DEREK’S ADVENTURE.

Waikato Times, Volume 108, Issue 18165, 1 November 1930, Page 16 (Supplement)

DEREK’S ADVENTURE.

■j “/TOMING," .Derek?” called Harry • V. Simpson. “Where?” answered Derek Drearmer. ‘ “Why, we told you yesterday. we were going to Gore Woods birds' nesting,” chimed in Tony Sharpe. “Oh, come on, you fellows, we shall never get there if we wait for Dreamy.” It was Arthur Vernon who spoke this time, and it was he who had first nicknamed Derek “Dreamy.” Perhaps Derek deserved it, really, for people usually seemed to have to speak to him several times before he came out of his dreams, but nobody knew what wonderful dreams they '» r ere. The hoys were talking outside Derek’s house, and at this moment his, ■ grandfather, the Admiral,' came down the little path to start his daily walk hver the cliffs towards the coastguard . station. “What’s the; trouble, Jackanapes? he asked. . . ,The boys stopped' arguing then, for the Admiral always had plenty of jolly stories to tell" and was at mending boats, etc., but just now birds’ nesting was the day’s peasure, and nothing must .stop it. “We were just trying to get Derek to come birds’ nesting, sir.” j “Well, my boy, be off, then, only don’t take ail the eggs—only one from each nest.” ’ With that, the Admiral turned away, and almost knocked over a young person who came hurrying down the little . village street. It was Derek’s cousin, Mavis, a dainty, golden-haired, blue-eyed maiden of. about six or seven. “Oh, Derek,”- she gasped, "I thought you had gone without me, and “" you did'promise to take me to look for some ’more shells.” “Oh-ho!” came from the Admiral. “So an appointment with a lady was the reason why you hesitated. Well, you mu§t go without' Derek to-day, young men.” ' The boys moved off muttering somelb in t between themselves about .“not, ■wanting to play,with kids —and a girl rd. that..” ’ Mavis looked un at her grandfather, sr-said, rather shyly—r ■:., r “Derek's , ever'so nice., to play with, n-’andpa. and we found some lovely cueils the .other day.” She had only been staying at Gore Cove' for about n -week. an,d so didn’t know, her grandpa as Derek did, who had lived there all his twelve years*.'. Admiral Drearmer watched them go —the tall, quiet hoy, and the dainty little fairy skipping along beside him. “I wonder if he will ever make a sailor, like his father and me. He ■seems as if his thoughts are always miles away; but maybe he’ll grow out of that.” He walked slowly away, thinking, of ■his son, Derek’s father, at sea, commanding a destroyer, and of the long line of Drearmers who had all left a fine record of their \york in England’s Navy. Would Derek carry on in the same way he-wondered? Mavis a'nd Derek started down the cliff-path, the little girl chattering gaily. Suddently Derek eald—“Do you very much' want those shells, ’cos, If not. I’ve thought out a good game with ‘-H.M.S. Daring.’ We can get them another'day." “Let’s play'your game,”:, answered Mavis gaily. “H.M.S. Daring” was an Invention of their own—mostly Derek’s. It had once been a seat for people to rest on after cimbing up from the, little sandy cove at the foot" of the cliffs. Wind and weather had battered it for years, 1 and one night a gale had turned it right over and partly rolled it down the cliffs, where it had lodged upside down on a little ledge. “Now, Mavis, y.ou are the mate, and’ I’m the captain, and we’re just bound to and on a desert island.” "Yes, Der-ek.” Mavis was getting quite excited. ■ ■ “You mustn’t say ‘Yes, Derek,’ to the captain. You must say ‘Ay, ay, sir.’ Well, Mr Mate, this doesn’t seem much of a place, but our orders were to land here and look round.” The mate, not knowing what else to say, replied "Ay. ay, sir.” The captain stalked up and down for a minute or two, and then said—- - “I think I'll.tak? a look through the glass from the bridge, Mr Mate.” He climbed up until he could sit across the arm of the seat, which stuck up straight in the air. From his pocket be took a toy telescope, and stared all round as far as his rather dangerous position would let him. “Please, Der—Mr Captain, can I have a peep?” said Mavis. ■ “Oh, girls are silly! Fancy saying ‘Mr Captain.’ Never mind"—seeing ~ Mavis looked rather upset—“if you’re careful you can come up and have a .look.” '

Mavis put her foot on the ba.ck of the old seat and reached up her hand to Derek. Whether the weight of the two of them was too much, ofr whether the seat was not so flrmy •fixed as it seemed to be, wil never be known, but the next minute the seat, Derek and Mavis were all rolling over and over down the cliff. Luckily, both the chidren rolled down a part that was fairly grassy, and. the seat fell away from them, but when they reached the cove at the bottom both fainted. Mavis was first to come round, and she tried to set to her feet, when she found such a terrible pain in her left foot that she cried out. Her voice roused Derek, and he sat up looking very white and dazed. “Derek, my foot—oh, my foot!” cried poor Mavis. Derek -could not tell what was wrong, but he did understand that she could not walk, and as the tid-e came in very quickly to the cove, he .wondered how they were going to get up the winding path. He got up and started to walk across to Mavis, when

a sudden pain in his shoulder caused him to sit down again. > “Derek, what’s the matter? Have you hurt your foot, too?" She was trying hard not to cry, but when her 'hero seemed unable to help her, things looked very black. “It’s“ all right,” Derek gasped. “Pain in my shoulder—mqi’ve bruised it, I expect. Be all right in a minute, when I’ve had a rest.” 1 (Mavis again tried to get to him, but the pain this time made her cry in earnest, and Derek forced himself to get up and go to her. 1 “Come on, Mr Mate,” he said. “This is hard luck, but we must get to the top of the mountain somehow.” Mavis tried hard to stop crying and be brave. “I think I can walk if you put your arm round me, Mr Captain,” she said, "because the tide seems to be coming ini” She managed’ to get to her feet, dr rather to put one foot to the ground; but it was clearly impossible for her to walk..

“If you put your arm round me tight, p’raps you can hop.” With one arm round Mavis, and the other hanging painfully by Derek’s side, they began to toil slowly Up the. path. To try to keep her from thinking too much about tlieir, sad plight. Derek kept up the salloring talk, and gradually they got about half-way up. “Think we’ll have a rest now,” Derek said, and both sat down panting. “Derek, does your arm hurt very much?”

“It’s my shoulder, really, but the arm aches all down. Still, it’s not too/ bad.”

Brave words, but the pain became too strong for him then, and he soon went into another faint. Poor Mavis could stand no more. She just sat, and sobbed, and called “Derek! Derek!” After a minute or two he opened his eyes, and gradually managed to comfort his poor litte companion. ' Presently they managed to struggle on again, Derek almost carrying Mavis now. All he could think of was hanging on to Mavis, and keeping on stumbling, up the path, and when he heard a shout he took no notice, As the shouting was repeated, and he heard his own name, he looked up. 1

“Hold on, Derek, old man, we’re coming!” Tearing down the'path came Arthur, Harry, . Tony and the rest. Behind was the Admiral and a Naval officer. As help came, so the last bit of Derek’s strength gave out, and the boys were just in time to catch him and Mavis. With willing hands'to help, It was not long before both children were safely In bed, and Dr. Jamie was rushing in. The injury to Mavis’ foot proved to be a sprain, but Derek’s shoulder was more serious. The Doctor said it was a bad fracture, and he did not know how the boy had got a yard up the path, let alone helped the little maid along. •

Derelc knew nothing -of what was going on for a very long time; but when he did notice anything It was a little table beside his bed. His mother said—

“Feeling better, darling?” She explained that he would have to lie still for some,-'days more; .but then she said, “Look, here are some presents for a brave boy.” “It wasn’t brave, mummy. It’s only what daddy would have done.” A little -cough from the other side, of the room caused Derek to look round, and there, standing by the window, was the very last person he ■expected .to see —his father! “Well, old man, you didn’t expect to see me, I know. We got to port this morning, and I rushed home to find my boy the hero of the village.” He sat down by Derek’s bed, and told him how .glad and proud he was to find his son so manly. “Harry has brought a lovely clasp knife for you, and Tony says you can have one of his white mice.” “But what about ’Mavis?” asked Derek., “She’s going on nicely, and will very likely be in to see you to-morrow. Hallo, here’s grandpa come to see ,you!” The Admiral came In and said—- “ Here, my boy, I believe you lost your telescope on the cliffs the other day, so I’ve brought you a new one. H’m—ha—very fine action—ahem—you’re well worthy of the name of ‘Drearmer,’ ” he said, and went out of the room rather quickly. i Mrs Drearmer thought by thi£ time that Derek had had enough excitement, and told him to try to sleep. He laid back with a very happy look in his eyes and said —

“I’d do it all again, If only the boys won’t call me ‘Dreamy’ again.”