CYRIL'S ADVENTURE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 45

CYRIL'S ADVENTURE.

By Murray Aston.

CHAPTfCB 11.

The Burglars Thwarted. " Well, young chap, what's up with you ? " inquired Thompson of the gipsy boy.

" Ob, kind gentleman, my mother's orful bad, an' I's afeard she's goin' to die," was the reply, and the poor little vagabond burst into tears as he looked over his shoulder inside the tent, where it was evident lay the object of Wb affectionate solicitude.

" Here, catch 'old of my 'oss," exclaimed the kind-hearted coachman, and, dismounting, he put his head inside the door. " Are ye bad, missus ? " he said.

There was, however, no response to his query. So, tnrning to tbe boy, he asked : " Ain't she sensible ? " And on hearing that she had not spoken or moved for some time Mr Thompson ventured to her side. She lay apparently in a dead faint, and seeing that no time was to be lost, Thompson remounted his horse, and promising the gipsy boy that he would be back in a few minutes, accompanied by Cyril he soon made his way to a small roadside publichouse, where he procured a flask of brandy and a loaf of bread. Returning with these, upon seeing the lad eye the bread with hungry eyes, he at once broke him off a hunk which was evidently much needed, and after a few trials he managed to get a few drops of brandy down the throat of the sufferer, who presently opened her eyes, and there escaped from her lips what was an evident sigh of relief on seeing her son engaged in demolishing; his wholesome food.

"I'm all light now," she whispered to Thompson, who, wisely suspecting want to be tbe chief cause of her faintness, had made a sop by soaking some crumbs of bread in brandy and water, of which he persuaded the invalid to partake, with excellent results, since the colour came back to her cheeks and strength to her voice.

"You are very kind," she murmured. " My 'usband has been away for two weeks longer than he expected, and we fell out of food, did Sam and me. But I expects him back soon, and he'll pay you baok for what you've done for us."

"Yer needn't put yerself about. Tbe young squire and me heard yer Sammy a-callin', so we thort it best to come an' see wot was the matter," said Thompson. "The young squire?" repeated the woman. "Yes; Squire Ashton's son. He's outside on his cob." " Well, yer may depend my 'usband will never forget yer goodness to me and mine." And then, remembering his errand, the coachman jumped on to his horse, and away the two trotted towards Dorking. It was a very easy matter on arrival at that interesting old town to buy a suitable saddle and bridle, and the ride home seemed to be over — at least Oyril thought so — in an incredibly short space of time. Naturally enough he made at once for the drawing room, where, as good luck would have it, he found bis mother all alone, and into her sympathetic ear he forthwith poured a recountal of his afternoon's experiences ; and having told her a little about his pony be grew quite eloquent on the tent, the ragged boy, and last, but not least, tbe poor suffering gipsy woman. And when he related the kindness of Thompson,- and how he had spent his own. money in the purchase of bread and brandy, Mrs Ashton was quite touched, and left tbe room, soon returning with a pair of warm blankets and a basket full of good wholesome food — some tea and sugar and good home-made bread and sweet butter, also a little cold chicken, which she thought might tempt the invalid's appetite, i "There, Cyril, ask Thompson to put the horse in the dogcart ; and' go you at once with him and ask the poor woman to accept these blankets from me." Mrs Ashton was truly charitable, and combined with that inestimable gift the rare charm of being able to bestow her alms with such an absence of ostentation as to make the recipient appear in the light of the benefactor. " Oh, you are a darling mother 1 " cried Cyril. Five minutes later Thompson was driving him as fast as was compatible with safety in the direction of the gipsy encampment, where they arrived without any further incident. The gipay received her present and the message from Cyril himself with every demonstration of affection.

" I only wish," she said, " that my 'asband was here to thank you hisself, sir," and when her eyes fell on the blankets the was quite overcome, and burst into tears of genuine 307-

Sam couldn't make this out, and at one time looked as though he considered it his bounden duty to join in the weeping, and screwed his poor little dirty face into such a comical expression of grief and joy mixed that his mother brushed away her tears and burst into a hearty laugh, in which Thompson and Cyril conld not help joining. " Make yerelf a good cup o' tea, missus," exclaimed Thompson cheerily ; and wishing one another a hearty " Good-night," the new friends separated with " I'll come and see you to-morrow," from Cyril. Both the Equire and Mrs Ashton were deeply interested in their son's account of tbe day's proceedings, and Mr Ashton encouraged his son to ask about tbe gipsies, who, he said, were a wandering race dispersed the wide world over. Tbeir total number in Europe was estimated at 700,000, but Aeia and Africa have untold thousands of these nomads, and they are to be found in North and South America, and are not unknown in Australasia." "Do they have a language of their own, father 1 " asked Oyril. " Yes, my lad, they do ; and, funny to relate, the gipsy language is nearly identical

wherever spoken ; and it forms, therefore, a bond of universal brotherhood. In Persia, in Biberia, in Armenia, in Egypt, in Norway, in England, in Brazil — they everywhere speak the self same Homani chio (gipsy tongue).

" Well, they look like foreigners, father," said Cyril. " They remind me of the Italian organ-grinders we see sometimes."

41 Yes, Cyril ; but they are supposed to have originally come from the East. They are a handsome race, however, and you cannot mistake a gipsy, either man, woman, or child, when you see one, with his olive skin, dark, lustrous eye?, and black hair and active figure."

" Are they a kindly people, father ? "

" Well, my son, I should say from ages of ill usage they are inclined to be suspicious and a little revengeful ; but they will not, I believe, ever forget a kindness either."

The following day, on Oyril calling at the tent with some more good things, the gipsy woman told him that she had heard from her husband, who had also been sick, bat was all right again now, and would be back that night. She repeated her protestations of everlasting gratitude, and said she would not ask for any more help. Two or three days passed away, and the gipsies had been almost forgotteD, when one night an event took- place which brought them back very vividly to the recollection of all.

It was an hoar or so after midnight when the squire, who had long been awake with an at'ack of toothache, thought he heard an unusual sonnd downstairs like a scratching on the window panes. Quietly slipping out of bed and donning his dressing gown, he made his way to a wing of the mansion from a window of which he could command a view of that part of the premises from which the unusual sounds proceeded. It was bright moonlight, and the grounds were illuminated by a summer's moon which was little behind the daylight in brilliancy. The squire had suspected burglars, nor was he mistaken, for there he could discern the figures of two men who, working close together, were evidently doing their best to effect an entrance by one of the dining-room windows. For a moment the squire was spellbound, and stood, irresolute as to bis course of action, and while he was hesitating his attention was drawn to the third figure of a m?.n which he saw stealing along towards the other two. He was armed with a long stick, which, without warning apparently, he raised on high and brought down with a great thud upon the backs of the burglars, who, apparently unaware of his presence, received a mighty fright in addition to the pain of the blow, and uttering a

suppressed howl of pain and fear they at once made off.

The squire was greatly interested in this new turn of affairs, and was able presently to clearly make out the features of the last comer as he stood, waiting apparently to see if the burglars came back, in the broad moonlight. He was evidently a gipsy.

The next day, accompanied by Cyril, he paid a visit to the tent, but the gipsies bad gone.