The Long Vacation

by Charlotte M. Yonge

  The other won't agree thereto, So here they fall to strife; With one another they did fight About the children's life. Babes in the Wood.

  "I say, Aunt Cherry," said Adrian, "the fossil forest is to be uncoveredto-morrow, and Merrifield is going to stay for it, and I'm going downwith him."

  "Fossil forest? What, in the Museum?"

  "No, indeed. In Anscombe Cove, they call it. There's a forest buriedthere, and bits come up sometimes. To-morrow there's to be a tremendouslow tide that will leave a lot of it uncovered, and Merrifield and Imean to dig it out, and if there are some duplicate bits they may be hadfor the bazaar."

  "Yes, they have been begging Fergus's duplicates for a collection offossils," said Anna. "But can it be safe? A low tide means a high tide,you know."

  "Bosh!" returned Adrian.

  "Miss Mohun is sure to know all about the tides, I suppose," saidClement; "if her nephew goes with her consent I suppose it is safe."

  "If--" said Mrs. Grinstead.

  Adrian looked contemptuous, and muttered something, on which Annaundertook to see Miss Mohun betimes, and judge how the land, or ratherthe sea, lay, and whether Fergus was to be trusted.

  It would be a Saturday, a whole holiday, on which he generally went homefor Sunday, and Adrian spent the day with him, but the boys' presentscheme was, to take their luncheon with them and spend the whole day inAnscombe Cove. This was on the further side of the bay from the marbleworks, shut in by big cliffs, which ran out into long chains of rocks oneither side, but retreated in the midst, where a little stream from thevillage of Anscombe, or rather from the moorland beyond, made its way tothe sea.

  The almanacks avouched that on this Saturday there would be an unusuallylow tide, soon after twelve o'clock, and Fergus had set his heart oninvestigating the buried forest that there was no doubt had been chokedby the combined forces of river and sea. So Anna found that notice hadbeen sent to Clipstone of his intention of devoting himself to the coveand not coming home till the evening, and that his uncle and aunt didnot think there was any danger, especially as his constant henchman,Davie Blake, was going with him, and all the fisher-boys of the placewere endowed with a certain instinct for their own tides. The onlyaccident Jane Mohun had ever known was with a stranger.

  Anna had no choice but to subside, and the boys started as soon as themorning's tide would have gone down sufficiently, carrying baskets fortheir treasures containing their luncheon, and apparently expectingto find the forest growing upright under the mud, like a wood full ofbushes.

  The cove for which they were bound was on the further side of the chainof rocks, nearly two miles from Rockquay, and one of the roads ran alongthe top of the red cliffs that shut it in, with no opening except wherethe stream emerged, and even that a very scanty bank of shingle.

  In spite of all assurances, Anna could not be easy about her darling,and when afternoon came, and the horses were brought to the door, shecoaxed Gerald into riding along the cliffs in the Anscombe direction,where there was a good road, from whence they could turn down a steephill into the village, and thence go up a wild moor beyond, or elsecontinue along the coast for a considerable distance.

  As they went out she could see nothing of the boys, only rocks risingthrough an expanse of mud, and the sea breaking beyond. She would havepreferred continuing the cliff road, but Gerald had a turn for the moor,and carried her off through the village of Anscombe, up and up, tillthey had had a lively canter on the moor, and looked far out at sea.When they turned back and had reached the cliff road, what had beena sheet of mud before had been almost entirely covered with sparklingwaves, and there was white foam beating against some of the rocks.

  "I hope Adrian is gone home," sighed Anna.

  "Long ago, depend on it," returned Gerald carelessly; but the nextmoment his tone changed. "By Jove!" he exclaimed, and pointed with hiswhip to a rock, or island, at the end of the range of rocks.

  He was much the more long-sighted of the two, and she could only firstdiscern that there was something alive upon the rock.

  "Oh!" she cried, "is it the boys--I can't see?"

  "I can't tell. It is boys, maybe fishers. I must get out to them," hereplied. "Now, Anna, be quiet--use your senses. It is somebody, anyway.I saw the opening of a path down the rock just now," and he threwhimself off his horse, and threw her the bridle. "You ride to the firsthouse; find where there is a Coast-guard station, or any fisherman toput out a boat. No time to be lost."

  "Oh, is it, is it--" cried the bewildered girl, with no hand to feel forher eyeglass. "Where shall I go?"

  "I tell you I can't tell," he shouted in answer to both questions, halfangrily, already on his way. "Don't dawdle," and he disappeared.

  Poor Anna, she had no inclination to dawdle, but the two horses werea sore impediment, and she went on some way without seeing any houses.Should she turn back to the little road leading down from Anscombe? butthat was rough and difficult, and could not be undertaken quickly with aled horse; or should she make the best of her way to the nearest villas,outskirts of Rockquay? However, after a moment the swish of bicycleswas heard, and up came two young men, clerks apparently, let loose bySaturday. They halted, and in answer to her agitated question wherethere was a house, pointed to a path which they said led down to thePreventive station, and asked whether there had been an accident, andwhether they could be of use. They were more able to decide what wasbest to be done than she could be, and they grew more keenly interestedwhen they understood for whom she feared. Petros White, brother to Mrs.Henderson, and nephew to Aunt Adeline's husband, was one of them, theother, a youth also employed at the marble works. This latter took thehorses off her hands, while Petros showed her the way to the Coast-guardstation by a steep path, leading to a sort of ledge in the side of thecliff, scooped out partly by nature and partly by art, where stood thelittle houses covered with slate.

  There the mistress was looking out anxiously with a glass; while below,the Preventive man was unlocking the boat-house, having already observedthe peril of the boys, but lamenting the absence of his mate. Petros randown at speed to offer his help, and Anna could only borrow the glass,through which she plainly saw the three boys, bare-legged, sittinghuddled up on the top of the rock, but with the waves still a good wayfrom them, and their faces all turned hopefully towards the promontoryof rock along which she could see Gerald picking his way; but there wasevidently a terrible and fast-diminishing space between its final pointand the rock of refuge.

  Anna was about to rush down, and give her help with an oar; but thewoman withheld her, saying that she would only crowd the boat and retardthe rescue, for which the two were quite sufficient, only the danger wasthat the current of the stream might make the tide rise rapidly in thebay. There were besides so many rocks and shoals, that it was impossibleto proceed straight across, but it was needful absolutely to pass therock and then turn back on it from the open sea. It was agonizing forthe sister to watch the devious course, and she turned the glass uponthe poor boys, plainly making out Adrian's scared, restless look, as heclung to the fisher-lad, and Fergus nursing his bag of specimens withhis knees drawn up. By and by Gerald was wading, and with difficultypreventing himself from being washed off the rocks. He paused, saw her,and waved encouragement. Then he plunged along, not off his feet, andreached the island where the boys were holding out their arms to him.There ensued a few moments of apparently hot debate, and she saw, to herhorror and amazement, that he was thrusting back one boy, who struggledand almost fell off the rock in his passion, as Gerald lifted down thelittle fisher-boy. Of course she could not hear the words, "Come, boy.No, Adrian. Noblesse oblige. I will come back, never fear. I can takebut one, don't I tell you. I will come back."

  Those were Gerald's words, while Adrian threw himself on the rock,sobbing and screaming, while Fergus sat still, hugging his bag. Annacould have screamed with her brother, for the boat seemed to haveovershot the mark, and to be going quite aloof, when all
depended upona few minutes. She could hardly hear the words of the Preventive woman,who had found a second glass: "Never you fear, miss, the boat will be upin time."

  She could not speak. Her heart was in wild rebellion as she thought ofthe comparative value of her widowed mother's only son with that of thefisher-boy, or even of Fergus, one of so large a family. She could notor would not look to see what Gerald was doing with the wretched littlecoast boy; but she heard her companion say that the gentleman had putthe boy down to scramble among the rocks, and he himself was going backto the pair on the rock, quite swimming now.

  She durst look again, and saw that he had scrambled up to the boys'perch, and had lifted Adrian up, but there was white spray dashing roundnow. She could not see the boat.

  "They have to keep to the other side," explained the woman. "God keepthem! It will be a near shave. The gentleman is taking off his coat!"

  Again there was a leap of foam--over! over! Then all was blotted out,but the woman exclaimed--

  "There they are!"

  "Oh! where?"

  "One swimming! He is floating the other."

  Anna could see no longer. She dashed aside the telescope, then beggedto be told, then looked again. No prayer would come but "Save him! savehim!"

  There was a call quite close.

  "Mr. Norris, sir, put off your boat! Master Fergus--Oh! is he off?" and,drenched and breathless, Davy sank down on the ground at their feet,quite spent, unable at first to get out a word after those panting ones;but in a minute he spoke in answer to the agonized "Which? Who?"

  "Master Fergus is swimming. The young sir couldn't."

  Anna recollected how her mother's fears and entreaties had prevented Mr.Harewood from teaching Adrian to swim.

  "Gent is floating him," added the boy. "He took me first, because Icould get over the rocks and get help soonest. He is a real gentleman,he is."

  Anna could not listen to anything but "The boat is coming!"

  "Oh, but they don't see! They are going away from it!"

  "That's the current," said Mrs. Norris. "My man knows what he is about,and so does the gentleman, never fear."

  There was another terrible interval, and then boat and swimmers began toapproach, though in what condition could not be made out. A dark littlehead, no doubt that of Fergus, was lifted in, then another figure wasraised and taken into the boat; Gerald swam with a hand on it for ashort distance, then was helped in, and almost at once took an oar.

  "That's right," said Mrs. Norris. "It will keep out the cold."

  "They are not coming here," exclaimed Anna. "They are going round thepoint."

  "All right," was the answer. "'Tis more direct, you see, no shoals,and the young gentlemen will get to their own homes and beds all thequicker. Now, miss, you will come in and take a cup of tea, I am sureyou want it, and I had just made it when Norris saw the little lads."

  "Oh, thank you, I must get back at once. My little brother--"

  "Yes, yes, miss, but you'll be able to ride the faster for a bit ofbread and cup of tea! You are all of a tremble."

  It was true, and to pacify her, Mrs. Norris sent a child up to bidPetros have the horses ready, and Anna was persuaded to swallow a littletoo, which happily had cooled enough for her haste, but she hurried off,leaving Mrs. Norris to expend her hospitality on Davy, who enduredhis drenching like a fish, and could hardly wait even to swallow thickbread-and-butter till he could rush off to hear of his dear MasterFergus.

  The horses were ready. Petros had been joined by other spectators,and was able to entrust the bicycles to one of them, while he himselfundertook to lead Mr. Underwood's horse to the stable. Anna rode off atas much speed or more than was safe downhill among the stones. She hadto cross the broad parade above the quay, and indeed she believed shehad come faster than the boat, which had to skirt round the side of thepromontory between Anscombe Cove and Rockquay. In fact, when she cameabove the town she could see a crowd on the quay and pier, all lookingout to sea, and she now beheld two boats making for the harbour.

  Then she had to ride between walls and villas, and lost sight of alltill she emerged on the parade, and thought she saw Uncle Clement's hatabove the crowd as she looked over their heads.

  She gave her horse to a bystander, who evidently knew her, for a murmurwent through the crowd of "Little chap's sister," and way was madefor her to get forward, while several rough voices said, "All right";"Coast-guard boat"; "Not this one."

  Her uncle and Miss Mohun wore standing together. General Mohun could beseen in the foremost boat, and they could hear him call out, with a waveof his arm--

  "All right! All safe!"

  "You hero! Where's Gerald?" Miss Mohun exclaimed, as Anna came up toher.

  "There!" and she pointed to the Coast-guard boat. "We saw the boys fromAnscombe Cliff, and he went out to them."

  "Gerald," exclaimed his uncle, with a ring of gladness in his voice,all the more that it was plain that the rower was indeed Gerald, andhe began to hail those on shore, while Fergus's head rose up from thebottom of the boat.

  In a few moments they were close to the quay, and the little sodden massthat purported to be Fergus was calling out--

  "Aunt Jane! Oh, I've lost such a bit of aralia. Where's Davy?"

  "Here, take care. He is all right," were Gerald's words.

  _He_ meant Adrian, whom his cousin lifted out, with eyes open andconscious, but with limp hands and white exhausted looks, to be carriedto the fly that stood in waiting.

  "Is the other boy safe?" asked Gerald anxiously.

  "Oh yes; but how could you?" were the first words that came to Anna;but she felt rebuked by a strange look of utter surprise, and instead ofanswering her he replied to General Mohun--

  "Thanks, no, I'll walk up!" as a rough coat was thrown over his drippingand scanty garments.

  "The wisest way," said the General. "Can you, Fergus?"

  "Yes, quite well. Oh, my aralia!"

  "He has been half crying all the way home about his fossils," saidGerald. "Never mind, Fergus; look out for the next spring-tide. UncleClem, you ought to drive up."

  Clement submitted, clearly unable to resist, and sat down by Anna,who had her brother in her arms, rubbing his hands and warming them,caressing him, and asking him how he felt, to which the only answer shegot was--

  "It was beastly. I have my mouth awfully full of water still."

  Clement made a low murmur of thanksgiving, and Anna, looking up, wasstartled to see how white and helpless he was. The way was happily veryshort, but he had so nearly fainted that Gerald, hurrying on fasteruphill than the horse to reassure his aunt, lifted him out, not far frominsensible, and carried him with Sibby's help to his bed in the room onthe ground-floor, where the remedies were close at hand, Geraldine andnurse anxiously administering them; when the first sign of revival hegave was pointing to Gerald's dripping condition, and signing to him togo and take care of himself.

  "All right, yes, boys and all! All right Cherie."

  And he went, swallowing down the glass of stimulant which his auntturned from her other patient for a moment to administer, but she wasmuch too anxious about Clement to have thought for any one else, fortruly it did seem likely that he would be the chief sufferer from thecatastrophe.

  Little Davy's adventure, as he had lost no clothes, made no moreimpression on his parents than if he had been an amphibious animal ora water dog, and when Fergus came out of Beechwood Cottage after havingchanged the few clothes he had retained, and had a good meal, to bedriven home with his uncle in the dog-cart, his constant henchman wasfound watching for news of him at the gate.

  "Please, sir, I think we'll find your aralia next spring-tide."

  Whereupon General Mohun told him he was a good little chap, andpresented him with a half-crown, the largest sum he had ever possessedin his life.

  Fergus did not come off quite so well, for when the story had been told,though his mother had trembled and shed tears of thankfulness as shekissed him, and his sisters s
prang at him and devoured him, while allthe time he bemoaned his piece of the stump of an aralia, and a bit ofcone of a pinus, and other treasures to which imaginative regret lentsuch an aid, that no doubt he would believe the lost contents of his bagto have been the most precious articles that he had ever collected; hisfather, however, took him into his study.

  "Fergus," he said gravely, "this is the second time your ardour uponyour pursuits has caused danger and inconvenience to other people, thistime to yourself too."

  Fergus hung his head, and faltered something about--"Never saw."

  "No, that is the point. Now I say nothing about your pursuits. I am veryglad you should have them, and be an intelligent lad; but they must notbe taken up exclusively, so as to drive out all heed to anything else.Remember, there is a great difference between courage and foolhardiness,and that you are especially warned to be careful if your venturesomenessendangers other people's lives."

  So Fergus went off under a sense of his father's displeasure, whileAdrian lay in his bed, kicking about, admired and petted by his sister,who thought every one very unkind and indifferent to him; and whenhe went to sleep, began a letter to her eldest sister describing theadventure and his heroism in naming terms, such as on second thoughtsshe suppressed, as likely to frighten her mother, and lead to hisimmediate recall.

  CHAPTER XI. -- HEROES AND HERO-WORSHIP