FOR THE CHILDREN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 698, 24 December 1909, Page 9

FOR THE CHILDREN.

STRUCK OIL X: :;v: iMi ■ i.Tommy Binks was a cowboy; not the rois- : ■ cowboy" ; of; trild iti oiii: ;bui Afe tu I'dy " dci y* i -fao6d . litOo:-lad-.of-ton iwho; for.:iv, small: wage,'; v helped ;Qwcmi Davis f in .\his -qowyard. ATommy.; , vrfts .full ot life and activity, , and. fond : llavo been hard tor...boys 1 of, ten suited him . W6ll, and ho was as cheery, a boy. as one .could ■ i .wisli-. to .meet..■■> But- one morning, in; autumn : found fhim .very-:sad: .indeed. ■ Sarah, , his fu-: i Vountfi. cow,' was- to : bo :soldi, • For days Ins eyes, s■.? hAd: grown wistful TvlienovW ho looked at .hijr. :: ruminating contentedljy unconscious of her ..i;and,- whon.tho dreadful:day< arrived,. ho;pray(i!l ■> ? ;vth'dtvßpm'o , ;\ l iiiiMdb' , t6-: ; prevent' tho sale.". But'the miracle did not happen unaj • at .noonj the'young . auctioneer; the township Jq w'as'-iqhatiting ;the.:iAldorriey|s; praises -ill ? terms which: he had 'learned-iroui her • most sinccie : . admirer, rand/ Tom-, .•even in his sorrow, was, .. jubilant" at the:;prlco she;brought.' ... _ .- 1 'ThQ'.youtig; auctioneer ; smiled/when-ho:. met tho boy -attor itho-. 1 sale.- .-."Ijook horo:Tommy, r he- said, "I'vo dona .you a. good turn , now, and got Sarah a nicfPhome,: and- I • hopo you .will '.reMetfiber ;: it. .v.W-Shmr^^ ' to sell, I ;thixt",ybu.i;Will bfins it. Along to tak" 1 > Said Tommy, "I'll remember. S ■'And ;men^er > (ii%glit^gltt t P^ ottt- of tho yard' by her new. owner,*: auu his . ,;lieirt iagaip .was;heavy, wjithm him., . . ' ; v-Ho was . sadder,. soon.;. fot,on. tho . way. .home,. 'j.^hi^mMtef.'told'lum.^^^ ■ from-. WelJington was coming, to. live. ,'with him, ; aidd ?, then?" thero: wqffld,"te;;,.rio.' ;m ore'j'Tfprklor, ..- ;,1»y: was ./.thunderstruck -at:, the

. newß.,..,]t ?|Rras j BO .■unexpected,', 'and pmeant' so citn,h:to him... "His widowed mother fount] It j: fcard enough'; to oke out ; a - living - for - her - two children oven. ,with his help, and whatever w6uld ( she do without it? Altogether poor , i Tommy ,was in a very .unhappy franio of niiiid - ahd now hft found that Sarah was not the ofily cow that had twined herself round hi 3 ■ - -heart, ;to. use,tho/lauguage>6f .romance. ■ -Each * ■ mila-eyed-ereaturo had. its own particular niche in his affections, He loitered bcsido them but . at;,. last.-.'ho -finished . ; with ..his' ■ : work, m-r jAcowyartl - for:- ;.:tliQ/tlay,''and • thero, remained.brdy.oub'more duty to be performed;:• Hs.had to;take;a can of ifiilk/to-the• . Jacket's-Island,!as^ooh'aa-the tide jvds out. Quite near the farm was the shal-/;;;;46^'esraary;:of;-a:feoble:Muggish^Hverv;a! riv<r - V; quite vuniiecyssaiily ■■ V diyideti;- just v/ 'before/;' i£ &v xiiched /the.' sea,--•into /two/streams that ; held fi-: tiny island of l Sand and tussock in their : grasp. ...This was Jackct's Island;, 'ana 1 "anyone ' ->carmg.vfor//a.half ■mileHValk';over' , a-aihiy : .,inud flat could reach it at low tide. Just now tho ; cdttages6feihb.;:.isl^ • . Ot .;a/i:toei^hant^-from : //td\AA/ahd/'6very/'day - '' '•/?P°VSyi' : W l ••Bo .i'afross'feotirneyv&o doved,' '///%r>.:it'-wM;-;a',;'ai'rty.'slidy;.wal^ ... ofiadvtoturo on the way,'wir<i many.' He and //;'/ his' : sev6n-year-61d' sister, Winnie; set off,' bare-. foot, of course, for their long unlit, au d with . : t h^m. irofcki tho collie p,up/'.lt?wus, a; wild,- windy' evening. '' AU day/long -they , li'ad heard 'the tea thundering -' - sullenly^ . friflgo -'of- the- estuary,-'"aod iiovv iJarl; '■ clouds ■,v':."Mhgittreat'Bninp;inVtheliS(bttth?-i Bid 'they 'been" wOatherwiSe- thcy .would-havo knownHliat thero ' Was. a .'heavy storm 'at sea;'.iind-that worso was .'■ yet Kto?;<some/". ohildrth ; :Coiild :i notice the' weather-iportehts; when? iy whole-'mud ' fiat,'full of crabs, lay at their' feet The dawdled and payed all* the'way across, and finally al'rived* at the island only after the tido had ; -:!turn6aragani/iorVhbm^ . . . Thero -wais : no' Sil^ilfftho/.cottage, and the door, was -locked.; \Thfi: whole .family had crossed to tho mainland, and gone up to tho hills to camp there foi' tho night, quite forgettmg, in making iheir preparation, to toll Mr.' Davis :-,in)t-;;t6,-'send ; them '-'milk that--dari ; !■:: l^r:f S?' thi s>/ .wid*' Vf^wSyr.-niiistvbe^sbiiid^herfi' oh tho island; so, lenVitog tlid cnu ot milk at tho door wheij they might quite uoll ha\e ;- _. left,' it JViiiglit;S - went in search of thou customers They had not gonoifar over, the'sandhills boforo they found - BOniGthiDg,, inJ'iioed , ; cars/! a ' .young goat 1 that haa been struck in the leg bv some - ■sti'ay ;.shot,^meant; l :for,'.;snlpe, ; end waV lying exhausted on thousand. The sight of its suf faring was too much for Tommy, the thought • ; of it filled his mind. and nelther he nor Win- ; nio .remembered'anything; more about the tide, ./., i.'iio'r ;did,-they: lea,ve.:,the'-'creiitur.e/till' : 'they'hid bound up its leg and brought it milk to drink Ihcn Tommy suddonly realised that twilight had given place to moonlight and they must hurry home. They loft the wounded goat and ;. wont unwn to-the beachj .but: it was impossible to scurry^liome. The tide had covered nearly all tho flat "with wmd-tOfn water, and they know well that, shallow though that water might bo in places, ./ often ;barftly/li(ilf-way to,:their/l{hee3,.yot there were ..two jwidb. channels which'it would now b4 impos'jiblo to 6ross. , * i "We shall havo-to stay here all night," said ■-~ / '! f '-r!»nifty..-,''.sfcaldbg: . :hi.s.;Vhottd I '''l;'Bn'di ; .looKixig-/''Very; • grave at , thft; thought, of what his mother w6illd say. next morning. .. .. :.. 1 ..; They sat on the ; heach and viewed the situa3on. :.If; they.-,could -not ; reach tho mainland,

•ito; one.' from the. mainland . would be, likely to come'.'.to-' them/ . Ho\v. : could they prevent ;.th6ir mother from;'being alarmed? Tommy thought for a little. •' ' : "/."AVo'd bolter lijht a' Are," li'o.said; "You See .hibther will ask people about us, arid they will tell hor.; if ; : thoy ■ liavo. .seen; tho, i'catlier;stqncs; ieaviisg "tho '.island ' this'"morning.l think-that is. what' they must, hoivo . done; and. their when sho sees . a lire,: slid will know wo must bo. hero and quito safe." :" ' ..' V SO:' thoy jtathorflil togother a great stackfof driftwood, and . tlioy broke into' tho empty. Ilo'uso, in: search matches. , They had coh-.-sidorablo iliQlciilt.v -in-..lighting ii, fire, for now tin wind hml',' increased : : in violence, and promptly: extinguished each fee.blo flame, until atUnst tho;children, having, by infinite care, shielded and guided' ono fortunato spark,' tho v.'ind suddenly became . their friend and'-lashed into, vigour, a roaring fire. :• i' Then .tliey. settled down to thoroughly enjoy themselves.,; ;;

The great firo crackled and. blazed; clouds of smoke swept aivay'-to cinq side, and in front far 'across - beach, and: water' fell: tho ruddy.glare.' 11l this glare .'the.; children .danced ; and .ran: about playing at being the most blood-curdling ,l>irates .that had; over. visited 'New': Zealand's shores. .- For' marinors so experienced,.they were I'stl-aiigly hdodloss •Of .the warnings borno' by :the tfhito:.foam'scudding, across'thfe. estuary, the ,thio}tbl^ckncsi ; blotting all moonlight from.tho 'sky.'; Tiio . stormy , gusts. carryiiig away their voices,, awl- tlio wash 'of waves almost to their .feot.only escited tiicm," aiid it, needed a;suddcii thliudoi'oiis dOwnpour . to' awiaken them from their imaginings.. ' ■ '."'TheDi' instently; : tho.pirates vanished,, whilo tWo ;startlcd; children, - and; ,a . .badly scared puppy,' vvaii ..to tho cottago for, shelter.' They, climbed.'.in. through tho kitchen,window again, •.dragged Jock with liis foni' logs ripdly, protest. : and shut \the .'.window ' quickly, for, the ram was driving in.; '. ■ ■.-■■.■; ' - . '~ It was. a. terriblo:night, that, followed. They, had no light;; they were wot ' and 'cold, and,

clmging.to each other for comfoll, they. shud-, derod as they .listenedto the howling gusts,. which/ shook; the jcottage.as if -.it would tear it,. away; and . they wo -in terror lest: tho tca ; , should roar right over the tiny island. At , last . from sheer; exhaustion they foil. nsleep, . and in spito- Of' tho itiiniult; around them they slept;/, calmly . till broad daylight revealed n dreary,, but comparativcly; ,pcaceful .world. r ' Then thoy awoke ' and stared in. bewilderment at . their strango surroundings. Winnio . Wriggled'.cleiir/.'froni i Tpmni^s* and ha }' junipßil;' up\and "stretelied;'liiiiiself; ilito -many, ; queer attitudes,'so stift did'/ho'.feel .taiiiinc/:'oh'6//'cramped -position Vail : -night'.. :'By - tho - time /ho had' - iim'shed. AVinnie had realised t all/'tliatiliad. ;: happeiied,;; She'-.stuinbled- tb .hef :'' feet, and rushed-to the window..... iy'fOh, ;> sho said.'';" -/iVo 'cah go • '• "I -don't thluk so," her brother ..said. ■ I expect /the -tide is,still too high; I'll go and • Ho clambered out,'/and; soon came back with tho/npivs/that/it/would 'be ever so;lqri'g before; •they could fc'e't:across. ; tb: the mainland.- ' ; . .if ~. "//'Then'.l'm'^'going 'over:; to. -the■ other side, of Uho / island, to. seo what tho waves are like," , said;Wimiio;i! '■ '-■"-.. r .'"ri" ; ./ 1 -//'/Z^; 1 '; I-':.: 'v'.Woi■;//pi^■.Buatn , hero 'till your things' are dry." ' ' ..' ■'" ' '-' ' // "Catch./nib.,; I'll'.ruiu/about, and, it. won't• 'matter," /said'-Miss AVinnie, - decidedly,' -. so; ■ after drinking great'.draughts'of- the milk they •had brought over, the night before, thefe was •-nothing- but very-, stale . scones for thein • to. Cat, thfey. set out: on/a toiir of :tho island, over the . sandhills, through /tussoclis drenched, witli; rain, chasing' Jock /up the ridges,, sliding, down, them,/and/all; tho .while exulting in the keen-' - /.the . grey .'/ morning,; and the : passing ! of-their/.fears.-:;- : And'}soi'/'breathlcss/andf rosy,/ the/top-Of . the last sandhill, from, which' ' they- /Could ' see. ivll.- tho length ; of the. •curviiig; WiifheVr' stroini wii'i far -tossed seaweutl,' iieapcd high with driftwood. . And thero they saw .their fortune. It lay oh the beach, far below the line' from which'tho .tide was rapidly receding,; .gigantic, /black,.'.-immovable, ;-.liko /a liiißhty inonster|S'carved in rockj ! ■/The /children.' stopped dead when they- saw-it, /and/gazed -in' silent, amazement,; whilo terrified. Jock; with'his/soaking coat, tried hard to look' 'like v.- porcupine. Then Tommy gave a sudden shout, arid ruslidd dowii the hill. . "Hooray whale,/ahd it's ours." . .'..'■-'llo."tore .along the beach, Winnie,- breathless, Close' at his: lieelli, and they, splashed through ■tho :! .shallow water, until they wore rjuito 11 ear - tho ; enormous mas?'. Then they stood still ueaiit ■ an 1 gaze'i ;ivit,h nil -,their, eyes. "Is it ' alive?"; Wiunie :asked, in an. awestruck 'whisper, 1 and. tis .slio /spoko she moved a few stops iarthor back. - ■ • •v-"I- : don't' think/;'so. ; It's."tail-, looks- dead. enough." Tonim//; whispered,/'too, ; as' though afraid• the whalo/woiild' hear, 'and"resent.'his romnrks, V"I : am'.'going, along to its head, to SCO."-.'/-;''-';'':::.-'/ 1 v: •■-.

• f'Oh,. m. Tommy,. you mustn't." Winnie sprang 'at, ;him, -seized his arm," and ' tried to 'hold him back. '-'You mustn't. It may bite you./ It 'may eat you up," '■'.I'oohj "it couldn't turn round,' you silly. Good-bye." ; ; -.-- 1 • But, frightened though she. , was, .-.Winnio Qould not let him go alone, so, with : many inisgivingsj she splashed along'after;him, till, they stood - facing, that monstrous head. ■'.'.' /' :'\"lt dead;enough, ■ doesn't,"it?"'-Tommy Said, after'a long inspection! and, indeed, it did. The lingo square head shut heavily down on tho'shollow jawi the littla eyes wero cloied. - it has only fainted," Winnio suggested ("and''Tommy thought "it wiso to. act .'.on

tho suggestion; so, when the desire to actually touch .their prize could no longer bo resisted, ■ ■they we'ro ; careful,to bo at a.sale .distance frotii the jaws that bite. - "Feols just likL* indiarubbar," said Tummy, rubbing .his lingers along ono of the ruckles in what, seemed like the wall of a great leather building. AVinnio stretched up to pull off one of a clump of shells growing a littlo way up, tho wall. '-'Poor .little fish! wore you frightened last nignt? See, I'll.plant you 1 in this nice sand"; so one little shell-fish ended-a life of adventurous, travel as all inhabitant of .lackci's Island. '■ ■■ ' "There now," its kiad little friend said; "now you won't liavo to go for a rido on that horrid old fish when ho goes away again." ' . "He :mu6tn't..go away again " Tommy said hastily. : "Don't you understand. AVe found • him,. so ho belongs to us now, and; he mustn't go. away. 'He is worth a lot'of money." ; "How much?" asked Winnie; "three pounds?" "Three pounds!" Tommy laughed scornfully, "ever so'much more than that." ~ •• "Really," Winnie exclaimed, her eyes round with.amazement. "OH,.you dear whale," and she patted Loviafhaii affectionately. .. Tommy stood .thinking for. a little. : "Look hero, Winnie. This.whale belongs to lis; but,' 'if . we-go away,V someone else' may: . come along, and say it's ■ theirs, and stick'to it, and they, won't Miove us if we say. it's ours." ■■>■■: , r'.'Oh, ;Tonimy." Winnie's face: fell; '.■ "Well, I must go home, and see about it; . tell-:'eqi ;we . have a, whale.' to sell." :■ ■ Tommy tried to speak as though: ho were accustomed , to deal in; whalesy and his little' chest stuck .itself out- so proudly that Winnie was greatlj impressed. -. ~ ■ . "AVell?" she said breathlessly. 1 "Well, I'm afraid, -Winnie, that you. will have to stay and look after the .whale,' You wqn'.t'be.frightsned, will yon? ' You see, one'must go across, and I couldn't let you go by/yourself,' and. someono .must stay, here, so tliati,if, anyone, comes, we can say we found' the . whale :.first.. Jock' will.' stay with you. AViniiie, dear; I'm ; afraid you must. Say you. Will." • • ' :'• . ' Wmnio's lip quivered. "But if it tries to Into me?" ... "Oh, you silly; You needn't stay near it. You can; sit up on top of that sand-bank, : lin•less, Someone comes,- and - then, of ; course,- you .must run' down 'and tell them I ."' . ; This;sounded less dreadful,-and it was without, a visible tremor that the child consonted: to stay thero all by herself. ' Tommy: kissed her,".and", told her' shti was' a 'downright'little brick, and then he ran off. As soon as he : was gone, fear (same upon her;' and no 'wonder;. Any little girl might well be'' frightened to ; bo alone on .an' island''around which 'the sea' had. been 'roaring-.a' few .hours, ago,'.'with So. companion but a quaking puppy, herself.: the guardian 'of a formidable monster that might, be dead, or misht, who knows, bo. ablo to walk up sandhills. But,':in;spite of a strong: : tomptatioii''to; run- inland,-; she ''stock.' bravely to; her ;post, .watching':-ea|erly..; lest anyone, should .come to steal, and; in constant alarm: lest-the whale ; should' Suddenly flap , his tail, and slip -off to' the ; breakers thundering -near, those "breakers, which . had staggered ,to : , tho shoro'.with: him; and were'.now calling to, him to coine back;' How had;he come. thero? Winnie wondered. • -Had ha: come ■ to shore only;; other whale she had ever,'heard about, , .because 'he .didn't: feel-iwellf.: And with that' another,fear;caine to the poor child.; What,if 'like :Jonah's, .carry' his owner rinside him?- Whatover would Tommy say? !'-;,While Winnie 'was watching 'fir.'tho. ap : . pearance.of:.a;claimant in.tliis new-direction,'■ a: boat;camo"across the' stream, at the'side of the > island,; a,' place hidden from her sight, .'so ' that it was -only when they (stepped: round ;oh .to' the .beach that she: saw the-men. . Then :down she. rani ,'ahd Nvheii' the. fishermen,*, jubilant; at the capture of such a prize, came for--;ward to inspect it, they wero met by a little :.thiri,'; brown child Svhoso':eyes sparkled : .de(fi'antly; and who trembled : with' eagerness® as she cried '-'•"It's'niy whale.-.Don't'you touch'it. It's'my ■ 'whale."":'"; \ !:■"IToW "tho. : men laughed, tind'.what a good joke '.'they .thought it,but they: were'., hot'- -allowed' ; .to'^thinli:' it 'a" joko. for lqng. ' :Tho:: - child re--iterated: her clhimiV'ahdi'trisd - to;;push":th'eiii' ;back,'until one of..tho menrsaid■ gbotf-naturedly,' :"I '-say, 'you; fellows, let'i' hoar '.'what' the little ; one has to' sajr;-.- Sho can't bo ; quito mad,, yoii.kllbw." -r . . ,•..;". • yijSo Winnie told her story, and In spite of her ,oxcitcmciit -told :it convincingly, ' ; : o'ijol'm';,-fifraid ; . ( 'said :. her- ' friend,i .shakingjlis head, sadly,'""and birds didn't get, up quite earjy' enough; . ;Thq worm is .Caught.' Tho only thing to do is to try u doal with' Tommy. Perhaps he'll let iis have it cheap,'as'wo # want such a lot Of it." . ! "you' can't: have, it at all," .Wiriiiie declared. ■ 'She'was standing on the now firm. sarid,,7with' . 4dr;'back against, the;whale's; rugged : sidej', and, : sho ~had, tlie; 'oirr 'of ..a .queeri ", defeiiding'. ; lier : 'kingdom." "You' can't' have it nt'aU;.'. IPs otirs, jan'd.wp'ro;'going; to .'be: quite '.'rich,;'; Tonimy ; won't sell it." ..'"".'"V :But ... J Tommy;-; :tli6 •'..soon'; .returned, , spoke differently. ■■■■■■ '~ ; '.'. ■ He had' met. Mr: Feathexstone as soon as •ho reached tho mainland, and that gentlenian, • quito oxoited. at his story, had at: onco como ' across to see tho whale. . : . '

"My ■.word, it is a beauty," : ho. exclaimed iwhon he 'savrit,'"Tommy,;'you . are 'in /luck); and I do bsliove' you .: havo: fiome customers, already " '■ As soon as -sho .saw him,- Winnio ran at ITommy, . and'told liim what .the ; wicked meri, had been saying, and greatly disappointed was cho to find that Tommy did not resent -their. sugßeiitions. ' /:.•/;/' '. '/. ."Of com-so theycan buy it," he said gravely. "That is what X want them to do, hut it must .be.jmt up/to auction.' l l. : promised Mr. Jenkins if I hiid .hny. live-stock -to.■ dispost); of I'd give him tho job." ■■ ■>■ - ' .. The liien laughed,' and protested;that a dead; whalo was /not ■ ,t6 be. considered 1 as flive stock,' bht Tommy, was/firm., : Ho stuck toliisdeterminatioji 'to-jput/ the matter into ;Mr. Jenkins's hands,' and Mr. i'eatherstone backed him up. That is why : tho whalo; fetched a fancy price, and that is why Tommy was able to buy Sarah from thoiiew owner, who had not. had ,'time; to -discover, lie'r many Virtues. >In - fait,'' that is how Tommy became the' owner of land ftnd stock, and how ho laid. the foundation of .his fortune.' . ' /;7