FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  
manner, only stopping to pick up the sandwich which he had thrown down in his outburst of passion. [Illustration: 'YOUR FATE BE UPON YOUR OWN HEAD'] 'When the door had slammed to with terrific force behind him there was a great silence in the hall, and we all looked at one another with scared faces. Soon every one arose from the table, and silently left the banqueting-hall to prepare for the fight which we now knew would come on the morrow. 'Try as I would, I could not sleep for thinking of the battle in store for us. I counted more sheep than would have fed our army for six months, but with no result. I then tried elephants, and after that camels and zebras, and finally, hoping that their odd shapes might bring me repose, I tried ant bears, but all in vain. At last, in despair, I rose from my hard couch, donned my uniform, and snatching up a cracknel, strode out of my tent. 'Murmuring "Brittle Pantechnicons" (which, by the way, was our password) to the sentry, I strolled idly down to the sea. It was a beautiful and perfectly still night, with not a ripple to disturb the surface of the sea, upon which, here and there, would glow a little shimmer of light as the phosphorescent turbot rose to its prey. In the distance, and away to the right, could be seen the camp-fires of the enemy, and the reflections in the pools left by the tide. Ever and anon sounds of merriment could be heard as the invaders, heedless of the morrow, spent the night in revelry. To the left, and further back, could be seen the tents of our forces, not a sound arising therefrom except the low monotonous breathing of the soldiers (who were so well drilled that even in their sleep they breathed in time), or maybe the "Who goes there?" of the sentry would sound in the darkness, as he mistook a moth for a spy, or the drone of the beach bee for the war-whoop of the enemy. 'At the water's edge, dark against the starry sky, I found a solitary bathing-machine, beneath which I crept, and here at length my weariness quite overcame me and I slept. How long I remained thus I cannot tell, but I was awakened by heavy footsteps on the floor of the machine over my head. My curiosity was intense, but resisting the temptation to rush out and satisfy it, I wisely resolved to remain in my present position as long as possible. [Illustration: FLOUNDERING ABOUT IN THE SEA] 'Presently the mysterious tenant of the machine opened its seaward door and stood reveal
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94  
95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
machine
 

sentry

 

morrow

 
Illustration
 

breathed

 
arising
 

forces

 

mistook

 

darkness

 

reflections


heedless

 
invaders
 

soldiers

 

monotonous

 

breathing

 

merriment

 

therefrom

 

drilled

 

sounds

 
revelry

satisfy

 

wisely

 
remain
 

resolved

 

temptation

 

resisting

 

curiosity

 
intense
 

present

 
position

tenant

 

mysterious

 

opened

 

seaward

 
reveal
 

Presently

 

FLOUNDERING

 
footsteps
 

starry

 

bathing


solitary

 
beneath
 

awakened

 

remained

 

weariness

 

length

 

overcame

 

prepare

 

banqueting

 

silently