Jn
 
 UCSB UBRARY
 
 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. Page 131.
 
 THE SPRINGDALE STORIES. 
 
 HERBERT. 
 
 RY 
 
 MRS. S. B. C. SAMUELS, 
 
 ATTTUOB OF "A1>ELE," " EBIO," "NETTIE'S TISIAL," "JOIINSTONE'B 
 FABil," " ENMSFELLKN." 
 
 BOSTON : 
 LEE AND SHEPARD, PUBLISHERS. 
 
 NEW YORK: 
 
 LEE, SHEPARD & DILLIXGIIAM, 4 GREENE STREET. 
 1871.
 
 Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1870, 
 
 Br LEE AND SIIEPAKD. 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 
 
 Electrotyped at the 
 
 Boston Stereotype Foundry, 
 
 19 Spring Lane.
 
 AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED 
 
 THE BOYS AT HILLSIDE.
 
 THE SIPRING-ID^LE STORIES, 
 
 COMPLETE IN SIX VOLUMES. 
 
 1. ADEZE. 
 
 2. ERIC. 
 
 3. HERBERT. 
 
 4. NETTIE'S TRIAL. 
 
 5. JOHN STONE'S FARM. 
 
 6. ENNISFELLEN.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 THE story told in the following pages is a 
 simple one of life at school, with its friend- 
 ships, its struggles, and its jealousies. 
 
 Young folks are best taught the lessons 
 of life by observing and analyzing the mo- 
 tives and actions of others who are passing 
 before them, in scenes which are most familiar 
 and interesting. 
 
 My young readers will find that a firm 
 resolve to do light, a determination to obey 
 and follow the precepts of the golden rule, 
 is always rewarded, and that an effort to 
 injure others, either for revenge or for per- 
 sonal benefit, meets with a speedy and certain 
 punishment. 
 
 One should never attempt to rise upon 
 the fallen fortunes of another; and still less 
 should effort be made to retrieve a lost 
 position by sacrificing another's good name. 
 
 (5)
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 GOING TO SCHOOL 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 AN UNPLEASANT INTRODUCTION ...... 15 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 EXPLANATIONS ............ 26 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 NEW SCENES AND NEW. FRIENDS ..... 31 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A JOKE CARRIED TOO FAR ........ 41 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 LIFE OR DEATH ............ 53 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 NELSON'S FLIGHT ........... 60 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HERBERT PLEADS FOR WARREN ...... 66 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 FOOT-BALL ............. 74 
 
 7
 
 8 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 IN THE FORM ', * ' 80 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 AT CALAIS 93 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 TOM WARD GETS INTO TROUBLE 101 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 THE MISSING THEME 112 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS 130 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 FLAMBORO' HEAD 140 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 A SEAMAN'S YARN AND A SUDDEN DESCENT. 154 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 HERBERT GOES DOWN THE CLIFF 162 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 THE RESCUE 175
 
 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 GOING TO SCHOOL. 
 
 HERBERT STANLEY, a passenger on 
 the express train from London, was on 
 his way to Eton for his first term at school. 
 
 It was a sunny autumn afternoon. The 
 distant river glistened like silver. The grass 
 and growing crops looked velvet-green. The 
 air was soft and warm ; and notwithstand- 
 ing a feeling of regret at leaving home, the 
 little American lad, seated in a compartment 
 of the car, was a very happy boy. 
 
 Eton came in view. A stretch of smooth, 
 green fields sloped gently to the river, which 
 
 (9)
 
 10 HERBERT. 
 
 was spanned by a neat iron bridge. Wind- 
 sor Castle, on the opposite shore, flashed its 
 broad windows in the sunlight, and stood in 
 stately grandeur, accepting the passing trib- 
 ute of every honest English heart " God 
 save the queen ! " 
 
 Reaching the station, the train was soon 
 emptied of its passengers, and Herbert, 
 glad enough to be released, hurried among 
 them. 
 
 Cabmen, draymen, and porters bustled 
 about in great confusion, and with the usual 
 noise. 
 
 Herbert secured his "traps," as he de- 
 scribed his baggage, signalled to a cabman, 
 and was soon on his way to the college, 
 dreading the ordeal of examination, but 
 looking forward with great pleasure to his 
 companionship with the students. 
 
 The examination was not so trying as he 
 had anticipated. Dr. Russell, the head 
 master, asked him a few easy questions, 
 which Herbert answered readily, and told him
 
 TAKING A POSITION. 11 
 
 to take his place in Mr. No well's form, the 
 fourth in the upper school, and appointed 
 him a study and place in the dormitory at 
 Mr. Kaine's house, where Herbert went at 
 once, and entered into possession. 
 
 Then the first thing was to get his port- 
 manteau and boxes in place ; the next, to 
 see about the fitting up of his study, which 
 was unfurnished. 
 
 The wall paper, of a pretty pattern, looked 
 neat and bright, and the window shades were 
 in good order. These Herbert decided would 
 do very well ; but he must have curtains, a 
 carpet, a lounge, chairs, and pictures. 
 
 By the time he had finished the inspection 
 of his premises, and decided on what was 
 needed, the tea bell rang, and he began to 
 realize that he was a very hungry boy. 
 
 He started for the hall, following a group 
 of boys who were laughing and chatting 
 together. 
 
 " Holla ! there's a new fellow," some one 
 exclaimed, as they entered the doorway.
 
 12 HERBERT. 
 
 A broad stare greeted Herbert at this 
 announcement, and he was beginning to feel 
 very hot and uncomfortable, when a hand 
 was slipped into his own, and a pleasant 
 voice whispered, 
 
 "I say, you new chap, sit next to me." 
 
 Herbert turned gratefully, and accepted 
 the proffered seat. 
 
 M Don't mind their staring," said his new 
 friend ; " they only do it to plague." 
 
 So Herbert grew more composed, and 
 looked steadily at two or three of the boys, 
 who, finding they could not embarrass him, 
 desisted. 
 
 " What's, your name ? " asked the boy by 
 his side. 
 
 " Stanley Herbert Stanley." 
 
 " I know of a boy by that name in Amer- 
 ica," said the English boy. 
 
 "I'm from America," replied Herbert. 
 
 "You are? Then you must be Are 
 you any relation to Lord Stanley?" 
 
 "Not much!" answered Herbert, regartj-
 
 AN INTRODUCTION. 13 
 
 less of grammatical rule ; " he was only my 
 grandfather's cousin." 
 
 " Only ! " repeated his neighbor ; " and I'm 
 ' only ' your cousin. Your grandfather was 
 my uncle." 
 
 " Well, I declare ! " cried Herbert, greatly 
 pleased ; " then you're Arthur Montgomery." 
 
 "Precisely so," laughed the English boy ; 
 " and if you'd said, ' Well, I declare,' at first, 
 I'd have known you were from America 
 without the trouble of asking you." 
 
 "I say, you two," cried a boy who sat 
 next to Arthur, " supper's half over, and you 
 won't get any more to-night. Monty, that 
 new chap hasn't had a mouthful." 
 
 "Eat your supper now, Stanley," said 
 Arthur, laughing ; " we'll talk afterwards." 
 
 "Ay, do," repeated the boy who had 
 spoken before ; " you'll need a smashing sup- 
 per if Monty is to gabble at you." 
 
 "Ward, you should be rewarded for that 
 original remark," retorted Arthur. 
 
 " Three hundred and sixty-five," exclaimed
 
 14 HERBERT. 
 
 Ward. "Monty, my dear, if you can't m- 
 vent another pun, pray remember the num- 
 ber of times you have perpetrated that one, 
 and spare us." 
 
 " Ward," cried a voice from farther up the 
 table, "who's the new chap?" 
 
 "A youth to Eton scholars all unknown, 
 Who looks with horror on our puns and mirth, 
 But Arthur Monty's marked him for his own." 
 
 .Ward replied, with mock solemnity. 
 
 "Shut up, Tom," called Arthur. "He's 
 my cousin, Brocket; his name's Stanley." 
 
 " And ' Stanley ' was the cry ! " 
 
 spouted Tom Ward, striking an attitude, 
 and interrupting Arthur's introduction. 
 
 Arthur rolled up some bread crumbs, and 
 threw the pellet at Ward, who instantly re- 
 turned it. 
 
 Luckily for them both, this little by-play 
 escaped tfie eye of the presiding master. 
 Had he noticed it, they would have had one 
 hundred lines each to write out.
 
 AN UNPLEASANT INTRODUCTION. 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 AN UNPLEASANT INTRODUCTION. 
 
 PLL take you over to the school-room, 
 
 1, Herbert, and introduce you to the fel- 
 lows," said Arthur, after supper ; and lock- 
 ing his arm in his cousin's, they set forth. 
 
 "I want you to like Morton," he contin- 
 ued, speaking of his brother. " He's a queer 
 fellow, but good as gold if you get the right 
 side of him." 
 
 Which was rather an exaggerated account 
 of young Lord Morton Stanley, who was an 
 intensely disagreeable boy. He had recent- 
 ly come into possession of his title by the 
 death of his grandfather ; but the dignity of 
 lordship had not improved him in the least. 
 
 He was a pale, sickly boy, with- an over-
 
 16 HERBERT. 
 
 bearing, passionate temper, and suspicious 
 disposition. The unfortunate lad inheriteJ 
 a disease of the heart, which he knew was 
 likely at any moment to terminate his life , 
 and for Herbert, as next of kin, and conse- 
 quently his heir (for Arthur was a half- 
 brother), he had always felt great dislike 
 and jealousy. 
 
 Now Herbert, who had only spent a few 
 months' of his twelve years' life, in England, 
 was unaware of old Lord Stanley's death, 
 and also of the fact that he was, next to Mor- 
 ton Stanley in direct succession, an heir to 
 Stanley Manor; nor, had he known the facts, 
 would he have much cared, for he had an 
 American contempt for titles, and contem- 
 plated no other future than that of returning 
 to his old home in Connecticut, and settling: 
 
 7 O 
 
 upon the estates left him there by his own 
 grandfather. He was therefore entirely un- 
 aware of young Lord Stanley's feelings re- 
 garding him, and was honest in his answer 
 to Arthur.
 
 IN THE -SCHOOL 11 O O M . 17 
 
 "O, I know I shall like him ; " and then, 
 with a hug at Arthur's arm, added, "It's so 
 jolly to have cousins. I have none on 
 mamma's side of the family ; so I sliall make 
 the most of you and Morton." 
 
 w Me and Morton ! You'd better put Mor- 
 ton first, young man, if you know on which 
 side your bread is buttered, " returned Ar- 
 thur, with a laugh ; " but here we are at the 
 school-room." 
 
 Just as they reached the door, Arthur was 
 called away by a master, and Herbert en- 
 tered the room alone. It was a long, high 
 room, with deep, panelled wainscoting, so 
 high that a lookout from the windows above 
 was impossible. 
 
 Long ranges of forms extended up and 
 down the room in unbroken lines, except 
 for the desks of the assistant masters. At 
 one end of the room, on a raised platform, 
 stood the head master's desk, and before it 
 recitation forms for the higher classes. The 
 2
 
 18 HERBERT. 
 
 wainscoting was freely embellished with names 
 carved deep into it, as were also the forms. 
 
 He had no time for further inspection. A 
 pale, haughty-looking boy, in the centre of 
 the room, caught sight of him, and called out, 
 "Hallo, you little new chap ! come here." 
 
 Herbert advanced. 
 
 " This is the Upper School : you don't 
 belong here do you ? " asked the stranger, 
 rudely. 
 
 " Why not ? " replied Herbert, with a quiet 
 smile. 
 
 " Why not ? One would think you were a 
 Yankee," said the other, with a sneer. 
 
 Herbert's cheeks reddened. 
 
 "I am not ashamed of my country," said 
 he, boldly. " I am a Yankee, from dear old 
 Connecticut." 
 
 " Bravo, bravo ! " cried a number of the 
 boys clustered around them. 
 
 But the one who had taken upon himself 
 to question Herbert, without heeding the 
 others, continued,
 
 COUSINS. 19 
 
 " Then you had better walk out of here. 
 This is a school for gentlemen's sons. We 
 don't want any sneaking Yankees here." 
 
 Herbert's blue eyes flashed, and his ready 
 hands were doubled for a blow that would 
 have taught the English boy respect at least 
 for a pair of Yankee fists. 
 
 Just at this point of the argument, Arthur 
 Montgomery entered the room, exclaiming, 
 as he saw the two together, 
 
 "Ah, there you are, Morty. Have you 
 discovered our cousin Herbert?" 
 
 "Who?" 
 
 "What?" 
 
 Herbert and Morton simultaneously ex- 
 claimed, and both for the instant dropped 
 their attitude of defiance. 
 
 "Yes, " resumed Arthur, seeing something 
 was wrong between them, and anxious to 
 have them friends, "it is our cousin Herbert 
 Stanley, come from New England to climb 
 the Hill of Science in the paths our fore- 
 fathers trod."
 
 20 HERBERT. 
 
 w Bosh ! " retorted Lord Morton Stanley. 
 "I know what he's here for," he continued, 
 sulkily : he's come to look after his chance of 
 a remove to the peerage. He knows I have 
 heart disease, and he's come to spy " 
 
 "O, Morton, Morton, for shame!" ex- 
 claimed Arthur, hastily, while all the boys 
 around, in very shame for the graceless young 
 baron, hissed and groaned. 
 
 A genuine expression of angry amazement 
 sprang to Herbert's face, hot tears filled his 
 eyes, and his voice was loud and angry. 
 
 " I never thought of being heir to Stanley 
 Manor. I am an American boy. I do not 
 care a snap for your high titles ; but I do 
 care for my honor, and I will thrash you, 
 Lord Stanley though you are." 
 
 "Thrash me!" cried Morton, laughing 
 wildly. M I'll teach you ; " and he threw off 
 his jacket. 
 
 " A fio-ht ! a fight ! " screamed the British 
 
 O O 
 
 school boys, forming a ring.
 
 NELSON'S ATTACK. 21 
 
 "Morton," cried Arthur, "you shall not 
 fight. I will go for Dr. Russell." 
 
 "What is all this?" exclaimed a large, 
 cruel-faced boy, Nelson by name, who 
 had been silently looking on, throughout the 
 dispute. "What .are you vexing his lordship 
 for, eh?" he continued, turning upon Herbert 
 and hitting him a violent blow in the face. 
 
 Quick as a flash Herbert returned the 
 blow ; but his antagonist was nearly twice his 
 weight, and much more used to fighting. 
 Blow after blow fell with telling force upon 
 Herbert's head and face. He could not have 
 held out much longer, when the stern voice 
 of a master interfered. 
 
 Nelson was severely reproved, and sent up 
 for a caning, and Herbert was despatched 
 to the doctor's, where his purple bruises 
 were bathed and considerably reduced. 
 
 He did not return to the school-room, but 
 went directly from the doctor's house to his 
 lonely, unfurnished study. 
 
 There the weary, homesick feeling came
 
 22 HERBERT. 
 
 over him ; and seated upon one of his boxes, 
 the forlorn little lad wept bitter tears of dis- 
 appointment. When the signal for bedtime 
 sounded, an hour afterwards, with an aching 
 head and fretful spirit, he sought his couch 
 in the dormitory. He looked around, in 
 hopes that some one of the boys who had 
 spoken kindly to him might be a room-mate. 
 But all the faces were strange except one, 
 and that one was the last face Herbert 
 would have liked to have seen there. Scowl- 
 ing with hatred and defiance, still smarting 
 from the effects of the caning he had re- 
 ceived, stood Warren Nelson. He was near 
 the candle, and when Herbert began to un- 
 dress he extinguished it. 
 
 Herbert instantly relighted it. 
 
 " Put that out : " exclaimed Nelson. 
 
 "I won't," said Herbert, flatly. 
 
 "O, you won't won't you? You mean 
 little Yankee. We'll soon see if you won't ; " 
 and he grasped the curtain stick, intending 
 to o-ive Herbert a severe blow.
 
 PENITENCE. 23. 
 
 But the boy, whose blood was now fully 
 up, was determined to resist such unpro- 
 voked persecution. He snatched the stick 
 from Nelson's hand, and struck him such a 
 blow over the head that he was actually 
 stunned for an instant, and during that time 
 Herbert flung the stick from the window. 
 
 The house monitor now appeared on the 
 scene, and ordered them both to bed, assur- 
 ing Nelson that if there was any more dis- 
 turbance in the room he should be reported. 
 
 The light was extinguished, and, alone in 
 the darkness, Herbert knelt to pray, appar- 
 ently regardless of Nelson's cowardly taunt, 
 although he winced under it. 
 
 "O, you're a saint too are you? " 
 
 And as he knelt there, a white-clad figure 
 glided noiselessly into the room, and, kneel- 
 ing beside him, stole an arm around his 
 neck ; and Arthur Montgomery's voice whis- 
 pered, 
 
 w Cousin Herbert, try to forgive Morton,
 
 24 HERBERT. 
 
 and forget what he said. He is very sorry, 
 aiid ashamed too. Poor Morton 1 " 
 
 Herbert was touched by his cousin's affec- 
 tionate advance. His better nature was 
 moved, and his prayer, instead of being one 
 of lip-service, was a penitent confession of 
 faults and a sincere wish for divine help for 
 himself and those who had injured him : with 
 a blessing for all, including the dear ones at 
 Ennisfellen, his heart- felt prayer was ended. 
 
 Arthur bade him good night, and slipped 
 back to his room. 
 
 As Herbert got into bed, a voice near him 
 whispered, 
 
 " New boy, what's your name ?" 
 
 " Herbert Stanley." 
 
 "Mine's Harry Caruthers. You're a 
 plucky chap, and I like you. If Nelson 
 hazes you again, I'll take your side." 
 
 " Thank you," said Herbert, gratefully. 
 " Good night." 
 
 " Good night." 
 
 " What a dreadful boy that Warren Nel-
 
 RESOLVES. 25 
 
 son is ! " thought Herbert to himself, and 
 turned over in a comfortable position fpr 
 sleep ; but instead of the sleep he desired, 
 there came a still, small voice whispering that 
 he himself had not been quite in the right. 
 He had promised at home not to fight if he 
 could possibly avoid it, and almost his first 
 act had been to propose a fight with his 
 sickly cousin. He had made no effort to 
 control his temper. He had not tried to con- 
 ciliate either Morton or Warren Nelson, and 
 he had gained two enemies. 
 
 "Ah, well," sighed the contrite lad, "I 
 have made a bad beginning in my new life. 
 I must write and tell grandpa ; and I must 
 watch myself carefully, and try to control my 
 temper." 
 
 With these good resolutions he fell asleep.
 
 26 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EXPLANATIONS. 
 
 ARTHUR MONTGOMERY was a 
 very fine lad, honest and high-spir- 
 ited, but extremely good-natured. 
 
 Although three years younger than Mor- 
 ton, or Lord Morton, as he insisted upon 
 being called, Arthur had great influence 
 over his brother. Morton would yield to 
 him more than to any other, and would al- 
 ways receive Arthur's condemnations of his 
 misconduct very kindly, and would try to 
 improve himself. 
 
 But all Morton's efforts for improvement 
 were of himself, whereas Arthur always asked 
 the Lord's help. He had great patience with 
 Morton's whims, and his firmness in persist-
 
 AN EXPLANATION. 27 
 
 ing in the right, and keeping Morton from 
 evil companions, was almost wonderful. 
 
 The secret of his influence over his brother 
 was the great love he bore him. The two 
 had been inseparable from their babyhood, 
 and it was impossible that even the arrogant 
 Lord Morton should daily encounter so fine 
 a nature as that of Arthur without being 
 benefited by it. 
 
 After the quarrel with Herbert, he sat 
 alone, whistling softly to himself, and wish- 
 ing that he could control his violent temper. 
 
 His altercation with Herbert had brought 
 on an attack of pain in his heart, that was 
 hard to bear, and his conscience troubled him 
 about his ungracious behavior. 
 
 Arthur came in, and presently inquired, 
 " Morty, what ever set you out so ? " 
 
 "I thought he came to watch me," replied 
 Morton, now heartily ashamed. 
 
 " What an absurd idea ! when he didn't 
 even know that grandpa was dead." 
 
 " Are you sure, Arty ? "
 
 28 HEKBEKT. 
 
 "Yes. He said Lord Stanley was his 
 grandfather's cousin ; and besides, he has only 
 been in England a few weeks. You remem- 
 ber Adele, his sister. She was at Stanley 
 Manor when she was a baby, and a dear lit- 
 tle thing she was too. Her mother took her 
 to America two years ago, in the Europa. 
 The vessel was wrecked, and all hands lost, 
 but Adele was saved. Then just as they 
 found out that she was alive, and went to 
 claim her, she was stolen by a circus troupe, 
 and only found again this last spring. They 
 were all summer in Germany, and have but 
 just come to England. I should think you 
 would feel ashamed enough for the way you 
 introduced yourself, and lie such a nice, gen- 
 tlemanly fellow." 
 
 " I'll apologize the first thing to-morrow, 
 Arty. Don't scold me any more. I am 
 really sorry and ashamed." 
 
 " That's right, Morty ; you always come 
 'round right in the end. You do look pale, 
 and I will not talk to you any more to-night ;
 
 NELSON'S MOTIVE. 29 
 
 but when the lamps are out, I'll slip around 
 to No. 7, and tell Herbert you are sorry, and 
 want to be friends with him." 
 
 "I wish Nelson hadn't pounded him so 
 fearfully," said Morton, after a pause. 
 
 Arthur looked up quickly. 
 
 "If I were you, Morty, I wouldn't have 
 a fellow like Nelson take up my side. He 
 is a big bully and an awful coward. He 
 wouldn't dare try to whip a fellow of his size : 
 but wasn't Herbert spunky? What made 
 Nelson fight for you, Morty?" 
 
 " I suspect he wants my influence to get 
 him into the new boat club," replied Mor- 
 ton. 
 
 " Then I'd let him want," said Arthur, con- 
 temptuously ; " for if such fellows as he join, 
 I shall resign." 
 
 " O, I won't let him get in," said Morton, 
 positively. 
 
 rt I must say good night now, or I shall 
 talk you to death," said Arthur, and went 
 around to his room.
 
 30 HERBERT. 
 
 Morton's suspicion of Nelson's motive for 
 striking in his defence was right. 
 
 Nelson wished to be admitted to the boat 
 club of which Lord Stanley was president, 
 and thought to ingratiate himself with him 
 by whipping Herbert, though he knew Her- 
 bert had done nothing to provoke such treat- 
 ment. 
 
 What he had failed in doing for Lord 
 Stanley, he was now determined to do for 
 himself and resolved to be revenged upon 
 Herbert for innocently getting him a thrash- 
 ing from the master. 
 
 How his resolve was kept we shall see, for 
 his malicious spirit was not changed.
 
 NEW SCENES AND FRIENDS. 31 
 
 CHAPTEK IV. 
 
 NEW SCENES AND NEW FRIENDS. 
 
 THE next morning, long before the sig- 
 nal for rising had sounded, Herbert 
 was up and dressed, and had read his Bible 
 verses and said his prayers. 
 
 The sun had just risen and glinted in 
 through the dingy diamond-shaped panes of 
 glass ; but Herbert thought the beams as 
 bright as those that came through the long 
 windows at home. A peaceful feeling of 
 good will had settled in his heart, and he 
 was contented with everything, and therefore 
 happy. 
 
 " I guess I'll take a look at the college 
 buildings," he thought, and ran for his cap. 
 
 The house in which he was established
 
 32 HERBERT. 
 
 was not one of the college buildings, but 
 belonged to Mr. Kaine, an usher in the 
 school. 
 
 The dormitories within the college yard 
 were occupied by king's scholars, or pupils 
 who could not afford to pay for their tuition, 
 and for whom the college was originally built 
 and endowed. But connected with the insti- 
 tution were several houses like that of Mr. 
 Kaine, where pupils of rank or wealth were 
 boarded, and where they were not so subject 
 to the college authorities as those within the 
 walls. These pupils are called oppidans. 
 They take their meals at the houses where 
 they lodge, but the king's scholars breakfast, 
 dine, and sup in the college hall. 
 
 The buildings of the college surround two 
 quadrangles : the outer quadrangle, great 
 court, or school yard, is enclosed by the 
 chapel, schools, dormitories of the scholars, 
 and masters' chambers, and has in its centre 
 a bronze statue, of the royal founder of the 
 college, Henry VI.
 
 THECOLLEGE. 33 
 
 The inner or lesser quadrangle contains 
 the library, hall, and various offices, and is 
 bounded by the cloisters. The provost's 
 lodge, an ancient tower, and a gateway con- 
 nect the two courts. A massive stone wall 
 surrounds the whole. To the east of the 
 cloisters are the college gardens, to the 
 north the play-grounds, and beyond them 
 the cricket-fields. 
 
 The town consists principally of a single 
 street, well paved and lighted, and having 
 rows of houses or shops upon either side. 
 
 All of this Herbert heard of or saw dur- 
 ing his morning walk ; and he also peeped 
 into the lower school, which the janitor was 
 arranging for the day. 
 
 The room was long, like the upper school, 
 but very low studded. Along each side ex- 
 tended a line of arches supported by pil- 
 lars, and behind these were the seats of the 
 scholars. 
 
 Herbert thought it a very unpleasant look- 
 ing room. The janitor, a talkative, one-eyed 
 3'
 
 o4 II E 11 B E R T . 
 
 man, nicknamed Cyclops, informed him that 
 it had formerly been the college stable. 
 "While he was speaking, the great bell in 
 the tower began a loud clanging. 
 
 " What is that for ? " inquired Herbert. 
 
 " For prayers ; and you'll be marked for 
 shirking chapel, if you don't hurry in." 
 
 "All right," said Herbert, and hurried 
 around to the chapel door, where, spying his 
 cousins, he joined them, and entered the 
 church. 
 
 It was a goodly sight to see the six hun- 
 dred Etonians kneeling with bowed heads, 
 while Mr. Nowell read the prayers, asking 
 the good Lord's blessing upon the young flock 
 committed to his care. Herbert, to whom 
 the services were entirely new, was very 
 much impressed by them. The solemn gran- 
 deur of the church, the deep-ton'ed voice of 
 the clergyman, and the devotional attitudes 
 of the boys, were awe-inspiring. It seemed 
 as if he could not breathe freely until the
 
 A K E C O X C I L I A T I O N . 35 
 
 benediction was pronounced, and they were 
 again in the open air. 
 
 " Herbert," said Morton, turning to him, 
 and with an evident effort overcoming his 
 
 O 
 
 pride, "I am sorry I was so rude to you 
 yesterday." 
 
 "O, never mind it," answered Herbert. 
 " I was very rude myself." 
 
 " Will you shake hands and be friends 
 now?" inquired his cousin. 
 
 "Yes, indeed, gladly," was the quick 
 reply ; and Morton's proffered hand was 
 grasped heartily. 
 
 " Hurrah ! " cried Arthur, patting them 
 both upon their backs ; " that's something 
 like." 
 
 "Yes," echoed a voice behind them; 
 adding, 
 
 "For 'tis a shocking sight 
 When children of one familee 
 Fall out, and jibe, and fight." 
 
 Of course it was the incorrigible Tom 
 Ward, whose abundance of fun and good
 
 36 HERBERT. 
 
 spirits never let him speak without uttering 
 absurd quotations, poor puns, or other non- 
 sense. 
 
 t! Are you there, Noddy?" said Arthur, 
 turning : "come here, and welcome my cousin 
 to Eton." 
 
 Tom advanced, exclaiming, with a mock 
 transport of rapture, 
 
 " Most illustrious cousin, welcome, wel- 
 come, thrice welcome to these 
 
 ' Distant spires, these antique towers, 
 That crown the watery glade, 
 Where grateful Science ' " 
 
 "O, get out, Noddlepate," cried Morton, 
 pettishly: "one gets tired of such everlast- 
 ing twaddle." 
 
 "Herbert," said Arthur, with a laugh, 
 " Noddy isn't so much a donkey as you'd 
 think: he's first in his form, and minds his 
 p's and q's in school, I can tell you.'' 
 
 " That reminds me," exclaimed TomWard : 
 " have you seen old Rusty yet ? "
 
 IN SCHOOL. 37 
 
 " Who? " asked Herbert, looking blank. 
 
 "Old Rusty." 
 
 "For shame, Tom ! " cried Morton. " He 
 means Dr. Russell, Herbert." 
 
 "Yes, I've seen Dr. Russell," Herbert an- 
 swered. " I went at once to him when I ar- 
 rived. He told me to enter Mr. Nowell's 
 form." 
 
 "That's ours, the fourth," said Arthur. 
 " Morton's in the upper fifth." 
 
 " You'll have to toe the mark here, Stan- 
 ley," said Tom, in a low voice, as they en- 
 tered the breakfast-room. 
 
 " Kaine is true to his name : he always has 
 a rattan for your back, 
 
 'And a melancholy crack 
 In his laugh,' 
 
 that savors of a few hundred lines to be 
 written out." 
 
 Herbert laughed heartily : he thought Tom 
 AVard was the most irresistibly comical boy 
 he had ever seen, for whatever he said was 
 accompanied by such absurd airs and ridic-
 
 38 HERBERT. 
 
 ulous gestures, that even the masters were 
 amused into smiling. 
 
 As the morning was the first of the half 
 year, only a few general exercises were gone 
 through in the school-room. And the lessons 
 were assigned for the next day. 
 
 Herbert set about furnishing his room as 
 soon as he was released from school duties. 
 Arthur volunteered to accompany him to 
 the different stores, arid they set out on their 
 business expedition a novel one to Her- 
 bert. 
 
 A bright carpet was selected, and curtains 
 to match, an easy chair, a lounge, and a 
 couple of box ottomans for the two win- 
 dows. 
 
 The shopkeeper then suggested book- 
 shelves and a table, which Herbert thought 
 he should need ; but as he had only enough 
 money to pay for the things he had ordered, 
 he decided to write to his grandfather before 
 purchasing further. 
 
 Arthur invited him down to the river to
 
 ARTHUR'S KINDNESS. 39 
 
 the club-house ; but Herbert thought he 
 would write home at once, knowing how 
 they would look for a letter at Ennisfellen. 
 
 "You can write in my study," said his 
 cousin, kindly. "I'll be back in half an 
 hour. Here's the key. Leave your un- 
 packing till I get back to help you." 
 
 He started on a quick run for the river ; 
 but in a minute he halted suddenly, and 
 called after Herbert, who had turned towards 
 Mr. Kaine's. 
 
 "Herbert, Herbert, send ray love and 
 Morton's to the little one, and our regards 
 to the others." 
 
 "All right," answered Herbert; "thank 
 you ; " and he watched Arthur out of sight 
 murmuring to himself, " He's a splendid fel- 
 low." 
 
 Mr. Kaine's house stood at the head of 
 Eton Main Street, and the windows of Her- 
 bert's study took in a complete view of the 
 town, the college yard and buildings, the
 
 40 HERBERT. 
 
 groves and lawns, among whose shade and 
 turf the Thames found 
 
 " His silver-winding way," 
 
 the sunny hills, the picturesque bridge across 
 the river, and the magnificent castle of Wind- 
 sor in the distance. 
 
 "After all," thought the lad, as he lin- 
 gered over the lovely scene, " Eton is not 
 half bad, with such a view as this." 
 
 But it was not so much the pleasing pros- 
 pect that made him happy, as the sunny 
 smile and kind heart of his cousin Arthur.
 
 LETTER, TO A DELE. 4'1 
 
 I 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A JOKE CARRIED TOO FAE. 
 
 S Arthur's study Herbert wrote the fol- 
 lowing letters : 
 
 " ETON COLLEGE, Sept. 3. 
 " MY DARLING A DELE : 
 
 " It seems so strange to write to you ! for I 
 never did before, except printed notes, when 
 I was a little chuck, I mean boy. I miss 
 you so much ! and grandpa and grandma too. 
 Adele, I was ever so long getting here, and 
 was tired enough. I came in the cars from 
 London. It is very nice'here. -The river is 
 nice, but not like the sea at Ennisfellen. It 
 is too small. I am going over to Windsor 
 to-morrow to see the queen's castle. I can 
 see it from here, but not so well as if I was
 
 42 HERBERT. 
 
 nearer to it. When I got here I found our 
 cousins Arthur Montgomery and Morton, 
 Lord Stanley. And the first thing, Morton 
 picked a quarrel with me because he has 
 heart disease. I shouldn't have tried to 
 fight him, he was such a sickly looking coot, 
 though I could have knocked him down as 
 
 O 
 
 easy as nothing at all. But I did try to, and 
 a fellow named Nelson struck me, and I 
 went at him ; but a master made us stop 
 fighting. I was glad, for he was giving it to 
 me like Hail Columbia. Please tell grandpa 
 I'll try not to fight again. Morton and I 
 made up to-day. I think Arthur is the best 
 fellow I ever savV, next to Eric Hyde. 
 There's a boy here, Tom Ward ; he makes 
 me laugh like everything, for he makes fun 
 of everything and everybody in poetry. My 
 study is nice, but there isn't much of any- 
 thing in it yet. 
 
 " Good by, Adele. Tell Max not to let 
 my pony eat too much grass, and not to give
 
 BUSINESS LETTER. 43 
 
 Carlo any raw meat. Good by, with my 
 
 best love. 
 
 " HERBERT NICHOLS STANLEY. 
 
 " P. S. I forgot to send you Arthur's and 
 Morton's love." 
 
 "MR. KAINE'S, ETON COLLEGE, Sept. 3. 
 
 " DEAR GRANDPAPA : 
 
 " My letter to Adele will tell you all the 
 news, and I shall only write business matters 
 in this? I had to buy everything for my 
 study, and have not got quite all the things 
 yet, for I promised you that I wouldn't get 
 into debt, and I haven't got any money now. 
 I spent 
 
 For my Carpet, j 
 
 15 Os. 
 
 Curtains, ..... 
 
 1 
 
 Easy Chair, .... 
 Lounge, 
 
 1 12 
 
 3 2 
 
 Ottomans, ..... 
 
 1 8 
 
 Putting down Carpet, . ... 
 up Curtains, .... 
 Curtain Cord and Fixtures, 
 
 2 
 1 
 4 
 
 12 9*.
 
 44 HERBERT. 
 
 "1 want a table, and some shelves for my 
 books. And I wish I could have some 
 pretty pictures to hang on the walls, and 
 a wash-stand to keep in rny own closet, for 
 there ai*e only two in the dormitory, and six 
 boys have to take turns at them. I want to 
 get ray room all fixed before you and Adele 
 come. 
 
 " I'm placed at the bottom of the fourth 
 form, Upper School, but I won't be there 
 long. Arthur is there too, and he's two 
 years older than I. Morton's up in the 
 fifth, where I mean to be soon. 
 
 " With my dear love to grandmamma and 
 yourself, your own boy, 
 
 " HERBERT NICHOLS STANLEY. 
 
 "P. S. I read my Bible verses, and say 
 my prayers, and try to be a good boy." 
 
 When Arthur returned from the clul>, 
 Herbert had sealed and directed his letters, 
 and Arthur showed him where to post them.
 
 GREEK AND LATIN. 45 
 
 Then, as a man had come to put down the 
 carpet and fix the curtains, Herbert remained 
 with Arthur, and began preparing his Greek 
 translation for the next day. In about twen- 
 ty minutes he closed the book. 
 
 "Can't you do it?" asked Arthur, looking 
 up from his page. 
 
 " Why, yes," replied Herbert ; " it's easy 
 enough." 
 
 "You haven't done it?" 
 
 "Yes, and twelve lines extra ; for I want- 
 ed to see if Hebron died." 
 
 "Xot he," said Arthur with a groan ; 
 "he'll live to torment us all this. term. But 
 I say, Herbert, how can you read Greek so? 
 I haven't got it half out, and we've read it 
 before, too." 
 
 " My grandfather was a classical scholar, 
 and he drilled me thoroughly out of school, 
 while Mr. Upton, the master, did the same 
 in school. I owe it all to them." 
 
 " Are you as good at Latin ? "
 
 46 H E it B E 11 T . 
 
 "I don't know," said Herbert, modestly. 
 " About the same, I guess." 
 
 "And you speak French and German. 
 O, dear me ! Are you stupid at anything?" 
 
 "Yes," said Herbert, frankly; "arithme- 
 tic. I've only got to Long Division." 
 
 "That's my forte," said Arthur; "I'm 
 through Euclid. I'll tell you what, you 
 help me in classics, and I'll help you in 
 mathematics." 
 
 "All right," responded Herbert, deep in 
 another lesson. His recitations were soon 
 prepared, the exercises written out, and as 
 nothing was left in the way of lessons, save 
 mathematics, for the evening, and as Arthur 
 was still digging away at his repetition, Her- 
 bert stole quietly from the room, and went 
 around to his own study. 
 
 How inviting it looked now ! The car- 
 pet was neatly tacked down, the curtains 
 were looped back from the windows, and it 
 needed but a few minutes' work to push the 
 ottomans, chair, and lounge into their ap-
 
 A BARGAIN STRUCK. 47 
 
 propriate places, to make a very snag, pre"tty 
 little study. 
 
 There was a mantel-shelf and a nicely 
 polished grate in the room, and Herbert 
 thought he would build a fire in read inc.-. - 
 for the first cold weather. So he went to 
 the housekeeper, who agreed to find some 
 one who would look after the sweeping and 
 dusting of his room, the making of fires, and 
 the mending of his linen, for the reasonable 
 sum of three shillings per week ; which was 
 the more extremely generous in her, as she 
 was required, by virtue of her office, to attend 
 to such matters, and received an ample sti- 
 pend from the master of the house, of which 
 Kaine took occasion to inform Herblfrt 
 soon after the bargain was made, much to 
 the wily old housekeeper's chagrin. 
 
 Returning to the room, he found Arthur 
 waiting to help him unpack. 
 
 "First, we'll take the clothes," said Her- 
 bert. 
 
 So Arthur helped unstrap the box which
 
 48 HERBERT. 
 
 held his garments, and these were soon neat- 
 ly hung in the closet. 
 
 "The linen is to go into one of those ot- 
 tomans, I suppose," said Arthur. 
 
 "Yes, cart it along," replied Herbert, in- 
 elegantly, busily undoing the wrapper of a 
 mysterious looking package, which he did 
 not remember to have seen before. It con- 
 tained a lovely picture of Adele, and the boy 
 was delighted with it. 
 
 Arthur must admire it, of course ; then the 
 unpacking was resumed, with no other inter- 
 ruption than the examination of a new writ- 
 ing-desk, "a present from grandpapa," 
 nicely fitted up and furnished, and having in 
 its postal compartment a crisp new five-pound 
 note "from grandma;" both of which pres- 
 ents excited Arthur's admiration. 
 
 The play box was not so readily emptied. 
 But after a while it was ready to be taken 
 with the other to the loft, there to remain 
 until the next midsummer holidays. 
 
 " Well, I declare," cried Morton, enter-
 
 H A R R Y'S W A K N I N G . 49 
 
 ing, " what a nice cosy study ! Here's Ca- 
 ruthers, Stanley, come, with a long face, to 
 warn you against some dire misfortune." 
 
 "It's only to tell you to look out for War- 
 ren Nelson : he means you harm," said Har- 
 ry, earnestly ; while Tom Ward, coming up 
 behind him, spouted with solemnity, 
 
 " New boy, new boy, beware of the day; 
 When Nelson shall meet thee in battle array ; 
 For " 
 
 "The supper bell sounds ! " exclaimed Ar- 
 thur, interrupting him ; and away they all 
 clattered down stairs, as hungry as school- 
 boys usually are. 
 
 After supper, Herbert went to his tutor, 
 Mr. Edwards, who was to push him along 
 in mathematics ; and when the lesson was 
 over, the tired boy was glad to go to bed. 
 
 All was quiet in the dormitory, only, as he 
 passed Harry Caruthers' bed, the boy made 
 a signal for him to be watchful. 
 
 But, after saying his prayers, the bed felt 
 so comfortable, the room was so quiet, and 
 4
 
 50 HERBERT. 
 
 Herbert so tired, that while resolving to re- 
 main awake for a while at least, he fell asleep. 
 
 Harry, too, soon succumbed to the drowsy 
 god ; and when the house monitor went his 
 round, the deep, regular breathing in No. 7 
 convinced him that all was well. 
 
 But scarcely had the monitor reached his 
 own room, when Nelson, who had slipped 
 under the bed-clothes without undressing, 
 arose stealthily, groped his way in the 
 darkness to Herbert's bed, and seizing the 
 thick counterpane, thrust it over the sleep- 
 ing boy's head, holding it tight with one 
 hand, while with the other he stopped his 
 breath by pressing his hand close over the 
 sleeper's mouth and nose. 
 
 Herbert was having a happy dream of 
 ome. Suddenly the scene changed : a 
 house had taken fire, and he was within it. 
 The smoke was stifling him. He could not 
 escape ; he could not breathe. Must he die? 
 die so horribly, and all alone? Would no one 
 come to him ? He could not perish so ! He
 
 A JOKE CARRIED TOO FAR. 51 
 
 must escape ! and struggling frightfully, he 
 awakened from his dreadful dream to the 
 cruel reality. 
 
 Even in his terror he knew the voice of 
 Nelson, and heard him muttering savage- 
 ly, "You'll get me another caning, perhaps, 
 you little milksop." And then the cowardly 
 boy laughed derisively at Herbert's violent 
 efforts to free himself. 
 
 Meaning only to frighten him, he was so 
 occupied in enjoying poor Herbert's terror, 
 that he withheld the boy's breath longer than 
 he himself had any idea of doing. So it 
 happened that in his blind passion he did not 
 see that the child's agonizing struggles be- 
 came fainter and fainter, and not till the 
 poor tortured body settled rigidly, and OIM*. 
 convulsive shudder alone disturbed it, was 
 Nelson aware of the great mischief that he 
 had done. 
 
 Horrified, he withdrew his guilty hand. 
 One low moan escaped the sufferer, and 
 then a terrible silence ensued, broken only
 
 52 H E K B ,E It T . 
 
 by Nelson's subdued breathing, as he stood, 
 guilty and horror-stricken, beside poor Her- 
 bert's breathless form. 
 
 Slowly he turned away. A dull sense of 
 having done something dreadfully wicked, 
 and for which he must be punished with aw- 
 ful severity, mingled in his mind with horror 
 of his own wretched cruelty, remorse for the 
 deed, and a sudden agonizing sense of pity 
 for Herbert. 
 
 He laid his throbbing head upon Herbert's 
 
 f breast to listen for a heart-beat to belie his 
 
 fears. But all was still. His hand came in 
 
 sudden contact with the face, cold and rigid 
 
 as in death. 
 
 " O, I am a murderer, a murderer ! " he 
 moaned in terror, starting at the touch. And 
 the next instant, with a fearful shriek, he had 
 burst from the room, and fled from the house, 
 and on, and on, until the scene of his heart- 
 less deed was far behind, and he was lost in 
 the darkness.
 
 LIFE OR DEATH. 53 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 LIFE OR DEATH. 
 
 WARREN NELSON'S cry of terror 
 ringing through the dormitory in the 
 stillness of the night, aroused the sleeping 
 boys. 
 
 Harry Caruthers, remembering his sus- 
 picions of Nelson, called instantly, 
 
 "Stanley, Stanley, are you hurt?" 
 
 And receiving no reply, he hastened, with 
 trembling fingers, to strike a light. 
 
 In Mr. Kaine's far-off study, that shriek of 
 despair had also penetrated. He hurried to 
 No. 7, joined by the monitor, who said from 
 there the cry proceeded. They entered the 
 room just as Harry flashed the candle-light 
 upon Herbert's purple, swollen face.
 
 54 HERBERT. 
 
 " Good Heavens ! " cried the master, start- 
 ing back in horror, " who has done this atro- 
 cious deed?" 
 
 Then, without waiting an answer, he took 
 poor Herbert's lifeless form in his arms, and 
 carried it to his own room, where the doctor, 
 summoned by a monitor, directly joined him, 
 but with a hopeless face. 
 
 Arthur, white and terror-stricken, pleaded 
 to be allowed to remain, when the other boys 
 were sent back to their rooms. 
 
 "He is my cousin ! he is my cousin !" he 
 kept saying- piteousfy, in a dull, aching tone. 
 
 And Mr. Kaine, in pity, let him stay. 
 
 " Sumner," said he, sternly, to the monitor, 
 "go to No. 7, and learn what you can of this 
 sad affair." 
 
 And Sumner went. But all that he could 
 learn was of Nelson's muttered threats to 
 "give that mean little Yankee a good scar- 
 ing," and that Nelson was missing. 
 
 Which two simple facts seemed to point 
 out the guilty one.
 
 SUSPENSE. 55 
 
 Shivering with fear, and horrified as they 
 well might be, the boys of No. 7 clustered 
 together, and talked, in breathless under- 
 tone, of the dreadful event. 
 
 AH sympathized with Herbert, and all 
 denounced the guilty Nelson. 
 
 "I wouldn't be in his shoes for all his 
 l&nds and money," said Cyclops, the old por- 
 ter, coming in to bring them a light. " Just 
 think of him, young gentlemen, prowling 
 and skulking, like a thief in the night, afraid 
 to show his head, and always fancying the 
 hangman's rope around his neck." 
 
 "Has has any one gone for him?" 
 asked Harry Caruthers, with a shudder. 
 
 " Yes ; Mr. Kaine sent runners out di- 
 rectly. Dr. Russell has come over from the 
 Lodge, and brought a surgeon from London, 
 who happened to be there," answered the 
 old man. 
 
 "Do they think is it of any use?" 
 sobbed Ulric Carr, a mere child of eight, 
 who was Warren's cousin.
 
 56 HERBERT. 
 
 " Mr. Kaine feared he was dead when he 
 picked him up in here." 
 
 "O, it is too bad! it is too bad! he was 
 such a nice, good boy," groaned another. 
 
 There was a movement in the hall outside, 
 and Arthur entered the room. Even in that 
 dim light the boys could see his face, white 
 and drawn, and full of dread. 
 
 "Is he? is he?" asked Harry, .with 
 imploring face, afraid to finish his question. 
 
 Arthur answered slowly. 
 
 " Sir Matthew Hale, a physician from 
 London, is there. He says Herbert is alive ; 
 but " 
 
 "What? what? O, what?" 
 
 "He is afraid," continued Arthur, with a 
 great sob, "he will either die or be an idiot." 
 
 All were silent. Consternation at Her- 
 bert's awful fate held each boy spell-bound. 
 
 Ulric Carr, the little fellow who had ques- 
 tioned the porter, pressed close against Harry, 
 shivering with fear, and scarcely daring to 
 draw his breath.
 
 A PRAYER FOR HERBERT. 57 
 
 Harry put "his arm around the child, and 
 with bowed head, moved his white lips in a 
 mute prayer for Herbert ; and the little lad 
 beside him, who by the sneers and taunts of 
 the older boys, had been kept from asking 
 the good Lord's blessing, folded his hands, 
 and with a penitent sob followed Harry's 
 example. And of all the prayers that were 
 offered up that night, perhaps none were 
 more acceptable to the good Lord than the 
 heartfelt, contrite, sobbing petition of Ulric 
 Carr, who prayed for Herbert's life and 
 Warren's forgiveness. 
 
 Meanwhile, over the telegraph wires were 
 flashing the tidings which would bring piti- 
 ful sorrow to Herbert's home. But after the 
 message was sent, and the London physician 
 had departed, Herbert showed signs of great 
 improvement. Dr. Burrill, the college physi- 
 cian, did not agree with Sir Matthew's opin- 
 ion ; and as if to prove his wisdom, Herbert 
 recognized him, and spoke, feebly, but not 
 unnaturally.
 
 58 HERBERT. 
 
 "Where am I? What is the matter?" 
 
 Dr. Burrill bent over him, answering kind- 
 ly, " In Mr. Kaine's study. You have been 
 hurt. Do you feel any pain now?" 
 
 "Yes, doctor," answered Herbert, wearily, 
 " here." And he raised his hands to his head 
 and chest. 
 
 "I will relieve you," said Dr. Burrill, 
 hopefully ; " and now, my boy, you must be 
 perfectly quiet. Sleep, if you can ; but -do 
 not speak." 
 
 Herbert closed his eyes obediently, and 
 was soon slumbering quietly. 
 
 Dr. Burrill signified his intention of re- 
 maining with him through the night, and Mr. 
 Kaine kindly went around to No. 7, to tell the 
 boys their room-mate was much better than 
 they had dared to hope for ; that he had rec- 
 ognized the doctor, and spoken sensibly, and 
 if he continued to improve, might be with 
 them again in a few days. 
 
 "And need I urge," he continued, some- 
 what severely, "need I urge again, after
 
 LIFE OH D E.A T H . 59 
 
 this shocking barbarity, that the system of 
 hazing and tricking new boys may be dropped, 
 in my house at least ! " 
 
 f *O, Mr. Kaine ! " exclaimed Harry, ear- 
 nestly, " we none of us knew it ; we would 
 not have allowed it." 
 
 " Very well," said the master, " I believe 
 you. But this new boy seems to have had a 
 harsh reception here. His first greeting at 
 the school was a cowardly taunt of being 
 a Yankee, and then he was forced into a 
 fight, and afterwards nearly murdered. Dr. 
 Burrill says even now his life and senses 
 hang upon a thread. And now, young gen- 
 tlemen, I have this to say : I have travelled 
 largely in America, and the Yankee boys of 
 Xcw England are brave, intelligent, honest, 
 gentlemanly boys, with families and fortunes 
 as good as your own. I hope you will re- 
 member this when we again have one among 
 our number."
 
 60 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 NELSON'S FLIGHT. 
 
 OLD Madame Conaut went out into her 
 barn to give the Jersey cow her break- 
 fast. 
 
 " Santa Marie!" she exclaimed, crossing 
 herself, as she stumbled over something in 
 the haymow ; and up went her two hands in 
 excess of wonderment, as she found her 
 stumbling-block was a sleeping boy. 
 
 Stretched upon the hay, his clothes soiled 
 and tumbled, his hair wet, and thrown back 
 from his hot, troubled brow, worn and terror- 
 stricken even in his sleep, lay Warren Nel- 
 son. 
 
 Not fifty miles from Madame Conaut's 
 door Nelson Park lay smiling in the morn-
 
 NELSON'S FLIGHT. Page 60.
 
 WAKKEN NELSON. 61 
 
 ing sun, and within its stately mansion-house 
 servants were moving, who would have 
 looked with disgust upon the humble straw- 
 bed where rested the weary lad, and would 
 never have imagined that there lay their 
 young master, whose slightest tone of dis- 
 pleasure could lose them their places. 
 
 And old General Nelson, the father of the 
 unfortunate youth, would have bowed his 
 haughty head low in the dust could he have 
 seen his idolized and only child fleeing in 
 terror from the murderous work of his own 
 hands. 
 
 Poor Warren ! No mother's gentle words 
 of guiding love had ever sounded in his ears. 
 No one had ever talked to him of the sin of 
 pride and waywardness. He had been al- 
 lowed to kick his dogs and horses, and strike 
 his servants ; to order things done or undone ; 
 and his temper had been given unlimited 
 sway, with the mistaken idea that it would 
 make him brave and fearless. 
 
 Yet now, as old Madame Conaut knelt
 
 62 HERBERT. 
 
 above him, murmuring tenderly, "Poor lad, 
 poor lad ! " he opened his eyes upon her, 
 with a look of such abject terror, that the 
 old woman instantly exclaimed, 
 
 " Never fear, lad ; I will keep ye safe." 
 
 He gave a thankful sigh of relief. 
 
 "Don't ask me who I am, or what I have 
 done," said he, with a shudder ; " and if they 
 come for me, don't, O, don't give me up ! " 
 
 " Never fear ; I'll keep ye. And will ye 
 stay wi' me when Jim goes across the sea ? " 
 
 "No," answered Warren, suddenly : "I'll 
 go with him." 
 
 " But the money, the money ! " said Ma- 
 dame, aghast at this sudden purpose. 
 
 " I've money enough to take me out of 
 England. When is he going?" answered 
 Warren, his old haughty manner returning 
 as he spoke. 
 
 "To-morrow, sir," she answered, insensi- 
 bly growing more respectful, yet full of won- 
 dering pity. 
 
 Warren Nelson drew forth his handsome 
 gold watch.
 
 DEPARTURE FOR FRANCE. 63 
 
 "Keep this," said he, laying it in her 
 hands ; "I give it to you. Now I want some 
 bread, and a hat to wear, and then I will fol- 
 low Jitu." 
 
 "I'll not take yer watch, lad," she said, 
 giving it back ; " and you're welcome to food, 
 as we have it, and I'll give ye the hat. But 
 I'm not sure as it's right to let ye go to 
 France without the word to yer mother." 
 
 " I have no mother," interrupted Warren.- 
 "I'll write to my father when I get there, and 
 I'll tell him to repay you if you'll be kind to 
 me." 
 
 "Why don't ye go home to yer father, 
 lad?" said she, simply. 
 
 "No," replied Warren, starting up sud- 
 denly, and the terrified look returned to 
 his eyes, "I can only go away. If you 
 will not help me, I must go alone." 
 
 " Well, well, child, if ye write to yer 
 father when ye get there. France is not so 
 far away, and Jim will stand by ye." 
 
 So it was arranged, and Jim Conaut left
 
 64 H E li B E It T . 
 
 England, and entered France, accompanied 
 by General Nelson's son. 
 
 The old general, at home in his richly 
 furnished library, sat with his head bowed 
 upon his folded arms, trying to get over the 
 shock he had received upon hearing the ac- 
 count of his son's cruel deed, and subsequent 
 flight from Eton. 
 
 "It is all my fault," he kept saying to 
 himself. " I never taught the lad to control 
 himself. O, my boy, why do you not come 
 to me ? " 
 
 And why did he not ? 
 
 He thought, poor lad, that he had been 
 guilty of actual, though unintentional mur- 
 der ; and from the consequences of that he 
 knew his father had no power to protect 
 him. 
 
 General Nelson sent all over the country, 
 east, west, north, and south, for his missing 
 son. Large rewards were offered for infor- 
 mation respecting him, and advertisements 
 posted around in different towns, urging him
 
 SEARCH FOR WARREN. 65 
 
 to return, and promising him kind treatment. 
 All was of no avail. 
 
 The boy's heavenly Father was directing 
 his steps, and teaching him lessons of humil- 
 ity and love that he would never have 
 learned in his English home.
 
 66 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HERBERT PLEADS FOR WARREN. 
 
 HERBERT was ill for a couple of weeks 
 only, recovering rapidly, and '' having 
 quite a nice time of it too," as he declared, 
 for his grandfather and Adele came down 
 from Ennisfellen to take care of him ; and 
 Morton, Arthur, Harry, and little Ulric 
 Carr spent all their spare time in his room. 
 
 Mrs. Kaine had kept him in the quiet 
 part of the house, and sat with him a great 
 deal. 
 
 Herbert, and Adele too, used to fancy she 
 was like their own mamma, and loved to be 
 with her. She would tell them stories of her 
 girlhood ; read to them, and always liked to 
 hear of Ennisfellen, and their pets, of Her-
 
 KINDNESS. 67 
 
 bert's home in America, of Adele's strange 
 history, and of the grand old Castle Wer- 
 nier, in Germany, where the happy summer 
 months had been passed. 
 
 Adele, the loving, gentle little child, 
 could not do enough for her dear brother. 
 She was interested for his sake in everything 
 pertaining to school life, and under Mrs. 
 Kaine's kind supervision, made him a hand- 
 some blue velvet cap, ornamented with silver 
 embroidery and tassels, to be worn at foot- 
 ball, in which Herbert fondly hoped to dis- 
 tinguish himself before long. 
 
 And while the cap was in course of com- 
 pletion, many were the gentle admonitions 
 which fell from the lips of Mrs. Kaine, in so 
 pleasant a way that they seemed like stories 
 to be treasured in the mind, rather than pre- 
 cepts, bits of good advice, and little lectures 
 on morals and manners. 
 
 Although she said nothing, of course, for 
 she could not, in defence of Warren Nel- 
 son's cowardly attack upon Herbert, she led
 
 G8 HERBERT. 
 
 the children insensibly to pity the poor mis- 
 guided youth. 
 
 And her gentle influence led Herbert to 
 say to Dr. Russell, in the early part of his 
 illness, 
 
 " One thing I want to ask of you, sir, if 
 you please." 
 
 "And that? my dear boy," said the head 
 master kindly. 
 
 "If Nelson is found, sir, will you please 
 allow him to return to school, and take no 
 notice of his offence ? " 
 
 ''And do you really wish it?" asked the 
 head master, with a scrutinizing glance. 
 
 "Yes, sir," answered Plerbert, earnestly. 
 
 " Have you forgiven him ? " 
 
 "Yes, sir." 
 
 " And are you sure you could set the ex- 
 ample of kindness and charity? Could you 
 take him by the hand and say, ' Be my friend' ? 
 and all this without once recurring to his ill 
 behavior to you ? " 
 
 "O, yes, sir," answered Herbert, look-
 
 DR. RUSSELL'S ADVICE. 69 
 
 ing, with honest, unflinching eyes, straight 
 into Dr. Russell's own. "I want it all for- 
 gotten. And besides, sir," he added, drop- 
 ping his eyes and speaking low, "I was to 
 blame too. I was hasty, and that made him 
 worse." 
 
 " A soft answer turneth away wrath, but 
 grievous words stir up anger," quoted the 
 head master, softly. " No words of Holy 
 Writ indicate more of the Christian spirit 
 than these. Remember them, my dear Her- 
 bert, in all your intercourse with others, and 
 you will find that you yourself will be hap- 
 pier, and will avoid many of those little 
 strifes and contentions which imbitter all 
 social intercourse." 
 
 "I am pleased with your request," he 
 continued. "Warren shall return if he wishes, 
 and you, my boy, if you will try, may be 
 the means of leading the haughty, passionate 
 spirit, kindly and gently, to the Source of 
 love and peace." 
 
 After this Herbert felt quite happy. He
 
 70 H E U B E R T . 
 
 laid it to Dr. Russell's kind words ; but the 
 real cause was his own kind feeling towards 
 the boy who had injured him. 
 
 "I wish he would come back," he often 
 said, and was greatly disappointed that no 
 news came of him. 
 
 When he was well enough to go about, 
 Adele led him to his own little study. 
 
 What a transformation ! 
 
 The modest straw carpet he had selected 
 was gone, and a green Brussels, with hand- 
 f'uls of rose-buds thrown down upon it, cov- 
 ered the floor. 
 
 Green curtains hung at the windows, and 
 a table, covered with cloth of the same color, 
 stood in a corner, under a set of book- 
 shelves, fitted with tempting books. The 
 easy-chair was drawn up for him in front of 
 the fire, but before filling it, he peeped into 
 the closet, finding there excellent accommo- 
 dations for his toilet. He threw himself into 
 the easy-chair, remarking in a pleased, satis- 
 fied tone,
 
 THE S TUDY . 71 
 
 " Well, this is nice." 
 
 "There comes grandpa with the pic- 
 tures," exclaimed Adele. "And I have a 
 present for you, Herbie," she added, unfold- 
 ing to his admiring gaze a neat little French 
 clock. 
 
 "Listen, now," she cried, gayly, holding 
 up the timepiece ; " hear it say, ' Be good, be 
 good, be good, be good.''"' 
 
 "Thank you, little sister," said Herbert, 
 with a laugh. "I shall have no excuse for 
 doing wrong with such a constant reminder." 
 
 "And thank you, grandpapa," he contin- 
 ued, as Mr. Nichols came in with a large 
 parcel. " I thought I had made a nice enough 
 room of it, but now it is splendid." 
 
 " I'm so glad you are pleased !*' cried Adele, 
 dancing around ; " and your cricket cap is 
 done too, Herbie. How do you like it? " 
 
 She tossed the bright blue cap upon her 
 glossy curls, and jantily poised her head for 
 the cap to be duly admired. But the golden 
 curls and fair, bright, innocent face flushing
 
 72 HEKBERT. 
 
 beneath it claimed the whole meed of Her- 
 bert's admiration ; and Arthur Montgomery, 
 coming in at the moment, received the im- 
 pression of his fair little cousin that through 
 after years he always retained. 
 
 A merry time they had of it. 
 
 Mr. Nichols hung the pictures, which were 
 bright and pretty. Adele placed some knick- 
 knacks, with Arthur's help, upon the mantel 
 "to set it off," as she said, and laughed with 
 the others when Arthur asked, "Where?" 
 
 Mrs. Kaine came in with a bouquet of 
 flowers from her garden, and Ulric Carr, in 
 the name of the boys of No. 7, placed upon 
 the table a little silver vase. 
 
 Lord Morton gracefully expressed his re- 
 gret that Herbert's first ill usage should have 
 been caused by himself, and assured him of 
 the avowed sympathy of all the Etonians. 
 
 Arthur said nothing, but a very expressive 
 hug of Herbert's arm betokened his senti- 
 ments, and Harry Caruthers' full-moon face 
 beamed a happy smile upon all.
 
 THE FAREWELL. 73 
 
 Tom Ward was also there ; but the pres- 
 ence of Mrs. Kuine, Adele, and Mr. Nichols 
 induced him to be very retiring in his deport- 
 ment. 
 
 Only when Dr. Burrill looked in upon 
 them to see how his patient was, his wit 
 flashed out in reply, 
 
 " Henceforth the patient must minister to himself, 
 Throw physic to the dogs : he'll none of it." 
 
 "Young man," said the doctor, a little put 
 out, "you need a quietus." 
 
 " With a bare bodkin," 
 
 retorted Tom, good-naturally, and to every 
 body's amusement. 
 
 The happiest day must liave an end ; but 
 Herbert thought that day spent with kind 
 friends in his cosy study, the shortest he 
 had ever known. It ended with fond fare- 
 well greeting, and the departure of Mr. 
 Nichols and Adele for London.
 
 74 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FOOT-BALL. 
 
 bright October days at Eton were 
 H enlivened by the stirring game of foot- 
 ball. 
 
 After the school exercises all the students 
 would repair to the field, and there either 
 watch with breathless interest the exciting 
 sport, or else take part in the game. 
 
 A lively scene was the foot-ball field in 
 the sunny afternoons, especially when the 
 great event of the school year came off, the 
 match between the sixth form boys and the 
 school. Nothing could exceed the pictu- 
 resque effect of the grouping of the various 
 bands of combatants, as, trailing out after 
 roll call in the upper school, they proceeded
 
 FOOT-BALL. 75 
 
 to strip for business under the grand old 
 elms. 
 
 The sixth form boys wore striped red and 
 white jerseys, the school plain white, and 
 both spotless \vhite trousers, and for head- 
 gear velvet caps of various tints, and trimmed 
 with gold or silver cord. 
 
 Foot-ball is essentially an English game, 
 and nowhere else played with so much pluck 
 and zest. In his first M match," Herbert fairly 
 trembled with excitement, so eager to be suc- 
 cessful, and knowing full well the humilia- 
 tion of defeat, and the great odds against 
 which he played. 
 
 For the American game is entirely differ- 
 ent from that played at Eton. 
 
 The players were drawn up in two lines : 
 the sixth fellows, a compact band, some forty 
 strong, were pitted against eighty of the 
 school-boys. The ball was dropped on the 
 ground between them : back of either line 
 stood the " back players," whose business it 
 was to catch the ball when first flun"- out, 
 
 D '
 
 < II K K U E 11 T . 
 
 run with it, and kick it back again. When 
 a back player misses his drop, that is, kicks 
 the ball along the ground, or is collared in 
 the run, the forward players step in and the 
 hot work begins. 
 
 Morton, Herbert, Harry, and Arthur were 
 all in the game, Arthur among the back play- 
 ers, and he had promised Herbert to drop 
 him the ball, when he got hold of it. 
 
 Morton, who was a splendid player, had 
 expressed a fear that his cousin would be a 
 "precious muff" in the game, and the three 
 boys were determined to convince him of his 
 error. 
 
 So Herbert watched the ball with breathless 
 interest, and when it fell into Arthur's hands, 
 darted away, far ahead of all the others, 
 made a splendid run, and sent the ball spin- 
 ning back to Harry, who sent it in again to 
 Morton, and the young baron made a bril- 
 liant run, the three counting way ahead on 
 the school side.
 
 THE VICTORY. 77 
 
 " Hurrah ! hurrah for Stanley ! " screamed 
 the school. 
 
 " Who's that plucky little chap ? " asked a 
 fellow of the sixth. 
 
 "That's Stanley, Stanley, Stanley," was 
 the eager reply in a dozen voices. 
 
 Herbert heard his name on all sides. His 
 blood was up, every nerve thrilled with ex- 
 citement ; he grasped the ball, and darted 
 away; but this time he was surrounded, col- 
 lared, and thrown down, and on rising, half 
 crushed to death, from the bottom of a huge 
 pile of human bodies, he stood face to face 
 with his first "scrimmage," and he knew.that 
 upon the manner in which he acquitted him- 
 self in that awful crisis would depend the 
 opinion his schoolfellows would have of his 
 pluck ever after. 
 
 The ball he had hugged closely, it being a 
 point of honor not to suffer it to be wrenched 
 from him, even when pressed to the ground. 
 
 The breathless boy had the right to the 
 first kick ; but the enforcement of this right
 
 78 HERBERT. 
 
 entailed the terrible duty of facing the kicks 
 of the dozen or more big fellows who con- 
 fronted him. 
 
 Here was the true glory of the game to 
 control the ball when a dozen pairs of legs 
 were eagerly " letting fly." Herbert, who 
 still grasped his hardly-won treasure, threw 
 a glance around like a hunted panther ; then 
 seeing and seizing the right moment, he 
 slipped through the grasp of the excited 
 throng, and out into a more open part of the 
 field. Again he was surrounded and thrown 
 down, and again he rose, this time with 
 his white jersey torn, dirt-stained, and covered 
 with blood ; but again he wrenched himself 
 from the thick of the scrimmage, and hugging 
 the precious ball tight in his arms, ran with 
 and kicked it with unerring precision straight 
 over the bar. 
 
 His shins were black and blue from the 
 kicks he had received, and the blood was 
 streaming from his nose ; but Herbert was
 
 TRIUMPH. 79 
 
 only conscious of the great glory of 
 ivon the game against the sixth. 
 
 And the school-boys ! they almost wor- 
 shipped the little hero. They hurrahed until 
 they were hoarse. They made a triumphal 
 chair, and carried him above their heads.. 
 Lord Morton proudly said " my cousin," and 
 every boy in the school talked of " that capi- 
 tal little fellow, Stanley, the American boy.'' 
 
 If any excuse were needed for their wild 
 excitement, it might be found in the words 
 of the famous Duke of Wellington, who, 
 surveying just such a scene upon this very 
 field, remarked, "It is here the battle of Wa- 
 terloo was fought."
 
 80 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 IN THE FORM. 
 
 ME. NO WELL, the master of the 
 fourth form, was an excellent mas- 
 ter, and his boys were thoroughly taught. 
 It would have gone hard with Herbert had 
 the master of the Latin School at Bridge- 
 
 O 
 
 port been less faithful to his trust ; but as it 
 was, the lad was well prepared for the hard 
 Greek and Latin lessons assigned his form 
 at Eton. 
 
 He learned readily, and frequently sur- 
 prised Mr. Nowell by his brilliant recitations 
 and flashes 'of great mental power. A few 
 recitations sufficed to show how he would 
 stand in the form ; and he became as great
 
 IN THE FORM. 81 
 
 a favorite with his teachers as he was with 
 the fellows of the school. 
 
 Tom Ward, the head of the form, was a 
 happy-go-lucky sort of boy, who, whether 
 well prepared or not, always managed to 
 wriggle into a good recitation. The inge- 
 nuity of his replies, the sudden surprise they 
 brought, and the patness of his application 
 to a case, of new and ludicrous relations, 
 were peculiarly pleasing to the master, after 
 listening to the dull, monotonous, parrot-like 
 recitations of some others ; and he ha*L not 
 shrewdness enough to detect the lad's motive 
 in bringing his ready wit to bear upon the 
 question whenever there was a weak point in 
 his recitation. 
 
 Arthur was slow and sure, and Harry 
 Caruthers bright and quick, but easily con- 
 fused, and not always, therefore, self-reliant. 
 
 The rest of the boys in the form, except- 
 ing Brockett, who was good-natured and 
 lazy, were noisy, turbulent fellows, regard- 
 6
 
 82 HERBERT. 
 
 ing Mr. Nowell as their natural enemy, and 
 shirking every possible duty. 
 
 Tom, Arthur, and Harry kept the first 
 three seats ; Brockett was somewhere in the 
 middle of the form ; and Herbert had been 
 placed, as is customary with new boys, at 
 the foot. 
 
 One day, in the school-room, a folded 
 paper was passed from Ward to Brockett, 
 exciting great mirth among all the boys 
 who were privileged to see it. Herbert, 
 who was hard at work upon a translation, 
 made an impatient movement of head and 
 hand when it passed to him, and another 
 boy gained possession. Had Herbert known 
 that it was the funny American song he had 
 written out for Tom Ward the night before, 
 he would have retained it ; but unconscious 
 of anything save a slight difficulty in his 
 lines, he studied on. 
 
 Meanwhile so much disturbance was caused 
 among the boys by the song that was going 
 the rounds, that Mr. Xowell detected its
 
 TEN LITTLE NIGGERS. 83 
 
 presence, and ordered it brought up to the 
 desk, where he read, with some amusement, 
 the history of the famous Ten Little Niggers, 
 in Herbert's writing. 
 
 "Ten little niggers going out to dine, 
 One choked his little self, and then there were nine. 
 
 Nine little niggers crying at his fate, 
 
 One cried himself away, and then there were eight. 
 
 Eight little niggers slept until eleven ; 
 
 One overslept himself, and then there were seven. 
 
 Seven little niggers cutting up sticks, 
 One chopped himself in halves, and then there were, 
 six. 
 
 Six little niggers playing with a hive, 
 
 A bumble-bee killed one, and then there were five. 
 
 Five little niggers going in for law, 
 
 One got in chancery, and then there were four. 
 
 Tour little niggers going out to sea, 
 
 A red herring swallowed one, then there were three."' 
 
 Three little niggers walking in the Zoo, 
 
 A big bear cuddled one, and then there were two. 
 
 Two little niggers sitting in the sun, 
 One got frizzled up, then there was one.
 
 84 II E It B E 11 T . 
 
 One little nigger living all alone, 
 
 He got married, and then tliere were none." 
 
 Mr. Nowell was quite provoked that Her- 
 bert the " good boy " of the class should 
 set such an example to the others. 
 
 "Stanley," he called sharply, when he had 
 perused the lines, "you show so great an 
 aptitude for verses, that you may write me a 
 hundred lines of Herodotus in verse." 
 
 "Sir?" exclaimed Herbert, rising from his 
 seat with a bewildered look. 
 
 Write out a hundred lines in verse," re- 
 plied Mr. Nowell, testily. 
 
 " What for, sir?" as'ked Herbert, in a sur- 
 prised tone, not meaning to be disrespectful, 
 but because he was utterly unconscious of 
 any offence. 
 
 "Because I tell you," thundered Mr. 
 Nowell ; " and you may take one hundred 
 more for impertinence, which I never al- 
 low." 
 
 Without a word HerberT took his seat. 
 He was astounde^l by the master's harsh
 
 UNJUST PUNISHMENT. 85 
 
 manner, which had been uniformly kind and 
 gentle to him ; and a hard, bitter feeling 
 arose in his heart against Mr. Nowell for 
 unjustly condemning him to punishment for 
 nothing at all, as he thought. 
 
 The boys, excepting Tom Ward, knew 
 nothing of the circumstances of the case ; 
 and Tom, whose one word would have set 
 Herbert right, withheld that^word, for 
 fear of losing his place at the top of the 
 form. 
 
 Herbert knew he must perform the obliga- 
 tion for Mr. Nowell, but resolved to wait 
 until night, as there was to be a rowing 
 match with Morton's club, to which he be- 
 longed. But as he was preparing to leave 
 \he school-room, Mr. Nowell, w r ho fancied 
 that the boy did not consider the punishment 
 properly, resolved to deprive him of his after- 
 noon sport, and therefore said, 
 
 "Stanley, you may write out your verses 
 here, while I am hearing the detentions and 
 overlooking: exercises."
 
 86 HERBERT. 
 
 "Yery well, sir," replied Jlerbert. But 
 he felt hurt anew at this unjustifiable deten- 
 tion, for it was customary to allow the extra 
 lessons a longer time ; indeed, the scholars 
 generally suited their own convenience re- 
 garding them. 
 
 So he went out to dinner in a very moody 
 frame of mind, not even smiling when Sam 
 Brockett remarked, 
 
 " What a racket you boys keep up ! Be 
 quiet, do : there's Stanley quiet enough. He's 
 eating his dinner without opening his mouth." 
 And when, amid the roar of laughter which 
 followed this saying, Tom Ward cried out, 
 
 " O, funny Sam Brockett! 
 Your wit, when you stock it, 
 Is bright as a rocket, 
 
 Just taking its start. 
 When slyly you cock it 
 At me, what a shock it 
 Sends through my vest pocket, 
 
 Right into my heart," 
 
 even then Herbert's gloomy look did not 
 relax. It took all the afternoon to write out
 
 EXPLANATIONS. 87 
 
 all the lesson^ and arrange it in verse ; and 
 Herbert, when the merry voices came ring- 
 ing up, was sorely tempted to rebel. But at 
 last the task was finished, and the lines were 
 in the master's hand. Then said Herbert, 
 
 "Air. Novvell, I do not wish to be .disre- 
 spectful ; but will you please tell me, sir, 
 why I was punished." 
 
 "For writing comic songs in school," re- 
 plied the master, coldly. 
 
 "But I never did, sir," said Herbert, 
 quickly. 
 
 Mr. Xowell's reply was to hand to the 
 excited lad the version of the little negroes, 
 and to inquire if it were not his writing. 
 
 " Yes, sir ; I copied it last night in my 
 study. I did not bring it to school, and did 
 not know it was here. I copied it for " 
 He stopped himself just in time to save Tom 
 AVard his place; but he continued, "Mr. 
 Xowell, the boy for whom I wrote that 
 took it away last night ; and he must have 
 known that I was punished for nothing."
 
 88 HERBERT. 
 
 " Who was it ? " asked the master ; but 
 seeing that Herbert disliked to tell him, he 
 added, "Well, never mind. I am sorry I 
 detained and punished you unjustly. You 
 have behaved well, Stanley ; and now, in 
 token that we are friends, will you take a 
 drive with me?" 
 
 Herbert was delighted, and ran for his 
 cap. Mr. Nowell locked up the verses in 
 his desk, and they afterwards proved, un- 
 expectedly, of untold value to their origi- 
 nator. 
 
 The drive out of town was a pleasant one. 
 Before their return to Eton quite an exciting 
 incident occurred. 
 
 About ten miles from home they were 
 overtaken .by a sudden .and violent shower; 
 and they drove into an open barn, where a 
 Jersey cow was quietly munching at her 
 feed. 
 
 Now, could the cow have spoken, she could 
 have imparted information to the minds of 
 Herbert and his master which would have
 
 A CLEW AT LAST. 89 
 
 greatly relieved their anxiety respecting War- 
 ren Nelson, for this was the barn where he 
 had slept after that wretched flight from 
 Eton ; and nothing had, as yet, been heard 
 from him by his school friends, or by the 
 broken-hearted old general at Nelson Park. 
 
 But the cow could not speak, of course ; 
 she looked with mild-eyed pity upon the two 
 intruders, and uttered a plaintive " moo-oo " 
 for hay. 
 
 Herbert gathered some from the mow, 
 and pitched it into her feeding-box, when a 
 handkerchief fluttered down from the mow. 
 It was a fine white handkerchief, much nicer 
 than any occupant of the humble little cot- 
 tage hard by would be supposed to own ; 
 and Herbert remarked funnily, that "the 
 cottager's wife must be very dainty." 
 
 "But, hullo ! " he continued, examining it ; 
 "here's a coat of arm*; and O, Mr. Nowell, 
 what does this mean? ' Warren Nelson.'" 
 
 " What ! " cried the master, starting for- 
 ward and examining the mark upon the hand-
 
 1)0 HERBERT. 
 
 kerchief; "yes, it must be his ; we shall find 
 him now, Herbert ; we have the clew at last, 
 poor lad f " 
 
 "O, I am so glad! "cried Herbert. "I 
 have worried so and fretted about him. . O, 
 Mr. Nowell, let us go to the cottage ; he may 
 be there." 
 
 So out into the rain they went, and to the 
 door of Madame Conaut's little house, where 
 Mr. Nowell at once opened the subject by 
 showing the handkerchief, telling her how it 
 was found by them in her barn, and demand- 
 ing information of the missing boy in the 
 name of the authorities of the college. 
 
 This information the kind old woman was 
 eager to give ; for Jim's last letter lay upon 
 the table, and Jim liad written that the 
 "chap "that went over to France with him 
 was ill of fever, and he feared he would not 
 recover unless attended to by his relations. 
 "The truth is," wrote Jim, "he is of fine 
 folks, and labor don't suit him ; though 
 he's tried hard I'll say that for him. He's
 
 WA;:UI:X is FOUND. 91 
 
 been ailing ever since AVC got here, and work- 
 ing out in the rain last week, he got this 
 fever." 
 
 She showed this letter to Mr. Nowell, who, 
 with a face of great concern, asked for Jim's 
 address ; and getting it, and thanking Ma- 
 darne Conaut for her kindness to the lad, he 
 sent Herbert for the horse, and they drove 
 off rapidly in the rain. 
 
 "You will go for him, Mr. No well will 
 you not?" asked Herbert, excitedly. 
 
 "Yes, directly. I shall telegraph to the 
 general to meet us at Calais." 
 
 "Us?" inquired Herbert, breathlessly. 
 
 :t Yes : am I right in thinking you would 
 like to accompany me ? " 
 
 "O, sir, thank you," exclaimed the lad, 
 joyfully ; " but school ! " he added in the 
 same breath. 
 
 "Jt will not affect your standing," replied 
 the master. " You can easily make up tUfe 
 time, and I feel bound," he added pleasantly,
 
 92 HE RB E RT' 
 
 "to make some reparation for my injustice to 
 you this morning." 
 
 " That was nothing, sir ; and I am so glad 
 of. it now ! If it hadn't been for that, we 
 wouldn't have found out about Nelson." 
 
 "That is it," said Mr. Nowell, philosoph- 
 ically ; " the trifles of our daily lives are of- 
 ten the most significant of all circumstances 
 affecting our future. 
 
 " The little tilings, scarce worth recall, 
 Whereof no visible trace remains, 
 These are the main-springs, after all." 
 
 They drove rapidly back to Eton, sent 
 the telegram to Nelson Park, and hastily 
 packing their portmanteau, took the night 
 train for London, and the morning boat for 
 Calais, in France.
 
 WARRENS SICK ROOM. 93 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 AT CALAIS. 
 
 " "\7~OU must tread softly, gentlemen, if 
 you please," said a pleasant voice in 
 French ; and a young girl led the way to 
 Warren Nelson's sick room. 
 
 Mr. Xowell- and Herbert followed. 
 
 Had his heart been ever so hard against 
 poor Warren, Herbert must have relented 
 at the sight which met his eyes ; but he had 
 long ago forgiven the injury, and felt even 
 a strong affection for the unfortunate lad, 
 whom he had regarded with pity for so long 
 a time, for "pity is," as the poet sings, "akin 
 to love." 
 
 So, gazing upon the emaciated, fever- 
 flushed lad, whose wild eyes had never lost
 
 94 HE R B E R T , 
 
 their terror-haunted look, and listening to 
 his pitiful pleadings for mercy and forgive- 
 ness, it is no wonder that the tears sprang 
 unbidden to his eyes. Kneeling beside the 
 delirious boy, whose wild ravings were all 
 of Herbert, he felt a love for him stirring 
 within Tiis breast, that was greater even than 
 his affection for Arthur. 
 
 " O, Stanley, Stanley, I didn't mean to 
 harm you. I didn't! Ididn'tf It was only 
 to frighten you ; only a joke, a joke," cried 
 the sick boy, again and again, in pitiful 
 pleading tones. 
 
 " Never mind, Warren ; I'm here, all right. 
 Don't you know me, Warren? I'm Herbert. 
 You did no harm, after all," Herbert would 
 reply, in soothing, tearful voice. 
 
 But Warren did not heed him : he went 
 on incoherently. 
 
 " There is no blood on my hand. You are 
 not dead, Stanley, and I am not a O, 
 father, father, you thought I would be so 
 brave, and such an honor to you I poor
 
 WARREN'S TERROR. 95 
 
 father ! They are coming after me. Don't, 
 don't give me up, old woman. I'll go with 
 Jim ; I'll give you my watch. O, don't let 
 'them take me. Father, father, don't let 
 them ! " 
 
 Poor Herbert tried in vain to soothe him, 
 and old General Nelson, who had arrived, 
 and entered in time to hear the last of his 
 child's piteous ravings, was so troubled that 
 they were obliged to remove him from the 
 room. 
 
 For days Warren lay in the same uncon- 
 scious state, furious with delirium, and suf- 
 fering so much mentally, that Dr. Burrill, 
 who had come to attend hinj, deemed it of 
 the utmost importance that Herbert should 
 be at hand to speak with him at the first con- 
 scious interval. Mr. Nichols and Dr. Rus- 
 sell gave the desired permission, and Her- 
 bert remained at Calais with the sick lad's 
 father, while Mr. Nowell returned to Eton. 
 
 General Nelson had been a brave soldier. 
 He was a haughty, proud, high-spirited man ;
 
 96 HERBERT. 
 
 but his son's calamity had broken his pride, 
 and the great danger in which the boy lay 
 had taught the arrogant old man that nei- 
 ther self-esteem, nor pride, nor great wealth 
 would bring back the idol of his heart from 
 death's door. 
 
 Herbert's forgiving spirit touched him be- 
 yond expression ; and the simple faith dis- 
 played in the lad's constant prayers for poor 
 Warren brought him, at length to implore 
 humbly of the great All Father, that his sin- 
 ful negligence of spiritual welfare might not 
 be visited upon the head of his son. 
 
 And the good Lord, who always answers 
 prayer, although not always in the way 
 which seems best to our short sight, glad- 
 dened the loving father's heart forever with 
 divine love. 
 
 For Warren did not die, but was merci- 
 fully spared for His service. 
 
 One morning, after a night of feeble, 
 fluctuating breathing through a deep sleep,
 
 RECOVERY. 97 
 
 and when even Herbert scarcely dared to 
 hope, he awoke to consciousness. 
 
 " Stanley," he murmured faintly, looking 
 for the first time with a gleam of intelli- 
 gence, "is that you? I thought '' 
 
 "Yes, dear Warren," said Herbert; and 
 trembling with gladness, and leaning over 
 with a look of unmistakable love, he pressed 
 upon Warren's fevered lips a holy kiss of 
 friendship, which was never violated. 
 
 And such a happy expression of peace as 
 settled in Warren's eyes, no one, who saw 
 it, ever forgot. 
 
 "Father," he murmured, faintly. 
 
 "My own boy, my dear, dear son!" ex- 
 claimed the general. " The merciful Lord 
 be thanked for His goodness;" and for the 
 first time in many years, the old soldier 
 yielded to his emotion and wept tears of 
 
 joy- 
 Warren was too w T eak and exhausted to 
 
 talk. He fell asleep again directly, and 
 7
 
 98 HERBERT. 
 
 slept long and quietly, the- .great load having 
 been removed from his mind. 
 
 When he awoke again, he wanted Her- 
 bert ; and he showed what a change had come 
 over him by begging the boy to forgive his 
 taunts in Mr. Kaine's dormitory, and his 
 nearly fatal joke. 
 
 "Don't ever think of it again, Warren," 
 said Herbert, earnestly; "you suffered the 
 roost." 
 
 "I have suffered," said "Warren, earn- 
 estly. "I want to see my father, Herbert, 
 and then I would like you to read to me." 
 
 What passed between the lad and his 
 father Herbert never knew ; but half an 
 hour after, when he entered the room, the 
 old general sat on the bedside, supporting 
 his son's head upon his breast, and Warren's 
 arms were around his father's neck, in a 
 fervent clasp, while traces of tears were upon 
 the cheeks of both. 
 
 Herbert stole softly away. A sense of 
 his orphan loneliness came over him, and for
 
 JIM'S STORY. 99 
 
 the moment he would gladly have changed 
 places with the suffering, penitent Warren 
 for the blessing of a father's love. 
 
 The sweet-voiced French girl within the 
 house was singing a Catholic hymn. He 
 could not understand all the words, but some- 
 how the little hymn, though not in his own 
 creed, comforted him greatly. He remem- 
 bered the good Lord's promise to orphan 
 children, and how well it had been kept with 
 Adele and himself. 
 
 From Jim they had already learned how 
 Warren had set himself to work, lifting 
 heavy rails, and laying sleepers for the new 
 railway, until his delicate hands had be- 
 come as rough as Jim's own ; and how every 
 Sunday he had stolen around to the little 
 English chapel, in Calais, and listened with 
 all his heart to the words of truth there 
 uttered ; coming away, however, with the 
 same terrified, hopeless look always upon 
 his face. 
 
 The French woman and her daughter had
 
 100 HERBERT. 
 
 been very kind to him ; but Warren did not 
 understand them, and would go off alone, 
 and mourn -over his misfortunes, suffering 
 excruciating pain, meanwhile, from the fever 
 that was coming on. 
 
 Now it was all over. He was getting 
 well, and had learned to look for help where 
 it is never refused. He asked his father's 
 permission to give the two French people, 
 and Jim and his mother, a handsome present, 
 'in token of his gratitude to them a re- 
 quest the old general readily granted. 
 
 For Herbert he felt warm, fervent love, 
 which was never obliterated. 
 
 Years after, when he was a minister of the 
 gospel, he was never tired of telling how 
 that one boy's gentle forgiveness and simple 
 prayerful faith had influenced the lives of 
 himself and his dear father for good. 
 
 " A little leaven leavens the whole."
 
 GOOD NEWS. 101 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 TOM WARD GETS INTO TROUBLE. 
 
 ' TTOW bright and pleasant your study 
 is, Herbert," said Nelson, throwing 
 himself into the arm-chair, and removing his* 
 little cousin Ulric therefrom to his knee. 
 "Isn't this cold, frosty weather?" 
 
 "Never mind," replied Herbert, deep in a 
 letter from home. " It brings Christmas all 
 the nearer, and O, my ! How nice ! How 
 splendid!" he added, flushing with excite- 
 ment, and reading aloud "'You may in- 
 vite to Etinisfellen, for the Easter holidays^ 
 your cousins, and any other four boys you 
 may wish to have with you.' Isn't that glo- 
 rious?" 
 
 " Perfectly ! " assented Warren ; while the
 
 102 HERBERT. 
 
 book fell from little Ulric's hands, and he 
 listened with breathless interest. 
 
 "Let me see," continued Herbert; "there's 
 Morton and Arthur, Harry Caruthers, you, 
 of course, Warren, and Ulric there." 
 
 "O, Stanley," exclaimed the little boy, 
 "you are so kind ! " 
 
 And Tom Ward." 
 
 "I'll be delighted, if my father can spare 
 me," said Warren, gleefully ; for the boys 
 tad heard too much of the delightful pleas- 
 ures of Ennisfellen not to be half wild over 
 the prospect of being there. 
 
 Arthur had been on the continent with his 
 father for a few weeks, and had- not yet re- 
 turned, but was expected daily. Morton, 
 who, between Arthur, Herbert, Harry, and 
 Warren Nelson, had become quite an agree- 
 able companion, was pleased with the idea, 
 and Harry Caruthers walked all around the 
 school yard on his hands with his heels in 
 the air, to work off the excitement caused by 
 contemplating such a prospect. And Tom
 
 STRANGE BEHAVIOR. 103 
 
 Ward, who was the lively, funny boy of the 
 class, how did he receive the good news? 
 In a very strange way ; but before hearing it 
 he was in a stranger mood still. 
 
 Among the prizes to be awarded at the 
 end of the term was one for a translation of 
 Greek verses ; and it happened to be a prize 
 which Ward was very anxious to gain. Ar- 
 thur, had been so long absent that Tom did 
 not fear his competition. Harry, he was 
 sure, could not do so well, and Nelson wag 
 in a higher form. 
 
 But Herbert would try for the prize, and 
 try hard, and, notwithstanding his absence in 
 France, would probably get it ; for Herbert's 
 knowledge upon the subject was much clear- 
 er and more thorough than his own. 
 
 He had brooded over this idea for some 
 time, and at length came to the decision, 
 that somehow, by hook or by crook, Her- 
 bert's theme should be destroyed. He knew 
 this could not be done honestly, but did not 
 care for that ; he felt hard towards Herbert
 
 104 HERBERT. 
 
 for contesting his place at the top of the 
 form, and especially hard because Mr. No- 
 well had selected the prize poem from the 
 very lines which Herbert had once before 
 written out for detention. 
 
 In vain Herbert said he had not the lines, 
 and did not know what had become of them. 
 Tom persisted that it was not fair, and that 
 Mr. Nowell only did it to spite him. 
 
 Before receiving Herbert's invitation, he 
 had decided to watch his opportunity, and, 
 just before examination, to abstract the 
 theme from Herbert's desk, when it would 
 be too late to write another. 
 
 When Herbert came up with his letter, 
 and tendered a laughing, happy request for 
 Tom's presence, his rude reply was, 
 
 " No, thank you ; I've a better place of my 
 own." 
 
 " Well, I declare ! " exclaimed Herbert, 
 completely taken aback, and adding angrily, 
 "You might at least be civil, Ward." 
 
 "Don't put on so many airs, Stanley," re-
 
 WRONG STEPS. 105 
 
 turned Tom, aggravatingly. "Other fellows 
 have got places as well as you, and I've been 
 obliged to refuse a number of invitations." 
 
 "You'll never have a chance to refuse 
 another of mine, " said Herbert, turning on 
 his heel, and walking away. His feelings 
 were deeply wounded, and Tom Ward's con- 
 science was rather troublesome than other- 
 wise. 
 
 Morton, when he learned of it all, was 
 more indignant than Herbert himself, and 
 became so very cool in his manner to Tom, 
 that the latter avoided the company of the 
 whole "Stanley crew," as he called the 
 friends of Herbert and his cousin. 
 
 He looked anxiously forward for Arthur's 
 return, intending to see him first ; but al- 
 though he accomplished this part of his de- 
 sign, Arthur took up his cousin's side, and, 
 driven from his best friends, Tom mixed ex- 
 clusively with a set of riotous boys, who, 
 glad to have him with them, encouraged 
 his ill feeling towards his 1 former compan-
 
 106 HERBERT. 
 
 ions, and did all they could to augment the 
 quarrel. 
 
 Herbert had a kind, forgiving disposition, 
 and after the first blaze of feeling, would have 
 readily made it all up ; but this Tom's new 
 faction would not allow. So, after resolving 
 to seize the first opportunity of making 
 friends with him, Herbert devoted all his 
 spare time to the subject for the prize. 
 
 Ulric was his fag, and had the run of his 
 study, and Arthur and Harry usually studied 
 there, while Morton and Warren Xelson 
 now fast friends would drop in for a chat 
 about as often as was desirable, considering 
 the amount of " cramming " to be done be- 
 fore the term closed. 
 
 The Christmas holidays came and went, 
 and the boys, after flying visits to their 
 homes, returned again, with lively accounts 
 of their festivities, and new vigor with which 
 to resume their studies. 
 
 It happened that, in one of the first lessons 
 taken up early in the new year, a discussion
 
 SUSPENDED ANIMATION. 107 
 
 arose in the form about " suspended anima- 
 tion," and Mr. Nowell requested the boys to 
 learn all they could outside upon the sub- 
 ject, and bring it in with their next lesson. 
 
 Sam Brockett and one or two others 
 were growling over this requirement, not 
 having the vaguest idea where to seek the 
 desired information, and concluded to get 
 Tom Ward to learn it for them. For Tom's 
 champions, deeming him "awfully clever," 
 bothered him continually for help upon this 
 and that ; and he, being in an unhappy state 
 of mind on account of his wicked intentions 
 respecting Herbert's theme, was driven al- 
 most to desperation. 
 
 "Suspended animation? Well, you are 
 muffs ! Go and look up mummies," said he, 
 when they sought him in his study, and in- 
 terrupted a brilliant passage he was working 
 out in his verses. 
 
 "New do be pleasant, Tom : you're getting 
 so glum lately, there's no pleasure in being 
 friends with you," said Sam, lazily.
 
 108 HERBERT. 
 
 " And do tell us all about it ; 'twill save 
 us so much trouble, you're so clever, you 
 know," said Chester, another boy, coaxingly. 
 
 "I'll never get rid of them until I tell 
 them something, and I'll just give them a 
 dose," thought Tom to himself. 
 
 "Suspended animation," he began, "may 
 be illustrated by mummies. The Egyptians 
 possessed the secret, and made mummies 
 which would sleep for a thousand years or 
 so, and then could be resuscitated, when they 
 could disclose everything that had happened 
 before they were done up as mummies. In 
 this way their legends were preserved and 
 handed down." 
 
 " How curious ! " exclaimed the boys, with 
 credulous eyes and wide open mouths tak- 
 ing in these startling facts. 
 
 "Yes, " continued Tom, decidedly amused 
 at the sensation he was creating. 
 
 " ' There are more tilings in heaven .and earth, Horatio, 
 Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.' " 
 
 "Never mind all that," said a boy whose
 
 AN ABSURD HOAX. 109 
 
 mind could not take in Shakespeare ; " go on 
 with your mummying." 
 
 "The secret process by which suspended 
 animation was secured, continued, and in- 
 terrupted at pleasure is now lost to us, more's 
 the pity. Were it not so, we might awaken 
 the mummies in our British Museum, and 
 hear astounding revelations of the past." 
 
 " That will do for me," exclaimed Brock- 
 ett, who of course did not believe a word of 
 it ; and he sauntered off to gain more reliable 
 information from the college library. 
 
 But the boys who remained begged Tom 
 to continue ; so he went on. 
 
 " We have no means of discovering this 
 
 O 
 
 mysterious power ; but in some parts of 
 America they have something which does 
 as well as the ancient mummy for an en- 
 cyclopaedia. The climate there is so dry, 
 that in many parts of the country people 
 never die, but shrivel all up ; and then the 
 others hang them up in a warm, dry place, 
 where they rest undisturbed until some one
 
 110 HERBERT. 
 
 wants information of the time in which they 
 lived. Then they are taken down and 
 dipped in oil, when they come to life, an- 
 swer the questions, and are dried and hung 
 up again. And it was in relation to this 
 custom that the slang phrase, ' You dry up,' 
 originated." 
 
 "Now, Ward," cried Chester, petulantly, 
 "you don't expect us to believe all that stuff." 
 
 "If you don't believe it, go and look it 
 up," answered Tom, smiling grimly, who 
 knew very well the lazy boy would never 
 take the trouble. 
 
 So Chester allowed his suspicion of "a 
 sell " to die within his breast, and the next 
 day, in school, amid roars of unchecked 
 laughter, the form heard these startling rev- 
 elations of ancient Egyptian and modern 
 American customs ; and from that day to 
 the end of their school lives, the lads whom 
 Tom Ward had hoaxed so easily were nick- 
 named " the mummies." 
 
 They were furious with Tom, of course.
 
 IN DISGRACE. Ill 
 
 They whipped him, and "cut him dead," and 
 annoyed him in every conceivable way. 
 Tom fell into disgrace with Mr. No well, who 
 reproved him severely for thus misusing his 
 talents and abusing the confidence of his 
 schoolfellows. 
 
 But poor misguided Tom did not im- 
 prove. He worked hard over his lessons, 
 but in all other ways seemed possessed with 
 mischief, and was continually in trouble. 
 
 Warren Xelson tried hard to help him to 
 the right path from which he was wandering 
 so far, and Harry often attempted to bring 
 about a reconciliation with Herbert; but 
 Tom was not quite so bad as to pretend a 
 friendship where he intended to do an injury, 
 and allowed himself to think the meanness 
 of his act would not be quite so apparent 
 if Herbert were his open enemy. 
 
 Alas, poor Tom ! He had forgotten all 
 about the Golden Rule.
 
 112 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE MISSING THEME. 
 
 T^HE day before the Greek verses were 
 handed in for examination, Herbert 
 looked carefully over his paper for the last 
 time, tied it neatly with blue ribbon, and 
 laid it away in his writing-desk. 
 
 " We're going up the river," said Morton, 
 looking into the room ; got your verses done ?" 
 
 "Yes, "said Herbert, holding them up to 
 view, and then laying them away again, and 
 closing his desk. 
 
 " Then come with us," urged Morton ; "it'll 
 be the last chance this year, or this term, at 
 least." 
 
 "I'm all ready," answered Herbert. "Mor- 
 ton, I do so want to get a double remove ! "
 
 THE LITTLE PEACEMAKER. 113 
 
 "You'll get it, fast enough," said his 
 cousin, confidently; "why, Arthur says Mr. 
 No well never had such a scholar, and if you 
 hadn't gone to Calais, you'd be in the fifth 
 now." 
 
 Morton had never spoken so warmly, and 
 Herbert grasped his hand with a squeeze 
 which was intended to express his gratitude. 
 
 They walked arm in arm to the boat 
 house, Herbert thinking how much Arthur 
 had influenced the young lord, and never 
 dreaming that his own example had been a 
 source of great help to him. 
 
 Scarcely had they left the study when 
 Tom, who had long waited the opportunity, 
 stole into the room, abstracted Herbert's pre- 
 cious paper from the desk, which was un- 
 locked, and carried it off to his own room. 
 
 Little Ulric Carr, knowing how Herbert 
 secretly mourned Tom's lost friendship, had 
 determined to make peace between them, 
 and had gone around to Tom's room with 
 that worthy object in view : the kind- 
 8 '
 
 114 HERBERT. 
 
 hearted little fellow loved Herbert dearly, 
 and was very fond of Tom, too, who hud 
 good-naturedly helped him with his lessons 
 very often, and was always ready with a 
 merry story or a funny song to charm away 
 the child's homesick turns. So his heart 
 beat high with anticipation of the pleasure 
 he would cause both his friends if Tom would 
 only be kind. 
 
 So, when Tom reached his room with 
 the neatly-tied, carefully-written poem, over 
 which Herbert had spent such long and dili- 
 gent study, and while he was feeling the ut- 
 most contempt for himself and his meanness, 
 he spied Ulric deep in a book of travels he 
 had just bought, and curled up on the broad 
 window-seat, utterly unconscious of any- 
 thing but the wonderful book he was reading. 
 
 As Tom gazed at the little fellow before 
 him, an outrageous plan suggested itself to 
 his mind, to make Ulric destroy Herbert's 
 verses, and hastily wrapping in a newspaper
 
 TOM'S TEEACHEEY. 115 
 
 the hated theme, asked Ulric to open the win- 
 dow and chuck it out. 
 
 The unsuspicious little lad, did as he was 
 requested. 
 
 " Whew ! what a wind !" he exclaimed, look- 
 ing after it ; " it's taken that old newspaper 
 straight down to the river. Why, what was 
 in it, Tom? Something white has fluttered 
 out, and Lord Morton has seen it, and is mak- 
 ing for it in the boat, and Stanley is running 
 up and down the bank as if he was crazy." 
 
 Ulric turned around to Tom, and caught 
 sight of a white, frightened face, that startled 
 him. 
 
 " What is the matter, Tom ? Are you ill ? " 
 
 "No," answered the boy, who saw his evil 
 scheme thwarted*when almost complete, and 
 knew the inevitable result would be his dis- 
 grace before the whole school, unless he 
 could conceal his share of the deed. 
 
 "Ulric," said he, passionately appealing to 
 the little fellow's sensibility, "do you really 
 love me ? "
 
 116 HERBERT. 
 
 "Yes, indeed I do, dear Tom," answered 
 the child, clasping his hands. 
 
 " Then promise me solemnly not to say 
 one word about that paper ; promise," ex- 
 claimed Tom, eagerly. 
 
 "I promise, Tom," said Uric, simply; 
 " but don't look so dreadfully. And now," 
 he added, brightly, "I want you to make me 
 a promise." 
 
 "Very well," said Tom, absently; "what 
 is it?" 
 
 " I want you to be friends with Herbert 
 Stanley," said the little boy, breathlessly, 
 and looking as if his happiness hung upon 
 the older lad's reply. 
 
 Tom started as if he had been shot. 
 
 " Don't you know that l*e would not look 
 at me?" he asked, without thinking that 
 Ulric knew nothing of what had been done. 
 " He would not speak to me, much less be a 
 friend." 
 
 " Indeed he would," said Ulric, positively. 
 
 " Well, well, I will think of it," answered
 
 ULEIC IN TROUBLE. 117 
 
 Tom ; " but don't bother me now, Ulric ; my 
 head aches like all Jehu." 
 
 " I'm very sorry," said the sympathetic lit- 
 tle fellow, pulling Tom's head down to him, 
 and stroking it gently with his hand. " I'll 
 charm it away for you." 
 
 This was more than Tom could bear. 
 
 " Run away, now, Ulric," said he, not un- 
 kindly. And as the child turned to go, he 
 added, "You may have my book of travels, 
 if you like it. Take it with you." 
 
 " O, thank you, Tom,'' cried Ulric, de- 
 lighted with the gift ; " but don't you want 
 it?" 
 
 " I have no time to read it now. There, 
 take it and run away." 
 
 Ulric took the book, and was soon deep in 
 its contents in Herbert's study. 
 
 Presently Morton, Herbert, and Warren 
 Nelson came hurrying into the room, all 
 talking excitedly. 
 
 " You saw me put it here, Morton," said
 
 HERBERT . 
 
 Herbert, hurrying to the writing-desk on the 
 table. 
 
 "Yes," said Lord Morton, positively. 
 
 " But it must have been a copy," persisted 
 Warren. 
 
 "At any rate, it's gone," said Herbert, bit- 
 terly, showing the empty desk. 
 
 " What is it? What's the matter? " inquir- 
 ed Ulric, coming forward, book in hand. 
 
 "Only my verses," answered Herbert, 
 ready to cry with disappointment. 
 
 " O, what a shame ! " burst from Ulric's 
 lips. 
 
 "They were taken from my desk here," 
 continued Herbert, "within the last half 
 hour." 
 
 " How long have you been in here, Ulric?" 
 , asked Lord Morton. 
 
 "Only a few minutes." 
 
 " Where were you when we went out ? " 
 
 "I don't know when you went out; just 
 before Herbert finished his writing, I went 
 up to Ward's room."
 
 CEOSS QUESTIONING. 119 
 
 "Ward's room!" interrupted Warren, 
 hastily. " I thought it was his window. Did 
 you see him throw anything out." 
 
 " O, Warren," exclaimed the poor little fel- 
 low, a suspicion of the truth darting across 
 his mind. 
 
 "Ulric," cried Herbert, "what are you 
 trembling and blushing so for ? You didn't 
 steal my verses." 
 
 "O, Herbert, no, indeed!" 
 
 " Then why don't you answer Warren's 
 question?" asked Lord Morton, sharply. 
 "Did Tom throw. anything out of his win- 
 dow when you were in his room? " 
 
 "No," said Ulric, wanting to confess the 
 whole, but kept from it by his promise to 
 Tom. 
 
 _" Ulric, you act very strangely. Did you 
 see any one come into this room ? " asked 
 Warren, anxiously. 
 
 No," said Ulric. 
 
 " Where did you get that new book ? " in-
 
 120 HERBERT. 
 
 quired Lord Morton, who saw clearly that 
 Uliic was not at his ease. 
 
 " Torn Ward gave it to me ; but I shall 
 take it back ; I could not keep it now," said 
 the poor little fellow, bursting into tears. 
 
 "Why not, little cousin?" said Warren, 
 tenderly, taking him in his arms, and sooth- 
 ing him. What has Torn Ward done ? " 
 
 But Ulric would not speak ; he only 
 sobbed away, as if his little heart would 
 break. 
 
 " Shall I take the book to Tom, and tell 
 him you do not want it ? " asked Warren. 
 
 Ulric sobbed an assent. 
 
 "Now let me dry your eyes, little boy; 
 nobody thinks you would do Herbert any 
 harm." 
 
 "No,. indeed," said Herbert, kindly. 
 
 But Ulric would not be comforted. His 
 sensitive nature was outraged. He had been 
 made to injure his best friend, and had 
 been deceived and tricked by one whom he 
 had loved ; and now suspicion of the mean-
 
 A CRUEL TAUNT. 121 
 
 est act he had ever known must rest upon 
 him, though really innocent. 
 
 Meanwhile Warren sought Tom's study. 
 
 " My cousin desires me to return this book, 
 which under the circumstances he cannot ac- 
 cept," said he, with a good deal of his own 
 old, haughty manner. 
 
 " Did he," said Tom, hastily, " the little 
 muff. Then I suppose he has peached." 
 
 "You may suppose what you please," said 
 Warren, coolly ; " but let me tell you, Tom, I 
 consider it very dirty work for a fourth form 
 boy to let a wrong suspicion rest upon the 
 head of the youngest little fellow in the 
 lower school." 
 
 " Do you ? But really, suppose you retire," 
 said Tom, with a cruel taunt. " I'm afraid you 
 might murder me!" 
 
 " I'm afraid I might, if I staid," muttered 
 Warren, between his white lips, for his tem- 
 per was very hard to control, and Tom's 
 sneer had fully aroused it ; but he governed 
 himself with great credit, and merely say-
 
 122 HERBERT. 
 
 ing, "However you may have succeeded in 
 making Ulric promise not to disclose your 
 vile act, it is known to us all. I saw 
 the paper flung from your window, and we 
 all saw the theme fall out into the river ; and 
 here, in further proof, is the blue ribbon with 
 which it was tied. I know the ribbon, for I 
 bought it." And Warren coolly picked up 
 from the carpet the ribbon, which had be- 
 come detatched from the paper. 
 
 " When you saw the paper flung from my 
 window, what a pity your sight did not ex- 
 tend still farther, enabling you to see that it 
 was Ulric who flung it out ! And as to that 
 bit of ribbon, I think the general impression 
 will be, that you dropped it there, and picked 
 it up again to shield your cousin," the guilty 
 boy replied, with bravado. 
 
 "O, Tom, Tom," cried Warren, "how 
 can I believe what you say, when you deny 
 the truth to my face ! and how dare you ac- 
 cuse my little innocent Ulric, who has always 
 been so fond of you ! Do you never remem-
 
 CONTRITION. 123 
 
 her the old days, Tom, the first of the term, 
 when you were so merry and happy? Do 
 you know how you have changed Tom? O, 
 how unhappy you must be, to be reduced to 
 such a position as you now occupy ! Her- 
 bert has always loved you. He never did 
 you any harm in his life, and why should you 
 injure him? And Ulric, little, gentle, loving 
 Ulric, who is now suffering for your fault, 
 because he will not break a promise, how 
 could you so cruelly deceive him? O, you 
 cannot have thought of the harm you have 
 done. But, Tom, come back to us ; be one 
 of us again. Herbert will forgive you, for 
 you know, dear Tom, he forgave me a 
 Greater wrons; than this." 
 
 O O 
 
 Ah, Warren, "a soft answer turneth 
 away wrath." 
 
 Poor Tom leaned his head upon the table, 
 and groaned in misery. Herbert and Ulric 
 he had wronged deeply, but his taunting 
 words to the contrite Warren were more 
 cowardly, he knew, than all the rest.
 
 124 HERBERT. 
 
 And here was Warren, gentle and humble, 
 actually abashing himself before the lad who 
 had taunted him with the fault long since 
 repented of and forgiven. 
 
 " Warren, Warren," said he, with a heart- 
 felt sob, "is it Herbert who has changed you 
 so?" 
 
 " No," answered Warren, softly ; " it is the 
 Lord." 
 
 And Tom knew it, and felt it, from that 
 moment. 
 
 " You will ask Him to forgive you, will 
 you not?" continued Warren, beseechingly. 
 " You can never be good and happy, dear 
 Tom, until He has blessed you." 
 
 With the traces of tears upon his cheek, 
 Tom lifted up his head, and thrust out his 
 hand to grasp WaiTen's. 
 
 "I will ask to be forgiven, Warren. No- 
 body has talked to me so since my mother 
 died. Can you ever forget what I said to 
 you, Warren? Can you forgive me?" 
 
 "O, Tom, do not think of it again. Six
 
 EXPLANATIONS. 125 
 
 months ago I would have said worse, I dare 
 say." 
 
 Tom seized his cap. " I am going to Mr. 
 No well, to tell him the whole story : he can 
 call my theme Herbert's, or throw it out al- 
 together. I would not take that prize now 
 for all the gold in California." 
 
 So the lad, who really was of good stuff, 
 after all, went up to the master with his 
 story, telling bravely and faithfully all that 
 had occurred. 
 
 "You have redeemed your character by 
 this confession," said Mr. Novvell, kindly. 
 "I have watched you, Ward, from the time 
 you let Herbert suffer detention for a fault of 
 yours. I have been -much troubled lately by 
 your general course of conduct, especially by 
 your desertion of your old friends ; but now 
 that you corne to me freely, and of your own 
 accord, I can renew my trust in you, who 
 have always been my favorite scholar." 
 
 "Thank you, sir," said Tom, humbly;
 
 126 HERBERT. 
 
 " and now may I give my verses to Her- 
 bert?" 
 
 " Why, no," answered Mr. Nowell, 
 fumbling around in his desk ; " but you may 
 copy these," handing out a folded paper, 
 " which are the verses written by Herbert on 
 the same subject. Copy them neatly, unless 
 he would prefer doing it himself, and tell him 
 I do not think any one will have better lines 
 than those. The boy is a genius." 
 
 Tom Ward rushed off with the translation, 
 happier than he had been for months. 
 
 "Herbert," he cried, bursting into the 
 study, "will you, caw you ever forgive my 
 shabby behavior? I have been to Mr. 
 Nowell, and told him all about it. He had 
 your old translation in his desk, and sent it 
 to you and he wants me to tell you that no 
 one else has a chance, side of you." 
 
 Herbert's readily extended hand was 
 grasped and wrung by Tom, in his excite- 
 ment, and the two boys looked straight into
 
 RECONCILIATION. 127 
 
 each other's eyes, with the glad light of re- 
 turning friendship. 
 
 Ulric, with his head upon AYarren's 
 shoulder, smiled through his tears, until 
 Tom, seeing him, darted across the room, 
 and, catching him up, cried earnestly, 
 
 "Little Ulric, you must not hate me : can. 
 you ever forget how unhappy I have made 
 you?" 
 
 "That's nothing, Tom ; I am so glad you 
 have made it up with Herbert ! " said the 
 sweet-tempered child. 
 
 Morton, too, congratulated the now happy 
 lad, stiffly and formally, but with kind inten- 
 tions. Tom never heard of his offence again 
 from the lips of the lads he had wronged, 
 and they were all too generous and truly hon- 
 orable to let the affair be known outside. 
 Even Harry Caruthers never heard of it. 
 
 The examination came. The prizes were 
 awarded, and Herbert and Tom Ward were 
 loaded with proofs of scholarship. Herbert
 
 128 HERBERT. 
 
 drew the prize for verses, but a similar book 
 was presented to Tom, as a mark of his 
 teacher's personal esteem. Tom Ward's book 
 of travels, and an elegantly illustrated set of 
 Bible stories, were bestowed upon htippy lit- 
 tle Ulrie Carr, bearing the inscription, in Dr. 
 Russell's own hand, for he knew the story, 
 
 " Blessed are the peacemakers ; for they 
 shall be called the children of God." 
 
 Then the roll was called off, and each 
 boy's new rank in the form given. The 
 fifth form was headed by Warren Nelson, 
 and Lord Stanley had gained a remove to the 
 upper sixth. The fourth form record, in 
 which we are most interested, was read up 
 from the bottom, and after a long list of 
 names and numbers came 
 
 Montgomery, fourth, Caruthers, third, 
 Ward, second, Stunley, first; and Stanley 
 and Ward, double removes to the upper 
 fifth. 
 
 What a clnpping of hands greeted this 
 announcement ! All Herbert's friends flocked
 
 BREAKING UP SCHOOL. 129 
 
 around to congratulate him ; and as for Tom 
 Ward, how they all laughed when, in a comi- 
 cal speech, he assured them that even mum- 
 mies would applaud an upper fifth boy. 
 
 And after it all there was a confusion of 
 farewell greetings to the masters, a general 
 scattering to rooms and a general packing of 
 portmanteaus, and a hurrying and scurrying 
 hither and thither, and then a strange silence 
 at deserted Eton, for all the boys were gone 
 for the holidays. 
 
 y
 
 130 HERBERT. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. 
 
 "TTERBERT, Herbert, is that Ennis- 
 XX fallen?" 
 
 " O, Tom, look at the sea I " 
 
 "Where? where?" 
 
 " O, how glorious ! " 
 
 " Isn't that a jolly place ? " 
 
 "Say, Herbert, do you keep a boat?" 
 
 "Morty, isn't this jollier than Stanley 
 Manor?" 
 
 And above all this Babel of noise, it's a 
 wonder to me how they ever heard the 
 guard's voice, crying out, M Ennisfellen ; " for 
 there they were actually, seven laughing, 
 happy boys, in one railway carriage, and all 
 talking at once, as the train drew up at the
 
 WELCOME TO ENNISFELLEN. 131 
 
 Ennisfellen station ; and then out they all 
 tumbled together, landing safely on the plat- 
 form, and beginning another confusion of in- 
 quiries. 
 
 "Do you see any of your people, Her- 
 bert?" 
 
 " How are we to get to the house ? " 
 
 " Where shall we have our traps put ? " &c. 
 
 Until, seeing Lord Morton talking grace- 
 fully with Mr. Nichols, and Herbert hug- 
 ging Adele, they were seized with school- 
 boy shyness, and stood around quietly, while 
 Mr. Nichols came forward to welcome them 
 to Ennisfellen, and Adele shook hands shyly, 
 and hoped they would have a good time. 
 
 Then they drove up to the mansion-house, 
 Lord Morton, Arthur, and Ulric, with Mr. 
 Nichols and Adele, while Herbert went in 
 the other carriage, with the others. 
 
 No wonder the boys were charmed with 
 Herbert's home. The broad, gravelled drive- 
 way was in full sight of the beautiful Ger- 
 man Ocean. The waves came rolling to the
 
 132 HERBERT. 
 
 shore, tumbling over one another, and break- 
 ing, with a heavy surge, far up on the white 
 beach. Off from the shore they were glit- 
 tering with sunbeams, and little flecks of 
 white foam bumped merrily together. At 
 Flamboro' Head great jets of silver spray 
 leaped over the rocks, and beyond it white 
 sails came slanting down in the sunlight. 
 
 The park, orchard, and gardens of En- 
 nisfellen looked fresh and bright in their 
 spring verdure ; and the old mansion-house, 
 with its verandas and long, arched windows, 
 seemed to promise good times, and merry- 
 makings untold, to the eager young guests, 
 who, with outstretched heads, were taking in 
 all the delights of the place. 
 
 " Grandmamma, grandmamma," screamed 
 Herbert, catching sight of her as the car- 
 riages reached the steps, "I'm top of my 
 form, and I've got a double remove ! " and 
 he sprang into her arms, burying his shaggy 
 curls in her neck.
 
 GREETINGS. 133 
 
 " The lamb ! " exclaimed old, black mau- 
 ma, Adele's faithful nurse. 
 
 But her " lamb " looked vastly more like 
 a young lion, so tall and strong, and with 
 such a curly yellow mane. 
 
 "I'm so glad you are well, now, dear 
 grandmamma ! " Herbert said fondly ; " we'll 
 try not to let you get upset again ; and now 
 I want to show you my friends. Morton, 
 please come here." Morton advanced with 
 the others. 
 
 "This is Lord Stanley, grandmamma," 
 Herbert continued, presenting them; "and 
 here are Arthur Montgomery, Tom Ward, 
 who has been top of the form all the year, 
 and now has a double remove, Harry Ca- 
 ruthers, Warren Nelson, and Ulric Carr. 
 And now, grandmamma, we will go up 
 stairs, if you please, and make ourselves 
 ready for luncheon." 
 
 So they all went clattering up stairs, mak- 
 ing more noise that had been heard in the 
 old house for years ; calling to each other
 
 134 HERBERT. 
 
 from their sunny rooms, planning amuse- 
 ments and excursions enough to fill a vaca- 
 tion twice as long as their own. 
 
 When they came down to lunch, their 
 appetites seemed already to feel the effects 
 of the bracing sea air. The lads had trav- 
 elled all night, and were content to spend 
 this their first day in or near the house. 
 Arthur and Ulric devoted themselves to 
 attending Adele, and won her everlasting 
 friendship by the praises they lavished on 
 Fido, a huge greyhound her grandpapa had 
 given her at Christmas, and Gypsie, her 
 Shetland pony, scarce bigger than the dog. 
 
 " We can play croquet to-day, for a while ; 
 it's dry enough," said Morton, spying the 
 balls. 
 
 "But first," urged Tom, to whom the sea 
 was almost a novelty, w let us go down to the 
 beach." 
 
 So away went the whole party, Herbert 
 insisting Adele must go too, and Mr. and
 
 ON THE BEACH. 135 
 
 Mrs. Nichols, for a long time watched the 
 happy, excited children upon the shore, 
 
 " Following up and fleeing the white breakers," 
 
 and making footprints in the sand, which the 
 waves soon overwhelmed and washed away. 
 
 The old people were glad to see Herbert 
 and Adele so happy, and glad to have com- 
 panions for them, for Flamboro', the nearest 
 village, was a mere fishing hamlet, and there 
 were no little neighbors around to visit 
 Adele. 
 
 " What is that great rocky highland ? " 
 asked Morton of his cousin at the beach, 
 and pointing as he spoke to a huge mass of 
 chalky rocks extending into the water about 
 five miles to the south of them. 
 
 " That's Flamboro' Head," answered Her- 
 bert ; " and we are going there to-morrow." 
 
 " It is tremendously high, and full of chalk 
 pits and caverns. I've read about it," cried 
 Tom. " How I should like to go there ! " 
 
 "It's very dangerous, and you'll have to
 
 136 H E R B E U T . 
 
 be ever so careful," said Adele, warningly. 
 " Grandpa says he shall give you a guide." 
 But telling the boys that the exploit was 
 dangerous made them all the more eager to 
 undertake it, until they forgot it for the time 
 in croquet. Then Adele went in, and Ulric 
 followed her ; and the two busied themselves 
 with pictures and quiet games, while the 
 boys played cricket on the lawn. 
 
 Mrs. Nichols became much interested in 
 the gentle little Ulric, and the child told her 
 much of his history, which was sad enough, 
 poor little fellow ! 
 
 When he was six years old, he had a kind 
 father and mother, and five dear brothers and 
 sisters, older and younger than himself. 
 Now they were " all in heaven," as the child 
 said, simply, with a quiver of his thin lips, 
 and swimming tears in his large blue eyes. 
 His guardian had no home, and sent him to 
 school, at his tender age, to get him out of 
 the way. Warren was very kind to him, 
 and so were the other boys ; but he was not
 
 ULKIC'S TROUBLES. 137 
 
 happy at school. The larger boys in the 
 lower school plagued and teased him, and 
 it came out that they were in the habit of 
 beating him cruelly, though Warren and 
 Herbert knew nothing of it. He was such 
 a frail, delicate-looking child, that Mrs. 
 Nichols became alarmed as well as interested, 
 and wrote to General Nelson and to Ulric's 
 guardian for permission to keep the boy at 
 Ennisfellen, and let him study with Adele 
 until he was older, and strong enough to bear 
 the brunt of school life. 
 
 The day seemed to fly away " in no time 
 at all," as Arthur said at dinner. 
 
 " What a splendid place this is to live in I " 
 cried Harry Caruthers, across the table. " I 
 feel like a different fellow in this bracing air ; 
 my father won't know me when I go home, 
 I shall have gained so." 
 
 " Nor mine," said Arthur. " He took me 
 to the Continent for my health last term," he 
 continued to Mr. Nichols ; " and while we 
 were there papa lost a box of gold sovereigns
 
 138 HERBERT. 
 
 in the Zuyder Zee, off Holland. One would 
 think that money lost there would never be 
 found ; but a chap from New York went 
 down there with a diver, and found the box, 
 which had our crest and papa's name on it, 
 and actually returned it to us by the Count 
 D'Orsay, with the money untouched." 
 
 "That was a rare occasion of honesty," 
 exclaimed Mr. Nichols ; " but it was merely 
 what was right, after all ; but did you never 
 learn the name of the lad?" 
 
 " Yes, sir ; the count sent his name ; it 
 was what was it Morty? you must re- 
 member." 
 
 " Eric Hyde," answered Morton. 
 
 "Why, that's our Eric!" cried Herbert 
 and Adele in a breath. 
 
 "And he wrote all about it to me, too," 
 said Herbert, " but didn't tell me the name 
 on the box ; if he had I should have known." 
 
 " He is travelling in Germany now, with 
 Dr. Ward and his cousin Johnny Van Ras- 
 sel Geur."
 
 ABOUT CASTLE WERNIER. 139 
 
 " And that's the chap that came down the 
 Lucerne slide on horseback," cried Arthur, 
 excitedly, regardless of his pronouns ; and he 
 told Johnny's ridiculous adventure. 
 
 "Then, of course, Herbert and his sister 
 had much to tell of Castle Wernier, which 
 seemed a subject of which they could never 
 tire, and Eric, and Nettie, and Allan were 
 described and discussed. 
 
 In the evening, Adele, who was learning 
 music, played on the piano, and Morton ac- 
 companied her with his flute, making very 
 pleasing harmony. Then they had a little 
 singing, and Mr. Nichols summoned the ser- 
 vants, and read a chapter, and said prayers, 
 and the boys bade " good night," and they all 
 retired early to be fresh for the Flamboro' 
 excursion next day.
 
 140 H E It B E li T . 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 FLAMBORO' HEAD. 
 
 FLAMBORO' is at once the most strik- 
 ing and most celebrated headland upon 
 the eastern coast of England. 
 
 For miles around, its high, white, perpen- 
 dicular limestone cliffs rise conspicuously 
 from the blue waters, glaring in the sun 
 throughout the day, and flashing the night- 
 light from its high, white tower through the 
 long hours of storm and darkness. 
 
 The lads at Ennisfellen were prepared for 
 thrilling adventures ; such stories as they had 
 read of its chalk pits, its mysterious caverns, 
 and reported stories of smugglers' retreats ! 
 and the sail across, the inlet was in itself a
 
 THE DEPARTURE. 141 
 
 great treat to these British school-boys, who 
 were born with all an islander's love of the 
 sea. 
 
 Mr. Nichols had engaged a small yacht, 
 its pilot, and a guide, who professed an ac- 
 curate knowledge of the intricate paths among 
 the precipices, pits, and caverns. 
 
 The " English Queen " lay moored within 
 sight of the breakfast-room windows, and the 
 English lads stood in various attitudes of ex- 
 pectancy, waiting around, while Mrs. Nich- 
 ols and Adele helped Max to put up some 
 luncheon, for they were to "make a day of 
 it," as Herbert had suggested, and the good 
 lady had no idea of letting her young guests 
 go hungry. 
 
 At last, when the baskets would hold no 
 more, the eager throng departed. 
 
 "Remember to be very, very careful ; and 
 keep together ; be sure to keep together," 
 was Mrs. Nichols parting caution. 
 
 " And bring me home c ome pretty bits of
 
 142 HERBERT. 
 
 chalk for my grotto," cried Adele, "and some 
 garnets, if there are any there. I do hope 
 you will have a good time ! " 
 
 " I wish you were going, " said Arthur, 
 heartily. 
 
 "O, grandmamma could not spare me," 
 answered the sweet-tempered little girl, who 
 really would have liked to have joined 
 them. 
 
 "I'll stay with you then," Ulric volun- 
 teered. But this Adele would not allow, 
 and he went off with the others. 
 
 The "English Queen" received her load 
 of luncheon hampers and happy hearts. 
 Adele's "Bon voyage!" was borne after 
 them by the winds, and the merry crew 
 sent their voices floating back in an old 
 school song. 
 
 Out spake the captain of our gallant ship, 
 
 And a brave spoken man was he : 
 " I've a wife and a child in New York city 
 
 And to-night they will weep for me."
 
 AN OLD SCHOOL SONG. 143 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 For the ocean waves do roar, 
 
 And the stormy winds do blow, 
 And we poor sailors will go skipping to the top, 
 
 With the land-lubbers lying down below, below, 
 below, 
 
 With the land lubbers lying down below. 
 
 Out spake the mate of our gallant ship, 
 
 And a brave spoken mate was he : 
 " I have a sweetheart in Newburyport, 
 
 And to-night she will pray for me." 
 
 CHORUS. For the ocean waves, &c. 
 
 Out spake the cook of our gallant ship, 
 
 And a brave spoken cook was he : 
 "I love my pots, pans, kettles, and my life 
 
 Better than the bottom of the sea." 
 
 CHORUS. For the ocean waves, &c. 
 
 Three times around went our gallant ship, 
 
 And three times around went she ; 
 And the last time that she went three times around 
 
 She sank to the bottom of the sea. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 For the ocean waves did roar, 
 And the stormy winds did blow,
 
 144 HERBERT. 
 
 And the jolly, happy sailors went skipping to the 
 
 top, 
 With the land-lubbers lying down below, below, 
 
 below, 
 With the land-lubbers lying down below. 
 
 The weird song was highly applauded, and 
 the skipper taught them one he had learned 
 in Louisiana a song with which the boys 
 were so delighted I will transcribe it here. 
 [They pronounced all syllables ending in 
 y, ee.] 
 
 There sails a good ship in the North Country ; 
 She goes by the name of the Brave Galantee ; 
 As she sails along the lowland, she sails along the lea, 
 I fear she will be taken by some Turkish galley. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 As she sails along the lowlands, lowlands, lowlands, 
 Louisiana lowlands, low. 
 
 Then up spake a boy, and to the captain said, 
 " O, what will you give me, if I will destroy?" 
 " O, I will give you gold, and I will give you store, 
 And you shall have my daughter fair when we get 
 to the shore." 
 
 CHORUS. As she sails along, &c.
 
 THE PILOT'S STORY. 145 
 
 The boy bared his breast, and away swam he; 
 He swam till he came to the Turkish galley ; 
 And some were playing cards and some were throw- 
 ing dice ; 
 The boy he bored an auger-hole, and drowned them 
 
 in a trice. 
 
 CHORUS. 
 
 As she sails along the lowlands, lowlands, lowlands, 
 Louisiana lowlands, low. 
 
 And then Peter Grey's misfortunes were 
 narrated, of which the account of his being 
 "scal-pi-ed by the bloody In-jl-en" so 
 tickled Ulric that he almost fell overboard 
 with laughing. 
 
 But now they were approaching the lime- 
 stone cliffs, and sat almost transfixed with 
 horror, listening to the pilot's story of a 
 party who had ventured among the caverns 
 without a guide, and had perished miserably, 
 as was supposed, for they had never been 
 found. 
 
 "There are some pits o'er three hundred 
 feet o' depth," said he, " an' one in them could 
 ne'er be foind e'en if the dreadfu' chalk sides 
 10
 
 146 HERBERT. 
 
 would give o'er th' horrible trick o' sliding 
 doun an' burying a body aloive." 
 
 "There is no danger for my party if we 
 keep together, I suppose," said Mr. Nichols, 
 nervously. 
 
 " O, no, indeed, grandpapa, " interposed 
 Herbert : " the fishermen say it's as safe as 
 the hall to any one who knows the way." 
 
 "And we will all be very careful, sir, as 
 Mrs. Nichols suggested," said Morton, pleas- 
 antly. 
 
 They were obliged to land north of the 
 village of Flamboro', as farther down the 
 coast the cliffs arose abrupt and inaccessible. 
 So the " English Queen " was headed in to 
 the quiet little fishing harbor, and her pas- 
 sengers and crew landed at the wharf, and 
 set out on foot for the remaining two miles 
 of their journey. 
 
 A pleasant enough walk they had through 
 the queer hamlet, with fishermen launching 
 their boats, or mending their nets on their 
 knees, fisherwomen walking about with loads
 
 TREASURES FOR ADELE. 147 
 
 of fish upon their heads, and little fisher-chil- 
 dren building houses in the sand, or racing 
 barefooted with the" breakers that came roll- 
 ing in with a heavy, resounding roar. 
 
 Suddenly an exclamation was heard from 
 Ulric, and turning, they saw the little boy, 
 in a rapture of delight, kneeling upon the 
 ground and examining some delicate moss. 
 
 "For Adele's grotto," said he, laughing, as 
 they came up : " what is it, Mr. Nichols ? " 
 
 "Arctic moss, and the most beautiful 
 specimen I ever saw," Mr. Nichols replied ; 
 and he showed Ulric how to take it up and 
 preserve its perfect form. 
 
 "Adele will be delighted," said *Herbert. 
 " Isn't it beautiful ? " 
 
 " Such a delicate velvety green ! and those 
 golden stalks and scarlet stars ! " cried Mor- 
 ton ; " it is as lovely as a flower." 
 
 Harry and Arthur now came up with 
 handfuls of shells, colored pebbles, and bits 
 of rock from the beach : these they deposited 
 in Tom Ward's basket ; and after duly ad-
 
 148 HERBERT. 
 
 miring Ulric's pretty moss, they followed 
 Herbert, who imagined himself quite a 
 geologist, and went about chipping pieces 
 off all the rocks he could find, with the little 
 hammer, which he always carried with him 
 on excursions. 
 
 " What an immence stretch of woods ! " 
 Tom Ward remarked to Mr. Nichols, point- 
 ing to the thick forests extending south from 
 Flamboro' as far as the eye could reach. 
 
 "It is over twenty-four miles in length," 
 said the old gentleman, and he went on to tell 
 them, while the boys listened with interest, 
 that at no very remote period all Yorkshire 
 must have been an immense wold, for in* 
 its limestone caves naturalists had found 
 fossil specimens and bones of many wild 
 forest animals now unknown ; that as late as 
 the reign of King Edward I. there were 
 bears, beavers, and wolves, and before that 
 period wild boars and wildcats ; that now 
 there were to be found there the fox, badger, 
 polecat, marten, otter, hedgehog, and hare.
 
 ON FLAMBORO' HEAD. 
 
 "Not to mention the Norwegian rat, 
 which is reported to have swum across the 
 North Sea, and to have extirpated the hon- 
 est old rats of Great Britain," interposed 
 Tom Ward. 
 
 Higher and higher they went, climbing up 
 the chalky pathway, until the peaks of Cross 
 Fell, Shunnor Fell, Great Whernside, and 
 Peny Gant came into view ; and at last In- 
 gleboro* ; and then the guide produced a 
 long rope, which he said the boys had better 
 bind about them. But this idea was scouted 
 by all. 
 
 "A, weel," said the guide," ye may do 
 wi'out, but ye maun e'en keep close togither, 
 an* ne'er go ramping off, or ye'll be in a pit, 
 young gentlemen, an' none can tak' ye oot; 
 Leord save ye ! " 
 
 Here Mr. Nichols interposed the trite old 
 proverb, " An ounce of prevention is worth a 
 pound of cure," and requested them to make 
 a safety line of the rope.
 
 150 HERBERT. 
 
 So, after the manner of .Alpine travellers, 
 each boy knotted a part of the rope around 
 his waist, the guide attached one end of it 
 to his belt, and Mr. Nichols, following the 
 boys' example, brought up the rear. 
 
 Now, as they went on, the boys saw the 
 wisdom of following good advice, for the 
 path became very difficult ; -limestone, that 
 looked a firm foothold, crumbled and slid 
 away as they stepped upon it, and now and 
 then a sudden turn would disclose a gaping 
 fissure at their very feet ; and before long 
 they came to a ridge so narrow that all 
 were obliged to crawl on hands and knees 
 across. Morton's face was white, and his 
 head so giddy he could scarcely see ; and 
 little Ulric trembled so that Mr. Nichols 
 blamed himself severely for letting the child, 
 so young and delicate, accompany them. 
 Even Herbert and Warren Nelson, the 
 hardiest of the party, drew a long breath 
 of relief when they were safely over, and 
 Harry, Arthur, and Tom were much lighter
 
 THE LOOKOUT. 151 
 
 hearted when the guide promised to take 
 them home by a better way. 
 
 And thus on and on till the light-house 
 tower was far beneath them, and the fishing 
 hamlet hidden below the rocks. Then they 
 stood upon the topmost point of the great 
 limestone cliffs of Flamboro' Head. 
 
 Before them, lay the blue North Sea, be- 
 hind them the Yorkshire Wold, and on 
 either side long stretches of barren rocks, 
 and the rolling, tossing, seething waters. 
 Ennisfellen, in its fresh spring beauty, 
 seemed to nestle confidingly between the 
 rocks and the sea, like an "oasis in a 
 desert," as Tom remarked, adding, "That's 
 original, you know." 
 
 " What land is most directly before us, 
 now, across the water?" asked Harry. 
 
 M Germany, " answered Mr. Nichols. 
 " Hamburg is almost in the same lati- 
 tude." 
 
 "Look sharp, Herbert!" exclaimed Tom 
 Ward, seizing a ship-glass, and pointing it
 
 152 HERBERT. 
 
 off to the east ; " look sharp ; perhaps you 
 can see the castle." 
 
 "I wish I could," said Herbert, with a 
 laugh ; " it is the dearest old place I know." 
 
 "I should think we might see Holland," 
 said Lord Morton ; " it's only one hundred 
 and fifty miles from here, I believe." 
 
 "Two hundred," corrected the guide. 
 " There be folks wha say they saw't ; but 
 it ne'er was known to moy eyes." 
 
 "Grandpapa," cried Herbert, "the man 
 down in the light-house there told me once 
 that he saw the sea serpent here in the ocean. 
 Do you think it was ? " 
 
 "No, my boy. I have no faith in the 
 monster." 
 
 "But how many people have said they 
 have seen it, sir ! " said Tom. 
 
 " Ay, that is true ; but scientific men have 
 no belief in mere reports. No bones of its 
 frame have ever been found, and nothing 
 has thus far, to my knowledge, been dis- 
 covered to prove its existence."
 
 THE SEA SERPENT. 153 
 
 "I ne'er saw tha long serpent that-i-loight- 
 house keeper saw," said the guide, in his 
 queer dialect ; " but I ha' seen tha ither one, 
 wi' lono- arms loike tha branches o' the trees." 
 
 "O, tell us, tell us!" cried the boys 
 eagerly ; "tell us about it." 
 
 That was just What the man intended to- 
 do, and what he always did when on the. top 
 of Flamboro', with an attentive audience. 
 
 His story and subsequent language we will 
 translate into readable English.
 
 154 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 A SEAMAN'S YARN, AND A SUDDEN DE- 
 SCENT. 
 
 IT was a pleasant group upon the old 
 rocks of Flamboro' the boys' happy 
 and laughing faces upturned to the tall 
 guide ; all seated around on the rocks, eager 
 to hear the story of the prodigious sea ser- 
 pent ; the guide with a mysterious air of 
 something wonderful to come ; and Mr. 
 Nichols, enjoying the excursion full as well 
 as the boys, smiling bem'gnly upon all. 
 
 With a gratified glance the sailor began his 
 story. 
 
 " I was once voyaging with my brother to 
 Cayenne ; and on that voyage, between Ma- 
 deira and Teneriffe, we encountered the ter-
 
 THE MONSTER, DESCRIBED. 155 
 
 rible monster. It measured from sixteen to 
 eighteen feet in length, without counting 
 the eight formidable arms, covered with air- 
 holes, that encircled its head." 
 
 "What color was it?" said Tom, inter- 
 rupting him. 
 
 "Brick red," answered the guide. 
 
 " Did it have e eyes for to see ' ? " inquired 
 Tom again, mischievously. 
 
 " I'll tell you if you will keep quiet, young 
 gentleman," said the guide, crossly. 
 
 " Keep still, Tom can't you ? " cried the 
 other boys, all eager to hear the seaman's 
 yarn. 
 
 "Its eyes were level with the top of its 
 head," continued the guide, "and were the 
 wickedest eyes I ever saw. They stuck way 
 out and glared at one in a frightful way." 
 
 "He too muchy solly, one piecie eye; 
 Lookie sharp, so fashon, aller same my," 
 
 said the irrepressible Tom, with a comical 
 side glance at the guide.
 
 156 HERBERT. 
 
 The boys laughed, for they could not help 
 it ; and the guide, suspecting they were laugh- 
 ing at his story, grew sulky, and refused to 
 " go on." 
 
 "Now, Tom, you're too bad," they cried, 
 and began pelting him with bits of lime- 
 stone. 
 
 " Please go on, Mr. Guide ! " said Ulric; 
 " he'll be quiet ; won't you, Tom? " 
 
 Something, Tom did not know what, but 
 something about the little earnest face, up- 
 turned to his, -made a strange shuddering feel- 
 ing creep over him ; it might have been a 
 dim presentiment of the terrible thing that 
 was to happen, or it might have been a thrill 
 of remorse at the unconscious memory of the 
 wrong he once did the gentle little child ; at 
 any rate, it had the effect of sobering him at 
 once, and he sat down quietly, drawing 
 Ulric into his lap. 
 
 The little fellow leaned back wearily 
 against Tom's shoulder, and the guide con- 
 tinued his story.
 
 THE FIG^T. 157 
 
 " The monster's mouth was like the beak 
 of a parrot, and two feet wide. Its body 
 was one great mass of flesh, that must have 
 weighed four thousand pounds." 
 
 "O, my ! " and " Good gracious !" from the 
 English boys, and a genuine "Whew-ew ! " 
 from Herbert, told the gratified sailor that 
 his tale was getting marvellous. 
 
 " My brother instantly stopped the vessel, 
 and notwithstanding the animal's huge size, 
 we tried to capture him. A slip-knot was 
 made ready, muskets loaded, and harpoons 
 prepared in all haste. At the first balls 
 fired, the monster dived beneath the vessel, 
 and came up on the other side. 
 
 " We fought him for a long time with mus- 
 ket charges and harpoons. He would dive, 
 and come up again to the surface, stretching 
 out his long arms to seize us. This lasted 
 for two or three hours, but we continued fol- 
 lowing it. 
 
 " My brother declared he would capture it 
 at any risk, but was afraid to venture a boat
 
 158 H.E R B E R T . 
 
 out, for the monster would have drawn it 
 under water easily with one arm. At last a 
 shot hit it, which seemed to hurt it. It grew 
 quieter, and the water around was all stained 
 with blood. 
 
 w A boat was lowered, and the sailors in the 
 ship caught the creature with the slip-knot ; 
 but the rope glided along its slippery sides 
 till it reached the fins at its end : these kept 
 the knot in place. The men in the boat 
 came to our aid, and we attempted to haul 
 the creature aboard. It was just clear of the 
 water, when its own enormous weight made 
 the rope cut right through its flesh. The 
 monster fell back into the water, and drew 
 down the boat-load of brave sailors. The 
 boat was smashed to atoms.; but we picked 
 up all the men alive." 
 
 " And couldn't you catch the thing again ? " 
 asked the boys. 
 
 w No, for it sank directly ; but we had 
 the fins and hinder portion aboard ; " said
 
 THE KRAKEN. 159 
 
 the guide, going back to the ridge for the 
 luncheon baskets, which had been left there 
 when the party crossed. 
 
 "It must have been a kraken," said War- 
 ren. " I have several stories and pictures of 
 them in a book of old Norse tales." 
 
 * It's very like an old Nurse tale to me," 
 said Tom, with a laugh ; "one of those 
 frightful monsters which were threatened to 
 catch and swallow me if I didn't c be a good 
 boy.'" 
 
 " Do you believe it, grandpapa?" Herbert 
 asked. 
 
 "Not exactly as it was told. They un- 
 doubtedly saw something, for they sent the 
 report and a drawing of the kraken you 
 were right, Warren to the Museum. But 
 you must see, all of you, that so huge a 
 monster is highly improbable. Fishermen on 
 the Canary Islands say they often see them, 
 about six feet long, at high tide, but are 
 afraid to catch them. What they do see is
 
 160 HERBERT. 
 
 probably huge masses of algce, or other sea- 
 weed." 
 
 " Well," said Herbert, who was very much 
 interested in natural history, "if there ever 
 was, or is now, such an animal, to what class 
 does it belong ? " 
 
 "The Cephalopoda," replied Mr. Nichols. 
 " And your huge kraken is neither more 
 nor less than a species of the common cuttle- 
 fish, whose bone Adele gives to her bird." 
 
 " Sic transit gloria mundi" cried Tom, 
 with an absurd flourish of his arms ; " and 
 sich a transit as my hat has made ! " he 
 added in the same breath, as a gust of wind 
 caught it and bore it over the cliff. 
 
 Morton sprang forward to grasp it, but 
 missed his foothold, and fell. 
 
 The rope, which had been detached from 
 their waists and laid upon the ground by 
 the boys, in some way had become twisted 
 around Tom's feet and Ulric's. 
 
 Lord Morton clutched it to save his fall ; 
 but the treacherous rope slipped over the
 
 OVER THE CLIFF. 161 
 
 rocks, Morton's weight bore it down, and 
 Tom and Ulric were hurled over the cliff, 
 and down to the depths of a dreadful abyss. 
 
 It was done in a second. No one could 
 save them, though all sprang for the rope. 
 
 A shriek of despair from the doomed ones, 
 and an answering one from their comrades 
 above on the cliff, reverberated among the 
 strange rocks and caverns, and then a silence 
 ensued more appalling even than the wild, 
 weird yell that had echoed from the mouth 
 of the cavern beneath. 
 11
 
 162 HERBERT. 
 
 F 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 HERBERT GOES DOWN THE CLIFF. 
 
 , ,OR an instant the party on the cliff 
 were stricken with consternation, sense- 
 less and motionless. The next minute War- 
 ren was away, swift as an arrow, to recall the 
 guide, while the others, lying flat on the 
 ground, crawled to the edge of the cliff, and 
 looked over to see what I they dared 
 not think. 
 
 No traces of the unhappy lads were visi- 
 ble. 
 
 "Stand back, boys," exclaimed Mr. Nich- 
 ols, excitedly. " Stand back where there is 
 no danger of your falling, and holloa as loud 
 as you can. I will listen here." 
 
 So the boys crawled back, arose carefully,
 
 THE SILVER WHISTLE. 163 
 
 and then sent forth such a shout in unison, 
 that the mountain rocks seemed to let loose a 
 thousand buried voices, ringing and clanging 
 in all directions. 
 
 But Mr. Nichols, lying far over the cliff, 
 and listening eagerly, heard no answering 
 holloa. 
 
 Arthur, in a paroxysm of grief, threw him- 
 self down, exclaiming, "My brother, my 
 brother ! I shall never see you again. Whnt 
 shall I say at home ! " 
 
 And Harry, in a dull, ha^ed way, said 
 slowly, 
 
 " You are Lord Stanley now, Herbert." 
 
 "O, Harry, hush!" cried poor Herbert. 
 "How can you talk so?" then, as a bright 
 thought struck him, " Arthur, Arthur, your 
 whistle ! " 
 
 Arthur sprang from the ground, and drew 
 out from his jacket breast a silver whistle, 
 which he always wore suspended around his 
 neck by a strong silk cord. This he put, to 
 his mouth, and blew a sharp, penetrating, pro-
 
 164 HERBERT. 
 
 longed whistle ; then listening intently, they 
 all heard, faint and far away, but distinct and 
 clear, an answering note of the same kind. 
 
 " Morton is alive. Thank the Lord ! " 
 Arthur exclaimed, excitedly. 
 
 " Hark ! " cried Mr. Nichols. 
 
 They listened. Three short, sharp tones 
 came up from below. 
 
 " That must be to let us know they are all 
 three alive," said Mr. Nichols. " God bless 
 him ! he's a thoughtful lad." 
 
 Meanwhile Warren Nelson had caught up 
 with the guide, and informed him, with 
 breathless eagerness, of what had happened 
 at the cliff. 
 
 "Three lads fallen over, and taken the 
 rope with them ! " exclaimed the man, thun- 
 der-stricken. Then, with unusual prudence 
 and promptitude of thought, he added, " Sit 
 right do\vn here laddie, and get your breath, 
 and listen to me." 
 
 Warren sat down, and listened intently, 
 while the <mide went on.
 
 THE GUIDE'S BISECTIONS. 165 
 
 " You must follow this path straight down 
 the cliff, until you come to the little brook 
 with the falls. Cross the brook, take the 
 path beside it down into the ravine, and you 
 will find a hut. Within it are coils of rope 
 and a hunter's horn ; bring back one coil and 
 the horn. Can you do it ? " 
 
 "Yes," answered Warren, readily, stand- 
 ing, and turning to follow the path. 
 
 The guide eyed him keenly, to see if he 
 showed any signs of fear. 
 
 " You must cross the ridge twice," said he. 
 
 " I have crossed it once, and know how," 
 answered Warren, eagerly: "don't detain 
 me." 
 
 " When you get the horn, blow a loud 
 blast, and then hurry up to the cliff," said 
 the guide. 
 
 Then," with great swiftness, he ran past 
 Warren, and down on the other side of the 
 mountain. 
 
 Warren was surprised that he did not re- 
 turn to the party on the cliff, but imme-
 
 166 HERBERT. 
 
 d lately concluded that he had gone for 
 help. 
 
 "At any rate," said he to himself, w the 
 things I am bound for are certainly needed ; 
 and here goes for them." 
 
 
 
 So he hurried along carefully and quickly ; 
 the ridge he crawled over almost on a run ; 
 he leaped across the brook, ran along the 
 path, which was almost as firm and smooth as 
 a, road, down into the deep ravine with the 
 high limestone rocks on either hand, and the 
 thick, tall forests above. On a little farther 
 he went, and there was the hut. 
 
 And there were the coils of rope and the 
 mountain horn ; but besides them there also 
 was a large, fierce bloodhound, which stood 
 up and watched the boy attentively. 
 
 "Warren spoke kindly to him, and the dog 
 wagged his tail, as if pleased to see him ; but 
 when the lad advanced to the rope to take it, 
 a low growl assured him it was not safe to 
 make the attempt. 
 
 A pistol lay before him on a rude table,
 
 THE BLOODHOUND. 167 
 
 and his first idea was to shoot the noble ani- 
 mal. But this he could not bring himself to 
 do, for the dog was merely doing his duty in 
 guarding the treasures left in his care. 
 
 Warren saw that he was chained, and had 
 advanced to the full limit of his chain ; and 
 if some contrivance could be found to make 
 the rope fall towards himself, it would be 
 out of the dog's way. 
 
 So, peering about, he spied a long pole, 
 with which he skilfully threw down the rope, 
 then, picking it up and grasping the horn 
 which hung near him, darted away, leaving 
 the dog howling with rage, and tuo-o-ino- 
 fiercely at his chain, eager to follow the 
 bold marauder. 
 
 And Warren was afraid that he would 
 follow him ; he ran down the path a few steps, 
 and then leaping into the brook, which was 
 here quite shallow, he turned towards the cliff, 
 and putting the horn to his mouth, blew a 
 loud, clear, ringing blast, that started the 
 echoes for miles around.
 
 168 HERBEKT. 
 
 Then he started up the stream as rapidly as 
 was possible, remained in the water for a few 
 rods, then gained the path, and bounded over 
 the rocks, until he came to the ridge. This 
 he was obliged to cross very slowly and care- 
 fully, for the horn and the heavy coil of rope 
 greatly embarrassed his motions. 
 
 Meanwhile his precaution of running into 
 the water had probably saved his life ; for the 
 dog burst his chain, and followed his track 
 down to the stream, but was at once baffled 
 by the lad's prudent forethought. He rushed 
 wildly up and down, but did not find the 
 tracks until the brave lad had gained his 
 friends on the cliff. 
 
 The guide was there before him. He had 
 some rubber straps in his hands, quite long 
 and wide : these he was inflating rapidly : 
 they were life-preservers. Beside him lay 
 another coil of rope and a trumpet similar to 
 the one Warren had procured. 
 
 The lad's appearance was hailed with an 
 eager shout from the excited group.
 
 HERBERT A HERO. 169 
 
 " Warren, Warren, one of us is to go 
 down with a basket and a horn. They can't 
 be got away until eight o'clock to-night, when 
 the tide turns. They are all alive." 
 
 "That's a mercy ! " panted Warren ; then, 
 hearing a savage bark in the distance, he ex- 
 claimed, "Guide, there's a bloodhound after 
 me." 
 
 w Good Heavens ! " exclaimed the man. 
 " I forgot the dog ! It's a mercy he didn't 
 kill you." 
 
 "Hero ! Hero ! Hero !" he shouted, going 
 forward to meet the advancing dog ; " come 
 here, sir." 
 
 The dog came up to him, and the guide, 
 after patting his head, and telling him it was 
 all right, sent the intelligent creature back to 
 the hut. 
 
 " Now," said the guide, uncoiling the rope, 
 " one of you lads must go down with the di- 
 rections. Who will volunteer?" 
 
 "I," and " I," and "I," exclaimed each of 
 the boys in a breath.
 
 170 HERBERT. 
 
 "No," interposed Mr. Nichols ; "three 
 lives are already in jeopardy ; I will not 
 consent to hazard a fourth. I will go down 
 myself." 
 
 The guide shook his head. "You are too 
 heavy, sir : we could not hold you." 
 
 " Grandpapa," said Herbert, stepping for- 
 ward, "I think it is my place to go. The 
 boys are my friends, and came here at my 
 suggestion. And besides, I am best ac- 
 quainted with the rocks, for I have been 
 down among some of the caves, with the 
 fishermen." 
 
 "But he is the youngest of us all," urged 
 Warren. " I am not at all afraid to go down 
 on the line. Let me go, sir." 
 
 " The little chap is the lightest," said the 
 guide, significantly, "and he seems plucky." 
 
 " And there is no other way of attempting 
 the rescue ? " 
 
 " None. And there are three of them 
 down there." 
 
 " Then, Herbert, my boy, you may go ; and
 
 PREPARATIONS. 171 
 
 God bless you, and keep you, and bring you 
 safe back to me." 
 
 The rope was adjusted around the heroic 
 boy, who stood quietly, very pale, but with 
 a steady, courageous light in his blue eyes. 
 
 " I am only doing my duty," said he, cheer- 
 fully. 
 
 "Now, "said Mr. Nichols, who had been 
 talking with the guide, "listen." 
 
 "You are to descend this cliff, which is 
 nearly perpendicular ; and when you reach 
 the foot, you will be upon an open, chalky 
 passage. When you strike the passage, blow 
 upon the horn I shall attach to your shoulder 
 one loud, long blast, like this." 
 
 Here he blew upon the horn, and a 
 whistle note came up in response from 
 below. 
 
 "They will answer you," continued he. 
 " If they are upon that passage, we can 
 haul them up. If they are down the cliff 
 at the left, you can all follow the path 
 around to Flaniboro'. But if they are duwn
 
 HERBERT. 
 
 the other one, on the right, all you can do 
 will be to climb as high as possible, and wait 
 for a boat to come at high tide, unless you 
 can manage to get them up on the chalk way. 
 If you find them in the left cavern, blow 
 twice ; if in the right, three times. And be 
 sure, if they are in the right cavern, to re- 
 main on the chalk cliff until I lower the life 
 preservers. And if they are there, you had 
 better take the precaution to bind yourselves 
 with a rope to the copper ring riveted in the 
 flat rock ; you will readily find it, and get 
 upon the rock, or you will be washed off by 
 the breakers. If you want rope, blow four 
 times. Be cool and careful." 
 
 " Yes," said Herbert, " I understand." 
 "Here, Herbert," exclaimed Warren ; "I've 
 written down the guide's directions for you ; 
 and here are some magnesium-wires you can 
 burn there if it is very dark : has any one 
 some matches?" 
 
 "Yes," responded Harry, producing a 
 little flat tin box of wax taper lights.
 
 HERBERT GOES DOWN. 173 
 
 "That's a good idea," said the guide. 
 "Now, young gentleman, if you are ready." 
 
 Herbert turned to Mr. Nichols. 
 
 " Grandpapa, I shall do my best to save 
 them. If any thing happens," here the 
 brave lard's voice trembled, "give my dear 
 love to Adele and grandmamma. I have 
 asked the Lord to take care of me." 
 
 "He will, my boy; we will all ask him," 
 said Mr. Nichols, the tears stealing over his 
 cheeks. And there on the cliff they knelt 
 with uncovered heads, while Herbert's grand- 
 father prayed for the lives of the three lads 
 in the cavern, and that of his own dear boy. 
 Then Herbert began his perilous descent. 
 
 Painfully the first few steps were watched ; 
 then the high beetled crags hid him from 
 view. 
 
 Breathlessly the party above slowly paid 
 out the lad's life-line. 
 
 It seemed ages to them ; and they had 
 run out over two hundred feet of the line,
 
 174 "HERBERT. 
 
 when one long, loud trumpet note was up- 
 borne from the chalk way. 
 
 "Thank God! Thank God!" exclaimed 
 one and all, with a grateful shout. 
 
 " He's the bravest little lad in the king- 
 dom," said the guide. 
 
 In a brief time, two short, quick blasts 
 were heard. 
 
 "The left cavern," cried all/ " They are 
 safe." 
 
 "But they have eight miles yet to travel, 
 poor lads, and it must be most dark down 
 there already." 
 
 " We'll go down the Flamboro' and meet 
 them,". cried Warren; "but first, boys, an 
 English cheer." 
 
 Such a cheer, with whistle and trumpet 
 chiming, rang out from those glad hearts 
 that the boys below heard and answered it. 
 
 Then the party on the cliff started rapidly 
 for Flamboro'.
 
 WHO'S ALIVE. 175 
 
 CHAPTER XVin. 
 
 THE RESCUE. 
 
 WHEN the lads fell over the cliff the 
 rope saved their lives, for it caught 
 twice, thus breaking their fall, and they 
 were thrown finally into a soft bed of crum- 
 bled chalk. 
 
 "Is any one alive?" asked Tom, faintly, 
 recovering from the shonk. 
 
 "I am," answered little Ulric's trembling 
 voice; "are you much hurt, Tom?" 
 
 "I don't know yet, Morton ! " 
 
 A low moan was the only answer. 
 
 Tom crawled to his side. Lord Morton 
 lay face downward, and both arms were 
 twisted under him ; one was broken in two 
 places. 4 .
 
 176 HERBERT. 
 
 He groaned in agony as Tom turned him 
 over and examined the hurt, saying, "His 
 arm is broken. It must be set. But what 
 on earth can I set it with. You haven't got 
 anything in your pockets, UJric?" 
 
 "My clappers," said the child. 
 
 "The very thing. Give them to me, and 
 your handkerchief. Now, Morton, poor fel- 
 low, you must bear the pain. There ! now 
 the clappers, Ulric, quick ! that is it : now 
 your handkerchief and mine. There you 
 are, Morton. I'll make a sling of my belt 
 for you. There you are again. Now see 
 if you can stand on your legs." 
 
 Lord Morton found he could stand and 
 walk. The pain in his arm was severe, but 
 he bore it well, and thanked Tom for the 
 prompt treatment which greatly relieved the 
 pain. 
 
 "Now, Ulric, see if you are all right; your 
 arms are, at any rate." 
 
 Ulric attempted to rise, but sank back 
 with a crv of pain.
 
 SETTING BROKEN BONES. 177 
 
 " My ankle ! " he moaned. 
 
 "Perhaps it's only a sprain," suggested 
 Tom. " Let me see it. That is all. Mor- 
 ton, let me have your handkerchief and neck- 
 tie. Ulric, you poor little chap, I must 
 pull it in place, and it will hurt awfully : 
 now be brave." 
 
 The child's white lips quivered, but not a 
 sound escaped them, while Tom skilfully 
 twisted the bone in place, and quickly "and 
 firmly bound it with the handkerchief and 
 two long neck-ties. 
 
 "Now you are all right, I believe ; and I am 
 not hurt at all, to speak of; but I say, boys, 
 oughtn't we to be thankful for our lives ? Just 
 look up there where we came from." 
 
 They did look up, and shuddered at the 
 fearful height. 
 
 "I suppose they are hallooing to us," said 
 Lord Morton ; " but we cannot hear anything, 
 the sea makes such a noise." 
 
 But even while he spoke they caught the 
 ringing note of the silver whistle. 
 12
 
 178 H E 11 B E R T . 
 
 Morton eagerly seized his, and an- 
 swered it. 
 
 "Blow three times," said Tom; "one for 
 each." 
 
 "Do you think, Tom, they will ever get 
 us up?" said little Ulric. 
 
 "Yes, dear," answered the lad, drawing 
 the child to him and hugging him close. 
 "I think, with your brave cousin \A r arren, 
 and Morton's brother, and our dear Herbert, 
 the attempt, at least, to rescue us will be 
 made." 
 
 "But it's growing so dark, Tom ! " 
 
 "Yes, little one; but I suppose God will 
 take care of us in the dark as well as in the 
 light," said Tom, gently. "Shall I ask him?" 
 
 " Yes ; do," answered Ulric, creeping 
 closer to the lad ; and Morton, too, bowed 
 his head reverentially. 
 
 And there in the gathering darkness sat 
 the suffering lads, every minute seeming an 
 hour to their excited nerves. 
 
 At last, when it seemed that hours and
 
 THE RESCUE. Page 179.
 
 THE RESCUE. 179 
 
 hours had passed over their heads, a shout 
 was heard above them. Herbert was there ; 
 and they were saved. 
 
 Late at night the party returned to Ennis- 
 fellen, where they had long been anxiously 
 awaited. 
 
 Herbert was, of course, the hero, though 
 Warren was lauded upon his courage in 
 twice crossing the ridge alone, and in facing 
 the fierce dog, who would have torn him to 
 pieces had not the lad outwitted him. 
 
 And to Tom's ready skill in bandaging, 
 the doctor declared that Lord Morton owed 
 the favorable condition of his arm. The lad 
 had also carried little Ulric, who was unable 
 to walk, upon his back, for a long distance 
 over the rough mountain path to Flamboro', 
 until Warren, who first met them, relieved 
 him. 
 
 " And we never could have got along 
 without your magnesium- wires, Warren," 
 said Herbert, " nor Harry's matches."
 
 180 HERBERT. 
 
 " I'm so glad you had them ! " said Warren ; 
 and added, " To-night is the first time I ever 
 regretted being a large boy." 
 
 "But, after all," interposed Harry, "you 
 didn't get the hat." Which sage remark was 
 greeted with such a roar of laughter, that the 
 lad concluded to make no more speeches 
 until his scattered wits returned to him. 
 
 They had many more excursions, and 
 some adventures too, during the rest of their 
 visit, but no such dangerous exploits as that 
 of Flamboro' Head. 
 
 And when the holidays were over, and 
 the lads, with the exception of Ulric, whose 
 guardian gladly consented to allow him to re- 
 main, left Ennisfellen for their own homes, 
 there was not one among them whom Herbert 
 had not influenced for good by his uniform 
 gentleness, his simple religious faith, and the 
 unfaltering courage he had displayed in risk- 
 ing his own life for that of his schoolmates.
 
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