Adventure stories; England -- Fiction; Runaway children -- Fiction; Schoolboys -- Fiction
It seemed to be a stereotyped form of speech. She got up, with the
baby and her basket, and walked away, the baby crying as she went. The
policeman remained behind, flashing his bull's-eye.
"Now then, this won't do, you know; wake up, you two."
He took the ragged sleeper by the shoulder, and shook him; he seemed
to wake in a kind of stupor, and staggered off without a word. The
policeman turned to Bertie.
"Now then!"
The lad woke with a start; he thought some one was playing tricks with
him.
"What do you want?"
"I want you to clear out of this, that's what I want."
Opening his eyes Bertie was for a moment dazzled by the glaring light;
then he saw at the back the policeman's form, looming grim and awful.
Possessed by a sudden fear, he sprang to his feet, and ran as for his
life.
"Now I wonder what you've been up to?" murmured the policeman. "I
don't remember seeing your face before; I should say you was a new
hand, you was."
Bertie ran, without knowing where he was running to; across the road,
under a rail. He found himself upon the grass. It was quite dark,
mysterious, strange. He could hardly be followed there, so he thought
at least, and strolled more slowly on. But he was very tired still,
and, yielding to his weariness, when he had gone a little farther, he
sat down upon the grass to rest.
And this was the Land of Golden Dreams! this was his entrance into the
promised land! A gentle breeze murmured through the night; there was a
sound as of rippling grass and of rustling leaves; he could see no
stars; a heavy dew was falling; the grass was damp; it was chilly; the
breeze blew cold; he shivered with hunger and with cold. His head was
nodding on his breast; almost unconsciously he lay full length upon
the sodden grass, and again fell fast asleep.
But this time it was not a dreamless slumber; it was a continued
nightmare. He was oppressed with horrid visions, with continuous
strugglings against hideous forms of terror. Unrefreshed he woke. It
was broad day; but there had come a sudden change of weather, the
skies were overcast and dull. His limbs were aching; he was stiff, and
wet, and cold; he was soaked to the skin; his clothes stuck to his
body. Shivering, he struggled to his feet, rising with pain. The place
was deserted. Three was a solitary horseman in the distance; the
horseman and the lad were the only living things in sight.
It began to drizzle; the wind had risen; it whistled in the air. The
fine weather had departed as though never to return. Bertie's teeth
were chattering; he felt dull and stupid, ignorant of what he ought to
do.
He began walking through the rain across the grass. How cold he was,
and oh! how hungry. He must have something to eat, and something warm
to drink. He thought of his money; he felt for his fourpence; it was
gone!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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