Explorers of the Dawn

irway. We could hear The Seraph

s a favourite punishment with Mrs. Handsomebody, and we had a suspicion that she relished the fact that so much

om was very small and the one window stared blankly at the window of

ls or leafy forest glades, so we little fellows made a castle stronghold of our bed; or better still, a gallant frigate that sailed be

ate, with The Seraph for a cabin boy, fought the bloody pirate gangs on

n our fancy was let free, and we fought on empty stomachs, and felt only the wind in

efore we got to business. To wit, the rank insubordination of The Seraph. It

ded The Seraph, who

wl that had made him dreaded the South Seas

ph hung

in' a bit o' stwi

my hearty! Here we are without any dinner, all along of you. Now see here, you'll go right over into that corner by the window with your face

window curtain. He looked very small. I could not help remembering

. Where was the cabin-boy with his trusty dirk, eager to bleed for the cause? Though we kept our backs rigorously turned to the windo

what was our surprise to hear the chuckling laug

ace was pressed to the window,

, kid?" we

rn," he sputtered, "winkin

stood the old gentleman of the flowered dressing-gown laughing and nodding at The Seraph! Wh

dily, being seldom raised, as Mrs. Handsomebody regarded fresh air m

creaking, and the next moment we were

aid, in a lou

said we,

en face, and wide-open light

ated, looking at Ange

strangers, so I usual

vid Curzon but mother called him A

en he fixed The Seraph with his

t being called a bantling, gigg

ut mother called him The Seraph,

old gentleman, "and

" I re

little smile, "and what d

answered firmly

ther?" came th

omebody used to be his governess when he was a little boy, so he left us with her, but some day, pretty so

ympathetically. Then, q

s your

swered sadly, "she went

ly, "but she's comin' back some

el gruffly, poking

" I explained apologetical

his hand in the pocket

is droll smile, "do you li

aph, "I yike them-o

as fast as we could catch them. It was surprising how we began

curious things to the window to show us. One of these was a starl

ad brought it all the way from Devon for company, and, he added-"the brute had put out both its eyes

hoed the starling brisk

it reached his cheek, where it began to peck at his whiskers, cryi

idea that was swiftly forming in

it not possible that he had seen, even fought with, real pirates? Might he not have foll

I began,

ouraged. "Did

t, "ever see a pirate shi

ace l

plied casually,

with an excited laugh, "p'

looked cautiously into the room behind him, and, apparently satisfied that no one coul

. Pirate a

er. I know my knees shook and the room reeled. The

ke pi

your hair stand on end to read it-what with fights, and murders, and hangings, and storms, and shipwreck, and the hunt for gold! Many a sweet schooner or

, as though he feared

just that you chaps seem so sympathetic makes me tell you all this; but you must swear never to breathe a word of it, for no on

ly him with a hundred questions, when we saw a mai

is window. A pleasant aroma of roast beef came across the alley. The next instant the f

"how different he got once he had told us he was a pi

guess it first?"

he returned loftily. "But, oh I say, would

Ellen be scared s

we have f

stasy on the mu

derful and dangerous friendship. And as it turned out,

d the traces of our sojourn on the bed as well as we could, and, when Mrs. Handsomebody entered, sh

od than usual. She shook her hard white finger near our faces and said tha

a thorough washing and comb your hair, which is disgraceful

ds, "is why that wart on her chin wiggles so w

brush over his curls, "'cos it's nervous, an'

," Angel responded, gaily

d, we almost pitied Mrs. Handsomebody for her ignor

ling, who could talk, had perched near her very window sill! She spent hours in

it hard to go quietly down to tea with such though