robert falconer-第40章

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the　whole　energy　of　his　nature：　it　was　kite…flying。　　The　moment　that

the　hairst…play　approached　near　enough　to　strike　its　image　through

the　eyes　of　his　mind；　Robert　proceeded　to　make　his　kite；　or　draigon；

as　he　called　it。　　Of　how　many　pleasures　does　pocket…money　deprive

the　unfortunate　possessor！　　What　is　the　going　into　a　shop　and　buying

what　you　want；　compared　with　the　gentle　delight　of　hours　and　days

filled　with　gaining　effort　after　the　attainment　of　your　end？　　Never

boy　that　bought　his　kite；　even　if　the　adornment　thereafter　lay　in

his　own　hands；　and　the　pictures　were　gorgeous　with　colour　and

gilding；　could　have　half　the　enjoyment　of　Robert　from　the　moment　he

went　to　the　cooper's　to　ask　for　an　old　gird　or　hoop；　to　the　moment

when　he　said　'Noo；　Shargar！'　and　the　kite　rose　slowly　from　the　depth

of　the　a？rial　flood。　　The　hoop　was　carefully　examined；　the　best

portion　cut　away　from　it；　that　pared　to　a　light　strength；　its　ends

confined　to　the　proper　curve　by　a　string；　and　then　away　went　Robert

to　the　wright's　shop。　　There　a　slip　of　wood；　of　proper　length　and

thickness；　was　readily　granted　to　his　request；　free　as　the　daisies

of　the　field。　　Oh！　those　horrid　town　conditions；　where　nothing　is

given　for　the　asking；　but　all　sold　for　money！　　In　Robert's　kite　the

only　thing　that　cost　money　was　the　string　to　fly　it　with；　and　that

the　grandmother　willingly　provided；　for　not　even　her　ingenuity　could

discover　any　evil；　direct　or　implicated；　in　kite…flying。　　Indeed；　I

believe　the　old　lady　felt　not　a　little　sympathy　with　the　exultation

of　the　boy　when　he　saw　his　kite　far　aloft；　diminished　to　a　speck　in

the　vast　blue；　a　sympathy；　it　may　be；　rooted　in　the　religious

aspirations　which　she　did　so　much　at　once　to　rouse　and　to　suppress

in　the　bosom　of　her　grandchild。　　But　I　have　not　yet　reached　the

kite…flying；　for　I　have　said　nothing　of　the　kite's　tail；　for　the

sake　of　which　principally　I　began　to　describe　the　process　of　its

growth。



As　soon　as　the　body　of　the　dragon　was　completed；　Robert　attached　to

its　spine　the　string　which　was　to　take　the　place　of　its　caudal

elongation；　and　at　a　proper　distance　from　the　body　joined　to　the

string　the　first　of　the　cross…pieces　of　folded　paper　which　in　this

animal　represent　the　continued　vertebral　processes。　　Every　morning；

the　moment　he　issued　from　his　chamber；　he　proceeded　to　the　garret

where　the　monster　lay；　to　add　yet　another　joint　to　his　tail；　until

at　length　the　day　should　arrive　when；　the　lessons　over　for　a　blessed

eternity　of　five　or　six　weeks；　he　would　tip　the　whole　with　a　piece

of　wood；　to　which　grass；　quantum　suff。；　might　be　added　from　the

happy　fields。



Upon　this　occasion　the　dragon　was　a　monster　one。　　With　a　little　help

from　Shargar；　he　had　laid　the　skeleton　of　a　six…foot　specimen；　and

had　carried　the　body　to　a　satisfactory　completion。



The　tail　was　still　growing；　having　as　yet　only　sixteen　joints；　when

Mr。　Lammie　called　with　an　invitation　for　the　boys　to　spend　their

holidays　with　him。　　It　was　fortunate　for　Robert　that　he　was　in　the

room　when　Mr。　Lammie　presented　his　petition；　otherwise　he　would

never　have　heard　of　it　till　the　day　of　departure　arrived；　and　would

thus　have　lost　all　the　delights　of　anticipation。　　In　frantic　effort

to　control　his　ecstasy；　he　sped　to　the　garret；　and　with　trembling

hands　tied　the　second　joint　of　the　day　to　the　tail　of　the

dragonthe　first　time　he　had　ever　broken　the　law　of　its　accretion。

Once　broken；　that　law　was　henceforth　an　object　of　scorn；　and　the

tail　grew　with　frightful　rapidity。　　It　was　indeed　a　great　dragon。

And　none　of　the　paltry　fields　about　Rothieden　should　be　honoured

with　its　first　flight；　but　from　Bodyfauld　should　the　majestic　child

of　earth　ascend　into　the　regions　of　upper　air。



My　reader　may　here　be　tempted　to　remind　me　that　Robert　had　been　only

too　glad　to　return　to　Rothieden　from　his　former　visit。　　But　I　must

in　my　turn　remind　him　that　the　circumstances　were　changed。　　In　the

first　place；　the　fiddle　was　substituted　for　grannie；　and　in　the

second；　the　dragon　for　the　school。



The　making　of　this　dragon　was　a　happy　thing　for　Shargar；　and　a　yet

happier　thing　for　Robert；　in　that　it　introduced　again　for　a　time

some　community　of　interest　between　them。　　Shargar　was　happier　than

he　had　been　for　many　a　day　because　Robert　used　him；　and　Robert　was

yet　happier　than　Shargar　in　that　his　conscience；　which　had

reproached　him　for　his　neglect　of　him；　was　now　silent。　　But　not　even

his　dragon　had　turned　aside　his　attentions　from　his　violin；　and　many

were　the　consultations　between　the　boys　as　to　how　best　she　might　be

transported　to　Bodyfauld；　where　endless　opportunities　of　holding

communion　with　her　would　not　be　wanting。　　The　difficulty　was　only

how　to　get　her　clear　of　Rothieden。



The　play　commenced　on　a　Saturday；　but　not　till　the　Monday　were　they

to　be　set　at　liberty。　　Wearily　the　hours　of　mental　labour　and　bodily

torpidity　which　the　Scotch　called　the　Sabbath　passed　away；　and　at

length　the　millennial　morning　dawned。　　Robert　and　Shargar　were　up

before　the　sun。　　But　strenuous　were　the　efforts　they　made　to

suppress　all　indications　of　excitement；　lest　grannie；　fearing　the

immoral　influence　of　gladness；　should　give　orders　to　delay　their

departure　for　an　awfully　indefinite　period；　which　might　be　an　hour；

a　day；　or　even　a　week。　　Horrible　conception！　　Their　behaviour　was　so

decorous　that　not　even　a　hinted　threat　escaped　the　lips　of　Mrs。

Falconer。



They　set　out　three　hours　before　noon；　carrying　the　great　kite；　and

Robert's　school　bag；　of　green　baize；　full　of　sundries：　a　cart　from

Bodyfauld　was　to　fetch　their　luggage　later　in　the　day。　　As　soon　as

they　were　clear　of　the　houses；　Shargar　lay　down　behind　a　dyke　with

the　kite；　and　Robert　set　off　at　full　speed　for　Dooble　Sanny's　shop；

making　a　half…circuit　of　the　town　to　avoid　the　chance　of　being　seen

by　grannie　or　Betty。　　Having　given　due　warning　before；　he　found　the

brown…paper　parcel　ready　for　him；　and　carried　it　off　in　fearful

triumph。　　He　joined　Shargar　in　safety；　and　they　set　out　on　their

journey　as　rich　and　happy　a　pair　of　tramps　as　ever　tramped；　having

six　weeks　of　their　own　in　their　pockets　to　spend　and　not　spare。



A　hearty　welcome　awaited　them；　and　they　were　soon　revelling　in　the

glories　of　the　place；　the　first　instalment　of　which　was　in　the　shape

of　curds　and　cream；　with　oatcake　and　butter；　as　much　as　they　liked。

After　this　they　would　'e'en　to　it　like　French　falconers'　with　their

kite；　for　the　wind　had　been　blowing　bravely　all　the　morning；　having

business　to　do　with　the　harvest。　　The　season　of　stubble　not　yet

arrived；　they　were　limited　to　the　pasturage　and　moorland；　which；

however；　large　as　their　kite　was；　were　spacious　enough。　　Slowly　the

great…headed　creature　arose　from　the　hands　of　Shargar；　and　ascended

about　twenty　feet；　when；　as　if　seized　with　a　sudden　fit　of　wrath　or

fierce　indignation；　it　turned　right　round　and　dashed　itself　with

headlong　fury　to　the　earth；　as　if　sooner　than　submit　to　such

influences　a　moment　longer　it　would　beat　out　its　brains　at　once。



'It　hasna　half　tail　eneuch；'　cried　Robert。　'It's　queer　'at　things

winna　gang　up　ohn　hauden　them　doon。　　Pu'　a　guid　han'fu'　o'　clover；

Shargar。　　She's　had　her　fa'；　an'　noo　she'll　gang　up　a'　richt。　　She's

nane　the　waur　o'　't。'



Upon　the　next　attempt；　the　kite　rose　triumphantly。　　But　just　as　it

reached　the　length　of　the　string　it　shot　into　a　faster　current　of

air；　and　Robert　found　himself　first　dragged　along　in　spite　of　his

efforts；　and　then　lifted　from　his　feet。　　After　carrying　him　a　few

yards；　the　dragon　broke　its　string；　dropped　him　in　a　ditch；　and；

drifting　away；　went　fluttering　and　waggling　downwards　in　the

distance。



'Luik　whaur　she　gangs；　Shargar；'　cried　Robert；　from　the　ditch。



Experience　coming　to　his　aid；　Shargar　took　landmarks　of　the

direction　in　which　it　went；　and　ere　long　they　found　it　with　its　tail

entangled　in　the　topmost　branches　of　a　hawthorn　tree；　and　its　head

beating　th