bear being calleda harmless name, it was but a very small cross, compared to the evil Imight cause by allowing the boys to play mischievous tricks.'
"'That is right, my dear child,' said Uncle John; 'we must do our duty,however hard it may be; and though a good word in one sense costsnothing, still we all know it sometimes costs a good deal, and is adifficult matter, to a great many people.'
ON BOARD THE STEAMER.]
"To Vea's astonishment, instead of her Aunt Berkley letting her brotheroff easily, when she found out about the mischief done to the table, shewas so very angry that she would not allow him to join the party thatafternoon in the excursion in the steamer. While she pointed out thevarious objects of interest to Vea and myself, seeing that poor Vea wasdepressed in spirits--her kind heart suffering extremely when herbrothers fell into error--Aunt Berkley whispered, 'You are not vexedwith me, dear child, for punishing Patrick? If he had owned the fault, Iwould have forgiven him; but he was so stubborn, and would not evenspeak when spoken to. Alfred is so different.'
"'Oh no,' said Vea quickly; 'I am only sorry that he was so naughty andrequired the punishment;' but, as if afraid she was condemning herbrother, she added, 'Patrick has a warm, affectionate nature, aunt; ifhe could only get over his love of mischief he would be a dear, goodboy.'
"'Well, my dear, we must try to help him to be good. Boys will be boys,however; though it is necessary to punish them sometimes, else theymight get into serious disgrace. We must have another excursion soon,and perhaps the thought of it will keep Patrick from being naughty.'
"On reaching home that afternoon they found the school-room empty; andthough Patrick had been told he was to remain in the house till his auntreturned, he was nowhere to be found. Alfred sought for him in all theirfavourite haunts about the out-houses and garden, but without success.'I'll tell you where he will be, Vea,' said Alfred, on his return to theschool-room from a last hunt in the orchard,--'he has gone to the caveat the Bluff Crag.'
"'Oh, surely not,' said Vea in distress. 'Aunt told us distinctly wewere never to go there without leave from her, and then only with someperson who knows the coast well. What makes you fancy such a thing,Alfred?'
"'Because, I remember now, he muttered to himself about giving auntsomething to be angry for; and he has often been wanting me to gothere.'
"'I hope this is not the case, Alfred,' said Vea. 'But perhaps auntwould allow us to go down to the beach with Natilie, to look for him.'
"'I daresay she will,' said Alfred; 'but if you do ask her, don'tmention Patrick's name; you needn't be getting him always into a scrapeby your tale-telling.'
"'O Alfred, how cruel you are,' said Vea, 'when you know I am alwaystrying to get you boys out of scrapes!' and the tears rose to her eyes.
"'Very well, then, I won't,' said Alfred; 'you are a dear, good littlesister, and we do bother you tremendously sometimes. Stay you here, andI will ask aunt to let us go to the beach.'
"Alfred soon returned, stating that his aunt had said Yes at once to hisrequest; 'But,' he added, laughing, 'I think she did not know very wellwhat she was saying, she was so busy talking to the rector.'
"Natilie was quite willing to accompany us, and very soon we were downon the beach; but whichever way we looked we could not see any trace ofthe missing Patrick. All of a sudden Alfred gave a shout, and pointed inthe direction of some great high rocks upon which stood a light-house.
"'See, Vea, there is Wild Dick running upon the rocks!' cried Alfredexcitedly.
"'Where?' said Vea, standing on tip-toe, and straining her head forwardtowards the place Alfred was pointing out.
"'I see von boy,' said Natilie, in her strange broken English. 'Him notbe Master Patrick. I know him now for that same wicked boy Mrs. Berkleyforbid you speak to.'
"'But I tell you Patrick is with him,' said Alfred, showing he knew moreabout his brother's movements than he had owned at first. 'Dick offeredto help him to find some sea-birds' eggs, and they have gone off to getthem now.'
"At this moment the boy called Dick observed us, and as soon as he didso he began to make signs in a most excited manner to us to hasten.
WILD DICK.]
"'There has been some accident to Master Patrick, I much fear,' saidNatilie, beginning to run. 'Oh, when will that boy be good?'
"On coming closer to Dick, it soon became evident that an accident hadreally happened; and in a few moments more they learned that theunfortunate Patrick, in climbing the rocks, had lost his footing, andhad fallen down from a considerable height.
"'I think he's broken his leg, miss,' said Dick to Vea. 'And how he isto be taken out of that 'ere hole he has fallen into, is what I'd likevery much to know.'
"'Do show us where he is, Dick,' said Vea. 'Oh, be quick; he may die ifhis leg is not attended to at once!'
"It was no easy matter to scramble over the stony beach to the placewhere Patrick was lying; and rather a pitiable sight it was to see himwith his leg doubled under him, and with a face so very pale that it wasno wonder Vea cried out with pure horror, for she evidently thought hewas going to faint, or die altogether, perhaps.
"'Oh, what shall we do?' cried Vea. 'How are we to get him up? and howare we to get him carried home?'
"'I would not have you distress yourself so, Miss Vea,' said Natilie. 'Ithink I can get him out of this difficulty, with very little patience,if we could get him carried home.'
"'If you get him out of the hole he has fallen into,' said Dick, 'I willmanage the rest.'
"'But how can you carry him over such a rough beach?' asked Alfred.
"'I will get the boat from my grandfather,' replied Dick, 'and we canrow him round to the harbour, where the men can help us up to the housewith him.'
"'Oh yes, that will be the plan,' said Vea. 'Do run, like a good boy,and get the boat; I am sure your grandfather will be very glad to lendit to us, for Patrick was always a favourite with him.'
"'And I know somebody who is a greater favourite than even MasterPatrick,' replied Dick, smiling, before he hurried away towards hisgrandfather's house.
"Very soon, though it seemed a long time to Vea, Dick was plainly seenshoving out the boat from the shore, with the assistance of two boys,who then jumped in and rowed it round as close to where Patrick lay asthey possibly could.
"Natilie had by this time managed to get Patrick up out of the sort ofhole he had fallen into, and by our united efforts we at last succeededin getting him into the boat, where we all helped to support him, as hehad fainted away again. It was considered advisable to row to Dick'sgrandfather's house for the present; and accordingly the boat wassteered for a cove, up which the tide carried us.
FETCHING THE BOAT.]
"The hut where Dick's grandfather lived was a very poor one, builtmostly of turf, and thatched with rough bent or sea-grass. Thechimney-can was made with an old barrel, which stood the blast andserved better than an ordinary one would have done at such a stormy partof the coast. One or two fishing-boats lay at the rough pier or jettyold Dick had constructed, the men belonging to which were earnestlyengaged preparing their nets for going to sea that evening; while anumber of boys were busy sailing miniature boats in a small pool left bythe last tide. No sooner, however, did they hear the shouts of theircompanions in our boat, than they left their sport, and hurried down tolend a hand in pulling in the boat to a place of security.
"'Has grandfather come back from the town, Jack?' cried Dick to arough-looking boy, the tallest of them all, and who had carried hismodel boat in his arms, instead of leaving it as the others had donetheirs.
"'No, he ha'n't,' replied Jack; 'and, what's more, it's likely he won'tbe for some time either; for I hears Tom Brown saying to Tim that myfather would be late to-night, and I knows your grandfather is to keephim company.'
"'Then what's to be done now, miss?' said Dick. 'I had been thinkinggrandfather, who knows all about sores, seeing as he was boatswain'smate aboard a man-o'-war, might have been able to put young master's legto rights.'
"'Oh n
o, Dick, that would never do,' said Vea; 'we must get him ashoreand laid in your grandfather's bed, and somebody had better run up totell aunt of the accident, and get her to send for the doctor at once.'
WILD DICK'S HOME.]
"While Natilie prepared the bed in the old fisherman's hut, Patrick wasbeing carried by the men who had been summoned from the