"I"m not going to bed yet," said I; "not likely, at eight o"clock!"
More yells; and a chambermaid came and knocked at the door to know what was the matter.
I tried all I knew to quiet him down. He wouldn"t listen to me, not even when I tried to tell him his "Three Bears." He bellowed out one incessant "Want to get in beside you! Want to get in beside you!!" till finally I chucked up the sponge and actually went to bed to oblige him.
He simmered down after that; and I began to hope he"d drop off and get to sleep. But bless you, Jossy, was it likely, after those buns and the dinner he"d had?
We had a fearful night, I can tell you. He kicked till I was black and blue, and rolled over and over till I hadn"t a st.i.tch on me. Then he wanted some water to drink. Then he wanted the gas alight. Then he began to blubber for his mother. Then he wanted the clothes on. Then he wanted them off. Then he got his feet entangled in the night-gown.
Then he wanted some chocolates. Then he wanted to know who was talking in the next room. Then he wanted the pillow turned over. Then he wanted a story told him, and shut me up before I"d begun one sentence of it. Then he wanted me to put my arm round him. Then he wanted me to lie over on the edge of the bed. Then he had a pain in his "tummy," and called on me to make it well, and howled because I couldn"t.
Poor little beggar! He was in a jolly bad way, and I couldn"t well cut up rough; but I can tell you it was the worst night I ever spent. He didn"t quiet down till about three in the morning; and then he went off with his head on my chest and his hand on my nose, and I daren"t for the life of me shift an inch, for fear of bringing it all on again.
I suppose I must have dropped off myself at last; for the next thing I remember, it was broad daylight, and the young cad was sitting on the top of me as merry as a cricket, trying to prize my eyes open with his fingers.
"Can"t you let a chap be?" grunted I; "haven"t you made a beast enough of yourself all night without starting again now?"
"I want to see your eyes," said he.
Then he began to jump up and down on the top of me, and explained that he was "riding in the puff-puff."
I wished to goodness he was! Of course I had to wake up, and then we had those brutal "Three Bears" on again for an hour, till it was time to get up.
He insisted on being tubbed all over, with soap, and criticised me all the while.
"Boys who spill on the carpet must be whipped," said he. "Mother will whip you, and you"ll cry--ha, ha!"
"I don"t care," said I, "as long as she clears you off."
He never seemed to understand what I said, and wasn"t a bit set down by this.
Then came the same old game of getting him into his togs, and parting his horrid hair, and blowing his nose, and all that.
I can tell you I was about sick of it when it was done.
When we got down in the hall, the first chap we met was the hotel man.
"There"s the ugly man with the red nose," sings out the kid. "I can see him--there is he!" pointing with all his might.
"Look here, young gentleman," said the man, coming to me, "we aren"t used to be kept awake all night by your noise or your baby"s. You may tell your papa he needn"t send you here again. There"s half a dozen of my visitors leaving to-day, because they couldn"t get a wink of sleep all night."
"No more could I," said I.
He was going to say something more, but just then a man came in from the street. Directly he spotted the kid, he rushed up to him.
"Why, it _is_ Tommy," said he.
Tommy put on a grin, and dug his hands into his pockets. "I"ve got a knife," said he, "of my very own."
"Are you the young gentleman who left the message at Waterloo?" said the man. "Why, the letter I got said the train got in at 8 a.m., not 8 p.m.
You don"t know what a turn it gave me to go down there this morning and not see him. Have you had him here all night?"
"Rather," said I.
"Daddy, there"s an ugly man came to this house. I can see him now, with a red nose. Look there!"
"I hope he"s been a good boy," said the proud father. "I"m sure I"m much obliged. I"m afraid he"s been a trouble to you. I"ve got a cab here. My word, I"m glad I"ve got you safe, Tommy, my boy. Come, say good-bye to the kind gentleman."
"He was naughty, and spilt the water on the floor. He must be whipped-- ha, ha!" observed Tommy, by way of farewell.
He didn"t seem to care twopence about leaving me, and chucked me up for his governor as if I"d been a railway porter. However, I can tell you I was glad to see the back of him, and didn"t envy his governor a little bit.
Of course, I"d lost my first train home, and had to wait till mid-day, to endure the scowls of the hotel man, and the frowns of all the people who had been kept awake by the kid"s row. Among others there was the professor.
"Well," said he, "what sort of night did baby have?"
"Middling," said I.
"I expected it would be middling," said he.
Now, Jossy, you know what I mean by ""Ware kids." Keep all this mum, whatever you do. I wouldn"t have any of the fellows hear about it for the world. I can tell you, I feel as if I deserve a week"s holiday longer than the rest of you. Never you utter the words "Three Bears" in my hearing, or there"ll be a row.
Yours truly, Gus. Cutaway.
CHAPTER FIVE.
SIGURD THE HERO.
Sub-Chapter I.
THE TOWER OF THE NORTH-WEST WIND.
On the rugged sh.o.r.e of the Northern Sea, where the summer sun never sets, there stood long ago a grim bleak fortress, called the Tower of the North-West Wind. Before it stretched the sea, which thundered ceaselessly at its base, like a wolf that gnaws at the root of some n.o.ble oak. On either side of it glittered the blue fiord, dotted with numberless islets, throwing its long arms far inland. Behind it frowned a dense forest of pines as far as eye could reach, in which the wind roared day and night, mingled often with the angry howls of the wolves.
The Tower of the North-West Wind stood there, the solitary work of man in all that wild landscape. Not a sign of life was to be seen besides.
Not even a fisherman"s hut on the sh.o.r.es of the fiord, or a woodman"s shed among the trees. The stranger might easily have taken the rugged pile itself for a part of the black cliff on which it stood. No road seemed to lead up to it, no banner floated from its walls, no trumpet startled the sea-birds that lodged amongst its turrets.
Yet the old castle was not the deserted place it looked, for here dwelt Sigurd, the mightiest hero of all that land, brother to Ulf, the king.
Men hated Ulf as much as they loved his brother; for Sigurd, with all his prowess, was just and generous, and lied to no man.
"If Sigurd were but king," said they one to the other, "our land would be the happiest the sun shines upon. As it is, Ulf makes us wretched.
We had rather be his enemies than his friends."
But though they said this one to another, Sigurd listened to none of it, and when they urged him to rebel, he sternly bade them hold their peace.
And he went forth and fought the battles of the king, his brother, and they followed him, wishing only the battle-cry were "Sigurd!" and not "Ulf!"