1940-09-27 — Page 2

SHORT STORY

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY SUPPLEMÉNT, SEPTEMBER 27, 1940.

THE CAVE OF THE PINK FOXGLOVES

crossly.

Chapter I. LOST!

1

race

fried trout cooked on the red fret. But how was Dougall to get the lifted Colin out and set him down send help! Nothing will hurt him at the end, would be lovely! boat? Then he noticed that the before the row of pink foxgloves. [here."

He got up presently and looked, little, craft was dancing toward Colin was quite delighted! But - again at the boat. He could hear the side, where, on a boulder, he Dougall had stood looking round never could remember how he did Thinking over it, after, Dougall "New play

on the beach and

Nannie's "refeened” voice from could stand and grab it as it pass-him for a moment, with steady,it his hands were cut, and his don't worry me! I'm just going the half open window,

ed! No sooner thought of, than he considering eyes. round to see if Cook is back from

feet-and once he fell a little way "She wore pink tulle, Sarah, ran down and climbed the rock, What were they going to do? on the pebbles and shale, and was. the village.'

with paillettes of silver" (What and walted. When it came, on Very few craft ever came down brought up and saved by the Nannic took her hovel, nearly were "paillettes," Colin wonder those powerful, driving waves, the lonely loch. He could not twisted rowan tree, to which he finished, but which had utterly ed).

Then his mind returned to Dougall made a leap, full into the swim! He could not take the boy clung madly. The shale fell all absorbed her for an hour, and the boat. The loch, was ruffled, loch. He grasped the gunwale of back that long way-and in many round, and trickled down-there looked at little Colin McLean and a keen, high wind came down the boat. With Colin laughing departs of the way there were huge was only, one small path down What a bore children from Ben Voirloch, and suddenly lightedly, he clambered in, and boulders over which they could which the goats went, he kept-to- were! Here was his mother off the boat seemed to dance, and it seized the other ear and tried to not climb! He must get the boy that. When he fell the second shooting, for the day, with her broke loose, and turned and guide them Irishore. Another gust back, but how? Above them time, he landed on an old, black- husband and the others carefree, headed for the shore. "Oh, it's sweeping down from the hillside towered the cliff, leading up to the ened whin bush and got terrible happy, and with all she could de- coming to me!" Colin cried, and caught the boat,

little village above. Only a few scratches, but he rested a little and sire in life, and here was she, tied ran suddenly down to the edge of "Let us go to the cave of the crofts, with sheep and goats, and then went on again. His blood was to look after a provoking boy, al-the water. "I'll get in!—I see the fox-gloves, Dougal!!" the boyla cow or two. Colin needed his up-the splendid fire and deter- ways wanting something-always ours-I'll row to the cave myself! cried. "It's all right, now you are supper! They could sleep in the mination of his

he must wetting his feet, or dirtying his I'll catch it!"

here! You promised to take me, cave till he decided what to do, get to the clachan! hands, or wanting a "tory," or A voice hulled him suddenly Dougall. Be a sport! Oh, come on, and there was fortunately a fire- And at last he lay on the top. "something to eat, Nannie!" Well, as he ran towards the boat, П Dougall! Come on!"

thal is to say what the tinkers had gasping, and wiped the perspira- he could stay there on the little boy's voice, but he heeded nothing,

Down the loch went the little

lon from his face, and the blood. strip of hard sand, before which He had caught the edge and bout with the two boys; it fairly

and he rofastened a bootlace-he was the lovely silent loch, girt by climbed in, laughing merrily at danced. Would another squall sendi

had not dared to stop to do it be- great mountains; they had no his own prowess and daring, and it to be wrecked on the rocks at beauty for Nannie, who much pre- he seized an oar and pushed fur-the right?

fore, and then he could see a few little twinkling lights from the ferred Piccadilly, and the Cinema,, ther out himself. Oh, it was love- It was dusk when the McLeans lett of a fire-and a pile of dry cottages in the and "Town," to

clachan, and he any of nature's ly "Master Colin, where are you returned, and Viola put down her bracken and twigs and logs beside, went on, and knocked loudly at beauties. She walked off to the going? Master Colin!"

gun and called to Nannie and her it. On the top was the box of Pharaig's door. house, and the boy sat down on The bare-legged boy, with the boy. The last of the sunset stain matches they always left ready. "Pharaig!" he called. "It is me, the sand and kicked it about for a brown face and eager eyes, ran was gone on the water, a purple And besides this, there was the Dougall, and I am wanting you to little, and took up some shining down to the strip of beach, and gloom enveloped the hills; sweat old tin pot in which they made go at once, Pharaig, to the Me- pebbles, and watched the boat was in time to see the little boat, suggestion of bog myrtle and sun-tea, a. tin, with oat cakes, and Lean's at the end of the loch, to rocking idly by the side.

carried by a new, strong current, kissed heather came with the cool some cheese! They always re-Ardnambuth, and tell them The boat! He wanted to get into drift out down the loch.

little wind. Viola looked at the turned here, and in a corner was come for Colin, the wee laddie! the boat! He wanted to go round What was this? The child could house and called again.

the pile of dry heather on which He is with me, Pharaig, and to the cave of the pink foxgloves! not row! And then he saw the "Is the boy in bed, Nannte? they slept.

quite safe, say that!" Dougall, the head gillie's son, who little lad lift an car, and tumble Didn't he want to kiss Mother? Dougall took In all these things, Pharaig came out, a big man always went with him and his backward, and the oar, as if pos- Has, he said his prayers without and he told Colin to follow him, with a circular red beard, and father, had said he would take sessed, slipping out of his grasp, Mother? Colin darling, here is "We'll have supper, Colin," he wide-open, light eyes. He spoke him to the cave of the foxgloves was corried away!

said, in his most grown-up voice. very slowly and solemnly.

Motherback!”

on the roll send By Ethel F. Heddle

4

to

some day. He liked it so much- What was Dougall to do now? A distraught figure, flushed and "I'll make the tea, and you will "And where the tevil do you one of the caves down the loch, He could not swim! The boy in the gasping, came running from the be Hilding it ferry well, here, in come from, Dougall, at this hour with great boulders of pink granite boat, alone-drifting down the servants' quarters. "Oh, Madam! the foxglove cave. And then you of the night knocking at my near, and a row of pink foxgloves loch-and at the foot of the bay. How can I tell you? The boy will go to sleep here, and Dougall door? And what are you talking growing at the edge. Dougall told unless it was driven on shore and Colin he is lost! Oh, Madam, I will be thinking what to do, and about?" him tinkers lived in the cave; wrecked, was the entrance to the have been nearly frantic!"

maybe climbing up to the clachan, sometimes. "Tinkers" were

Dougall told him, clearly and en-great sea itself.

"Lost? What on earth, do you and getting them to send the succinctly. viable people, who slept in the Dougalt knew all that. Somehow mean? Stop crying, you fool, and donkey with old Pharaig or "I came from the cave of the heather, and travelled in cartsjhe must get into that boat beside speak!" McLean had her by the Lauchlan Og (him that is with brown

not pink foxgloves, below, and the Mc- covers, on which the boy-somehow! Only that shoulder, and he shook

her.quite right in his mind) to tell the Lean's boy is there! He got into jangled tin kettles. They had morning Mrs. McLean had nodded "Speak! Is he hurt?"

McLean and your mother, where the boat, and it drifted off, and brown faces, and begged. "Com- to him as she joined her husband "No, sir, not burt-lost!" She you are."

the oar broke, and I cannot swim, mon people you must not speak in the car.

walled again. "Bessie thinks he's to," Nannie said, in her cockney

"I will say my prayers to you, but I got in beside him. The tink- "I leave Colin in your charge, been kidnapped! But oh, Madam, Dougall," Colin said consideringly, ers had left supper, Pharaig, and "réfeened" voice. Colin had said remember, Dougall! In your it can't be in Scotland! I left him "Mother will miss me" (he swal- the boy is asleep on the heather, nothing, but he liked them all charge! I'd rather trust him than here, playing happily-when Ilowed something in his throat). "I and I lit a fire that he would not the same, and he decided that tea Nannie," she had said to her hus-came out he was gone! Gone!" She wish I could tell her I am in the be cold. But I think it will have in the cave, in a tin cup, and with band, who laughed. "Ten times!" sobbed again.

foxglove cave safe. And you will gone out, now. And I must get "Please, Nannie, control your- tell her somehow."

¡back, for fear he wakes, and is self!"

"Oh, yes, I will be telling her--afrald. And you will go at once, Viola, white-faced and wild- somehow!"

Pharàig,, find tell the lady and the eyed, said. "Tell us all about it! He made some tea-he got water McLean, and they will bring the When did you leave him, and from a little spring that trickled other boat and get us. Go at once, where? Was there anyone here? from the clift, just above, and he please, and if you will gave me Did you see anyone? Answer, spread some butter on the ban-that stick of yours, and a bit of please!"

nock; the tinkers had left just the rope, I will be glad!" Questions and answers follow- enough for Colin, and the boy ate Pharaig listened to all this, and. ed--Nannie's sobs and assevera-'it quite happily, and drank the stared and said. "Well! Well! Well! tions, and Viola, white-faced, star- tea. He grew rather sleepy, and Well!" many times, but he got the ing up at the great mountains, began to yawn, and Dougall took stick and the rope, and he got "Colin is last!"

him to the nest of dry heather, Dougall a great draught of milk, and covered him over.

and a piece of bannock, and then

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How could it be? They sent for the head gillie, at The loch was a dark shield, now, he called his wife, and told her ance, and Dougall's father came; a, and the great hills had faded into the story, and that he would get big, broad, capable man, who is the night. The pink foxgloves were the donkey and ride up to the top tened, standing. before Viola, who ghastly sentinels. Sometimes a of the loch. Would she please give felt a kind of comfort in his very grouse cfled "Go back, go back," him his other boots? presence.

faintly from above, or the far-off, Dougall got down, somehow, "Ach, yes, he would go and lonely cry of the gulls came from slipping and sliding, but the stick search the hill at once, he would the little islands--all Sounds so was a great help, and once he tied be sure to find the wee laddie! familiar to Dougall.

the rope to a boulder and swung

He could not have gone far, a wee When Colin was asleep, his fair down by its ald, though he boy like that! Maybe Dougall head resting contentedly on the sprained his foot, badly, and his had met him on the moor. He was heather, Dougall went out and hands were cut and bruised. But keen on Dougall, and Dougall had stood looking up and considering he accomplished it, and there was promised to take him fishing. He it all. What was he going to do?the cave, and the boy safe, and would go and get Dougall at once How was he going to tell Mrs. above from, the clachan he could -the lady must not fret-and then McLean and the McLean-Helhear Phoraig calling to the don- he would come back and tell her.'must tell them! The boy would key, and calling it, not very nice He would be wishing them a very need food to-morrow, for the ban-names in Gaelic, when it object- Įgood evening, and please to cheer nock of the tinkers was almosṭled to letting him, mount at this lup!"

done, and the butter quite and unearthly hour. Dougall smiled as "Come and eat something, darl-Colin would be hungry He he heard, and then laughed out ing," Harry said, when the other was accustomed to good break-suddenly, and Colin woke and said strode off. "And I'll go and meet fasts, with Nannie, very superior, "What are you laughing at Dou- him and bring you news at mice. watching for his plate Belda gall? But 1-1 want to go home Don't listen to that weeping idiot empty.

now, Dougall!” Nannie! Of course she knows she But how to get to them? He "We will be going ferry soon," should not have left him. We'll looked at the water and the one-Dougall said. He limped back and get the car, and I'll pick up Phor-gared boat-even that had a split tried to re-light the fire. "For they lane, and the boy I know his in it. He had fastened the boat to will be coming soon, now; Colin! croft. Come, now, you must not a boulder, he did not think it Pharaig will thrash the donkey alarm yourself! He can't have gone would drift away,

and make it go-Oh, yes, he will far,"

He stood and looked up at the thrash him till he goes, he will Eut he was secretly uneasy. cliff, and took his resolve. He bring the McLean to take us back Suppose, the child had fallen into must climb up he must- and Lie down, now, and sleep, and. a crevass? Broken his leg? Got get Lauchlan Og or someone to go I will hold my coat, till this fire into one of the hill streams? He to the head of the loch and bring catches." A

saw his wife ate something and help. He knew it was a perilous, Colin looked at him sleepily and then went off to And Phar-it not m impossible, climb. Even said briefly: "Your face is all lane. But at the croft there, was his father never dreamed of going scratched, poor Dougall!”“and went. no news and no message, and his up to the clachan that way no to sleep again.” face darkened. Then he could one ever did. see the gillie's tall figuïe in the must?

Dougall fell asleep, too, near the purple dusk, and Pharlane came. He went in and looked at the boy, that they heard oars in row- up. his face rather grave.

boy, sound asleep, quite He had sent two shepherds over quite safe.

: But

if he It seemed no time after that, for

safe, locks, and a shout, and a voice calling, "There it is, darling! There the nearest reaches of the moor He looked out on the lochure the foxgloves! Oh, Colin, Colin, and they had called, and called, nothing could harm him from my darling boy!". and searched, and heard nothing! there. No "monsters" came to this. He was in her arms, Viola

Also, Dougall was gone!

loch, there were only fairy stories Inceling down in the cave, and. But that might be hopefull—for of a great bell which flew over It her husband had hold of Douguil Dougall might have found the sometimes, and bells did not hurt and was wringing the boy's little Ind, and would bring him people!

hand, and patting his shoulder, back, safel

Looking up he considered the “You life brick! Chapter 11: climb the bushes that could helplaty says you climbed up

him, the Upuiders, the dwart that cliff?" He was almost incoher- DOUGALL'S CLIMB rowan tree, the tough roots, lent, and Dougall blankly, looked

3oI will be going up, he said to up in his face his mind toolc. Thoy sat in the cave of the fox- himtoir in hige, soft bing-zone things in blowly.. loves--a wave had, Kent the nti voide, lishe Said I will fenye hinige am glad the tonlt boat up on the pebbles before it in your charge, Dougall, I must he muttered sleepily,

and Dougall clamberi

raig

let her know, and must have thrashed him well!