Squib and His Friends

,” pleaded Squib one day; “I should s

n before, or rather, had never noticed. There was nobody at home at the chalet when they got there, as the ladies had gone out for a walk before their noonday lunch or breakfast. But

anted to dry some plants as specimens, but he was always in a hurry 149over it, and did it so carelessly that the poor plant was quite spoiled; and even his butterflies and moths were many of them ruined because he did not take enough pain

like you! It must be nice

just as well as I am doing now with my big, clumsy fingers; but you must have patience, and y

tient. I’m always in a hurry to get to something el

. You often hear the saying that if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well. Try always to keep t

with a sigh; “but it’s very har

r until Seppi had taught him a little, Squib had had no idea of carving. But he showed Squib, as Seppi never did, how odd many of his animals were, with impossible horns and tails, wrong heads o

ren,” said the little boy, “you see it doesn’t much matte

o be always content to carve in this anyhow fashion? and if not, how are you going to improve, if you are qu

up the nondescript animal in question, turni

ey were wrong; and Lisa calls them all wundersch?n. I never tro

ing. See how Seppi enjoys drawing his goats, now that he is really trying to make t

interesting. I’ll try that with my carving and other things

Herr Adler was introduced by Squib with g

Herr Adler was easily drawn into conversation, and soon had all the company listening to his stories, and asking him questions. Squib and Czar sat together on the ground perfectly content, and though the talk was often far above the little boy’

says he will take me to see 152a glacier ice-cave if you will let me go. It

ou may certainly go,” answered the lady with a smile. “I

fidence into the smiling eyes, “and he tells me such lots of beautif

e guest took his departure, having arranged for Squib to

e asked eagerly, running back to her; and his m

at; for he is a good man too. It does one good to li

as if we wanted to be better—as if we must try harder and harder. I don’t know why it is, because he often only just sits and tells us tales and makes u

is true,” said h

ht, although the sun would not yet for some little time climb up high enough to look over the crest of the great mountain away to the east. Squib dressed hims

ot forgetting to take with him his luncheon satchel, which Lisa had stuffed extra full,

constant falls of rock and débris, and the gradual very slow motion of the glacier itself. One place was sometimes a little dangerous, unless a guide was taken; and Peter often earned a little money in the su

h rosy lines across it, and beyond, lower down, just touching the mountain side as it seemed, a golden glory radiating upwards, palpitating with living fire, till all in a moment the glorious sun rose, with what seemed a sudden bound, above the dazzling whiteness of the snow, shooting forth great level shaft

beautiful? Isn

is shoulder. He felt a kindly answ

ttle friend, of what it will be like when the promise is fulfilled, an

uickly with a que

n’t think I ever

o, as you go on in life. But believe me, my child, that glorious day will come; and when it does, the

” though he scarcely knew what thou

ven to turn aside to hunt for some specimen of flower or moss in promising-looking places. Sometimes they sat down and talked, and made Peter tell them some of the legends of the mountains, and what the people used to believe about the ice-ma

w narrower and narrower 156as they pursued its course. And Peter told Squib that it had its rise in the ice-grotto whit

en swept away, and had to be thrown across afresh in the spring; so it was not wonderful that they were rather rickety affairs, and that Czar felt rather nervous at crossing them, and expressed his displeasure by the

erable poles strapped together and thrown across; not f

dles made a soft and springy seat. Sometimes they came upon little clearings, where a few huts or chalets were clustered together, and brown-legged, bare-headed 157children would come out t

d the sound of the cow-bells up on the heights above, where the cattle had been taken for the summer months; but more often the valley was very si

me nearer and nearer, and presently it was trying to investigate the contents of Squib’s satchel, which he had taken off his shoulders and laid beside him. There was a bit of paper sticking out at the top, and the squirrel got hold of it and nibbled at it; and then he gave it a pull, and disl

emained perfectly still. It was movement that frightened them; but curiosity would draw them to come to an

at on your knee,” said Herr Adler; but Squib was not good at sitting sti

hot; but it was so interesting to see how strangely the rocks were jumbled up together, and to hear Herr Adler explain how the glacier moved and ground down

down beneath his feet. Sometimes their way led them just beneath towering walls of rock, and here Peter hurried them along rather fast, for it was in these places that there were frequent falls of rock and débris, which, if travellers chanced to be passing at the time, might very easily crush them to death. In the spri

nd then Squib drew his breath in wonder and amaze, for he saw before him, though at some l

white ridges shining and glistening in the sun. There was 160a beautiful cascade, too, leaping down its edge, and, where the sun touched it, it made a sort of rainbow about the water. As he stood watching it, Herr Adler told him more about rainbows than he had ever known before—how they come, and what they are. It was so beautiful on that little

s!” he said with a sigh of cont

y to show travellers the way. He looked at the party, and then his wrinkled face kindled into a broad smile, for he had been there

d not understand all they said, the old mans talk being very queer indeed. But as

with a crash, and

e 1

y. At least I’m sure that’s one thing. I get bored when people talk about things that I’ve not thought about, or that don’t seem to belong to me; but Herr Adler’s never bored—he’s always interested. I don’t think he ever pretends—he does care. He does like to hear everything; and he cares for every single person h

o his hut, and came out again with some little packets in his hand; and at sigh

ires. He is very clever at that, but he won’t do it for ever

and sprinkled over them. After that they went along another gallery, and then came out into a wonderful grotto, the walls of which were of ice, with here and there a ledge of jutting rock, and where great icicles hung

Of course they were always gradually changing in shape, but the carving was too rude for that to matter much. A blow here and there would soon give it a vague shape again, and the old custodian amused himself by the astonishe

great fragments were lying about in some confusion, waiting to be set in place. Many persons came to see them, and amongst them this lady; and my friend found her standing looking at the broken fragment of a horse. There was the head and neck and a small part of the body, and nothing more. It was leaning up against the wall, and as my friend passed

e grotto into a fairy palace, such as the child had dimly pictured sometimes in his daydreams. He did not wonder now that the inhabitants of these wild mountain places, so full of wonderful and beautiful hidden places, should have stores upon stores of legends about the uns

fter a short time their guide took them back into the open daylight ag

place I’ve seen. What lots of things I shall have to tell the children when I get back! I shall never rem

, my grandfather did not think much of it. He went away on the next day, taking the little dog with him; but when he stopped to bait the horses at mid-day, the dog disappeared, and he quite failed to find him, and had to go on without him. He was away from home about a fortnight; and whilst engaged upon his business he had a letter from his wife, saying that the Newfoundland dog had suddenly disappeared, and had not been seen for a whole day. That was the only letter he got from his wife all the time he was absent, because he was moving about, and she could not be sure where he would be. As he was going home, he again passed a night at the house of his friend; and there he h

told the big one all about it, and got him to come and fight the gent

nd it is quite true. So dogs certainly have the power of making each other understand

r was on ahead, and suddenly they heard him shouting to them in a voice which seemed full of fear; and when they looked they saw him gesticu

n he glanced into Herr Adler’s face he saw that it was very

t great wall of rock under which the path lies, run on there quickly, and stand up under its shelter. I will

ou?” asked Squib. “I shou

on first, my child. I

ll the while he kept gasping out excited, disjointed fragments of talk, by which Squib made out that they were just in the very track of the dangerous falls of stone which were dislodged by the little avalanches up in

s. He was not far behind, and was making his way rapidly towards them. Squib was glad to note that Czar remained beside him, as

re together, Herr Adler found a place where 168a deep crevice in the wall of rock enabled both the children to stand in almost perfect safety, whilst he remai

u are!” pleaded Squib earnestly; but Herr Adler s

other trusted you to me, and I must restore you to her safe and

n upon them like a live monster rushing after its prey. Suppose it were to fall upon them, even in this place, or break away the protecting rocks and bury them all amongst them! Squib felt a shiver run through

ve His angels ch

ew that, though he could not have foun

ll take care of Herr Adler.

of choking dust; there was an awful crash just beyond them, and for a moment Squib had to fight for breath. He felt as though he were swallowing whole mouthfuls of gravel and

ren! we have been wo

th of the avalanche was marked by a wide track of freshly-fallen rock and ice and débris. Peter pointed eagerly to the still

ure you ar

as all shot several yards beyond our feet; but I am a terrible object to look at, I suspect. When we get to the woods,

keeping some thirty yards ahead; “I was frightened till I thought of that verse about the angels keeping watch—

had any helps or comforts here which are denied to His children. And in the book of Daniel the angels are spoken of as being ‘holy watchers’—the watcher

eyes gave response; an

rs and ministering spirits; so it is not difficult to believe that they may be sent by Him to watch over us, especially in times of

now any stories about

e to place as his business required. At one halting-place, when he spoke to the innkeeper and the persons in the inn about the next village he had to go to, they shook their heads, and advised him not to do so. The place was very wild; the inn he proposed going to bore a very ill name; several travellers going there had disappeared, and had never been heard of since. It was thought very foolhardy of him to attempt such a

growing dusk before he saw any signs of the place, though he had particularly wanted to get there before dark. At last he came to the unwelcome conclusion that he was quite lost, and this was rather a serious matter in so wild and lonely a country. But whilst he was wondering what he should do, and whither he should turn, he suddenly saw the traveller of the previous evening riding towards him on a white horse. He hail

again he could only pray that God would send him help. Suddenly his horse stopped dead short, with a snort of terror. The merchant tried to urge him on, but he would not go; and almost at the same time he again saw his fellow-traveller on the white horse riding towards him. ‘Take care!’ he said. ‘Do not urge on your horse; you are close to the edge of a deep gravel-pit. If your horse had not seen the danger, you would have been dashed in pieces. But turn round and come with me. I will put you into the

away, which the people called the Leuchtenberg; and before setting out for home, he went up thither, and asked about the messenger on the white horse who was sent to warn travellers of their danger. But nobody there knew anything about it. There was no such man and no such horse as he desc

s habitual eager earnestness, n

and all the beautiful things I see every day; but it does seem as if there might be angels to take care of us. I shall try never to be afraid now if things are dreadfu