The Flamp, The Ameliorator, and The Schoolboy's Apprentice Part 2

Tilsa slipped the note under Alison's door and then fetched Tobene from his room. They went first to the larder and packed a small basket with food. Tobene's vote was for blancmange and jam tarts, but Tilsa said that bread and biscuits were better.

'How about salt?' Toby asked.

'Salt?' said Tilsa, 'what for?'

'To put on the Flamp's tail and catch him,' said Toby. 'Else how are you going to hug him, Tilsa?'

VII

The two little explorers squeezed through the bars of the northern gate and for an hour or more hurried as fast as they could along the white road. They had no plan. All that Tilsa knew was that the Flamp lived somewhere in the mountains, but whether it was north or south, east or west, she could not say.

At the end of the second hour, Tilsa felt certain that it was time to leave the road, because day was not far off and they were very weary.

'Cheer up, Toby,' she said. 'We'll soon lie down and have some sleep.

I'm going to shut my eyes and I want you to turn me round three times, and whichever way I walk then, that way we shall go.'

This was done, and Tilsa struck off to the left of the road into the plain. Then after walking for nearly an hour longer, they came to a little dell with a pool at the bottom and bushes growing on its sides, and here Tilsa stopped. The two children lay down together under a bush and at once fell asleep.

When Tilsa awoke, it was broad day. She roused Tobene, and they went to the pool and splashed some water over their faces and hands, and then Tilsa opened the basket. Breakfast consisted only of bread and b.u.t.ter and biscuits, but as they were hungry it was better than a banquet. The real business of the day was yet to begin, and Tilsa was wondering how to set about learning the road, when both children were startled by a wee voice.

'I call that piggish,' it said. 'And inconsiderate too.'

Not seeing any speaker, neither child replied but only stared at each other in puzzlement.

'Yes,' the tiny voice continued, 'people can be too tidy. Dropping crumbs is a bad habit in the house, I know, but out of doors it becomes a virtue. People who get up first thing in the morning to gorge themselves with bread and biscuits in this greedy way, and then drop no crumbs--well, piggish and inconsiderate is what I call them.'

The accusation aroused Tilsa. 'We didn't gorge,' she said, 'whoever you are, and we've slept here all night. But here are some crumbs for you, anyway,' and so saying, she broke up a piece of bread and scattered it on the ground.

Immediately a little fiery-crested wren hopped down from a branch of the bush and began to peck among the gra.s.s.

'Thank you,' he said when he had finished; 'but if you had done it without being asked it would have been better.'

'We didn't see you,' said Tobene in excuse.

'Doesn't matter,' the wren replied; 'birds is everywhere, and always hungry. Wherever you drop crumbs you may be sure they'll be acceptable.

Remember that. Now, is there anything I can do for you?'

'Well,' said Tilsa, 'we want to know the way to the Flamp.'

'Before I tell you,' said the wren, 'you must inform me whether I am speaking to a boy or a girl.'

'I am a girl,' said Tilsa. 'Toby here is a boy.'

'Very well,' the wren answered. 'Then I must talk to Toby. I make it a rule never to join in friendly conversation with women. They wear my feathers in their hats.'

'But men shoot you,' Tobene interposed, angry that Tilsa should be treated in this way.

'True,' said the wren, 'true. But so long as there are men, birds must expect to be shot. It's all in the day's work and must be endured. But for one's body to go to the milliner's is intolerable. Intolerable.' The little creature suddenly swallowed its rage, and continued more sweetly: 'Now, as to the Flamp. What you want, Toby, is a Flamp compa.s.s.'

'What's that?' Tobene asked.

'Why, an ordinary compa.s.s points to the north, doesn't it? Well, a Flamp compa.s.s points to the Flamp,' said the wren. 'Then you can find the way.'

'But where are we to get one?' was Tobene's very natural question.

'The hedgehog makes them,' said the wren. 'On the other side of this dell you will see a line of bushes. The hedgehog lives under the fourteenth. Knock on the ground three times and he'll come out. Now I must be off. Good-morning.' And with these words the fiery-crested wren flitted away.

At the fourteenth bush the children knocked three times on the ground.

'Well?' said a surly voice.

'Please we want a Flamp compa.s.s,' said Tilsa.

At once the hedgehog appeared. 'I beg your pardon,' he said in softer tones, 'but I mistook you for the rates and taxes, or I shouldn't have spoke so short. I wasn't expecting customers so early. A Flamp compa.s.s?

Why, I don't think I have one in stock. You see, since the Flamps died off, the demand has been so small that very few are made. There's my own, which has been in the family for years, but I shouldn't care to part with that except at a high price.'

'How much would you call a high price, sir?' Tilsa inquired a little anxiously.

'Well, I couldn't let it go for anything less than a Ribston pippin, or its value,' said the hedgehog. 'But I'm open to offers,' he continued.

'Toby,' said Tilsa, 'turn out your pockets.'

Tobene did so, and Tilsa examined the produce with a doubtful face.

'Please, sir,' she said, 'would you like for the Flamp compa.s.s, which you say is an old one, a piece of string, two marbles, some toffee--although I'm afraid it's rather mixed up with string--eight nuts, a screw, a peg-top, and a knife?'

'The knife will be useful,' said Toby, who was looking on a little ruefully, but convinced that Tilsa, as usual, was doing the right thing and therefore must be supported, 'in case any one tries to snub you.'

'Ah, you needn't trouble about that,' said the hedgehog. 'It's a difficult matter to snub me. You see,' he added, 'by the nature of his construction a hedgehog is not easily sat upon. But to business.

Considering that the times are hard, I don't mind accepting your offer, miss.'

So saying, to Tilsa's immense delight, the hedgehog retired under the bush again, and came out carrying the Flamp compa.s.s. 'Is there anything else I can do for you?' he asked. 'Any periwinkle brooms or mallow cheeses this morning? We have a nice stock of thistle-clocks just in.'

'No, thank you,' Tilsa replied as they hurried off. 'Nothing more to-day. Good-morning.'

The compa.s.s was neatly contrived of the cup of an acorn, through the bottom of which ran a hedgehog's p.r.i.c.kle. Balanced on the point was the needle, a spear of dried gra.s.s, and over all was a spider's web to serve as gla.s.s.

VIII

No matter how the Flamp compa.s.s was twisted, the needle pointed steadily to the mountains before them, and the children marched bravely forward.

They were hungry and tired, but Tilsa would as soon have thought of asking Tobene to carry her as of turning back. As for Tobene, he put one foot before the other as firmly as he was able, and tried to forget the loss of his treasures.