CHAPTER III
The moon was low on the horizon, and Sam Redfern was seated at a drinking bout with some of his boon companions.
They had rifled the cellars of the hut, and the rich wines flowed like water in the golden goblets of Mr Ridgway.
But Annie had made friends with one of the gang, a noble, good-hearted man who had joined Sam Redfern by mistake, and she had told him to go and get the police as quickly as possible.
‘Ha! ha!’ cried Redfern, ‘now I am enjoying myself!’ He little knew that his doom was near upon him.
Just then Annie gave a piercing scream, and Sam Redfern got up, seizing his revolver. ‘Who are you?’ he cried, as a man entered.
‘I am Jim Carlton, the celebrated detective,’ said the new arrival.
Sam Redfern’s revolver dropped from his nerveless fingers, but the next moment he had sprung upon the detective with the well-known activity of the mountain sheep, and Annie shrieked, for she had grown to love the rough Bushranger.
(To be continued at the end of the paper if there is room.)
------------ SCHOLASTIC
A new slate is horrid till it is washed in milk. I like the green spots on them to draw patterns round. I know a good way to make a slate-pencil squeak, but I won’t put it in because I don’t want to make it common.--SUB-EDITOR.
Peppermint is a great help with arithmetic. The boy who was second in the Oxford Local always did it. He gave me two. The examiner said to him, ‘Are you eating peppermints?’ And he said, ‘No, Sir.’
He told me afterwards it was quite true, because he was only sucking one. I’m glad I wasn’t asked. I should never have thought of that, and I could have had to say ‘Yes.’--OSWALD.
------------ THE WRECK OF THE ‘MALABAR’
By Noel
(Author of ‘A Dream of Ancient Ancestors.’) He isn’t really--but he put it in to make it seem more real.
Hark! what is that noise of rolling Waves and thunder in the air? ‘Tis the death-knell of the sailors And officers and passengers of the good ship Malabar.
It was a fair and lovely noon When the good ship put out of port And people said ‘ah little we think How soon she will be the elements’ sport.’
She was indeed a lovely sight Upon the billows with sails spread. But the captain folded his gloomy arms, Ah--if she had been a life-boat instead!
See the captain stern yet gloomy Flings his son upon a rock, Hoping that there his darling boy May escape the wreck.
Alas in vain the loud winds roared And nobody was saved. That was the wreck of the Malabar, Then let us toll for the brave. NOEL.
------------ GARDENING NOTES
It is useless to plant cherry-stones in the hope of eating the fruit, because they don’t!
Alice won’t lend her gardening tools again, because the last time Noel left them out in the rain, and I don’t like it. He said he didn’t.
------------ SEEDS AND BULBS
These are useful to play at shop with, until you are ready. Not at dinner-parties, for they will not grow unless uncooked. Potatoes are not grown with seed, but with chopped-up potatoes. Apple trees are grown from twigs, which is less wasteful.
Oak trees come from acorns. Every one knows this. When Noel says he could grow one from a peach stone wrapped up in oak leaves, he shows that he knows nothing about gardening but marigolds, and when I passed by his garden I thought they seemed just like weeds now the flowers have been picked.
A boy once dared me to eat a bulb.
Dogs are very industrious and fond of gardening. Pincher is always planting bones, but they never grow up. There couldn’t be a bone tree. I think this is what makes him bark so unhappily at night. He has never tried planting dog-biscuit, but he is fonder of bones, and perhaps he wants to be quite sure about them first.
------------ SAM REDFERN, OR THE BUSHRANGER’S BURIAL
By Dicky
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