II.
When Hal, after many difficulties, escaped the watchful eyes of Miss Ainsworth, and running through torrents of rain hid himself under a drenched tarpaulin at the bottom of Micky's boat, the supreme moment of his life had been reached.
He suspected that on such a morning of storm even Mad Micky might possibly refuse to pilot human cargo across the rough water, for New Year's Eve outvied the previous days of tempest.
The boat, moored at the Castle Stewart end of Slaneyford Lough, lay in sight of the roaring sea, whose billows broke upon innumerable creeks made alive by the hurrying presence of foam-crested waves.
Hal had collected all the money he possessed in his small pockets—silver for Miss Cairn, and three big pennies for Mad Micky when the moment should arrive to reveal his hidden presence.
No wonder the boy's heart beat furiously, for of all his life's adventures this appeared the most thrilling and terrifying.
It was one thing to play at shipwrecked mariners and to storm castles in which no ogres dwelt—it proved a different matter to lie calmly concealed while Micky, who "had set his mind on a watery grave," let his frail barque tear across the Lough under a single head-sail.
The boy knew enough of the treacherous current and the strength of the tide to realize fully the perils of his passage.
Peeping from under his covering he could see the reckless face of his unconscious guide, fully aware that no man valuing his safety would sail as Mad Micky sailed that morning.
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"HE COULD SEE THE RECKLESS FACE OF HIS UNCONSCIOUS GUIDE."
The child's sensitive nature would have been tortured by fears but for the encouraging influence of a great unselfish love.
"It's for mother's sake!" he said, hiding his eyes from the swift, deep body of water, whipped into fury by the wind as it viciously lashed the sail.
"It's for mother's sake!" he repeated, when the personal discomfort of his position warned him there can be few places wetter or more cheerless than a small boat unprotected from the elements when the rain descends in really gross solidity.
Mrs. Court felt none the worse for her journey as she drove to Castle Stewart late that afternoon.
She was really rather amused at having flung caution to the winds, and was by no means depressed at landing in a hurricane of squall and dirt on the dear, familiar Irish shore.
Her first thought was for Hal as she crossed the threshold of her old home, and a sudden keen misgiving pierced her like a knife when faces of frightened distress greeted her on the doorstep.
"Where is Hal?"
The words broke sharply; the bright, magnificent eyes flashed a glance of terror from right to left.
"We don't know!" The answer came unsteadily from faltering lips. "He disappeared this morning; he was last seen by one of the gardeners, running towards the Lough, slipping over the slimy stones and rocks. The man wondered we allowed him out in the wet to play on the weedy boulders, but the foolish fellow said nothing till it was too late. When he heard Hal was missing he spoke, but not till then. The shore has been searched, but——"
Mrs. Court stayed to hear no more. The blank, hopeless faces of the speakers told the rest.
Miss Ainsworth was weeping hysterically, and grandmamma's features grew stone-like in their set misery.
All the new-comer realized was that Hal—her Hal—had met with some disaster. Only the gravest accident would keep him away at such a moment. Her mind leapt to the worst fears. Like one possessed she rushed alone down the long drive, hardly knowing what she did, till her feet reached the very brink of the flowing tide.
Surely the cry of her heart must call, even above the storm, to little Hal, the tender, clinging child, accustomed to think always of her pleasure during the happy days they spent at home together.
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"RUNNING AT FULL SPEED, CAME A SMALL BREATHLESS FIGURE."
As if in answer to her soul's appeal, along the bank of the Lough's dark, swollen water, running at full speed, came a small breathless figure, drenched to the skin, holding aloft a tiny paper packet, which he waved victoriously.
"Dearest, it was for you!" he cried. "And, oh! I'm so sorry to be late, but Micky nearly got shipwrecked this time, the wind was so high, and his mast broke. I was frightened you'd lose your voice, so I went to Ferryport to buy Miss Cairn's cough-drops. They are splendid, dearest; try one and see!"
Already he had ferreted into the bag, and was holding between a salted thumb and finger a brilliant specimen of Miss Cairn's triumph in pink-striped lozenges.
As Mrs. Court heard the eager tidings: "Dearest, it was for you!" a rush of tears to her eyes and a sudden choking in her throat made Hal anxious.
"You—you have caught a cold!" he exclaimed, with conviction, forcing the sugared cough-drop into her protesting hands.
"No, darling boy—no," she stammered, mastering her emotion with an effort; "the New Year gladness choked me for a moment, that's all!"
Solutions to the Puzzles in the December Number.
TRACKING THE FUGITIVES.
The solution of this amusing problem is as follows: The fugitive started from station No. 1 on foot, carrying the child; at station No. 2 he mounted a bicycle and, still carrying the child, rode to No. 3; there he placed the child in a wheelbarrow; as indicated by the marks of the legs of the wheelbarrow, he stopped before reaching No. 4 and put down the child, who walked by his side to the station; thence he continued his journey on a tricycle, which also carried the child; at No. 5 he changed his tricycle for a monocycle (that is, a single-wheeled cycle, such as is used by trick-riders), but the child which he was carrying caused him to lose his balance and he fell; he then took the child in his arms and carried it to No. 6; thence he started holding the child by the hand, but farther on he again took it in his arms and so completed the journey at No. 7.
THE QUARRELSOME BROTHERS.
The solution of this problem will be found in the above sketch. Of course, the problem may be solved by drawing the lines the reverse way.
TO RECONSTRUCT THE CLOWN.
The reader will see, by inspection of the accompanying drawings, that the only way to solve this problem is by making a cut along the dotted line "A" before making that along the dotted line "B." This is the only possible method of obtaining four pieces with two cuts of the scissors. This being done, the method of rejoining the pieces so as to form the clown, as shown in the smaller diagram, will easily be followed, the pieces being numbered in order to show more readily where they fall.
A STRANGE SIGNATURE.
It will be seen that the signature is that of the celebrated French General, Marshal Ney.
TO MAKE A HEN OUT OF AN APPLE.
The white lines on the diagram given above of the apple will show in what manner the piece is to be cut out of it, which, being placed in its proper position, forms the neck and head of the hen. The stem being cut off and divided into two parts, as shown by the dotted lines, will give the legs, which, when attached to the body, complete the figure.
TO TURN THIS MAN INTO ANOTHER.
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This problem is one of the most difficult of our collection. The dotted lines in the first of the accompanying three illustrations show how the original sketch has to be divided, while the other two show the manner in which the pieces require to be put together in order to form the new figure.
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A CURIOUS MENAGERIE.
Unlike the preceding one, this problem is quite easy, and no doubt many hundreds of our readers will have found the correct solution. In order to obtain this it is only necessary to take the last triangle and paste upon its three sides the three other triangles, so as to complete the cat, the dog, and the cock, at the same time producing one large triangle composed of four small ones. The three summits of these triangles are then brought together, thus forming a pyramid. The menagerie, with the swan, the eagle, and the rabbit complete, will then be found to have been reconstructed.
A STRANGE GEOMETRICAL FIGURE.
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The following design gives the solution of this curious problem. The dotted lines show in which way the figure is to be cut, and the numbers indicate the new position of the pieces.
THE FACETIOUS SCHOOLBOY.
Our readers will see by a glance at the accompanying drawing what features of the original landscape it was necessary to preserve in order to solve the problem, and which were produced by the schoolboy's pencil and must accordingly be removed. The drawing represents a light-house built on the edge of a cliff.
ROUND THE CAPSTAN.
This drawing gives the solution of the problem, showing to what bodies the respective heads and legs should be attached.
THE SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC.
The two signs of the Zodiac which it is necessary to choose, and the method of placing them among the stars and dots, are here shown.
TO COMPLETE THE BIRDS.
Cut the paper into an exact square just containing the birds and fold it in the well-known manner of making a "paper bird," when the two birds will appear, one as shown, and the other on the reverse.
TO MAKE A FLOWER OUT OF FOUR FREAKS.
The method of making a flower out of the four grotesque heads which were represented in the diagram is one of the simplest of the series. All that is required is to cut out the four heads, remove the white part, and place them one upon the other. The space left empty then forms the flower, as will be easily understood by inspecting the two designs here given. Each figure is represented by a dotted line.
THE SERPENT AND THE FILE.
Roll the strip of paper in a spiral, and the pieces of the serpent will be joined, while the file will disappear.
A BLOT OF INK.
Four black discs will be obtained by making six folds the long way of the design and two across it, as shown in the two accompanying drawings.
WHAT ANIMAL IS THIS?
The animal is an elephant, as the reader can see for himself, and the method of forming him will also be readily apparent without further explanation.
THE CASTLE IN THE FOREST.
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The outline shows the track which is to be followed by the traveller in order to penetrate the forest and reach the castle in the centre.
A MOTOR-CAR PROBLEM.
The following is the series of eighteen movements which are required to transfer motor-cars from one shed into the other:—
- Move car No. 5 into the refuge.
- Move No. 2 into the place of No. 5.
- Move No. 3 into the space between the refuge and the lower shed.
- Move No. 5 into the place of No. 3.
- Move No. 3 into the place of No. 2.
- Move No. 2 into the refuge.
- Move No. 6 into the space between the refuge and the upper shed.
- Move No. 2 into the place of No. 6.
- Move No. 6 into the refuge.
- Move No. 3 into the lower shed in the place of No. 5.
- Move No. 1 into the space between the refuge and the lower shed.
- Move No. 6 into the upper shed in the place of No. 1.
- Move No. 1 in the place of No. 2 in the upper shed.
- Move No. 3 into the space between the refuge and the upper shed.
- Move No. 4 into the refuge.
- Move No. 3 into the place of No. 4 in the lower shed.
- Move No. 1 into the lower shed.
- Move No. 4 into the upper shed.
THE RIFLE RANGE.
The point is shown in the diagram below:—
