Vera C. Barclay

“ The frightened grey eyes of the poor little dancer, with her brown face and gleaming jewels, had awakened a chivalrous sense in him, that said, “I will save her, or die in the attempt!”
Before long the time came for him to step forward and help the conjurer once again—she had whispered her instructions only just in time. Danny cared no longer for the tricks; he scarcely noticed what was happening during the rest of the performance; his mind was working hard, turning over plans by which he could save the girl from the clutches of Black Bill, and get her out of the gipsy camp unseen. ”

“ Running through the tangled garden, the Cubs entered the Grange through the open door. Their footsteps sounded hollow and uncanny on the wooden floors.
Again they called, and again Danny answered. This time his voice came from below their feet.
“He’s in the dungeons!” said Nipper, dwelling on the word with delicious horror. “I expect he’s chained up among the skeletons of the men what’s been starved to death—like that guide told us at the Castle. It’s a good thing there aren’t any bloodhounds nowadays.” ”

“ But I read in a paper about Scouts, and when I saw you sitting so close to me at the circus, suddenly a great hope seemed to jump up in my heart. I was sure if you knew how terribly miserable I am you would help me to escape.”
“Yes, yes!” said Danny. “But tell me, what was your father?”
“An artist,” she said. “Oh, he used to paint such lovely pictures—full of fairies, they were! I often dream of them and—and—of him. Oh, my poor, poor daddy!” she said suddenly, with a great sob. “What have you done all these years without your little Mariette?” ”

“ Smoke rose in little blue columns from the caravan chimneys. Small brown children, with bare feet, clambered up and down the little ladders that led up to the caravan doors, where their mothers sat—stout ladies, with very black hair and gold rings in their ears.
With much hammering and shouting, an enormous round tent was being pitched in Farmer Brown’s field. Also in this field strong men struggled with boat swings, and big boys arranged cocoanut shies. Black Bill strode round calling everybody bad names and making himself generally beastly, but getting the work done in double-quick time. ”

“ Presently a clock struck eleven, and a bell, like a very loud muffin bell, clanged above the other circus noises, and Danny listened to the sound of the crowd going out at the gate and making its way homewards along the country roads. Then, very stealthily, he managed to peer out. He saw a crowd of the gipsies collected round the big camp fire. The red glow lit up their faces. Others hurried about, clearing up. And among them Black Bill strode to and fro, giving orders. ”

“ At last Danny spoke. “Why are you a tramp?” he said.
“Because,” said the man slowly, “I have a quest—two quests. The first is to find my little Mariette. Day and night in prison I dreamed of finding her. When I came out I just started walking and walking, looking for her. I have no money to travel in any other way. I know no trade. All I could do was to paint, and I can’t paint now. You must have a happy heart to paint pictures of woods and fairies. ”

“ The Tramp gasped with surprise.
“Don’t say a word,” continued Ogden in a broken voice. “It is all a man can do who truly repents. To-morrow all will be settled with my lawyers.”
There was silence. Then the Tramp suddenly stood up. “Money, land, honour—what is this?” he cried. “I don’t want this. Give me back the one treasure of my life—my little Mariette!”
Ogden started. “I had forgotten the child,” he said. “Of course—of course. Black Bill took her—to-morrow he shall tell what he did with her. And Danny—he kidnapped him, for some reason. He will have to make known where the boy is.” ”

“ The Cubs’ eyes danced with delight. They had never seen a circus in all their lives.
“Oh, Miss Prince!” they cried, and looked at her expectantly.
She laughed. “Yes,” she said, “a half-holiday—I know. Well, be very good boys to-morrow morning and earn one. Then we’ll all go to the circus in the afternoon.”
They showed their gratitude by pummelling her till she cried for mercy.
Just then a strange figure came by in the procession—a huge man, with a bushy black beard and thick black eyebrows. He was mounted on a great black horse.
“That’s Black Bill,” said Danny, “the boss of the show. ”

“ He is spending his life hunting for you, and praying God to let him find you. I promised to help him. How good God is to have let me find you!”
“I prayed, too,” whispered Mariette.
“Now,” said Danny, “how can we get you away? Shall I creep out of the field and fetch a party of police and men and have Black Bill arrested?”
“No, no,” said Mariette in a terrified whisper, “don’t leave me, don’t leave me! Take me with you—take me to my daddy! If you brought police it would be no use. Black Bill has a terrible way of hiding me. Besides, he is friends with all the police. It would be no good. ”

“ As I walked through the village, I chanced to meet a man that Mariette and I always called ‘the wicked uncle.’ He was the only person in the place that we did not like. He lived in a square, grey house, with dirty windows, and most of the blinds drawn down. He had a mean, cruel face, and little eyes like a rat. We were quite sure no fairies lived in his garden—it was a sad, dull garden, with no flowers. ”

“ Danny passed the gamekeeper’s cottage, and recalled that sad conversation in the early morning sunlight, when the Tramp had spoken of his quest of revenge, and Danny had told him it was not much use to expect to get his prayers heard, when he kept revenge in his heart.
“He must have forgiven his enemies,” Danny told himself, “and that was why God answered his prayer.” He walked on through the wood, and climbed the fence on to the road. ”

“ The tea and bread and butter and birthday cake seemed to have cheered up the mysterious tramp no end, and he seemed to be remembering how to talk. Before long he was even laughing.
By dint of much questioning the Cubs managed to discover quite a lot about him. That he had once been an artist, for one thing, and could still draw fascinating little pictures with bits of burnt wood on smooth, flat stones. He seemed to like drawing little girls better than boys, which was a pity. ”

“ I used to paint pictures of the woods and lanes and trees—the woods by moonlight, the woods at sunrise, the woods all green and blue in spring; the woods looking like dark, solemn churches on winter afternoons, with the red and gold and purple sunset showing through the fine black traceries of the trees like the stained-glass windows of a Gothic cathedral, and blue mist hanging about like incense. ”

“ The Cubs were in despair.
“Look here!” said David, “we must take the (80) search into our own hands. Let’s call a Council.” So they called a Council, and the whole Six assembled in the old pigsty.
“Boys!” cried David, standing on an upturned trough, “Danny, our chief, has been stolen by Black Bill. No one will believe it—no one will go to his rescue. Who is ready to take up the quest? Who will promise to die rather than give up the search?” ”

“ Danny shuddered. “No, I didn’t eat the rats,” (120) he said. He sat down on the bank, and made short work of all the grub the Gladstone bag contained.
“That’s better,” he said at last. He looked an absolute scarecrow, his shirt still inside out, no neckerchief, and smears of dirt all over his very pale and haggard face.
They were only able to go slowly, for Danny ached from head to foot, for the place had been terribly damp, and the rats had prevented him from sleeping a wink.
“Did you give up hope?” said Nipper.
“No,” replied Danny. “A Scout never gives up hope. ”

“ The Cubs must have gone nearly a mile when they noticed two black figures walking in the middle of the road, just ahead. Hugh jammed on his brakes and rang his bell loudly. The figures jumped out of the way, and as the bicycle flashed past them, the golden circle from its lamp lit them up. Unmistakably it was Black Bill and the stranger.
“That’s good,” panted Hugh over his shoulder; “there’s still four miles for them to walk to the cross-roads. I don’t suppose they’re walking more (98) than four miles an hour, and we must be going about fourteen. We shall get there long before they do.” ”

“ Nipper looked about for something convenient to throw at his brother in order to waken him and inquire what was up, but before he had time to do so, something else had attracted his attention. Strolling down the rose walk outside the window, and dipping his head every now and then to avoid the long thorny arm of a rose tree stretched out to hook passers-by, or a dew-drenched branch of crimson rambler, came the Mysterious Tramp. His arm was in a sling, and the sling was made of a Cub’s neckerchief. ”

“ It had always been a cherished dream of the twins to ride on a hay-cart, but up till now (63) the farmers had been their enemies, and none of them would have allowed “one of ’em terrors” in his field.
“After all,” said David reflectively, “it’s much jollier being friends with everybody, instead of enemies. I’m glad Miss Prince and Danny came and turned us into Cubs.”
They worked like niggers all the morning. Jerseys soon came off, and scarves were turned into a kind of Arab headgear. David and Nipper raked the hay into long lines, and Bill and Danny turned these over with pitchforks. ”

“ He is a splendid leader, and can manage the most difficult boys and turn them into good Scouts. He has a good knowledge of horses too. I know he would come at once if I wrote to him, and if it’s possible to do anything with your grandsons, Danny will do it.”
“Do as you like,” said Mr. Ogden sourly. “I wash my hands of the whole business.”
That night Miss Prince posted a letter to Danny. In it she told him of the almost hopeless job she had got—of taming three perfect little terrors. She asked him to come and turn them into Wolf Cubs for her. ”

“ David wrote in his book.
“And we might be in an awful hurry,” continued Hugh. “What about taking Danny’s bike? I can ride it if the saddle is put right down, and you can go on the step. We could hide it somewhere near the gipsy camp, in case of need.”
“That’s a good idea,” said David. “And we might want to disguise ourselves. What about you borrowing a set of your sister’s clothes? I’ll get the false nose we have for acting, and a pair of specs, and grandfather’s Inverness cape. No one would recognize us, then.” ”

“ The sneering face of Crale, as handcuffs are clipped on to the wrists of the young artist, and he (an innocent man) is arrested as a forger. And then his face again, in the court, giving evidence, and showing the false letters, supposed to be from the artist, making over his little girl to one of the members of his gang.
But David was continuing his story, and the Tramp was obliged to turn his mind from the sad past to the strange present.
“We were hunting for Danny,” continued David, “and we heard this plot by accident. We don’t much care what happens, as long as we find Danny. ”

“ Just then a bell was clanged and clashed, and the crowd began to surge into the performance.
Danny went with it. He had one of the reserved seats in the front row.
It was the same performance as he had seen in the morning, but at last came the time for the troupe of Indian Jugglers. They entered amidst loud applause. There were two jugglers, a conjurer, and the famous dancing girl. They all had dark-brown faces, and were dressed in gorgeous colours, and much gold lace. The jugglers performed first, juggling with plates and balls and knives. Then came the dancer. ”

“ FOUND AT LAST Black Bill and his accomplice had set out across the field in a direction which Hugh felt sure would bring them out on to the high road. It was, therefore, with all speed that the Cubs scrambled back along the little path, over gates, and through gaps, until they found themselves once again near the gipsy camp. Fetching the bicycle from their hiding-place in the old cistern, they wheeled it quietly across the grass on to the road. After lighting the lamps Hugh mounted, waited for David to be firmly settled on the carrier of the bike, and then began to fairly hog it down the road. ”