E. Nesbit

“ The others did not seem to know; but Clifford knew, for he is nearly a man. They were bent, and rubbed up, and scratched. The hat-stand had fallen on one, and Olive had sat on another. All poetical dreamers, who ever imagine anything, must have imagined sitting down hard on a high hat as one of the heights of worldly bliss ”

“ And of course, when we picked up the most firmly sat-on hat, we saw the loops of cord, and knew it was the bishop's. It would be. Life is like that.
We looked at each other, and at the ruins of that once happy hat and hall and hat-stand. And we heard the Serious Sergeants clapping one of the addressers—we never knew which.
"Oh," said Madeline, "I can't bear it! Let's hide till he's got over it a little."
"We ought to face the music," said Clifford, who wishes to be a conscientious hero.
"We needn't face it yet," said Alan. "Wait till the Serious Sergeants have gone."
"Let's fly," said Olive. ”

“ He lit his candle, and looked, and it was just another cave that the young explorers had so carefully dog-dug their way into.
"Come on," said Clifford, "it's just another cave, but there must be some one here, because of the light." So they came on, and we began to walk with one candle, hoping to find the human aid which is so often despaired of. But we couldn't find any. And the candle was nearly done when we heard a confused sound of voices very loud and echoing. ”

“ For of course they would never let any one out who could tell the people outside about how the long-lost cave-dwellers still subsisted in their primitive way, unknown to the police, and most likely living by secret burglary when people were asleep in their beds.
You cannot look down when you are lying on your back on the top of a mound. But we heard the voices go by, and lights gleamed on the chalk roof that our faces were quite close to. ”

“ This was what we once did to her, though very sorry for it afterwards.
"I think some noble task would help us most," said Olive, taking no notice of Madeline. "I shall buy some blue wool and knit him some bed-socks—in two shades."
"My only comfort," said Clifford, "is that my collars won't hold out. Three a day isn't what they've been used to!"
It is rare indeed for an uncle to notice what you have got on. Aunts are more observative.
"I suppose it's being tidy himself," said Olive. He was tidy; more so than I have ever seen any one in human shape. No matter where he went, he never got dusty. ”

“ Of course, it was far beyond our reach.
"Hi!" was now heard to be being shouted by Olive and Alan above, "what is it?"
"It's a cave," said Clifford; "a jolly big one."
"I say—I'm on," remarked Alan. And as the hole shut up, I knew he had put his boots into it.
"You can't get out again!" I shouted, but too late; his boots and his body had shut off our voices from his ears. Next moment he stood beside us—on all fours.
"Stay where you are!" Clifford yelled up to Olive. "Look here, you mustn't come down. I'm sorry for you—you'll have to break it to Uncle, and make him send ropes and rescues. ”

“ They were as fierce as they could possibly be, and wore hardly any clothes—only beast-skins. They were all like this except the villa-dwellers, who are quite different, and just like other people. That is all the instructive part; we now come to the narrative.
I will begin by saying that I am Clifford, and there are four others, not counting Madeline, who is but a mere cousin, and not really one of us. The other names are Olive, Alan, Martin, and Laura. I never can see that it is any use telling people's names if you don't at once tell what they are like. ”

“ We hastened to clear away the leaves in armfuls. They were very thick indeed. The voice of Madeline suddenly yelling just underneath us made us stop for a minute, and then go on harder than ever, replying to the buried one by whispered yells, so as not to be heard by the Serious Sergeants, of "All right," "You hold on," and "We're coming."
We had lifted away quite a lot of leaves—you see, they kept tumbling in from the sides and choking up the hollow as fast as we made it—before we found the hole in the ground through which our cousin had happened to sift. ”

“ So when the fell plague had become known, and the others were put to bed, Olive and Alan and Madeline and the present author were sent off at once to stay with our uncle at Chislehurst, a spot we had never before visited. He was a newish uncle, having but recently retired from the army (artillery) , in which, and in India, he had spent most of his manhood's prime. Uncles who have been in the army are more difficult to please than the plain kind of uncle. Accustomed as they are to the unquestioning obedience of their regiments, they jump down your throat if you do the least thing. ”

“ Clifford invented it. Instead of shouting "I spy!" you exchange meaning glances with the found, and there is always a paralyzed period of glare before you start running or he starts catching you. The others have to take their chance. You run as quietly as you can; but somehow your movements are usually heard by the others. ”

“ We never thought we should get to do it; but now every one was out in the grounds—even the servants—being addressed like mad, and the large, quiet house, with three staircases, lay waiting our manœuvers. It is rather a fine game, really. ”