and his friend together was too strong forthem to remember that they would be trespassing, and, scrambling overthe gate, they made their way cautiously through the wood. 

It was as well that they went cautiously, for the two boys were muchcloser to them than they had expected. To the left of the wood was abig level field, and it was here, and not on the lawn, that they wereplaying. The sound of a voice calling impatiently to Hal to hurry upwith that ball, and not to be all night about it, was what first drewtheir attention to his whereabouts; and feeling rather astonished thatany one should venture to address him in that imperious way, they creptup to the edge of the wood, and became silent spectators of what wasgoing on. 

The wicket was pitched in the middle of the field. Dodds was batting, but as his back was toward them, the children could not see his face. But they could hear his voice, and a very imperious, commanding voiceit was. Hal was bowling and fielding as well, and as Dodds sent hisballs flying to all parts of the field, Hal had plenty of work to do. And while he raced about in all directions Dodds lay luxuriously on thegrass and shouted to him to hurry up. Presently Hal bowled a ball thatvery nearly knocked the middle stump flat on its back, and Drusiesoftly clapped her hands, and said "Bravo" under her breath. 

[Illustration: Dodds laying on grass]

"That was a very good ball indeed, " they heard Dodds say approvingly. "Send a few more like that. "

Hal flushed with pride and pleasure at this praise, but the othersthought that he looked a shade disappointed as his friend placedhimself again in front of the wicket. 

But he continued to bowl for other ten minutes; then Dodds remarkedthat the light was getting bad, and that they might as well stop. 

"I would bowl a bit for you, " he said. "It is too dark to see the ballproperly; I hope you don't mind. I really did mean to let you havesome batting to-day. "

"Oh, it does not matter, " Hal said hurriedly. "Any time will do. Idon't mind a bit. "

"Still, I don't like to be selfish, " said Dodds, whose conscienceappeared to be pricking him. The unseen listeners among the bushesthought it might have pricked him a little earlier in the day, for theysoon learned that neither on this occasion nor on any other had Halbeen permitted to bat. He had merely bowled and fielded for Dodds. When they recovered from their astonishment at this, they could hardlyhelp laughing. It was really rather funny, after all Hal's bragging, to find that he was only made use of in the way that he made use ofthem. 

And the curious part of it was that Hal raised no objection, althoughit was easy to see that he was feeling a little disappointed thisevening. On the other hand, he was so flattered at being allowed toassociate, even on these unequal terms, with a boy so much older thanhimself, that he took care to smother his discontent. 

"What about to-morrow?" said Dodds carelessly. "Can you be here prettyearly?"

Hal hesitated for a minute before replying. In spite of Helen'sassertions to the contrary, he had not forgotten that to-morrow was theday of the storming of the fort. 

Several times, as he had hastened to and from the Greys', he had heardthem at work there, and had known perfectly well what they were doing. He had even overheard a conversation, in which they discussed thelikelihood of his taking part in the fight. 

And at the time Hal, touched to see how much they wanted him, hadresolved that he would spend the whole of his birthday with them. 

"Yes, " Dodds went on; "come as soon after breakfast as you can--it iscooler then--and we will have a regular good go in. I want to make abig score at that match next week. You are coming over to see it, aren't you?"

"Y-yes, " Hal stammered. Though Dodds had not mentioned that cricketmatch during the last few days, Hal had not forgotten his promise toget him included in it if possible. Consequently, Dodds's carelessinquiry as to whether he intended to come over as a mere spectatordisconcerted him very much. However, he swallowed his disappointment, and said that he had thought of going. 

"But about to-morrow, " he added. "I don't think I can come--"

"Oh, but you must, " Dodds cried out, interrupting him. "I simply can'tdo without you. Look here; if it is the batting that you are feelingsore about, you shall go in first. There! I have promised you that. "

Hal's face brightened. He _did_ wish to show Dodds that his battingwas very much better than his bowling. And perhaps Dodds would be sostruck with the brilliancy of his performance that he might after allmanage to secure him a place in the match. It would be a real pity, hereflected, to neglect such a chance. After all, the others could verywell do without him to-morrow. 

"Well, " said Dodds impatiently, "what do you say? Will you come? Orare you going somewhere with your brothers and sisters? You have gotsome, haven't you?"

"Yes, " said Hal; "but I never play with them--not since I have been atschool, at least. You see they are all much younger than I am. "

"Oh, a set of kids, " said Dodds indifferently. "What a nuisance theymust be!"

But this Hal did have the grace to contradict. 

"Oh no, they are not, " he said; "but they have kept on liking thingsthat I don't care about, and they get huffy when I don't play withthem. Of course, " he added with an aggrieved air, "it is hardly likelythat I should care to mix myself up very much with them now. "

"I see, " said Dodds; and though they could not see his face, Drusie andJim were sure there must have been a twinkle of merriment in his eyes. "You have grown out of all their games, you mean, and are too old toplay with them any more. "

"Yes, " said Hal eagerly; "that's just it. Now, you understand that allright at once, but I cannot get them to see it. "

"It is wonderful how silly kids can be, " said Dodds gravely. "But, look here; are you coming or are you not? For, if you are not, I shallask one of the Harveys to spend the day with me. "

That was enough for Hal. Throwing his scruples and his half-formedresolution to spend his birthday at home to the winds, he said at oncethat he would come. 

"That's right, " said Dodds in the half-patronizing tone he had used allalong. "Be here directly after breakfast then, and you shall havefirst innings; that's a bargain. "

"I won't forget, " said Hal in a delighted tone. "I expect I shall beup here about nine o'clock. "

It was a very melancholy little quartette that presently emerged fromthe bushes, and took its way home through the woods and the fields. 

"I never should have believed it of Hal--never!" said Helen, quiteforgetting that she had always warned the others of what they mightexpect. "To desert us on his birthday, and for a boy that does notcare a bit about him, except to make use of him!"

"It is funny, " said Jim thoughtfully. "I never should have thoughtthat Hal would have allowed another boy to order him about as Doddsdoes. Why, he fags for Dodds just as Hal would like us to fag for him;only we won't. And he did not seem to mind a bit. "

But Drusie never spoke one single word the whole way home. To thinkthat Hal--her own twin--from whom, until a short three months ago, shehad been almost inseparable, should arrange to spend the whole of hisbirthday away from home caused her bitter grief. It was not even thathe had forgotten the fact of their birthdays. She knew quite well heremembered, from the momentary hesitation he had shown. No; he haddeliberately chosen to desert her, and Drusie felt as if she shouldnever get over it. 

[Illustration: Chapter IV tailpiece]

[Illustration: Chapter V headpiece]

CHAPTER V. 

THE FORT IN THE WILDERNESS. 

All, the Danvers, except, perhaps, Tommy, who was too young to takethings very much to heart, awoke the next morning with a weight ontheir minds, and not, as Helen said afterwards, "with a bit of birthdayfeeling about them. "

Hal was ashamed of himself. Though he was unaware, of course, thatthey had overheard his conversation with Dodds, he guessed from theirdowncast faces that they knew that he intended to desert them on hisand Drusie's birthday, and was not going near the fort. 

He was more ashamed than ever when, lying beside his plate atbreakfast, he found one of the handsomest pocket-knives he had everseen. It had no less than four blades, besides so many other weaponsthat, as the man who sold it remarked to Drusie and Jim, "it was acarpenter's tool-chest in miniature. "

And a dreadful feeling of remorse came over Hal when he remembered thathe had neglected to get something for Drusie. It was not that he hadforgotten her birthday either--seeing that it was on the same day ashis own, he could not very well do that; and when he had gone to schoolhe had quite made up his mind to put aside at least half of hispocket-money every week, and save it for her. 

"It does not matter in the least, " Drusie said eagerly, when Hal beganto stammer out his shamefaced apologies. "I don't want a present fromyou one bit. I know quite well that boys must have a great deal to dowith their money at school. "

At that Hal got rather red. He remembered the regular weekly visits tothe "tuck-shop;" and he knew that if he had only denied himself alittle, Drusie might have had her birthday present. 

"I did ask nurse to advance me some money when I came home, " he said inself-defence, "but she would not. "

Drusie assured him again that she had not expected a present, andbegged him not to say anything more about it. And so nothing more wassaid; and although Helen was burning to ask him what he had done withhis shilling, she remembered her promise to Drusie, and did not makeany unpleasant inquiries. 

Half an hour later Drusie and Jim, having fed all the animals, wereloitering on the sunny terrace together when Hal, looking very spickand span in a clean suit of flannels, came out with his bat under hisarm. 

"I suppose you are going to play cricket, " said Drusie in a tone fromwhich she tried to keep the wistfulness she felt. 

"Well, yes; I am, " said Hal, carefully avoiding the reproachful gaze ofJim's brown eyes. "Dodds wanted me particularly, or else, you know, Drusie, I should have stayed with you, and done what we always do onour birthdays. "

This explanation was meant as a sort of apology, and Drusie never couldbear any one, especially Hal, to apologize to her. 

"It doesn't matter, Hal, " she said generously, winking away atroublesome tear that would tremble on her eyelashes. "You have aright to enjoy yourself in your holidays, and, of course, you arebigger than all of us now. "

"Do you mind very much about my going, Drusie?" Hal said suddenly;"for, if you do, I will throw Dodds over, and come and defend the fort. "

A flash of joy passed over Drusie's face, but the next moment it diedout, and she shook her head. She knew her brother better than he knewhimself, and she was sure that, if he gave up his own wishes fortheirs, he would regret it long before the morning was over. 

"No, Hal, " she said. "If you promised Dodds, you ought to go. "

"Well, don't say that _I_ did not offer, " said Hal, very much relievedthat the offer had not been accepted. 

"No, I won't; and it was very good of you, " said Drusie warmly; andHal, feeling that he had behaved very generously, went on his waywhistling a cheerful tune. 

"It is a good thing that Helen was not here, " said Jim, "or Master Halwould not have got off so easily. I know she is burning to give him apiece of her mind. "

"Oh, I hope she won't, " said Drusie, in real distress; "and he has beenso nice about it. You heard him offering to stay, Jim?"

"Yes, " said Jim, "I heard him, and I thought you were very wise not toaccept. He would have been sorry long before the fight was over. "

Meanwhile Hal, feeling very well pleased with himself, hurried on, andreached the cricket field just as a distant church clock was strikingnine. 

Dodds had not yet arrived, and Hal thought with pleasure of the promiseDodds had given him that he should go in first. And he meant to stayin too; Dodds should not get him out so easily as he imagined. He onlyhoped that Dodds would not get tired of bowling to him, and turn himout willy nilly. 

That was the worst, he reflected, of playing with a boy so much olderthan himself. At school Dodds was an immensely popular fellow, and anew and comparatively small boy, as Hal was, would have been very muchsnubbed if he had ventured to say a word against him. But here Halcould not help seeing that Dodds was rather inclined to be selfish. And Hal was quick not only to see but to resent selfishness in otherpeople. 

He had plenty of time to think over the faults in the character of hisfriend, for half-past nine and then ten struck, and still he had notput in an appearance. Hal began to get impatient, for the sun wasgradually getting hotter, and soon it would be too warm to play withany comfort. It really was too bad of Dodds to treat him so. 

He wondered what the others were doing, and whether they had beguntheir fight. If it had not been for Dodds, he might have been withthem now, instead of dawdling away the whole of the morning doingnothing. 

For another half-hour Hal waited, and at the end of that time he cameto the conclusion that Dodds did not intend to turn up at all. 

"He _is_ selfish, " he thought indignantly. "Here have I spoiled thewhole of my birthday morning waiting for him. I might have beendefending the fort all this time and enjoying myself. "

Here his conscience whispered that he might also have been helping histwin sister to enjoy her birthday; and when he remembered how bravelyshe had concealed her own disappointment, and how unselfishly she hadtold him to go and spend his birthday in the manner that pleased himbest, he began to see how very selfishly he had behaved. 

"I will go to them now, " he thought, starting up; "there are heaps oftime to have a rattling good fight before dinner. "

And so there would have been, but--alas! for his good resolutions--ashe jumped to his feet something fell out of his pocket. It was thelittle packet which he had bought last Saturday. 

For a moment he hesitated; then down he sat, and picked up the packet. 

"I will have just one, " he said, "and then go and play with them. "

"One" proved to be a cigarette, for cigarettes were what the littlepacket contained. 

Ever since he came home, he had been trying to master the art ofsmoking, and had not yet succeeded. Each cigarette made him feel worsethan before. But with a perseverance worthy of a better cause he wouldpuff steadily on, and try hard to believe that he was enjoying himself. 

One or two of the elder boys at his school--Dodds was not among thenumber--had boasted that they often smoked in the holidays, and Hal hadbeen fired with the idea that it would be a fine thing to be able tosay when he went back that he knew how to smoke too. 

And this was the secret of much of his altered behaviour, of hismysterious absences, and more than all of his frequent pale looks andirritable moods. The discomfort he felt when the cigarette wasactually between his lips was nothing compared to the very disagreeablesensations that always followed. He would feel sick and dizzy, andsuffer from a headache for hours afterwards; but as soon as herecovered he would return to the charge and refuse to acknowledgehimself beaten. 

This morning he met with no better success. He began to feel ill longbefore he had half finished his first cigarette, and by the time he washalf-way through the second the most painful qualms seized him, andforgetting the fort and the fight and everything else in his extrememisery he rolled over on the grass, and spent a most unhappy morning. At dinner-time he crept into the nursery looking so pale and wretchedthat nurse was really alarmed. 

[Illustration: Hal with cigarette]

"I can't think what has come to you, Master Hal, " she said. "You neverused to suffer from these dreadful sick headaches. You had better gostraight and lie down, and I will have some soup sent up to you. "

Hal was thankful to accept her advice. The sight of the roast mutton, and the currant tart with Devonshire cream, which formed the nurserydinner that day, made him shudder; and going to his own room, he flunghimself on the bed, and after having taken some of the soup which wasbrought to him, he fell asleep. 

"Which, " said Helen, as she and the rest peeped at him through a chinkin the doorway, "is _one_ way of spending a birthday. "

[Illustration: Helen looking through doorway]

"This birthday has been a failure altogether, " said Jim. "I thoughtthe morning was never coming to an end, and what we are to do thisafternoon I am sure I don't know. "

"You won't take my advice and let us have a fight by ourselves, " saidHelen. "It might not be much fun, but, anyway, it would be much betterthan dawdling away the whole day. "

But the others did not agree with her. They felt that without Hal thewhole thing would be lacking in spirit. 

"I had meant to order a wagonette and take you all for a nice drive, "said nurse, who was sorry for their disappointment. "But now thatMaster Hal looks so queer, I don't like to leave him. "

"Hal has spoiled our whole day, " said Helen in a grumbling tone, asthey all sauntered somewhat aimlessly across the garden. 

"Poor Hal!" said Drusie softly; "if it comes to that, he is not havinga very nice day himself, Helen. "

"And he has not spoiled our feast, Helen, " put in Tommy. "We are goingto have that all the same--aren't we, Drusie?"

"Oh yes, " she said cheerfully; though, to tell the truth, the feast hadlost all charms for her. She was not even looking forward to seeingthem drink her wonderful wine. 

Though they had not intended when they started to go near the fort, almost without their knowing it their steps led them in the directionof the Wilderness, and scrambling over the gap in the hedge, theypushed their way towards the camp. This was a small clearing in thesurrounding thicket, which was always used by the attacking party as ameeting-ground and a store-house for ammunition. There it lay readyfor use--piles and piles of sandy balls, of all shapes and sizes. 

They really could not bear to look at them, and turning away they wentin single file down to the fort. The flag that had floated sodefiantly from its summit all day might as well be hauled down, for ifit rained in the night it would be spoiled. 

A narrow path led from the camp; and when Drusie, who was leading theway, came within sight of the fort she paused and gave vent to amournful sigh. The flag, waving gently in the soft summer breeze, looked so beautiful, and it did seem such a pity that it was to betaken down in so ignominious a manner. 

She advanced into the open, thinking, as she did so, how, if there hadbeen any one to defend the fort, they would have been obliged to skulkfrom bush to bush, taking advantage of every scrap of cover. 

She looked round and smiled to see that, from the mere force of habit, the others were darting cautiously from bush to bush, exposingthemselves as little as possible to the imaginary fire from the fort. 

It would have been well for her had she taken the same precaution, forthe next moment a shriek, that was half of pain and half of delight, broke from her. 

She had received a stinging blow--one that was evidently aimed from acatapult--on her hand. 

"Jim, " she cried, "Hal _is_ in the fort. Hurrah, hurrah! We are goingto have a fight after all!"

Here another bullet, not so well aimed as the last, whizzed past her, and drove her to seek shelter in the nearest bush. 

"Are you better, Hal?" she called. "And do you really want to fight?"

There was no answer to the first question, but a shot that struck herjust above the ankle was a sufficient reply to her second; and, quiteregardless of the pain, she gave another loud whoop of joy, in whichthe other three joined. 

"We must get back to the camp, " Jim cried, "and arm ourselves. This isaltogether too one-sided an affair. "

Bitterly now did they regret the rashness which had led them toapproach in such a confident, careless manner. Yet, at the same time, they could not help admiring the wiliness which the enemy had shown inthus reserving his fire. 

His aim was deadly; but, with a generosity that was truly noble, he didnot take advantage of the fact that they were without their armour, andrefrained from hitting their faces. 

Almost every shot found its mark on them, and at last, despairing ofbeing able to wriggle away in good order, they rose to their feet andmade a dash into the thicket. 

Rushing pell-mell to the camp, they tied their dish-covers over theirfaces, and, arming themselves with as much ammunition as they couldcarry, returned to the clearing. 

But now they were more prudent. Silently they stole through theWilderness, advancing with such caution that hardly the creaking of atwig betrayed their advance; and, keeping themselves carefullyconcealed, they suddenly hurled the big balls at the fort, throwingthem high, so that they should drop through the top. A great noise ofspluttering, followed by a fit of mingled coughing and choking, toldthem that their fire had taken ample effect, and had even partiallydisabled the enemy. 

"Let's rush the fort, " cried Jim; and breaking into the open, he headeda wild dash. 

Their united attack had quite silenced the fort, and they anticipatedan easy victory. Springing on to a projecting ledge just outside oneof the loopholes, Jim's head was already above the level of the summit, and his outstretched arm was within a foot of the flagstaff, whensomething hurtled through the air, and, to Jim's intense astonishment, a coil of rope fell heavily over his shoulders, and slipped to hiswaist. 

"A lasso, a lasso!" Drusie shrieked. "Look out; it is tightening. "

The warning came just in the nick of time. Taken utterly by surprise, Jim yet did not lose his presence of mind. 

Grasping the rope with both hands, he kept the knot from growingtighter; then sliding through the noose with the slipperiness of aneel, he dropped to the ground. But unluckily he caught his foot in thenoose, and although he immediately twisted it free, he fell sprawlingto the ground. In that position he afforded a splendid mark to theenemy, who got two good shots at him before he could move. 

The others had wisely retreated to the thicket; and there Jim, limpingsomewhat from his fall, joined them. 

"That lasso is a splendid idea, " said Drusie enthusiastically. "Iwonder how Hal ever came to think of it. I don't believe he has beenill at all, but only just pretending, on purpose to give us this lovelysurprise. "

"It was a lovely surprise, " said Jim, laughing. "I thought I was donefor that time. I say, Drusie, we shall have to be awfully careful, orwe shall be taken prisoners before we know where we are. "

"The only way is to keep at a safe distance and throw high, " saidDrusie; "for the balls break as they fall, and if they drop on to hishead they fill his eyes and his mouth so full of sand that he isobliged to take off his helmet and clear it all out. "

"Well, we can't do better than follow the same plan again, " said Helen. "Only, don't you remember what we did last year? Some of us threwhigh, while some of us aimed at the loophole and blocked it up. "

"I've got a much better idea than that, " said Drusie. "I vote that wescatter, and creep as near to the fort as ever we can, and then when Igive a low "coo-ee" we will all fire, and make a dash for the fort. And if we do that altogether, Hal won't know which to aim at, and soone of us ought to get the flag. --What do you say, Jim?"

"I approve, " he said; "only look out for that lasso trick. "

Then they separated, Jim and Tommy working their way up the stream, while Drusie wriggled through the thick undergrowth, with a view toapproaching the fort at the back. To Helen was given the easier taskof skirting round the clearing, keeping well under cover of the bushes, and holding herself in readiness to dash into the open and fire whenthe signal was given. 

It seemed to her a task that was almost too easy, and, as she crouchedunder a bramble bush, it occurred to her that if she advanced graduallynearer to the fort she would be of much more use to her party than ifshe merely followed her instructions and remained where she was. Accordingly, dropping on her hands and knees, she left the safe shelterof the denser part of the Wilderness, and crawled out to a bush. 

[Illustration: Helen crouched under bush]

Encouraged by the dead silence that reigned within the fort, sheflattered herself that her stealthy approach was unperceived by theenemy, and so, after pausing for a moment, she advanced still fartherand gained another bush. 

Crouching there, she cautiously raised her head a few inches and lookedround. Five or six yards farther on there was a thick clump of youngwillows: if she could reach that in safety, it would be a capital placein which to halt until Drusie gave her signal. 

But, unfortunately, between it and where she now lurked grew a thickbed of nettles, which made it impossible to creep thither on her handsand knees. Once more she glanced at the fort Hal seemed to have goneto sleep, and emboldened by that thought she rose to her feet for aswift, silent rush to the willows. 

She was half-way across, and was feeling very well pleased, whensomething hurtled through the air with a loud, swishing sound, and thenext moment she was jerked violently to the ground, while anexceedingly uncomfortable sensation round her waist told her that shehad been caught by the lasso. 

Hardly had she realized it when the strain on the rope tightened, andshe was dragged through the bed of nettles. 

"Help, help!" she shouted; "I am lassoed. Drusie!--Jim!"

Instantly the silent Wilderness became alive with shouts and cries. 

"Don't let the rope tighten, " Jim called, bursting through the bushesto her rescue. "Slip out of it, Helen. "

That was easier said than done, for her struggles had already drawn thenoose so tight that, although she resisted to the utmost of her power, she was being hauled rapidly towards the fort. 

Her captor showed no mercy; he did not even allow her to get to herfeet; and though she clutched vainly at brambles and branches, and evenat the stalks of the nettles, he was too strong for her. 

She was within a few yards of the fort when Jim reached her side, andgrasping the rope with both hands, he was in the act of widening thenoose when he was struck heavily across the shoulders by a secondlasso, and before he could even throw up his arms they were boundtightly to his side. 

Then he was even in a worse plight than Helen, for she, at least, hadthe use of her hands; and, though he flung himself backwards, andtwisted and contorted his body in every conceivable way, he could notrelease himself. Neither could he prevent himself from being drawnhelplessly towards the fort; and it occurred to him that Hal must havegrown wonderfully strong lately, for he seemed to have no difficulty atall in dragging both his captives in together. 

"Drusie, Drusie!" he shouted despairingly, as he was flung to theground, and, fighting every inch of the way, was dragged and bumpednearer and nearer to the fort. 

With a sound of breaking branches and rending of clothes, Drusie washastening to the rescue. She had not been able to come sooner, becauseshe had penetrated so far into the dense thicket that she could notreadily extricate herself. However, by leaving scraps of her clothingon every sharp thorn, and getting her hands and legs terriblyscratched, she forced her way out at last; and keeping a wary outlookon the fort, she tried to unloose the knots that bound Jim. 

"Once let me get my arms free, " he said, "and I shall be all right. "

It was clear that the fort had exhausted its stock of lassos, for nothird coil of rope came flying out. Instead, however, the enemy keptup a brisk rain of bullets, which harassed Drusie very much, andprevented her from releasing either Helen or Jim. 

Every now and again the wily enemy would stop firing, and give a tug tothe two ropes which bound his unfortunate captives, and they would bejerked a foot or two nearer the fort. 

Drusie was in despair; unless more help could be brought upon thescene, her two best men would be taken prisoners. 

"I am coming, " shouted an eager voice at that moment; and Tommy, dripping wet from head to foot, came running up, armed with as many bigballs as he could carry. Right up to the very walls of the fort hewent, and threw his balls into it in quick succession. 

There was a muffled shout of indignation, which suddenly died away intoa smothered choking sound, while, at the same time, the strain on theropes relaxed. Jim and Helen did not lose a second in taking advantageof this, and, slipping back the running knots, they freed themselves. 

"Let's capture the ropes, " cried Drusie, flinging herself upon them. But at this point the enemy, who had been choked and blinded for themoment, evidently recovered himself, for with the rapidity of lightningthe two lassos were drawn back again. 

[Illustration: Tommy throwing balls]

"Get back, " shouted Jim, and, seizing Helen by the hand, he retreatedwith all possible speed. And it was well they did so, for hardly hadthe lassos been drawn in than they were flung out again with so strongand well-directed an aim that, had Jim not set them the example offlying, one or more of them would have been made prisoners again. 

They did not pause to take breath until they were within the shelter ofthe Wilderness, where they threw themselves, hot and exhausted, on theground. 

"This was a failure, " said Drusie, and she looked severely at Helen, "and it was all your fault. You did not obey orders. If it had notbeen for Tommy, the day would have been lost. You ought to becourt-martialled, Helen, and I daresay you will be later on when thefort is taken. "

"I am very sorry, " said Helen in a shamefaced manner, "but I thought itwould be such a splendid thing if I could get right up to the fortbefore the attack began. "

"You should not think, then, " said Drusie. "You should only do whatyou are told. --And, by the way, Tommy, what happened to you?"

"I fell into the stream, " he said ruefully. "Helen's shrieks startledme so much that I lost my balance just as I was crossing it. "

"It was the narrowest escape we have all had yet, " said Jim. "I votethat we try the same plan again, and whatever you do, Helen, don't goand spoil it again by thinking to do something clever. "

Before Helen could retort, Tommy jumped up with a shout of defiance, and snatching up two balls that lay ready to his hand, discharged themright into the centre of a bush a few yards off. 

"What on earth are you about?" exclaimed an indignant voice; and Hal, his face covered with sand and mud, sprang out of the bushes and madefor his younger brother. 

But Jim flung himself between them, and, aided by Drusie, they broughtHal, kicking and struggling, to the ground, and sat upon him. 

"The fort is ours, " cried Drusie joyfully. "Run, Helen, and get theflag before Hal can release himself. "

Helen dashed off to do as she was told, but as she was flying acrossthe clearing she was suddenly brought up by a perfect hailstorm ofbullets, which played round her in all directions, and caused her tofly back to the camp with the astounding information that it was notHal who had been defending the fort, but somebody else. 

"If you had not behaved like a set of duffers who had all lost theirheads, I could have told you that myself, " said Hal crushingly. "Butinstead of letting me explain, you all flung yourselves upon me as if Iwere your greatest enemy. "

"Well, of course, we thought that you were, " said Drusie. "We thoughtthat you had sallied out from the fort to take us all prisoners. Butif it is not you who have been in the fort all this time, who is it?"

But that was just what none knew; and Hal was as much in the dark asthe rest. He had awaked a quarter of an hour ago, feeling all rightagain. "And so, I thought, " he added, "that I had been rather a pigabout this birthday, and that, if you would have me, I'd come out anddefend the fort. "

"Have you?" cried Drusie joyfully. "Of course, we will--won't we, Jim?"

"Rather, " Jim said; and that word of assent was heartily echoed by bothHelen and Tommy. "But I say, Drusie, if it is not Hal in the fort, whoon earth can it be?"

"I know, " Drusie said, after a moment of puzzled silence; "it must beour friend--Jumbo's boy. "

When Hal heard of the lassos he cried out that it was no less a personthan Dodds. 

"I know it is he, " he cried excitedly, "for he is awfully keen aboutlassos. He has been reading about the cowboys in Texas, and the otherday he was practising on the lawn. "

"Whoever it is, " Drusie said, "he defends the fort awfully well. Idon't believe we shall ever capture it. "

"Oh yes, we shall, " said Jim, "now that Hal has come to help us. "

"Just fancy Dodds playing with you kids all the afternoon, " Hal said ina tone of surprise. "I wonder what ever made him do it. "

Fired with the idea of showing Dodds that the attacking party hadreceived a valuable reinforcement, Hal threw himself with ardour intothe fight, and--Drusie having resigned her post as captain in hisfavour--led sally after sally against the fort. But the aim of thelassos was so deadly, and the hailstorm of bullets so incessant, thattime after time they were obliged to retire. 

Once Drusie, who had wriggled herself through the thick hawthorns atthe back of the fort, was within an ace of taking the flag; but, justas she had climbed up on the roof, the defender, whose face wascompletely hidden by his helmet, made a grab at her, and she wasobliged to fly for her life. 

"We must alter our tactics, " Hal said, as, hot and exhausted from theprolonged struggle, he withdrew his little army into the recesses ofthe Wilderness. "We are not a bit nearer taking the fort than when westarted. "

"Not so near, " said Helen; "for our ammunition is giving out. We haveonly about twenty or thirty balls left. This is quite the hardestfight that we have ever had. "

"We must get the fort, " Hal said, setting his teeth. "We are four toone, and it will be a great disgrace to us if we don't. "

"But that one is such a one, " Drusie said. 

"I told you Dodds was a splendid fellow, didn't I?" said Hal eagerly. "But, all the same, I wish he was not quite as splendid now. Butlisten; I have got a glorious plan in my head, if we can only carry itout. "

But at that moment he was interrupted by a loud, piercing scream, whichwas followed by another and another; and, glancing hastily round, Halsaw that Tommy was missing from the council. 

"He was with us only a minute ago, " Drusie exclaimed. 

Springing to their feet, they all rushed out, and there they saw Tommy, bound and helpless, being hauled rapidly up to the very walls of thefort. 

He had brought his sad fate upon himself. As he was following theothers into camp, he had seen the enemy spring out of the fort and runinto the bushes, and, quick as thought, Tommy had darted off to capturethe flag during his absence. Had he only reported what he had seen tohis commander, a proper attack might have been hastily organized andthe fort captured; but Tommy was in such a hurry, and so anxious togain all the glory for himself, that he slipped off without saying aword to the others. And when it was too late he found that thedesertion of the fort was only a cleverly-planned trick on the part ofits defender, who had crashed noisily into the bushes, in the hope ofdeceiving the attacking party into the belief that the fort was empty. As soon as he saw that Tommy was going to fall into the trap, heslipped quietly back, and, lassoing Tommy just outside, dragged him aprisoner into the fort. 

[Illustration: Tommy, lassoed]

"Serves him right, " said Jim. "He had no business to act on his ownaccount like that. "

But it was all very well to say "serves him right. " Perhaps Tommy hadmet with no better fate than he deserved, but he, nevertheless, broughtabout a very serious check to his party; for, while one of their numberwas in the hands of the enemy, no attempt to take the flag could bemade. The prisoner must first be rescued. Sometimes he was ransomedwith ammunition. But their store was too low for them to be able to dothat now. They could better afford to spare Tommy than cannon-balls. 

Meanwhile, complete silence reigned in the fort. The Union Jack wavedtriumphantly from the flagstaff, and the captive Tommy had disappearedfrom view. 

"Got you rather neatly, I think, " his enemy had said, as he pulled himin. Even in that moment of bitter humiliation Tommy gave a start ofsurprise as he recognized his captor. Drusie was right, for thedefender of the fort was indeed Jumbo's boy. 

"Oh, " Tommy gasped out, as, breathless from the struggle he had justgone through, he stared at his captor, "it is you, is it? Hal said hewas sure it was Dodds, but I am jolly glad that you are not Dodds. Heis conceited. I should not have liked to have been taken prisoner byhim. "

"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you?" said the boy with a twinkle in hiseyes. "But who told you that I--that Dodds, I mean--was conceited?Young Danvers, I suppose?"

"No; Hal didn't. He likes Dodds. But we others don't think very muchof him. "

The boy laughed. 

"Dodds is a great friend of mine, " he said. "I shall tell him what youhave said. But never mind that now. Tell me what I am to do. Can yoube exchanged or ransomed, or are you allowed to escape if you can?"

"I don't think they will ransom me, " Tommy said reflectively. But hewas far too wary to tell the enemy why. "And I mayn't try to escapeuntil one of them has touched me; and till I am rescued the fort can'tbe taken. "

"That's good news, " said the boy. "I shan't let you be taken in ahurry. How will they try to rescue you?"

Tommy shook his head. He knew better than to allow himself to be drawninto giving any information, and the boy laughed at his caution, andclimbing on to one of the two empty orange boxes, which were the onlyseats that the fort contained, he kept a good lookout. 

Tommy climbed on to the other, and standing on tiptoe was just able topeer over the edge of the fort. 

The open space that surrounded it was deserted, and although Tommysearched the bushes with anxious eyes he could not see any signs of hisfellow-besiegers. He knew that Hal must be exceedingly angry with him, and that if the attack on the fort could have been carried on while hewas a prisoner, he would have been left there as a punishment. 

But, as it was, he comforted himself with the thought that, for thesake of capturing the flag, they would rescue him as soon as ever theycould. 

Presently his sharp eyes caught sight of Drusie creeping from bush tobush. He was afraid that the boy had seen her too, for, stepping down, he picked up a lasso and coiled it in readiness. 

"Hi, you, " he said, imperiously addressing his prisoner. "You must getdown and sit on the floor. "

"Not unless you can make me, " retorted Tommy; "and if you are holdingme down, you won't be able to fight. "

There was so much truth in that that the boy went back to his boxagain, and Tommy was permitted to remain upon his. 

And now the situation grew exciting, for the rescuing party advanced infull force and without any real attempt at concealment. Tommy wonderedwhat was their plan of attack. 

The boy was puzzled too, and as they approached he glanced sharply fromone to the other. Drusie darted from bush to bush, a cannon-ball ineither hand. Hal, with nothing in his left hand, but with his rightconcealed in his pocket, followed her, and Helen and Jim skirmishedabout in a somewhat aimless fashion on their own account. 

But all the time they drew steadily nearer to the fort, and Tommywatched their movements with the keenest interest, ready to scrambleout directly he was rescued. 

When they were within ten or fifteen yards, Hal and Drusie paused, andthe latter, with all the strength of which she was capable, hurled hercannon-balls in quick succession into the fort. 

The first was beautifully aimed. It broke on the boy's head, and for amoment choked and blinded him. The second struck Tommy on the head, and caused him to tumble down from his box and lie for a momentsprawling on the floor. 

When he got to his feet again and climbed on to his perch, he saw, tohis dismay, that things were apparently going very badly for them. Theboy, disabled only for a moment by Drusie's ball, had thrown his lassowith his usual sure and deadly aim, and Hal was struggling in its noose. 

[Illustration: "The boy had thrown his lasso with deadly aim. "]

Drusie and Helen were circling round him, and though their shrillwar-whoops echoed through the Wilderness, they were making no effort tohelp Hal to escape. And as for Jim, he had totally disappeared. 

Tommy, however, knew enough of war to be aware that there was somereason for Jim's sudden disappearance; and he presently detected aslight movement among the hawthorn bushes at the back of the fort, andguessed at once that, under cover of the noise that Drusie and Helenwere making, Jim was creeping up with the intention of rescuing him. And Hal had probably allowed himself to be taken prisoner on purpose todistract attention from this manoeuvre. 

Very gently and gradually, so as not to arouse the suspicions of hiscaptor, Tommy edged his box to the corner nearest the bushes, so thatJim might give him the touch that would bring freedom with as littledanger to himself as possible. 

Meanwhile, Hal was making a valiant struggle. As Tommy had alreadyguessed, he had allowed himself to be taken prisoner; but, at the sametime, he did not wish to be dragged nearer the fort than he could help. And though, to all appearance, he was a prisoner, he held something inhis right hand by means of which he hoped to sever his bonds when hechose. He was very nearly as strong as his enemy, and, as he hadmanaged to keep both his arms free, he hauled back the rope with allhis might and main. But, in spite of his efforts, he was graduallylosing ground, and, quite forgetting how important it was that theenemy should be kept in ignorance of the stratagem that was beingcarried out in the rear, he shouted to Jim to make haste. 

Luckily, however, Drusie kept her wits about her, and drowned thelatter half of his sentence by a terrific yell, in which Helen promptlyjoined. And under cover of the noise they made Jim tore his waythrough the thicket, and came right up to the very walls of the fort. 

"Rescued!" he shouted, tapping Tommy on the arm, and immediately divingback into the bushes. 

"Rescued!" Tommy repeated with a glad yell of triumph; and he was overthe wall and after Jim like a flash. 

But that his hands were full, the boy would have shaken his fist at hisescaping prisoner. As it was, he was obliged to content himself withthe thought that his new prisoner was more worth having than his oldone. 

But even as that thought passed through his mind Hal whipped out aknife, and, opening the biggest blade, began to hack away at the rope. 

The rope was thick and the knife was blunt, and though Hal sawed awaywith desperate haste the strands parted with tantalizing slowness;thus, being less able to offer resistance than before, he was hauledrapidly towards the fort. He was barely five yards away from it whenthe last strand parted, and, with the noose still round his waist, Halscrambled to his feet. Ducking to avoid a second lasso, which hisdisappointed foe hurled after him, he set out at full speed for thecamp, and then flung himself exhausted upon the ground. 

"That was hottish work, " he said, glancing round at his little army tosee that none were missing, "and we had some tremendously narrowescapes. But the rescue was carried out splendidly. You all did justwhat you were told, and no more. "

Praise from Hal was rare, and the three recipients of it lookedexceedingly gratified. And they felt that they deserved thecommendation, for Drusie and Helen were perfectly hoarse with shouting, and Jim's face and hands and clothes were torn and scratched by thorns. And Tommy, to his secret delight, got off with a very slight reprimand, for they were all so proud of the clever way in which they had rescuedhim that they forgave him for having allowed himself to be takenprisoner. 

The news that it was their friend, and not Dodds, who was defending thefort was received with satisfaction by Drusie and Jim, but withincredulity by Hal. 

"Why, I know it is Dodds, " he said. "Though his face is hidden by hishelmet, I recognized the suit of clothes that he had on. "

"Then, I tell you what it is, " Drusie cried. "Our friend and Dodds arethe same. "

"Well, we will find out all about that presently, " said Hal, who was soeager to take the stubborn fort that he did not care very much who heldit. "Carried the fort must be, and within the next half-hour. "

"Listen, " he said, sitting bolt upright; "I have got a rattling goodplan in my head, but, " throwing a severe glance in Tommy's direction, "there must be no more disobedience, or the whole thing will bespoiled. "

Tommy looked properly abashed, and Hal went on. "I mean to hose Doddsout of the fort. "

"Hose him out!" Drusie and Jim echoed in astonishment. "What do youmean, Hal?"

"For goodness' sake, take care, " Hal remonstrated. "If you shout likethat he'll hear, and the whole thing will be spoiled. "

Then Hal proceeded to explain in rapid undertones what he meant. 

"I am going to bring up the water-barrel, pump it full from the stream, fit the biggest hose to it, and let fly into the fort. "

His four soldiers held their breath for a moment, and gazed at theircaptain with dumb admiration. 

"It's a gorgeous plan, " said Helen at last. 

"I think it ought to answer, " Hal said. "I have been thinking it outfor some time. I shall go for it, but I will tell you what you have todo while I am away. "

For the next quarter of an hour silence reigned in the camp--a silenceso unbroken that the enemy who lay waiting in the fort became morewatchful with every passing moment. He distrusted such a completecessation of hostilities. It could only mean that an attack of unusualfierceness was being planned; and so, that it might not find himunprepared, he cast an eye round the fort to see if he could strengthenit in any way. 

But it was already as strong as it could be made; and when he wassatisfied on that point, he took stock of his ammunition, and made afresh noose for the lasso which Hal had cut. Just as he had finished abeautiful slip knot, his ear was caught by a low whistle. Ducking toavoid the shot for which it might be the signal, he listened again. Noshot followed; the whistle was twice repeated. 

Standing upright again, the boy glanced hastily round. He fancied thatthe whistle came from the direction of the stream. He was stillwondering what it meant, when another whistle, another, and yetanother, and all from different directions, echoed round the fort. Each, like the first, was repeated twice, but yet nothing happened. 

He strained his eyes this way and that, and then suddenly fitted acouple of bullets into his catapult, and fired into some bushes on theleft. A sharp but quickly-suppressed squeal of pain was the result. Again and again he fired, but only to be met by a heroic silence. Either his shots missed or his victim refused to cry out. 

Suddenly Hal's voice rang out. 

"One!" he shouted. 

There was a pause. 

"Good, " thought the boy. "At three the fun begins. Kind of them togive me warning. "

Confident that he would have a few moments' breathing space, hiswatchful vigilance relaxed. Instead of keeping a sharp lookout, he ranhis eye once more over his defences, and was considering whether itwould be better to use the shorter or the longer lasso, when Hal'svoice made itself heard again. 

"Two!" he shouted with the full force of his lungs, and simultaneouslya wild war-whoop went up from his army. There was the sound ofbreaking branches, and from different quarters of the wood four of thebesiegers broke into the open and advanced at the double. 

This movement was the outcome of a deeply-laid plan of Hal's. He knewthat if an advance was made at the word "two" the fort would be takencompletely by surprise, and under cover of the attack from the front hewas, in the meantime, bringing the heavy gun--the water-barrel--intoposition at the rear. 

His surmise proved correct. The holder of the fort was taken at adisadvantage; he fired wildly in consequence, and had the mortificationof perceiving that not one of his shots took effect. 

The attacking party, of whom Hal was not one, reserved their fire, andseemed bent upon coming to close quarters. Grimly determined to makeit warm for them when they did close with him, the defender sprang onto the roof, and, regardless of the fact that he was exposing himselfrecklessly, took up his stand by the flagstaff, and, throwing down hiscatapult, whirled his lasso wildly round his head. 

On came the attacking party; he faced them, and with a coolness thatdid him credit at such a critical moment he picked out the one that hecould most easily capture, and was in the act of hurling the lasso, when, up from the very midst of the hawthorn bushes at the back of thefort, Hal's voice was heard again. 

"Three!" he shouted: and turning like lightning to meet this fresh foe, who he guessed would prove the most formidable, the boy saw an immensejet of water spurt high into the air. Twenty feet it rose, and thendescended full and fair upon his head. A mingled shout of defiance andjoy told Hal that his aim had been good, and he continued to ply thehose. At the same moment eight cannon-balls, five at least of whichhit him, were thrown at the harassed defender, whose helmet was nowfull of sand and water. 

Choking and gasping and almost unable to see, so great was the forcewith which the stream was playing upon his face, the boy grasped theflag, determined not to surrender. 

But the enemy now surrounded the fort on all sides, and were alreadyscaling the walls. Both Jim and Drusie were anxious to gain the gloryof capturing the flag, and a desperate fight raged round the flagstaff. Twice Drusie laid hands upon it, and twice she was driven back. 

The hose played upon besieged and besiegers alike, and all thecombatants were being drenched to the skin. But the battle continuedto rage, and, though he was hampered by his helmet and sorelyoutnumbered, the valour displayed by the holder of the fort might yethave gained him the day, if Jim, warned by a cry from Hal that thewater in the barrel was giving out, had not succeeded in grasping theflagstaff. 

"Jump with it, Jim, jump!" Drusie cried, and flung herself betweenthem. But with one hand the boy tossed her aside, while with the otherhe clutched at the flag. 

There was a short tug of war; then a sharp sound of tearing cloth; andwhile the gallant defender toppled backwards into the stream, carryingthe greater part of the flag with him, Jim fell down on the other side, bearing with him the flagstaff and the fluttering remnant of the UnionJack. 

Both sides would certainly have claimed the victory, for both held aportion of the flag, had not Drusie, scrambling out of the hawthornbushes into which she had been tossed, jumped into the middle of thestream, and snatched the part that he still held out of the hand of theprostrate, half-drowned enemy. 

Then the fort had no choice but to capitulate, and the day was won bythe besiegers. 

"You all fought jolly well, " said the holder of the fort, calmlysitting upright in the middle of the stream and removing his helmet, thereby disclosing to view the face of the boy who had come to Jumbo'srescue. "It has been warm work from first to last. It is quite jollyto sit here and get cool. "

Then Hal, jubilant at the success which had attended his manoeuvre, emerged from the hawthorn bushes in which he had been concealed, andcongratulated his late enemy on the splendid stand which the fort hadmade. 

"It ought not to have been taken, " Dodds said. "But that hose upset mecompletely; it came as such a tremendous surprise. "

"I say, " said Jim, who was standing on the bank panting from hisexertions, "are you really Dodds?"

"That's my name, " said the boy with a polite flourish of his helmet;"and I hear, " glancing round at them all with an amused twinkle in hiseyes, "that none of you like me. "

"Oh, but we didn't know that you were Dodds, " Drusie hastened toexplain. "It was Dodds we did not like, not you. "

"Well, as I am Dodds, you can't like me if you don't like him, " the boysaid with a laugh, in which they all were obliged to join, as theyrealized that they had really been liking Dodds all the time withoutknowing it. 

"Well, as I am cool now, " Dodds said, getting up and wading to thebank, "I think I'll go and put on some dry things. And I should thinkthat you had better do the same. And then, isn't there a birthdayfeast to be eaten? I rather think I heard something about it too. Youknow, I was fishing here one day, and you were all in the fort talkingabout the fight, and wondering if Hal meant to hold it, and it struckme that it would be rather a good idea if I held it in his place. Andso I just did. And jolly good fun it has been too. --Don't you thinkso, Hal? or do you still think that playing with kids is slow work?"

At that Hal began to grow red, and Drusie, who knew that he was sorryfor that and for many other foolish things that he had said, interposedquickly. 

"I think we had better go home and change too, " she said; "and then wewill all meet in the summer-house for the feast. "

"Am I asked too?" said Dodds, who was not shy. 

"Of course, " they all cried. 

"Right you are then, " said Dodds, shaking himself and squaring hisshoulders for a run. "I'll bring some contributions to the feast. Let's see who'll get changed and be there first. I bet you I will. "

But as it happened, his five hosts and hostesses were the first toreach the summer-house; and while they waited for their guest Hal tooka small baby guinea-pig from his pocket, and gave it to the astonished, delighted Drusie. 

"My birthday present to you, Drusie. I got it down at the village thisafternoon. Isn't it a beauty?"

"Oh, it's a darling!" Drusie cried, covering both the guinea-pig andHal with kisses. "How awfully, awfully good of you, Hal! Is it reallymy very, very own?"

"Yes, rather, " said Hal, looking very gratified at her delight. "Iwent down into the village this afternoon and got it. I paid for ittoo, " he added proudly. "Nurse advanced me the money. "

Then Dodds arrived with a basketful of good things for the feast, and avery merry feast it was. And by the time it was finished Drusie andJim wondered how they could ever have thought that Dodds was not a niceboy. 

Hal was not surprised that they should like Dodds, but he was ratherastonished to find how much Dodds got to like them. Hal had thoughtthat Dodds would be far too big and grown up to care about playing withgirls; but when he found out that Dodds actually enjoyed playingcricket with them, and thought a great deal of Drusie's bowling andHelen's smart fielding, he began to think that he had made a mistake insupposing that he had grown too old for them. So he ceased to speak tothem as if he were years and years older than all of them put together, and remembered that he was Drusie's twin-brother, and that he was veryfond of her. 

THE END.