CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN TRAP.'

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVI, Issue XI, 14 March 1896, Page 307

CAUGHT IN THEIR OWN TRAP.'

BY

' PHIL.’)

I thought some of you people might like to hear about a trick which we tried to play our cousins. Geoffrey and Dick Wilmot. The year before we played the trick, my brother Don and I had been staying at our cousins', and they had put a whole lot of thistles in our bed. I can tell you it isn't very pleasant to get into bed when you are dead tired on to thistles. So when Geoffrey wrote to ask mother if she would put Dick and him up for the night, while they went with us to a party, which was to be held on New Year's night at * The Hall,’ a large place owned by a Lord and Lady Cromar, Don said to me, ’ Phil, we must have our revenge on them and play some trick. What can we do ?’ ' Can’t we frighten them in some way?’ I said, because you know Dick is an awful baby.’ Well, we thought and thought but we could think of nothing which we thought good enough. At last Don exclaimed. 'Phil, I've got it’. I’ve just thought of a capital plan ’.’ I was not very excited at hearing this, because Don had thought of so many capital plans before, but they had all failed for some reason or other. ’ Well,’ I said, ’ what is it ?' ‘ Let's dress up as ghosts and frighten them at night,’ he exclaimed, excitedly.

We went on arranging about this plan, till at last we settled that Don, who suffered from toothache very often, should pretend to have it in the middle of the party and that he and I should leave. We had to pass through a wood to get to ‘ The Hall,' so we arranged that we should go with a bundle of sheets and leave them in the wood on our way to meet Geoff and Dick at the station.

The day arrived, and we, after having deposited the sheets and met the two boys (or as we called them, ‘ The City Dandies ’) went home to tea. ‘ It’s about time we got togged up We have got half-an-hour,’ cried Don, and so we went off and donned all our ' war paint. ’ ‘ Goodbye,’ we all cried to mother, who came to the door to bid us adieu. ‘ Mind you come home in good time,’ she said. ■Yes,' we answered, and off we went.

• Come on, Phil, are you ready ?’ cried Don. * Yes,’ I answered. *ls it time to go ?’ ‘ Rather,’ replied Don. ‘lt’s half-past eleven. Come on We went up and apologised to Lady Cromar for leaving so early, but I said that Don s wretched toothache had come on so we had to go. She was very sorry and begged Don to come and have some stuff rubbed on his tooth, but no. he wouldn’t, and at last we got away. We had told Lady Cromar to tell Geoff and Dick why we left so early, and to tell them they needn’t come home till twelve. Once outside toothache and everything else was forgotten. We tore along, and at last reached the wood. Just as we were going into the wood we saw a light, and, ugh; a horrible figure with flames darting out of its mouth and eyes ran in front of us and disappeared in the darkness. Wherever we went this horrid thing ran in front of us. If we stood still then it would disappear. I can tell you we were just frightened out of our wits. We tried to get out of the wood,but no, this beastly thing stopped us every time by darting at us. and then it would vanish. This thing went on for ever so long. At last we hid, and then dodged it. We got out at last and away we ran home, had some supper, and got into bed. We wondered whatever it could be. Next morning Geoff came into our room and told us all about it. He said that Dick and he thought they would play a trick on us again as they had succeeded the year before with thistles. They had got a large turnip, hollowed it out. cut a mouth and eyes, stuck lighted candles in the holes, put it on a stick, and draped the stick with a sheet. Geoffrey got under the sheet and carried the stick about, and when he wanted to disappear he would blow out the lights and go to Dick to get them lighted again. Geoff had said good-bye to Lady Cromar and told her not to tell us they had gone. We could only laugh, and admit that we had been ■ caught very cleverly in our own trap.’