THE DRUM TO THE RESCUE.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 71, 24 March 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE DRUM TO THE RESCUE.

Peter 'was very proud of his beautiful drum. He would play it all about the house until Mother said it would make his grandfather's head aehe, and he must stop. "Grandpa likes the drum," Peter said. "He told me about the time when he was a boy and played the drum before a regiment of soldiers." "Yea, dear, that's true; but Grandpa is getting old and the sound makes his head ache. Run into the fields if you want to make a noise." So -whenever Grandpa said he had had enough of the drumming, Peter went into the fields or the woods and played by himself. One day Grandpa said he was going for a walk with Peter. They would go on the cliffs, and Peter should see how many birds' nests he could find to peep into. "May I take my drum?" Peter a9ked. "Yes," said Grandpa "I would rather like to hear the sound of a drum on the cliffs again" So Peter slung the drum over his shoulders and off they started. They had a wonderful picnic on the edge of the cliff; then Grandpa found a path leading down to a wide ledge. "When I was a boy there used to be wonderful nests there. Let us go and see if the ledge has changed." It was quite easy going down and they found ever so many nests. They spent some time looking at them, and then Grandpa said it was time to go home for tea. But as he started to climb up the cliff he stepped on a loose stone and twisted his ankle. He couldn't move. \fhat were they going to do? Peter wouldn't find it easy to climb up the side of the cliff without help. It was getting dusk, too, and if he struggled to the top and fetched help they would 1 never be able to hear Grandpa's voice above the waves breaking on the beach below. ' "You ran along home," said Grandpa. "Never mind about me. I can slay out all night without coming to any harm. If you go very carefully you will manage." Peter shook his head. "Oh, no, Grandpa. I know what 111 dot Listen!" And above the roar of the waves rang out the sound of a drum. For an hour Peter drummed. It was quite dark when the rescuers found them, and it was very exciting, because they came down the cliff with ropes and lanterns. Now Peter's little drum hangs beside Grandpa's big dram in the library, and the old gentleman is very proud of the way his grandson played for help.