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The Garden Without Walls

CHAPTER VI-THE YONDER LAND

Word Count: 2939    |    Released on: 17/11/2017

at it must be something splendid. Of one thing we were quite certain: that at the end of a few days we should have grown tall; we should return to Pope Lane a man a

y, feeling that somehow it was proper. At any rate, Hetty and our ga

carry us. The fear of pursuit was upon us. Pinned to the pillow of each of ou

the other side stood an irregular row of substantial houses, for the most part creeper-covered. No faces appeared in the houses' windows. No one passed up or down the street. It was as yet too early

flung over it. On her head was a yellow straw poke-bonnet, which made her face look strangely small. She h

just hurried on with a vague idea

t their tails with a pointed stick and started hopping from side to side, barking like a dog. He passed right by us, saying nothing, waving a red flag in his left hand with which he would sometimes mop his forehead. We fol

e be you goin' and w

rest. I wanted to show Ruthita the unwalle

ou be wery small to be goin' to the forest. But so be you're t

rass, imitating his cries to prevent the sheep from scattering. He told us that he had driven them from Epping up to London, but that times wer

hook his-head as though language failed to

little foot and insisted that he should not do it. The man pushed back his battered hat and scratched his forehead, staring at her. He seemed embarrassed and tried to excuse himself. "Humans is humans,

eager for our company. On its banks stood occasional taverns, gaily painted, with wooden tables set before them. The grass about them wa

er, I am. I lost me eye and got lamed in the wars; and

m was evidently too dre

pping her hand into his horny

I walks. It's woundin'. It 'urts me feelin

the level of the sky-line, so I knew that we were going in the right direction and our guide was to be trusted.

' else in it. But your h'eye ain't prejoodiced, and don't yer never let it git so, young miss and master. I've seen lots. I wuz in the Crimea and I wuz in h'Ind

e he played he looked as merry a fellow as one could hope to meet in a day's march. T

sunrise this mornin'? I never miss it, 'ceptin' when I'm drunk. I knows the seasons o' the bloomin' flowers, Gawd bless 'em, and can h'imitate the birds' songs and call 'em to me.

and his face gentle. "I 'ad a

about marriage, but he pulled his hat down ov

. Then Ruthita grew tired and, leaning against my shoulder, persuaded me to tell her the story of where we were going. Before the tale was ended, her eyes were close

looked at the sun. "Time we wu

id that she was thirsty, so we entered. The drover spread himself out on a bench and, soliciting my in

from the top in our honor. He explained to all and sundry that we wuz his little nipper and girl wot he had losht. He losht us years ago, so long he could hardly remember. The tavern-girl entered into a discussion with him, sayi

n. I half expected to find my mother in the forest, just as I had hoped to bring her back on the magic carpet. So when Dot-and-Carry-One was so positive, I asked him if he had heard of the Siege of Paris. He was in a mood when he had heard of everything,

d paid for his drinks, we discovered that we had only three shillings and eightpence left of our little stock of money. The tavern-girl sai

ice were forgotten. He told us tales of his wars, painting tremendous and bloody scenes of carnage. He slew whole armies that afternoon, and at the end of each battle he was left alone, wounded but dauntless, with the dead 'uns piled high about him. He went into grisly details of the manner of their dying, and stopped now and t

clasped about his forehead. The forest, like a green silent army, with its flags unfurled marched nearer. The

to walk again, while Dot-and-Carry-One barked and waved his stick to keep the flock from scattering. The night came on and we were hungry. At last Ruthita's legs gave out and she sat down by the roadsid

ilence became intense; the last of the twilight vanished. I was glad when Ruthita put her arms round my neck

ne of the paths I could see a limping figure approaching. He was shouting and singing and stabbing at his shadow. As he came nearer I could distinctly see that he h

adly. Burrowing under arms and legs we made our way to the front. A great linen sheet was stretched between two trees. Set up on iron rings before it was a line of cocoanuts. On either side flaring naphtha-lamps were burning. About thirty yards away from the sheet a woman was serving out wooden balls. Between the sheet and the

eir faces were dripping with perspiration. The man returned the balls and the woman served them out again mechanically.

n an impatient thrower hurled a ball which went whizzing over me, missed the cocoanuts, and hit the man on the head, splitting his eyebrow. I was terribly afraid that he would topple over and lie still, like Dot-and-Carry-One had told me men did in battle. Instead of that, when I came within reach of him he clutched

u, you young

up, whom I had seen before with the ba

d, speaking gruffly, "

penny. Two shies a penny. Every ball

ked across my shoulder the game was in full swing. The woman was serving out the balls; the crowd was paying its pennies; the man was dodging up and dow

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1 BOOK I-THE WALLED-IN GARDEN2 CHAPTER I-MY MOTHER3 CHAPTER II-THE MAGIC CARPET4 CHAPTER III-THE SPUFFLER5 CHAPTER IV-RUTHITA6 CHAPTER V-MARRIAGE ACCORDING TO HETTY7 CHAPTER VI-THE YONDER LAND8 CHAPTER VII-THE OPEN WORLD9 CHAPTER VIII-RECAPTURED10 CHAPTER IX-THE SNOW LADY11 BOOK II-THE PULLING DOWN OF THE WALLS12 CHAPTER I-THE RED HOUSE13 CHAPTER II-CHILDISH SORROWS AND CHILDISH COMFORTERS14 CHAPTER III-THE WORLD OF BOYS15 CHAPTER IV-NEW HORIZONS16 CHAPTER V-THE AWAKENING17 CHAPTER VI-WHAT IS LOVE18 CHAPTER VII-THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SPUFFLER19 CHAPTER VIII-MONEY AND HAPPINESS20 CHAPTER IX-THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES21 CHAPTER X-THE LAST OF THE RED HOUSE22 CHAPTER XI-STAR-DUST DAYS23 BOOK III-THE GARDEN WITHOUT WALLS24 CHAPTER I-I MEET HER25 CHAPTER II-I MEET HER AGAIN26 CHAPTER III-FATE27 CHAPTER IV-THE TRUTH ABOUT HER28 CHAPTER V-LUCK TURNS IN MY FAVOR29 CHAPTER VI-MOTHS30 CHAPTER VII-THE GARDEN OF TEMPTATION31 CHAPTER VIII-THE WAY OF ALL FLESH32 CHAPTER IX-THE ELOPEMENT33 CHAPTER X-PUPPETS OF DESIRE34 CHAPTER XI-SPRING WEATHER35 CHAPTER XII-THE BACK-DOOR OF THE WORLD36 CHAPTER XIII-THE TURNING POINT37 CHAPTER XIV-I GO TO SHEBA38 CHAPTER XV-THE FLAME OF A SWORD39 BOOK IV-THE FRUIT OF THE GARDEN40 CHAPTER I-THE HOME-COMING41 CHAPTER II-DREAM HAVEN42 CHAPTER III-NARCOTICS43 CHAPTER IV-RUTHITA44 CHAPTER V-LA FIESOLE45 CHAPTER VI-SIR GALAHAD IN MONTMARTRE46 CHAPTER VII-SATURNALIA47 CHAPTER VIII-LA BELLE DAME SANS MERCI48 CHAPTER IX-THE GARDEN WITHOUT WALLS49 CHAPTER X-THE FRUIT OF THE GARDEN