ns
on her, you know," added Joe, with a wink at his friend; "but he'll back
out for you."

"Oh," said Magnus, blushing, "it don't matter to me. Besides, she's
going to-morrow."

This settled matters.

"Let's cut," said Cupid, impatiently, "or we shall be too late."

A great row was going on among the gods. Goodness knows what it was
about--nobody ever did know that! Venus and Juno were scratching one
another's faces; Jupiter was shaking his fist and thundering all round;
the other men were arguing in high Greek, and the other ladies were
screaming at the top of their voices.

"They're at it again," said Cupid, making a wry face. "That sort of
thing goes on here from morning to night. We shan't be missed. Come
on, you fellows!"

Down they went at a great pace, Cupid (who was much less encumbered with
clothes than the other two) showing a lead. Presently they lost sight
of the top, and through the clouds below caught a distant glimpse of the
black lake.

"Can't we take a short cut down there?" asked Joe.

"Not good enough," said Cupid. "That's where Charon hangs out; and he
and I don't hit it off. No, we'd better go down to where you went
asleep, and then trot down by the track to Llanberis. I know the way--
come on."

They followed, wondering at the pace at which they went. In scarce five
minutes from the top they stood on the spot where they had first halted
hours and hours ago.

There a remarkable thing happened.

Cupid, who had all along seemed the most eager of the three to escape
into the valley, suddenly halted, spread his little wings, and with a
merry laugh began to fly upwards.

"Hold on," said Magnus; "that's not the way down, you young cad!"

"Ha, ha!" said Cupid, rising higher. In vain they besought him to stay.
He only laughed, and soared higher and higher and--

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next thing they were aware of was that they were lying on their
backs, waking up from their sleep, and watching a white gull skimming
the air overhead, and crying out seaward.

Whether they had been to Olympus at all, or had only dreamt it, they
could never say. The one thing they did know was that they just managed
to catch the last train that night back to Llandudno, where they found
supper waiting them.

THE END.

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Boycotted, by Talbot Baines Reed

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