mine either.'

'Ah!' said the Ameliorator, 'but you are going to.'

X

THE RETURN

Hand in hand, silently, the four children walked through the city. And
when each one reached home, there, in the branches of the tree before
the house, was its bird in full song.

The Schoolboy's Apprentice

_TO L. F. G._

Once upon a time there was a schoolboy called Chimp. Chimp was not his
name: his name was Alexander Joseph Chemmle. Chimp was short for
chimpanzee, an animal which his schoolfellows agreed that he was like.

Chimp usually spent his holidays in his uncle's family; but one summer
he travelled on a visit to his father, who was British Consul in a
foreign port, so far away that the boy had only a few days at home
before it was time again to join the steamer for England.

Chimp, who was always adventurous, had been at sea for only a week on
the return journey, when one evening at dusk he lost his hold as he was
clambering out to the end of the main crosstrees, and fell overboard.
The other passengers were listening to a concert in the saloon
('screeching' Chimp had called it, when he took refuge in the chief
engineer's room), and, work being over, the crew were for'ard smoking,
so that there was no one except the first officer and the man at the
wheel to hear the shout that Chimp sent up from the water. As a matter
of fact both men heard it, but it caused them to do no more than say to
themselves at the same moment, 'There's that boy again! Up to some
mischief, I'll be bound.' No help, therefore, came to Chimp. The great
black ship glided by, the screw threshed the water into blinding foam,
and when he could see and think again, Chimp was alone in the ocean.

Chimp was a good swimmer. He struck out at once vigorously in the
direction of the island which they had passed at sundown. The sea was as
smooth as a pond and quite warm, and after several minutes had passed,
the boy turned over on his back and floated comfortably, moving his arms
just enough to give him an impetus towards the shore. Although he was
upset by the accident which had so suddenly substituted the water for
the ship (and it was nearing supper time, and there were always ices for
supper!), Chimp was not a boy at all given to fear, and he could think
of his new plight with composure. His first calm thought was regret for
the mongoose which he was taking back to school, 'although,' as he said
to himself, 'the chances are, Porke