Gunpowder Treason and Plot, and Other Stories for Boys Read online

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  GUNPOWDER TREASON AND PLOT.

  A MAGNIFICENT RACE. _Page 18._]

  GUNPOWDER TREASON AND PLOT

  And Other Stories for Boys

  BY

  HAROLD AVERY, FRED WHISHAW, AND R. B. TOWNSHEND

  _WITH FOURTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS_

  THOMAS NELSON AND SONS

  _London, Edinburgh, and New York_

  1901

  CONTENTS.

  WHEN FRIENDS FALL OUT, 9

  TWO HEROES, 42

  LOST IN THE SOUDAN, 76

  THE WOLFMAN, 106

  IN HONOUR BOUND, 130

  "GUNPOWDER, TREASON, AND PLOT," 145

  THE COCK-HOUSE CUP, 169

  GUNPOWDER TREASON AND PLOT.

  WHEN FRIENDS FALL OUT.

  Old Dan Mudge, fisherman, of Brixham, Devon, saw a curious sight oneafternoon as he walked along the shore between his own village andanother of the name of Churston, in order to see whether the gale of thepreceding night had disturbed his lobster-pots, laid in a symmetricalline just clear of the rocks that lie to the north of Broad Sands, oneof the many lovely coves in Tor Bay.

  A curiously-shaped object floated and bobbed in the still lively sea,fifty yards from shore, and from the midst of the object there seemed torise--yes, he was sure of it--a child's cry.

  "I must wade in and see to that matter," thought old Dan. "It isn't deepwhere she's floating now."

  "She" consisted, as he plainly saw when he had approached a littlenearer, of a most elaborately-made floating nest. Two lifebuoys, heldapart by thick wire zigzags, floated one above the other; and slung uponthe uppermost, hanging between it and the other, was a basket, linedwithin and without with thickest oilskin. In the basket, lying securelyfastened among cushions and blankets, were two splendid little boys, oneof whom slept soundly; the other yelled loudly. From their likeness toeach other, it was plain that they were brothers.

  Old Dan Mudge was astonished beyond words--so astonished that he omittedto save the lifebuoys with their ingenious appendage, but simply tookthe two children out and carried them ashore, leaving their peculiarraft to itself and to the mercy of the waves.

  "Good Lord, deliver us all!" he exclaimed. "What a splendid pair ofbabies! And what in the name of good gracious am I going to do withthem?"

  As a preliminary to finding an answer to this question, Dan took thechildren to Brixham, and showed them to his wife and to a select companyof neighbours, who had come in to hear the news, having seen Dan walkthrough the streets with two babies on his two arms.

  "You'll have to advertise 'em," suggested some one. But Dan demurred.

  "Can't afford that kind of thing," he said.

  "Oh, but we must! Hat round for subscriptions," exclaimed some one, "tofind the owner of these babes!"

  The hat went round, and sufficient was soon collected to pay for severalinsertions of an advertisement in a London paper of the day; but nothingwas ever heard of any claimant to the privilege of proprietorship of thetwo little waifs, and it was concluded that they were sole survivors ofa fine passenger sailing-ship bound for Plymouth, which was known tohave gone down, with all hands, during a gale in the Channel, about thetime of their discovery.

  Meanwhile old Dan Mudge was at his wits' end to know what to do with thebairns. His wife was too old and sickly to care to have the charge ofsmall children, though she adored the pair of babes as much as any ofthe good folk who came to weep over and kiss and admire them duringtheir stay of a few days under her roof.

  "_Dan Mudge was at his wits' end to know what to do withthe bairns._" Page 13.]

  The children were of gentle birth, too; that was evident from thequality of their clothes, which were of the finest and best, andcarefully marked, those of one child bearing the name "Noel," and theother "Granby." It would not be right, the good old couple thought,even though they were able to do so, to bring up these little ones inthe station occupied by themselves, as poor Brixham trawling folk, theybeing, as any one might plainly see, of gentle birth.

  "Why shouldn't you see the captain and his wife, up to Weston byTotnes?" suggested some one; and Dan thought this a good idea.

  Captain Brocklehurst and his wife were childless, and supposed to bewell off. They had lost two children as infants; and now, though stillcomparatively young, lived their lives without the constant consolationwhich the presence of children affords in a household.

  When old Dan walked across to Weston and interviewed the captain,Brocklehurst summoned his wife to the conference, and though she saidbut little more than that it would be impossible to say one thing or theother without first seeing the children, it was plain, from her flushedface and agitated manner after Dan had departed, that the idea ofadopting these little ones was more than interesting to her. Her husbandhad been more inclined to reject the old trawler's proposal with a laughand a jest, but his wife's more serious attitude sobered him, and hequickly agreed that the children might at least be brought forinspection.

  But when Dan brought them, the little things laughed deliciously up inMrs. Brocklehurst's face, and played with her gold chain when she bentto kiss them. Her husband saw that there were tears of joy in his wife'seyes, and that the matter of their adoption was as good as settledalready.

  Not that he ever regretted afterwards that this had come about. On thecontrary, the boys grew up fine little fellows, likely to do theiradopted parents credit in the world. And many a time, when Mrs.Brocklehurst reminded him that God had been very good to them in thismatter, he cordially and sincerely agreed.

  Brocklehurst had retired from the Royal Navy as commander, receiving astep in rank upon his retirement, and he was never in two minds as tothe profession that the boys should enter when they were old enough todo so.

  "They shall serve the Queen, as I did," he would say, "and one day thereshall be two ships in the navy list commanded each by a Brocklehurst."

  "Good lads," he would say when pleased with them for any reason; "youshall die admirals, both of you."

  Though the boys were alike in many ways, they were dissimilar in this,that Granby early betrayed an obstinacy of disposition which was mostmarked, and which punishment only seemed to intensify. Noel did notshare this peculiarity. Both were kindly and affectionate, andaccustomed to stand by one another through thick and thin.

  At the age of thirteen, just before their admission to the _Britannia_,the twins had a misunderstanding. It was as foolish and ridiculous amatter as could well be imagined to found a standing quarrel upon; yet abreach was made, and Granby's constitutional obstinacy stood in the wayof its healing.

  It happened at school--a naval preparatory school of long standing atCubberly-on-Sea, to which the captain sent his boys because he had beenthere himself, and would have considered no naval education completeunless founded and continued at this establishment.

  Granby was an excellent sprinter, and had been considered at school a"certain card" for the hundred yards race, as well as for the hurdlerace and the long jump. Now, the winning of these three events wouldmake Granby "champion" for the year, a position greatly desired by theseathletes of thirteen and fourteen years; and when Granby sallied forthon the afternoon of the great day, equipped in his racing garments, hecarried an ambitious and an intensely-agitated heart within hisbuttoned-up greatcoat, being resolved to win that championship orp
erish in the attempt.

  Noel was not great at athletic sports, though an excellent cricketer,and more than pretty good at football. He therefore officiated asreferee or judge on this occasion, not having entered for the races.Noel was quite as anxious as Granby that his brother should win thechampionship medal; and when Granby easily won the long jump, and justcontrived to shake off his most dangerous rival, Evans, in the hurdlerace, Noel felt certain, with the rest of the school, that the medal wasas good as in Granby's pocket.

  "He's all right, even if he halves the hundred yards with Bradbury,"whispered an excited partisan in Noel's ear. "If Bradbury runs him adead heat, his half marks for the hundred will still clear him. Bradburyis next up, though. The mile and second in the quarter only leave himtwenty-five marks behind Granby, so it's an important race for both.Granby's 375 up to now--200 for the hurdles and 175 for the long jump;and Bradbury's 350--200 for the mile and 100 for second in the quarter.It's a near thing, isn't it?"

  "Run and ask Mr. Headon to be judge for this race, will you?" said Noel."I hardly like officiating when it means so much for my brother."

  The boy ran off to request the master named to undertake the duty whichNoel, under the circumstances, dreaded; but he was too late. Mr. Headonwas at the starting-place, and the race was begun before the messengerreached him.

  It was a magnificent race.

  Granby got off badly, his foot slipping at the mark and losing himnearly two yards.

  Bradbury, seeing that he had an advantage at the start, made stupendousefforts to retain the lead, and did well for the first half of the race.But inch by inch Granby crept up behind him, and when but ten yards wereleft to run there was scarcely half a yard between them.

  Bradbury made his effort, and for an instant it seemed as though thoselast eighteen inches would not be recovered by his opponent; but Granbymade his own effort, and a frantic one, in the last three strides,ending with a leap forward which appeared to a few to land him in frontof Bradbury. To the majority they seemed to breast the tape at the sameinstant; to a second minority it appeared that Bradbury had just won.

  Beyond the tape Granby had shot well ahead. Had the race been five yardsfarther he would certainly have won it. As it was, all eyes were turnedupon Noel, in whose hands the decision lay. Partisan shouts arose andrent the air. Some shouted "Brocklehurst!"--a majority, perhaps; othersshrieked "Bradbury!"

  Noel's face was very pale, but he had a set, determined look about themouth. He was going to decide as he believed to be right and just--thatwas clear.

  The head-master bustled up, panting, having "scorched" up from thestarting-mark.

  "Well, Brocklehurst?" he said; "well?"

  "Bradbury, sir, by two inches," said poor Noel; and, having dashed thecup of happiness from Granby's and his own lips, he turned and marchedaway to his study and shut himself up, quite tragically miserable.Perhaps he even shed a tear of mortification. He was only thirteen, beit remembered, and the decision against his brother had been a very hardand somewhat heroic thing.

  Granby arrived presently, and entered the study, taking no notice ofNoel. He was evidently very angry, for he banged the books about, andscattered a packet of chocolate--Noel's--all over the floor.

  Noel was nervous as to how Granby would take his decision. Perhaps hewould not understand how _more_ than ordinarily important it had beenthat he should be absolutely impartial, or even inclined, if anything,to favour the opponent.

  "Granby, I'm awfully sorry, old man," he began, "that you didn't win.I'd give a good deal--"

  "You're a liar! I _did_ win! Everybody says so but you," said Granby,interrupting him furiously.

  "Well, I watched both posts, and I did my best to give a fair decision,"said Noel, shocked at his brother's violence.

  "You have swindled me in Bradbury's favour," Granby began.

  Noel laughed. He was growing angry also.

  "What rot you talk!" he said; "as if I wouldn't rather you had won!"

  "Then why not tell the truth and say I did, like a man?" cried angry,disappointed Granby.

  Noel saw that argument was useless, and left the study; but afterwards,later in the evening, he returned to the charge.

  "Come, Granby; we'd better shake hands and make it up," he began, butGranby interrupted him.

  "Will you admit you cheated me?" he said.

  "Certainly not!" said Noel. "I tell you I--"

  "Very well; you have ruined my happiness. I was set upon getting thatmedal, and you have lost it to me by your unfairness. I shall nevershake hands with you again so long as I possess a right hand, and it'sno use your speaking to me in future, for I shan't answer!"

  "Oh, very well," said Noel, hurt and offended, leaving the room; "Idaresay you'll be less idiotic about all this when you've slept overit."

  Noel certainly never supposed that Granby's wrath would last, or that hewould carry out his avowed intention of "remaining enemies," and ofsilence. Had he known what he was to learn with deep regret during thenext few years of their lives--namely, that Granby would remainobstinately determined to ignore his brother when in his presence--hewould somehow have contrived to soften the bitterness of his offence onthat first night, or have made almost any sacrifice in order to appeasethe floodtide of fury and mortification which his unfortunatedecision--a wrong one, as many assured him--had called forth. But fromthis time forward not a word would Granby vouchsafe his brother, eventhough affectionately addressed or treated with marked kindness. Duringtheir sojourn on board the _Britannia_, officers, instructors, andcadets were alike amused first, and afterwards incensed, by theobstinate refusals of Granby to speak to his brother. The older men,officers and instructors, devised many ways of bringing them together,for both were noteworthy among the cadets of their year, whether at workor play; but no ingenuity of theirs was successful in compelling Granbyto address even an accidental word to his brother, for his owncleverness was at least equal to theirs, and he invariably contrived toescape the necessity of direct communication with Noel by employing athird party to convey the required message or whatever he might havebeen asked to do or say.

  As for the cadets, Granby soon showed these interfering persons that twothings in connection with his quarrel with Noel must be laid to heart bythem. The first was, that the said quarrel was no affair of theirs, andthat interference or attempted peace-making, by trickery or otherwise,was _dangerous_. Granby was a doughty person among the cadets of histerm, or any term, and not one to be lightly provoked.

  The other truth they were obliged to learn was this, that though Granbymight not wish, for private reasons, to maintain friendly intercoursewith his brother, no one else in this world was at liberty to offend orinjure Noel in his presence, whether Noel himself were by or not. Onceor twice some misguided cadet attempted to curry favour with Granby byabusing Noel, imagining that he would thereby placate the brother who,to all appearances, was upon the worst possible terms with his twin.Such cadets learned very quickly that their last state was worse thanthe first.

  As for Noel, the state of affairs with Granby gave him much sorrow aswell as shame. He was as fond of his brother as ever, in spite of hisfoolish, long-continued obstinacy, and this although he was at timesvery angry with him, and ashamed of the foolishness which Granby wasapparently not himself ashamed to display before others. Was Granbywaiting for an apology for the old offence at Cubberly? Well, Noel wasnot without a spice of stubborn will, though his obstinacy was not to becompared with that of his brother, and he for his part was firmlydetermined that he would never offer any kind of apology for hisdecision on that historical occasion, unless Granby should first own upto his great foolishness, and ask for pardon.

  Nevertheless, though Granby never replied, and though Noel knew that hewould never reply, Noel invariably spoke to his brother just as thoughhe might be expected to carry on the conversation; or, if others werepresent, he would refer to Granby by name just as frequently, during thecourse of conversation, as to any other person. And on suc
h occasionsGranby would reply as though one of the others had spoken, and notNoel.

  It was a queer state of things, and sometimes ludicrously exasperating,as, for instance, one day when, during a cricket match on the beautifulDartmouth Hill, the brothers being at the wickets together, Granby ranNoel out simply because he would not so much as cry "No!" when Noelcalled a run and started from his wicket. Granby had been somewhatashamed of this, and had said in Noel's presence afterwards that he was"beastly sorry he had run some fellow out"--he forgot who it was--but"he ought to have seen there was no run."

  Things had not improved a couple of years later, when the twins, bothserving now as midshipmen in H.M.S. _Argus_, landed upon the west coastof Africa as members of a small party sent to chastise some umbrellaedpotentate of the Gold Coast, who, unwilling to be chastised without astruggle, had the effrontery to oppose a thousand or two of his blacklegions against the _Argus_ contingent, in the hope of preventing therepresentatives of Her Majesty from reaching the native village, lyingin the pestiferous forests which abound in those parts, which formed hismetropolis.

  In this attempt he succeeded so well that, long before the Britishmarines and blue-jackets had advanced half-way to his village, theyfound themselves attacked by so strong a force of natives that the onlycourse open to them was to retire at once towards the sea, in the hopeof regaining their boats before King Kom-Kom's hosts should have cutthem all to pieces.

  That retreat through the jungle was a nightmare experience for all, andwhen at length the British troops reached their boats and opened fireupon their pursuers with a small piece of ordnance which they hadbrought with them but could not land (this was long before these days ofquick-firing guns and Maxims and such military luxuries of our day),they chased away the niggers, indeed, but became aware, having at lengthtime and leisure to count their losses, that about half the party hadfallen, and among those missing were both the Brocklehursts, the onlytwo officers lost, barring the first lieutenant, who had dropped at thefirst attack, when the party of unsuspecting British had walked straightinto the ambush prepared for them.

  "_They walked straight into the ambush._" Page 27.]

  Several had seen Noel Brocklehurst fall. He had been pierced by a spearin the neck, and had dropped dead apparently, for there were thosepresent who would have risked much to bring him along. No one hadactually seen Granby fall, but a sailor declared he had seen himtearing through the jungle, apparently in a fury of passion, after a"nigger--probably the Johnny as killed his brother, sir," said thesailor; "and he looked that angry I wouldn't have given a tuppenny Bathbun for the nigger's life."

  "Well, but in that case we can't possibly return to the ship," said theofficer left in command. "He may turn up; and if not, I think I shallhave to ask for volunteers to form a search party."

  Instantly every man present volunteered.

  "Thanks, lads," said the officer; "I knew you would; but we'll give himten minutes."

  Before that period had elapsed, Granby suddenly appeared out of thecover, bleeding profusely from a slight wound in the leg and another cutin the face, and carrying his brother Noel, who might be dead, by thelook of him, though Granby said, as he put him down,--

  "He isn't dead, doctor. Have a look at him, quick, please!"

  The doctor did not waste many seconds in acting as desired. He kneltdown by Noel's body and carefully inspected his wound. The spear hadpassed almost through his neck, and Noel had lost much blood, whichaccounted for his unconscious condition.

  "He may pull through," said the doctor presently, "but he's middlingbad, Brocklehurst, and it'll take some nursing."

  All through the days of suspense and peril Granby watched by hisbrother's bedside. Noel lay and groaned--alive, indeed, but little more.He knew no one, and did not speak, though he was semiconscious. Butpresently his youth and his splendid constitution began to assertthemselves, and Noel grew better.

  Then, finding that his brother was apparently out of danger, and wouldbegin to recognize faces, and to speak and be spoken to, Granby ceasedto haunt Noel's bedside.

  When the latter was well enough to speak, the first question he askedwas whether Granby had survived the attack on the day of the ambush.

  "Why, certainly," said the doctor. "He was slightly wounded, but nothingto matter. He has been nursing you till yesterday, and nursing you verywell too!"

  Noel shut his eyes and was silent. When he reopened them two hourslater, "Did you say Granby nursed me?" he asked, and the doctor repliedthat he had said so.

  "Dear old chap!" murmured Noel.

  While his brother slept, Granby came in to see how he progressed, andsat and watched the sick man. Once Noel opened his eyes and caught himin the act of departing.

  "Granby!" said Noel in his weak voice; but Granby either did not orpretended that he did not hear.

  After this he came no more to look after Noel.

  But when Noel was able to come into the gunroom, a few days later, hesaid to Granby in the presence of all the midshipmen,--

  "Granby, old man, I want to tell you before every one present howgrateful I am for all you did for me when the niggers knocked me overthat day. I--"

  "You were saying we were likely to renew the attack in a few days,weren't you, Chambers?" said Granby. "It's about time we did somethingto take down that Kom-Kom fellow's impertinence, besides peppering themfrom the ship. I don't know why we've waited so long."

  "_Peppering them from the ship._" Page 32.]

  It was no use, and Noel, weak still from his illness, and more easilyupset than of old, went back to his cabin and shut himself in and--yes,cried--shed tears of disappointment and bitterness; for he thought thatif Granby would not "make it up" now, he never would.

  So matters went on for another year or two, or it may have been half adozen. The brothers served for a while apart from one another, indifferent ships. Both were lieutenants now, Noel having beenappointed to the _Thunderer_, Granby to the _Mars_. But now they weretogether once again, a circumstance which had caused both brothers muchsecret delight, though the feud still continued--the foolish,lamentable, incomprehensible breach that dated from the race day atCubberly-on-Sea, now nearly ten years ago.

  As a matter of fact, Granby, hearing that Noel had been appointed to the_Irreconcilable_, applied himself for the same ship, using all theinfluence he could command in order to get the desired appointment. OldCaptain Brocklehurst assisted the application by seconding it with apersonal request at the Admiralty, where he possessed many old friends;and his endeavours to have the brothers once more serving in the sameship met with success.

  Granby had always taken care to apply for leave whenever he knew thatNoel had either had his own or would not yet be taking it, for he wasunwilling that his parents should become aware of their quarrel. As amatter of fact, so fond did the old captain know the boys to be of eachother that he would never have believed it if assured of the existenceof such a quarrel. Each brother invariably spoke of his twin most kindlyand affectionately while in the presence of the old folks. In Granbythis was a sign of grace, the saving clause in his foolish andobstinate perversity.

  One day, while cruising in the southern seas, some of the youngerofficers were amusing themselves, first by feeding a number of sharkswhich they had attracted to the ship's side by throwing offal and otherrefuse into the sea, and afterwards by fishing for the brutes, of whichthere were a dozen or more swimming around and about the vessel,showing, from time to time, their great dorsal fins and their tails, asthey rose close to the surface in order to see what was to be had in theway of delicacies of a floating description.

  Noel was officer of the watch, while Granby happened to be among theyoungsters, enjoying the fun of watching and angling for the greatbrutes beneath just as much as the younger officers. Noel, walking upand down the deck, being on duty, took but little notice of the group oflaughing and chattering youngsters. He strolled up the deck and downagain, now taking a look at the sharks for a moment, now pausing toi
ssue some order to one or other of the crew lazily busy over the variedduties that fall to Jack at sea in order to keep him employed and theship clean and smart.

  Suddenly a terrible thing happened.

  A youngster, nominally busy upon a yardarm, but actually too interestedin watching what went on below in the matter of the shark-feeding,suddenly lost his hold, in the excitement of gazing down, and fell fromhis perch.

  It so happened that Granby was at that moment leaning dangerously overthe side of the ship endeavouring to entice a certain shark to take thebait he dangled in front of it, and the youngster, in falling, struckGranby so violently upon the neck that he too lost his hold and fellwith the lad into the sea.

  A loud, inarticulate cry arose from all who saw the occurrence.

  "Man overboard!" shrieked some, and "A boat!" cried others. "Cutter'screw--quick, for Heaven's sake!"

  Noel heard and ran to the side of the ship just in time to see Granbyand the lad fall together, with a great splash, in front of the hugeshark which Granby had angled for but a moment before.

  Noel instantly seized the great knife which had been used by the anglersfor cutting their bait.

  "Out of the way there!" he shouted, elbowing aside the horrified crowdthat looked down, shouting, each one, in more or less articulatehorror--"out of the way! Heave a rope out, some of you, and shy thingsinto the water to make a splash."

  The concluding words of the sentence were spoken as Noel shot, headdownwards, through the air. He cleft the water in a beautiful header,rising just in time to see Granby lift the lad towards the rope whichwilling hands above quickly dangled ready for him.

  The bellowing youth laid hold of the rope, and swarmed up with amazingquickness. He was safe.

  Granby was about to follow his example, when he suddenly caught sight ofNoel. Up to this moment he had not known that his brother had plunged tohis assistance.

  Noel had dived very carefully. He had seen the huge shark disappear,probably startled, as the two human bodies fell with a great splashbefore its very nose; then he saw it slowly gliding forward once more,and had dived so as to emerge, if possible, at its shoulder, in order toplunge his knife into the brute's eye and blind him.

  The shark had set its heart upon Granby, it appeared, for it turnedslightly towards him, with the result that Noel rose to the surface,brushing against its very side, at which he viciously jabbed his knife,under water, without much effect, excepting to attract the brute towardshimself. Then, getting his head out of the water, Noel placed his leftarm over the shark's head, and made several stabs at the brute's eyewith his right, which held the knife. But the position was awkward, andhis blows missed their mark, though they seemed to rouse the fightinginstincts of the huge fish, which lashed the water with its tail, andsnapped viciously at its adversary, though clumsily, for it was in a badposition for taking its prey.

  "_Noel placed his left arm over the shark's head._"Page 36.]

  Meanwhile--for all this occupied but an instant of time--Granby hadslipped back into the water, and swam behind his brother.

  "Dive, Noel! Dive and rip up the beast from underneath!" he cried. Thesewere the first words he had addressed to his brother for ten years.

  "Keep out of his way then," said Noel, and dived.

  But the shark would not be denied, for even as Noel dived and ripped along slit that let the savage life out of it, the great brute made alast snap in Granby's direction, and with a cry Granby grew suddenlypale, and sank.

  But help was at hand now. The cutter's crew had floated their boat withmarvellous quickness, and were even now approaching, splashing withtheir oars in order to frighten away other sharks, of which there weremany around.

  Noel rose to the surface, having laid hold of Granby as he came; and asthe dead shark sank, the two plucky officers were assisted into theboat. Granby was unconscious; and it was seen, to the horror of allpresent, that his right hand had been bitten clean off at the wrist.

  For some days the ship's doctor almost despaired of saving the gallantfellow's life. The whole crew hung with dread and excitement upon hishourly report. Noel was frantic with anxiety. But the wounded man, likeNoel, had been blessed with a good constitution; and, thanks to thedoctor's skill and attention, to Noel's devotion, and to his ownsplendid strength, Granby gradually beat back oncoming death, and took anew lease of life, maimed, indeed, for life, but healed and recovered.

  He was very weak and quite unable to speak for many days and even weeks;but when at last he was able and allowed to attempt it, he asked to seeNoel.

  "All right," said the doctor; "you're right to thank him, my boy, for,by all that's heroic, he did a fine thing in saving you. But don'texcite yourself; that's all I ask."

  When Noel entered, Granby beckoned him nearer.

  "I'm going to speak at last," he said, smiling. "It's time I did, isn'tit? But I'm afraid I can't shake hands, dear old man. I vowed Iwouldn't, so long as I had a right hand. Well, now I haven't one. Isuppose it's my punishment, and I'm sure I deserve it. Will you forgiveme, Noel?"

  "I've nothing to forgive," said Noel with a sob. "And as for thatrace--"

  "Yes--I _did_ win that race, you know, Noel. Nearly every one thoughtso."

  "I really and honestly believe you did, dear old Granby," said Noel,sobbing quite freely; "and I believe I was utterly wrong. But I was sofond of you, old chap, that I was afraid of cheating the other fellow."

  "Thanks! thanks!" said Granby. "Oh, I am so happy--and so sleepy!"

  Then the doctor came and turned Noel out; but Noel was happier thatnight than he had been for ten long years.