United States or Sierra Leone ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Mildred looked behind her, every few minutes, while she worked in the garden, to see whether Roger was not there, and at every rustle that the birds made among the trees on the Red-hill, the eminence behind the house, she fancied that some one was hidden there. Oliver let his tools and his alabaster lie hidden, much as he longed to be at work with them.
"Yes, dear; but we will talk over all that when we get to the Red-hill: we must not talk any more now, but set to work. However, I really think, Mildred, that father and mother are still alive somewhere. I feel as if they were." "But the Red-hill," said Mildred, "what do you mean about the Red-hill? We are not going there, where Roger is, are we?" "We must, dear. There is no other place.
"Why, you don't think they are drowned?" said Mildred. The bees were not drowned; but they were in more danger of it than Mildred supposed. Their little shed was placed on the side of the Red-hill, so as to overlook the flowery garden. The waters stood among the posts of this shed; and the hives themselves shook with every wave that rolled along.
The children were very hot, and began to say that they were hungry, and thought dinner-time was near, when they suddenly felt a strong rush of wind from the west. Oliver lost his cap, and was running after it, when both heard a loud shout from their father, and looked up. They had never heard him shout so loud as he now did, bidding them run up the Red-hill that moment.
Though the boat-people were still too far off to distinguish figures, a signal might catch their eye. If he went to the Red-hill for a flag, the boat might be gone away before his return. Trembling with haste, he stripped off his shirt, and swung it in the air. He even mounted the top stone, which, surrounded by no wall, or other defence, hung over the waters below.
Mrs Linacre was kindly taken care of in a farm-house, near the spring that farm-house where she had often taken her copper money to be changed for silver: but she had been little within doors, day or night. She had paced all day by the brink of the flood; and as long as the moon was up, had sat at night on a rising ground, looking over the waters towards the Red-hill.
There were wild animals and birds enough on the Red-hill to last for food for a long while; and there alone could they get fuel. "You can't catch game without my dog," cried Roger, surlily, to Ailwin; "and my dog shan't put his nose to the ground, if you don't feed him well: and he shall be where I am, mind you that."
"He may bury and hide what he pleases; but they will all be somewhere about the Red-hill; and we can tell anybody who comes to fetch us off whatever we know about the goods." "Nobody will ever come and fetch us off," said Ailwin, beginning to cry.
Ailwin handed him something, as he pulled away for the Red-hill. With a skip and a jump Roger ran to the beach to await him. "Pull away! That's right! Glad to see you!" exclaimed Roger. "Halloo, Spy! Down, sir! Pleased to see you, Oliver." Oliver was glad to hear these words. He did not know but that he might have been met by abuse and violence, for having carried home the basket.
They were all looking another way, and not appearing to think of him at all. He watched them for a long while; but they never turned towards the Red-hill. He could have made them hear by calling; but they might think he wished to be with them, or wanted something from, instead of understanding that he desired to tell them that their pretty garden was destroyed.
Word Of The Day