y. When he went away he
left other six gentlemen behind him, that there might be six of them
always on guard.

And now, in the lovely spring weather, Irene was out on the mountain
the greater part of the day. In the warmer hollows there were lovely
primroses, and not so many that she ever got tired of them. As often
as she saw a new one opening an eye of light in the blind earth, she
would clap her hands with gladness, and unlike some children I know,
instead of pulling it, would touch it as tenderly as if it had been a
new baby, and, having made its acquaintance, would leave it as happy as
she found it. She treated the plants on which they grew like birds'
nests; every fresh flower was like a new little bird to her. She would
pay visits to all the flower-nests she knew, remembering each by
itself. She would go down on her hands and knees beside one and say:
'Good morning! Are you all smelling very sweet this morning?
Good-bye!' and then she would go to another nest, and say the same. It
was a favourite amusement with her. There were many flowers up and
down, and she loved them all, but the primroses were her favourites.

'They're not too shy, and they're not a bit forward,' she would say to
Lootie.

There were goats too about, over the mountain, and when the little kids
came she was as pleased with them as with the flowers. The goats
belonged to the miners mostly-a few of them to Curdie's mother; but
there were a good many wild ones that seemed to belong to nobody.
These the goblins counted theirs, and it was upon them partly that they
lived. They set snares and dug pits for them; and did not scruple to
take what tame ones happened to be caught; but they did not try to
steal them in any other manner, because they were afraid of the dogs
the hill-people kept to watch them, for the knowing dogs always tried
to bite their feet. But the goblins had a kind of sheep of their
own--very queer creatures, which they drove out to feed at night, and
the other goblin creatures were wise enough to keep good watch over
them, for they knew they should have their bones by and by.

CHAPTER 18

Curdie's Clue

Curdie was as watchful as ever, but was almost getting tired of his ill
success. Every other night or so he followed the goblins about, as
they went on digging and boring, and getting as near them as he could,
watched them from behind stones and rocks; but as yet he seemed no
nearer finding out what they had