THE RESCUE.

Hutt News, Volume 1, Issue 22, 25 October 1928, Page 6

THE RESCUE.

(By J. W

Aged 10.)

"I say, Tom, I've some topping news to tell you," said Jack.

"Fire ahead," said Tom, mischievously. •

"A letter .has just arrived," began Jack," to say that lam to go to live in India."

"Phew!'* whistled Tom. "When are you to leave?"

"In a few days," answered Jack, airily. "We have to go on a boat and a train."

'' Gee-whiz !'' gasped poor Tom. "You are lucky Jack; I wish I could go with you."

"I wish you could," said Jack,

"Well," said Tom, let's have a last game of cricket together, eh?"

"Right-o," said Jack

The two boys loved cricket and Jack was a good player and beat Tom every time.

Soon the day came to go. Jack was all smiles when he ran over to his friend to ask if he would like to come. Soon the two boys were on the boat waiting patiently for the boat to start. "Poop I" the whistle went and the boat was cutting her way through the waves.

"Goodbye, England!" shouted Jack and Tom together. Just then Jack's father came over to the two boys. "You won't mind six weeks on the boat, will you?" he said.

"No fear," said said. "This is corker fun, Tom, isn't it?"

"You bet" said Tom

A few weeks later the boat ran into a storm; the waves were a tremendous size. The lightning flashed across the deck, and the thunder roared. Soon the ship struck a rock and a sailor told Jack's father that the ship was in danger of sinking. The ship's siren was booming across the dark waters. The noise of the siren reached the ears of a captain of another boat, "Its a ship in distress," he shouted.

The' ship which Jack was on saw a dark form bobbing about on the waves. The other boat soon had all the people abo.ard.

Jack and Tom will never forget that exciting moment on the sinking vess.el. When they reached India more) adventures awaited them.

The End. The Book and the Saddle.

Robert Graham having occasion to consult a book which he knew his neighbour, another farmer named John Douglas, possessed, sent his son to borrow it.

"Weel, Jamie, jist tell your father that I dinna lend my books but he can come here ony day he likes and read it."

Some two weeks afterwards, Douglas had to go to market and found his saddle out of repair. So he sent a labourer to Mr. Graham and asked for the loan of his saddle.

"Gie Mr. Douglas my compliments," said Robert Graham, "and tell him I dinna lend saddles, but mine's in the barn and he can gang there and ride it a' day if he likes."

Hunting- the, Wren,

Long, long ago a lovely fairy bewitched the men of the Isle of Man. They followed her in great numbers only at last to fall into the sea. This trouble threatened to kill off all the men on the island, and efforts were therefore constantly made to counteract the wicked fairy. At length one charm was found so powerful that the fairy escaped destruction only by taking the form of a wren. This proved to be hard" luck for the bird, which has been steadily persecuted ever since by all Manxmen of a superstitious nature. Every New Year's day es-

pecially is set apart for a grand, hunting of the wren, in the hope> perchance that the bird caught and slain might be the bad fairy* Thus the wren is hunted without mercy. After the chase one of the victims is carried in procession and buried in a churchyard or on a piece of waste land by the seashore, the followers lneanwhile chanting some lament for the dead men in the Manx language and afterwards dancing for joy at the slaughter of the wrens. The feathers of the victims are kept as a protection from shipwreck,, their virtue being supposed to last for a year, few fishermen daring to go to sea without this safeguard. Such is the folly of which men when steeped in ignorance and superstition are capable.