the story of the treasure seekers-第20部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





One　dose　gives　immediate　relief

It　will　cure　your　cold　in　one　bottle

Especially　the　larger　size　at　3s。　　6d。



Order　at　once　of　the　Makers

To　prevent　disappointment



Makers：



D。；　O。；　R。；　A。；　N。；　and　H。　O。　BASTABLE



150　Lewisham　Road；　S。　　E。



（A　halfpenny　for　all　bottles　returned）





Of　course　the　next　thing　was　for　one　of　us　to　catch　a　cold　and　try

what　cured　it；　we　all　wanted　to　be　the　one；　but　it　was　Dicky's

idea；　and　he　said　he　was　not　going　to　be　done　out　of　it；　so　we　let

him。　　It　was　only　fair。　　He　left　off　his　undershirt　that　very　day；

and　next　morning　he　stood　in　a　draught　in　his　nightgown　for　quite

a　long　time。　　And　we　damped　his　day…shirt　with　the　nail…brush

before　he　put　it　on。　　But　all　was　vain。　　They　always　tell　you　that

these　things　will　give　you　cold；　but　we　found　it　was　not　so。



So　then　we　all　went　over　to　the　Park；　and　Dicky　went　right　into　the

water　with　his　boots　on；　and　stood　there　as　long　as　he　could　bear

it；　for　it　was　rather　cold；　and　we　stood　and　cheered　him　on。　　He

walked　home　in　his　wet　clothes；　which　they　say　is　a　sure　thing；　but

it　was　no　go；　though　his　boots　were　quite　spoiled。　　And　three　days

after　Noel　began　to　cough　and　sneeze。



So　then　Dicky　said　it　was　not　fair。



'I　can't　help　it；'　Noel　said。　　'You　should　have　caught　it　yourself；

then　it　wouldn't　have　come　to　me。



And　Alice　said　she　had　known　all　along　Noel　oughtn't　to　have　stood

about　on　the　bank　cheering　in　the　cold。



Noel　had　to　go　to　bed；　and　then　we　began　to　make　the　medicines；　we

were　sorry　he　was　out　of　it；　but　he　had　the　fun　of　taking　the

things。



We　made　a　great　many　medicines。　　Alice　made　herb　tea。　　She　got　sage

and　thyme　and　savory　and　marjoram　and　boiled　them　all　up　together

with　salt　and　water；　but　she　WOULD　put　parsley　in　too。　　Oswald　is

sure　parsley　is　not　a　herb。　　It　is　only　put　on　the　cold　meat　and

you　are　not　supposed　to　eat　it。　　It　kills　parrots　to　eat　parsley；

I　believe。　　I　expect　it　was　the　parsley　that　disagreed　so　with

Noel。　　The　medicine　did　not　seem　to　do　the　cough　any　good。



Oswald　got　a　pennyworth　of　alum；　because　it　is　so　cheap；　and　some

turpentine　which　every　one　knows　is　good　for　colds；　and　a　little

sugar　and　an　aniseed　ball。　　These　were　mixed　in　a　bottle　with

water；　but　Eliza　threw　it　away　and　said　it　was　nasty　rubbish；　and

I　hadn't　any　money　to　get　more　things　with。



Dora　made　him　some　gruel；　and　he　said　it　did　his　chest　good；　but　of

course　that　was　no　use；　because　you　cannot　put　gruel　in　bottles　and

say　it　is　medicine。　　It　would　not　be　honest；　and　besides　nobody

would　believe　you。



Dick　mixed　up　lemon…juice　and　sugar　and　a　little　of　the　juice　of

the　red　flannel　that　Noel's　throat　was　done　up　in。　　It　comes　out

beautifully　in　hot　water。　　NoEl　took　this　and　he　liked　it。　　NoEl's

own　idea　was　liquorice…water；　and　we　let　him　have　it；　but　it　is　too

plain　and　black　to　sell　in　bottles　at　the　proper　price。



NoEl　liked　H。　O。's　medicine　the　best；　which　was　silly　of　him；

because　it　was　only　peppermints　melted　in　hot　water；　and　a　little

cobalt　to　make　it　look　blue。　　It　was　all　right；　because　H。　O。's

paint…box　is　the　French　kind；　with　Couleurs　non　Vgngneuses　on　it。　

This　means　you　may　suck　your　brushes　if　you　want　to；　or　even　your

paints　if　you　are　a　very　little　boy。



It　was　rather　jolly　while　Noel　had　that　cold。　　He　had　a　fire　in　his

bedroom　which　opens　out　of　Dicky's　and　Oswald's；　and　the　girls　used

to　read　aloud　to　Noel　all　day；　they　will　not　read　aloud　to　you　when

you　are　well。　　Father　was　away　at　Liverpool　on　business；　and

Albert's　uncle　was　at　Hastings。　　We　were　rather　glad　of　this；

because　we　wished　to　give　all　the　medicines　a　fair　trial；　and

grown…ups　are　but　too　fond　of　interfering。　　As　if　we　should　have

given　him　anything　poisonous！



His　cold　went　on　…　it　was　bad　in　his　head；　but　it　was　not　one　of

the　kind　when　he　has　to　have　poultices　and　can't　sit　up　in　bed。　

But　when　it　had　been　in　his　head　nearly　a　week；　Oswald　happened　to

tumble　over　Alice　on　the　stairs。　　When　we　got　up　she　was　crying。



'Don't　cry　silly！'　said　Oswald；　'you　know　I　didn't　hurt　you。'　　I

was　very　sorry　if　I　had　hurt　her；　but　you　ought　not　to　sit　on　the

stairs　in　the　dark　and　let　other　people　tumble　over　you。　　You　ought

to　remember　how　beastly　it　is　for　them　if　they　do　hurt　you。



'Oh；　it's　not　that；　Oswald；'　Alice　said。　　'Don't　be　a　pig！　　I　am　so

miserable。　　Do　be　kind　to　me。'



So　Oswald　thumped　her　on　the　back　and　told　her　to　shut　up。



'It's　about　Noel；'　she　said。　　'I'm　sure　he's　very　ill；　and　playing

about　with　medicines　is　all　very　well；　but　I　know　he's　ill；　and

Eliza　won't　send　for　the　doctor：　she　says　it's　only　a　cold。　　And　I

know　the　doctor's　bills　are　awful。　　I　heard　Father　telling　Aunt

Emily　so　in　the　summer。　　But　he　was　；　and　perhaps　he'll　die　or

something。'



Then　she　began　to　cry　again。　　Oswald　thumped　her　again；　because　he

knows　how　a　good　brother　ought　to　behave；　and　said；　'Cheer　up。'　　If

we　had　been　in　a　book　Oswald　would　have　embraced　his　little　sister

tenderly；　and　mingled　his　tears　with　hers。



Then　Oswald　said；　'Why　not　write　to　Father？'



And　she　cried　more　and　said；　'I've　lost　the　paper　with　the　address。



H。　O。　had　it　to　draw　on　the　back　of；　and　I　can't　find　it　now；　I've

looked　everywhere。　　I'll　tell　you　what　I'm　going　to　do。　　No　I

won't。　　But　I'm　going　out。　　Don't　tell　the　others。　　And　I　say；

Oswald；　do　pretend　I'm　in　if　Eliza　asks。　　Promise。'

'Tell　me　what　you're　going　to　do；'　I　said。　　But　she　said　'No'；　and

there　was　a　good　reason　why　not。　　So　I　said　I　wouldn't　promise　if

it　came　to　that。　　Of　course　I　meant　to　all　right。　　But　it　did　seem

mean　of　her　not　to　tell　me。



So　Alice　went　out　by　the　side　door　while　Eliza　was　setting　tea；　and

she　was　a　long　time　gone；　she　was　not　in　to　tea。　　When　Eliza　asked

Oswald　where　she　was　he　said　he　did　not　know；　but　perhaps　she　was

tidying　her　corner　drawer。　　Girls　often　do　this；　and　it　takes　a

long　time。　　NoEl　coughed　a　good　bit　after　tea；　and　asked　for　Alice。



Oswald　told　him　she　was　doing　something　and　it　was　a　secret。　

Oswald　did　not　tell　any　lies　even　to　save　his　sister。　　When　Alice

came　back　she　was　very　quiet；　but　she　whispered　to　Oswald　that　it

was　all　right。　　When　it　was　rather　late　Eliza　said　she　was　going

out　to　post　a　letter。　　This　always　takes　her　an　hour；　because　she

WILL　go　to　the　post…office　across　the　Heath　instead　of　the

pillar…box；　because　once　a　boy　dropped　fusees　in　our　pillar…box　and

burnt　the　letters。　　It　was　not　any　of　us；　Eliza　told　us　about　it。　

And　when　there　was　a　knock　at　the　door　a　long　time　after　we　thought

it　was　Eliza　come　back；　and　that　she　had　forgotten　the　back…door

key。　　We　made　H。　O。　go　down　to　open　the　door；　because　it　is　his

place　to　run　about：　his　legs　are　younger　than　ours。　　And　we　heard

boots　on　the　stairs　besides　H。　O。's；　and　we　listened　spellbound

till　the　door　opened；　and　it　was　Albert's　uncle。　　He　looked　very

tired。



'I　am　glad　you've　come；'　Oswald　said。　　'Alice　began　to　think　Noel

…'



Alice　stopped　me；　and　her　face　was　very　red；　her　nose　was　shiny

too；　with　having　cried　so　much　before　tea。



She　said；　'I　only　said　I　thought　Noel　ought　to　have　the　doctor。　

Don't　you　think　he　ought？'　　She　got　hold　of　Albert's　uncle　and　held

on　to　him。



'Let's　have　a　look　at　you；　young　man；'　said　Albert's　uncle；　and　he

sat　down　on　the　edge　of　the　bed。　　It　is　a　rather　shaky　bed；　the　bar

that　keeps　it　steady　underneath　got　broken　when　we　were　playing

burglars　last　winter。　　It　was　our　crowbar。　　He　began　to　feel　Noel's

pulse；　and　went　on　talking。



'It　was　revealed　to　the　Arab　physician　as　he　made　merry　in　his

tents　on　the　wild　plains　of　Hastings　that　the　Presence　had　a　cold

in　its　head。　　So　he　immediately　seated　himself　on　the　magic　carpet；

and　bade　it　bear　him　hither；　only　pausing　in　the　flight　to　purchase

a　few　sweetmeats　in　the　bazaar。'



He　pulled　out　a　jolly　lot　of　chocolate　and　some　butterscotch；　and

grapes　for　Noel。　　When　we　had　all　said　thank　you；　he　went　on。



'The　physician's　are　the　words　of　wisdom：　it's　high　time　this　kid

was　asleep。　　I　have　spoken。　　Ye　have　my　leave　to　depart。'



So　we　bunked；　and　Dora　and　Albert's　uncle　made　Noel　comfortable　for

the　night。



Then　they　came　to　the　nursery　which　we　had　gone　down　to；　and　he　sat

down　in　the　Guy　Fawkes　chair　and　said；　'Now　then。'



Alice　said；　'You　may　tell　them　what　I　did。　　I　daresay　they'll　all

be　in　a　wax；　but　I　don't　care。'



'I　think　you　were　very　wise；'　said　Albert's　uncle；　pulling　her

close　to　him　to　sit　on　his　knee。　　'I　am　very　glad　you　telegraphed。'



So　then　Oswald　understood　what　Alice's　secret　was。　　She　had　gone

out　and　sent　a　telegram　to　Albert's　uncle　at　Hastings。　　But　Oswald

thought　she　might　have　told　him。　　Afterwards　she　told　me　what　she

had　put　in　the　telegram。　　It　was；　'Come　home。　　We　have　given　Noel

a　cold；　and　I　think　we　are　killing　him。'　　With　the　address　it　came

to　tenpence…halfpenny。



Then　Albert's　uncle　began　to　ask　questions；　and　it　all　came　out；

how　Dicky　had　tried　to　catch　the　cold；　but　the　cold　had　gone　to

Noel　instead；　and　about　the　medicines　and　all。　　Albert's　uncle

looked　very　serious。



'Look　here；'　he　said；　'You're　old　enough　not　to　play　the　fool　like

this。　　Health　is　the　best　thing　you've　got；　you　ought　to　know

better　than　to　risk　it。　　You　might　have　killed　your　little　brother

with　your　precious　medicines。　　You've　had　a　lucky　escape；

certainly。　　But　poor　Noel！'



'Oh；　do　you　think　he's　going　to　die？'　Alice　asked　that；　and　she　was

crying　again。



'No；　no；'　said　Albert's　uncle；　'but　look　here。　　Do　you　see　how

silly　you've　been？　　And　I　thought　you　promised　your　Father　…'　And

then　he　gave　us　a　long　talking…to。　　He　can　make　you　feel　most

awfully　Small。　　At　last　he　stopped；　and　we　said　we　were　very　sorry；

and　he　said；　'You　know　I　promised　to　take　you　all　to　the

pantomime？'



So　we