Ellerton

“ The years passed quickly away after Robert Ellerton’s departure for Germany, despite the loneliness and dreariness which “Brightie” at first thought would follow. Then her mother suddenly sickened and died, and the poor girl thought she was desolate indeed—alone in a cold and heartless world. ”

“ But Ellerton refused to move. His comrades looked at each other anxiously. In ordinary circumstances it would have been no easy task to compel the lad to get up and walk, and with a few hundred savages hanging round, the difficulties were increased tenfold. ”

“ Turning his eyes in the direction whence the sound proceeded, he saw just below him a noble horse, madly rearing and plunging among a cluster of bushes, while near by lay the prostrate form of a man apparently much injured, judging from his repeated cries and shrieks.
Without a moment’s thought, except that of helping a suffering fellow-being, Mr. Ellerton put spurs to his horse and clashed recklessly down the narrow path of the cliff—out of sight of the village, out of the reach of help—on, on into danger and treachery, and into the hands of a set of vile and heartless villains! ”

“ ALFRED ELLERTON’S STORY. Alfred Ellerton raised the fair face that was hidden upon his bosom, and tenderly kissed the rich, full lips of his wife; then wiping the tears from her splendid eyes, said:
“Rose, my wife, how came you here?”
She smiled, such a sweet, rare smile, as his tender words fell upon her ears, and fondly replied:
“Alfred, I forget everything now that I am here, and you call me by that dearest name—wife; and I would fain ignore all the past. But am I truly your wife?”
“Yes, dear, if you choose to remain such, after so many years of cruel desertion on my part. Why do you ask?” ”

“ Ellerton, this is fine, is it not?"
"Charming," said Ellerton, feebly, from the back seat; "charming; I never saw a lady drive so well; but don't you think, it's getting so dark, it would be better for you to take the reins? You can see better, you know."
"On the contrary," said Victor, with great glee, "on the contrary; the female vision, you know, is proverbially the sharpest. Shall I touch up that near horse? He rather lags," he continued, wickedly, to me.
"Oh no, thank you!" I said, breathlessly, but trying to laugh.
"I'm sure you're tired," said Mr. Wynkar, with great feeling. ”

“ It struck me that it would be right to call upon the dean, and so I went to his house off Harley Street. The good old man congratulated me on my success, and I saw Lillian, and sat in a delirium of silent joy. Lord Lynedale had become Lord Ellerton, and I listened to the praises that were sung of the newly married couple--for Eleanor had become Lady Ellerton, and had entered fully into all her husband's magnificent philanthropic schemes--a helpmeet, if not an oracular guide. ”

“ Ellerton sat up. He was beginning to feel pain in more than one part of his anatomy. The task of tackling an apparently inoffensive ox was not going to be quite so easy as he imagined.
"Come and bear a hand," he replied. "The brute is getting vicious."
Andy thereupon descended into the semi-gloom of the hold.
"Be careful," continued the apprentice. "He nearly bumped my head against the deck-beams; as it was, I had a flight through space."
"Then I'm not going to pass a sling round him," said Andy. "We'll lasso him just behind the horns." ”

“ Assisted by Terence, Ellerton raised the body of the mulatto on his back, and, covered by Mr. McKay and Andy, continued the retreat.
As they reached the scene of the great explosion, they found that masses of dislodged boulders extended almost to the edge of the lower cliff. Slowly Ellerton and Terence bore their burden over the rough, rock-strewn ground, the savages meanwhile gaining upon them rapidly.
"Keep going at any cost," shouted Mr. McKay. "Gain the door of the fence, and look out for us. Andy, we must make a stand here." ”

“ Under power we can easily outstrip her, I have no doubt."
No sooner had the motor started than Terence and Ellerton appeared.
"Hullo! Where's the wind?" asked the latter.
"And where's the canoe? added Donaghue.
"Hull down," replied Andy. "They've gone on ahead to give us a house-warming. Now, you fellows, get yourselves something to eat, and then give us a spell. I'll let you have the course. Keep your weather eye lifting, and look out for a breeze. It may come down suddenly."
"You bet I will," assented Ellerton. "How far are we from Ni Atong?" ”

“ Terence and Andy accordingly "slacked away," and Ellerton slid another yard or so towards the brink. He was then able to lower the lantern to Mr. McKay, and at the same time he made the discovery that the shaft was too rugged to allow a man to be hauled up by a rope without serious danger of the rope being chafed through by the sharp projections. ”

“ Everyone, including Andy, ran out of the house, and, as Ellerton had announced, there was the schooner now abreast of the entrance of the lagoon, but still keeping on her course to the south-west.
"Bring out the signal-book and the flags," ordered Mr. McKay. "And you, Quexo, make a fire."
Ellerton soon returned with the bunting, and the Union Jack was hoisted to the masthead. The mulatto procured some dry wood from the store, and set it in a blaze. When well alight, he piled a quantity of damp leaves upon the fire, causing a thick smoke. ”

“ By her side stood Charlie Ellerton in a flannel suit of pronounced striping; he wore a little yellow mustache, had blue eyes and curly hair, and his face was tanned a wholesome ruddy-brown. He looked very melancholy.
“Letters from Hell,” murmured Sir Roger.
“But I was so distressed,” continued his wife. “Mr. Ellerton would gamble, and he lost ever so much money.”
“A fellow must amuse himself,” remarked Charlie gloomily, and with apparent unconsciousness he took a glass from Laing and drained it. ”

“ I said, gaily, as I ran down the stairs. Frank had secured rooms down town, and on reaching them I found the company all assembled. There were Markham and Bolton, two Seniors, to contribute dignity; Trickley, a Soph., who was brimful of song; Ellerton, who was considered a wit; two or three others whose names I have forgotten, and last a little Fresh named Peepsy, who was so exceedingly verdant that Frank had brought him down as a butt for us. I shook hands round and bowed stiffly to Ellerton, whom I had not spoken to since the duel. ”

“ If Mr. Ellerton's got money to burn that way it's no concairrrrn of mine. Taxis out to Wembley Park with a girl who's employed in the same office as he is. That's Ellerton's lookout. Not the kind of thing I'd care to be seen doing myself. (No, I won't have anything to drink. A ginger-ale, waiter.) Still, if he thinks that's all right in war-time and for folks on War work together, I've nothing to say."
The ghost of a smile hovered about Olwen's red mouth as Captain Ross went on saying this "nothing."
"Sweet as honey to any girl he takes out, no doubt. The regular naval flirt. ”

“ While Andy was away on his errand, Mr. McKay opened a few cartridges and extracted the cordite.
"This stuff is safe enough with reasonable precautions," he remarked to Ellerton, who was watching Mr. McKay with no little fear. "So long as it is not under compression cordite can be lit without the faintest danger. In the open air it merely fizzles like a damp squib."
"Couldn't we smash the door with an axe?" asked Ellerton.
"We could, but I prefer not to. In the first place there's not much room to wield an axe ”

“ McKay. "Now, hard over!"
The youth at the helm put all his strength against the tiller. The yawl rolled outward as she turned, then recovering herself rushed straight for her gigantic antagonist.
With a yell of defiance the savages let fly a shower of arrows and stones. The masts and deck were literally bristling with darts, while the stones rolled like hail upon the planks.
Under the protection of the cabin-top the white men escaped the deadly volley, but Ellerton, gripping the tiller with a vice-like grip, felt a hot, stinging pain in his left arm. ”

“ I'd rather not. So let's look sharp with the sheer-legs; there's plenty of tackle to hoist the creature with."
The work of making the early preparations proceeded without a hitch, then Ellerton commenced his particular part of the operations.
By the aid of a lantern which he hung from the deck-beams, the apprentice descended once more to the partially submerged hold. Holding a stout canvas sling, with a rope ready to haul tight the moment the lifting gear was in position, Ellerton climbed over the partition of the stall. ”

“ The apprentice sprang towards the falls.
"You are not going to throw away your life, are you?" shouted Andy, grasping him by the shoulder.
"No; but I'm going to give those fellows a chance. Stand by that rope, take a turn round that cleat, and lower when I give the word."
The last of the Peruvian seamen had scrambled into the boat. Not one of these cared who was left; all that they knew was that a few remained to man the falls, but in the darkness they were unaware that it was the British lads who stayed to help them.
"Lower!" yelled Ellerton. ”

“ Ellerton, who seemed to be taking it very philosophically. Women have so much nerve in an emergency. To be sure, Mrs. Ellerton had come to like John very well, especially after she learned that his mother was a Van Deusenberg. As for me, it would not have reconciled me in the least degree if Miss Lamb's mother had been the Empress of Madagascar. I often wonder if women care as much about things as men do. ”

“ In his natural anxiety and haste, Terence fumbled over his task, but at length the carbons fused and the giant beam of the searchlight threw its dazzling rays seaward. Then, trained by Donaghue's guiding hand, it swept the lower terraces and the beach, but neither hostile canvas nor lurking bloodthirsty warriors came within its blinding glare.
"There's someone moving down there," exclaimed Andy, pointing towards the foot of the steep path. "See! To the right of that great boulder."
"Hanged if I can," muttered Ellerton. ”

“ Terence had joined him, and, heedless of Ellerton's voice shouting to be released from his prison, the two lads rushed to the side of the vessel.
The animal had fallen upon one of the thwarts of the boat, breaking it completely in half, and was lying on the bottom-boards plunging wildly. One kick in a vital place and the boat would be holed.
"There's enough damage done already," muttered Andy. "It's the only way," and running aft he returned in a moment with a loaded rifle. ”

“ A pause followed. Then Charlie observed: “I suppose there’s nothing to be done.”
“Nothing to be done, Mr. Ellerton! Why if I were a man I’d leave for England to-night.”
“And why can’t you?”
“Papa won’t. But you might.”
“Ye—es, I suppose I might. It would look rather odd, wouldn’t it?”
“Why, you yourself suggested it!”
“Yes, but the marriage was a long way off then.” ”

“ Ellerton, "but Ireally haven't the least idea who she is. Lilian is so secret about it that I begin to suspect her of having written the poems herself, and to regret that I did not persevere in my attempt to read them all."
Miss Lamb listened without a shadow of self-consciousness, and said: "Don't be alarmed, Aunt Bessie. You will never have to blush over the discovery of a genius under your own roof."
We both pondered that speech and we both fitted it in our own minds with the same adjective; namely, enigmatical.
I was proud of John that evening. ”

“ But I believe there's some of the crew up for'ard—I heard them groaning."
"Let's go and see," replied Ellerton, buckling on a lifebelt and picking up a lantern.
"Be careful, lads," cautioned Mr. McKay.
"Trust us," answered Andy, likewise putting on a belt. "We need not wait for Terence."
"Why, it's not half so rough," he continued as they gained the deck, which had settled to a list of less than ten degrees, and no longer lifted as the rollers swept past. "See, very few of the waves break over the ship."
"It's a bad job those cowardly beggars pushed off," replied Ellerton. ”

“ It may bring us aid. When you hear the shot, slew the projector round and direct the beam straight up the defile. You quite understand?"
"Yes, sir," replied Terence. "You can rely upon me."
"I feel sure of it," was the quiet reply, as the lad set off on his responsible and single-handed task.
"It will soon be dark," said Ellerton. "That will be all the better for us, for these brutes won't find their way so easily."
"I don't think the darkness will stop them, provided they are not afraid of it. These savages can find their way by night like cats. Hullo, Quexo, tired, eh?" ”

“ It would sairrrrrrrrve her jolly well right if a man (not young Ellerton) were to catch ahold of her and kiss her good and hard a couple of dozen times running and then leave her, having had all he wanted of her. That other maddening habit of hers, too; looking 'way over a man's shoulder when he was speaking to her! Refusing to meet his eyes ... though she could look straight enough into young Ellerton's.... What colour were her eyes when all was said: brown, green, or hazel? ”

“ Ellerton and I, meanwhile, talked plain English on the back seat.
"I never before knew Lilian to let any one else drive," Mrs. Ellerton observed. "She is not usually happy unless she holds the reins." ”

“ Blight picked up the weapon and thrust it with assumed carelessness into his belt; then, bidding the crew of the yawl good night, he stepped into the dinghy.
Hardly had the sun set, than the wearied crew retired to the cabin for rest and refreshment.
Ellerton was awake, feverish, and at intervals in great pain. Quexo still slumbered. Andy and Terence were sleepily nodding their heads in an almost vain endeavour to keep awake.
Mr. McKay, though utterly done up, announced his intention of keeping watch on deck the moment he had finished supper. ”