the story of the treasure seekers-第11部分

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waiting　till　it　would　be　time　to　let　off　our　fireworks。　　We　roasted

the　chestnuts　he　sent　Dicky　out　for；　and　he　told　us　stories　till　it

was　nearly　seven。　　His　stories　are　first…rate　…　he　does　all　the

parts　in　different　voices。　　At　last　he　said　…



'Look　here；　young…uns。　　I　like　to　see　you　play　and　enjoy

yourselves；　and　I　don't　think　it　hurts　Albert　to　enjoy　himself

too。'



'I　don't　think　he　did　much；'　said　H。　O。　But　I　knew　what

Albert…next…door's　uncle　meant　because　I　am　much　older　than　H。　O。

He　went　on　…



'But　what　about　Albert's　mother？　　Didn't　you　think　how　anxious　she

would　be　at　his　not　coming　home？　　As　it　happens　I　saw　him　come　in

with　you；　so　we　knew　it　was　all　right。　　But　if　I　hadn't；　eh？'



He　only　talks　like　that　when　he　is　very　serious；　or　even　angry。　

Other　times　he　talks　like　people　in　books　…　to　us；　I　mean。



We　none　of　us　said　anything。　　But　I　was　thinking。　　Then　Alice

spoke。



Girls　seem　not　to　mind　saying　things　that　we　don't　say。　　She　put

her　arms　round　Albert…next…door's　uncle's　neck　and　said　…



'We're　very；　very　sorry。　　We　didn't　think　about　his　mother。　　You

see　we　try　very　hard　not　to　think　about　other　people's　mothers

because　…'



Just　then　we　heard　Father's　key　in　the　door　and　Albert…next…door's

uncle　kissed　Alice　and　put　her　down；　and　we　all　went　down　to　meet

Father。　　As　we　went　I　thought　I　heard　Albert…next…door's　uncle　say

something　that　sounded　like　'Poor　little　beggars！'



He　couldn't　have　meant　us；　when　we'd　been　having　such　a　jolly　time；

and　chestnuts；　and　fireworks　to　look　forward　to　after　dinner　and

everything！







CHAPTER　8

BEING　EDITORS





It　was　Albert's　uncle　who　thought　of　our　trying　a　newspaper。　　He

said　he　thought　we　should　not　find　the　bandit　business　a　paying

industry；　as　a　permanency；　and　that　journalism　might　be。



We　had　sold　Noel's　poetry　and　that　piece　of　information　about　Lord

Tottenham　to　the　good　editor；　so　we　thought　it　would　not　be　a　bad

idea　to　have　a　newspaper　of　our　own。　　We　saw　plainly　that　editors

must　be　very　rich　and　powerful；　because　of　the　grand　office　and　the

man　in　the　glass　case；　like　a　museum；　and　the　soft　carpets　and　big

writing…table。　　Besides　our　having　seen　a　whole　handful　of　money

that　the　editor　pulled　out　quite　carelessly　from　his　trousers

pocket　when　he　gave　me　my　five　bob。

Dora　wanted　to　be　editor　and　so　did　Oswald；　but　he　gave　way　to　her

because　she　is　a　girl；　and　afterwards　he　knew　that　it　is　true　what

it　says　in　the　copy…books　about　Virtue　being　its　own　Reward。　

Because　you've　no　idea　what　a　bother　it　is。　　Everybody　wanted　to

put　in　everything　just　as　they　liked；　no　matter　how　much　room　there

was　on　the　page。　　It　was　simply　awful！　　Dora　put　up　with　it　as　long

as　she　could　and　then　she　said　if　she　wasn't　let　alone　she　wouldn't

go　on　being　editor；　they　could　be　the　paper's　editors　themselves；

so　there。



Then　Oswald　said；　like　a　good　brother：　'I　will　help　you　if　you

like；　Dora；'　and　she　said；　'You're　more　trouble　than　all　the　rest

of　them！　　Come　and　be　editor　and　see　how　you　like　it。　　I　give　it　up

to　you。'　　But　she　didn't；　and　we　did　it　together。　　We　let

Albert…next…door　be　sub…editor；　because　he　had　hurt　his　foot　with

a　nail　in　his　boot　that　gathered。



When　it　was　done　Albert…next…door's　uncle　had　it　copied　for　us　in

typewriting；　and　we　sent　copies　to　all　our　friends；　and　then　of

course　there　was　no　one　left　that　we　could　ask　to　buy　it。　　We　did

not　think　of　that　until　too　late。　　We　called　the　paper　the　Lewisham

Recorder；　Lewisham　because　we　live　there；　and　Recorder　in　memory　of

the　good　editor。　　I　could　write　a　better　paper　on　my　head；　but　an

editor　is　not　allowed　to　write　all　the　paper。　　It　is　very　hard；　but

he　is　not。　　You　just　have　to　fill　up　with　what　you　can　get　from

other　writers。　　If　I　ever　have　time　I　will　write　a　paper　all　by

myself。　　It　won't　be　patchy。　　We　had　no　time　to　make　it　an

illustrated　paper；　but　I　drew　the　ship　going　down　with　all　hands

for　the　first　copy。　　But　the　typewriter　can't　draw　ships；　so　it　was

left　out　in　the　other　copies。　　The　time　the　first　paper　took　to

write　out　no　one　would　believe！　　This　was　the　Newspaper：









EDITORS：　DORA　AND　OSWALD　BASTABLE





Editorial　Note



Every　paper　is　written　for　some　reason。　　Ours　is　because　we　want　to

sell　it　and　get　money。　　If　what　we　have　written　brings　happiness　to

any　sad　heart　we　shall　not　have　laboured　in　vain。　　But　we　want　the

money　too。　　Many　papers　are　content　with　the　sad　heart　and　the

happiness；　but　we　are　not　like　that；　and　it　is　best　not　to　be

deceitful。　　EDITORS。





There　will　be　two　serial　stories；　One　by　Dicky　and　one　by　all　of

us。　　In　a　serial　story　you　only　put　in　one　chapter　at　a　time。　　But

we　shall　put　all　our　serial　story　at　once；　if　Dora　has　time　to　copy

it。　　Dicky's　will　come　later　on。





Serial　Story



BY　US　ALL



CHAPTER　I　…　by　Dora



The　sun　was　setting　behind　a　romantic…looking　tower　when　two

strangers　might　have　been　observed　descending　the　crest　of　the

hill。　　The　eldest；　a　man　in　the　prime　of　life；　the　other　a　handsome

youth　who　reminded　everybody　of　Quentin　Durward。　　They　approached

the　Castle；　in　which　the　fair　Lady　Alicia　awaited　her　deliverers。　

She　leaned　from　the　castellated　window　and　waved　her　lily　hand　as

they　approached。　　They　returned　her　signal；　and　retired　to　seek

rest　and　refreshment　at　a　neighbouring　hostelry。



CHAPTER　II　…　by　Alice



The　Princess　was　very　uncomfortable　in　the　tower；　because　her　fairy

godmother　had　told　her　all　sorts　of　horrid　things　would　happen　if

she　didn't　catch　a　mouse　every　day；　and　she　had　caught　so　many　mice

that　now　there　were　hardly　any　left　to　catch。　　So　she　sent　her

carrier　pigeon　to　ask　the　noble　Strangers　if　they　could　send　her　a

few　mice　…　because　she　would　be　of　age　in　a　few　days　and　then　it

wouldn't　matter。　　So　the　fairy　godmother　　（I'm　very　sorry；　but

there's　no　room　to　make　the　chapters　any　longer。　　ED。）



CHAPTER　III　…　by　the　Sub…Editor



（I　can't　…　I'd　much　rather　not　…　I　don't　know　how。）





CHAPTER　IV　…　by　Dicky



I　must　now　retrace　my　steps　and　tell　you　something　about　our　hero。　

You　must　know　he　had　been　to　an　awfully　jolly　school；　where　they

had　turkey　and　goose　every　day　for　dinner；　and　never　any　mutton；

and　as　many　helps　of　pudding　as　a　fellow　cared　to　send　up　his　plate

for　…　so　of　course　they　had　all　grown　up　very　strong；　and　before　he

left　school　he　challenged　the　Head　to　have　it　out　man　to　man；　and

he　gave　it　him；　I　tell　you。　　That　was　the　education　that　made　him

able　to　fight　Red　Indians；　and　to　be　the　stranger　who　might　have

been　observed　in　the　first　chapter。





CHAPTER　V　…　by　Noel



I　think　it's　time　something　happened　in　this　story。　　So　then　the

dragon　he　came　out；　blowing　fire　out　of　his　nose；　and　he　said　…



'Come　on；　you　valiant　man　and　true；

I'd　like　to　have　a　set…to　along　of　you！'



（That's　bad　English。　　ED。　　I　don't　care；　it's　what　the　dragon　said。



Who　told　you　dragons　didn't　talk　bad　English？　　NOEL。）



So　the　hero；　whose　name　was　Noeloninuris；　replied　…



'My　blade　is　sharp；　my　axe　is　keen；

You're　not　nearly　as　big　as　a　good　many　dragons　I've　seen。'



（Don't　put　in　so　much　poetry；　Noel。　　It's　not　fair；　because　none　of

the　others　can　do　it。　　ED。）



And　then　they　went　at　it；　and　he　beat　the　dragon；　just　as　he　did

the　Head　in　Dicky's　part　of　the　Story；　and　so　he　married　the

Princess；　and　they　lived　　（No　they　didn't　…　not　till　the　last

chapter。　　ED。）



CHAPTER　VI　…　by　H。　O。



I　think　it's　a　very　nice　Story　…　but　what　about　the　mice？　　I　don't

want　to　say　any　more。　　Dora　can　have　what's　left　of　my　chapter。





CHAPTER　VII　…　by　the　Editors





And　so　when　the　dragon　was　dead　there　were　lots　of　mice；　because　he

used　to　kill　them　for　his　tea　but　now　they　rapidly　multiplied　and

ravaged　the　country；　so　the　fair　lady　Alicia；　sometimes　called　the

Princess；　had　to　say　she　would　not　marry　any　one　unless　they　could

rid　the　country　of　this　plague　of　mice。　　Then　the　Prince；　whose

real　name　didn't　begin　with　N；　but　was　Osrawalddo；　waved　his　magic

sword；　and　the　dragon　stood　before　them；　bowing　gracefully。　　They

made　him　promise　to　be　good；　and　then　they　forgave　him；　and　when

the　wedding　breakfast　came；　all　the　bones　were　saved　for　him。　　And

so　they　were　married　and　lived　happy　ever　after。



（What　became　of　the　other　stranger？　　NOEL。

The　dragon　ate　him　because　he　asked　too　many　questions。　　EDITORS。）



This　is　the　end　of　the　story。







Instructive



it　only　takes　four　hours　and　a　quarter　now　to　get　from　London　to

Manchester；　but　I　should　not　think　any　one　would　if　they　could　help

it。





A　dreadful　warning。　　A　wicked　boy　told　me　a　very　instructive　thing

about　ginger。　　They　had　opened　one　of　the　large　jars；　and　he

happened　to　take　out　quite　a　lot；　and　he　made　it　all　right　by

dropping　marbles　in；　till　there　was　as　much　ginger　as　before。　　But

he　told　me　that　on　the　Sunday；　when　it　was　coming　near　the　part

where　there　is　only　juice　generally；　I　had　no　idea　what　his

feelings　were。　　I　don't　see　what　he　could　have　said　when　they　asked

him。　　I　should　be　sorry　to　act　like　it。







Scientific



Experiments　should　always　be　made　out　of　doors。　　And　don't　use

benzoline。

DICKY。

（That　was　when　he　burnt　his　eyebrows　off。　　ED。）





The　earth　is　2；400　miles　round；　and　800　through　…　at　least　I　think

so；　but　perhaps　it's　the　other　way。

DICKY。

（You　ought　to　have　been　sure　before　you　began。　　ED。）







Scientific　Column



in　this　so…called　Nineteenth　Century　Science　is　but　too　little

considered　in　the　nurseries　of　the　rich　and　proud。　　But　we　are　not

like　that。



It　is　not　generally　known　that　if　you　put　bits　of　camphor　in

luke…warm　water　it　will　move　about。　　If　you　drop　sweet　oil　in；　the

camphor　will　dart　away　and　then　stop　moving。　　But　don't　drop　any

till　you　ar