Jill's Red Bag Part 6

"We must go before breakfast, or we shan't be able to get away without being seen. Miss Falkner sends b.u.mps and me down at half-past seven, and breakfast isn't ready till eight, so we shan't be missed. You get the food ready and dress as quick as you can."

"And where shall we go?"

"Anywhere. What does it matter? I'll go back and wake up b.u.mps and tell her."

Jill crept back to her room, and b.u.mps, a sleepy fat bundle, was shaken into consciousness.

When she understood she was delighted, and was full of fuss and importance at once.

"I'll take my best china mug on the mantelpiece to get some water from a thtream; and do you think I might take a umblella, because it might come on a thunderstorm; and thall I take my thpade and bucket I took to the thea?"

"Hush," whispered Jill; "you'll wake Miss Falkner. You needn't take anything, you little stupid! Keep quiet, and do what I tell you."

b.u.mps was not crushed. She kept up an incessant stream of shrill whispers till Jill refused to respond, and then she confided the whole plan of action to a beloved rag doll that she always took to bed with her.

It was hard to keep the secret from Miss Falkner, who always helped them to dress, but at last they were dismissed, and scampered down-stairs. Jill had quietly conveyed their hats and boots into the pa.s.sage before-hand, so they had no difficulty in getting themselves ready for their day out.

Jack joined them in the hall below. One of the maids noticed them but thought they were going into the garden, which indeed they did, though they did not stay there.

"We will walk along the road till we come to a nice field," said Jill, who was taking the head.

"And now we've really begun to truant!" said b.u.mps importantly; "but please don't go so fatht!"

"Hurrah!" shouted Jack, throwing his cap into the air and catching it; "we're going to do no horrid lessons to-day!"

They tramped along, b.u.mps getting hot and breathless with her eager resolve to keep pace with the others.

"My legs is so short!" she panted ruefully; "pleath let me hold your hand, Jill."

Jill seized hold of her impatiently.

"You must be quick, b.u.mps, or else they'll find out we've gone, and run after us. Now, Jack, let us go across this field, it leads down to the river, and no one will find us there because the trees are so thick."

The gra.s.s was wet, but that was a trifle. b.u.t.tercups were already springing up in the meadow; larks were rising in the air singing their morning hymn of praise, and the children broke into a run. Not a shadow fell on their spirits, they felt exhilarated by the fresh morning breeze.

They reached the river and then began to think of breakfast. Jack with great pride produced his store. It was rather a fragmentary one. Two or three figs, some bits of cake and one orange were divided into three equal portions. The novelty of such a breakfast compensated for the quant.i.ty and quality. But when b.u.mps announced she was thirsty they looked rather dismayed.

"You must drink from the river," said Jill.

"But I might thwallow some fishes," objected b.u.mps, "and I've no cup."

"Then you must wait till we go home. You can't be thirsty early in the morning."

b.u.mps heaved a sigh, and looked at the river meditatively.

"It would be nithe to take off shoes and stockings, and go through it like the children Miss Falkner told us of."

"Oh yes, we will," cried Jack. "We'll play at going to the Golden City."

Jill looked grave.

"I meant to start really to-day," she said, "but it's no good now, because we're doing a wicked thing to play truant, and you have to be good when you're walking to the Golden City. I mean to be double good to-morrow to make up."

Jack was already pulling off his shoes and stockings; his sisters quickly followed his example, and for half-an-hour or so they had a delightful time in paddling about. It is true that b.u.mps fell with a splash once, grazing her hands and knees against the stones and soaking her dress and pinafore, but b.u.mps' tumbles were so frequent that they pa.s.sed unnoticed. When they were tired of this pastime they crossed two or three more fields and then climbed up into some steep woods. They were very hot and tired when they reached the top, and sat down to rest.

"We've done nothing exciting yet," complained Jill. "I thought truants always met with lovely adventures."

"Let's have our dinner," suggested Jack, "I'm sure it's time." So again Jack's h.o.a.rd was brought out, and more bits of cake and biscuits and miscellaneous sc.r.a.ps were divided round.

"I wonder what Miss Falkner is doing," said Jack, "do you think she's hunting for us?"

"Oh, don't think of her. Come on, we must make some adventures. This is very dull."

"We'll all climb a tree," said Jack, "and pretend we're Charles II. hiding in an oak."

b.u.mps looked a little anxious, but Jill eagerly a.s.sented. A suitable tree was found, and up went nimble Jack, followed by Jill, who was quite as good a climber as he was.

b.u.mps tried her best, but failed entirely, so she sat down on the gra.s.s and cried.

Jill took pity on her, and came down to a.s.sist her. With the greatest difficulty she was hoisted up, but when she was comfortably settled on a big branch, her little face shone with pride and contentment.

"It's my legs again," she said, looking down upon them with pity; "they is so short, and--and inconven'ent!"

"Hus.h.!.+" cried Jack, "here's a wild beast coming, look out! Oh, look, look, it's a deer!"

It was indeed a stag, that had wandered out of a private park near. The children had never seen one so close before.

Their movements startled the timid animal, he threw his head up, scented and then saw them, and in a moment he had dashed away through the bushes. In another moment Jack and Jill were down on the ground and racing after him.

b.u.mps again was left behind, and she lifted up her voice and wept a second time.

"I can't get down! Oh, Jill, come back! Take me down! I'm frightened!"

But no Jill came back, and poor b.u.mps sobbed away, clinging hold of the branch with her hot little hands and regarding the distance down to the ground with terrified eyes.

It seemed hours to her before any one pa.s.sed her way, and then suddenly a young man with a gun across his shoulder, and a couple of dogs, came into sight.

"Man! man!" cried b.u.mps frantically. "I'm left behind. Come and take me down, oh, pleath take me down!"

He started and looked up at her in astonishment, then a smile crossed his lips.

"A baby in a tree! How on earth did a small mite like you perch yourself up there?"

"I've been lefted!" sobbed b.u.mps. "They've run away, and I'm lotht!"

The young man laughed, then sprang up the tree, and in another minute b.u.mps stood on firm ground once again.

"Thank you," she said prettily, her face wreathed in smiles. "Now pleathe help me find Jack and Jill."