CHAPTER EIGHT.
GRANDFATHER'S HERO, BY ANON.
"Harry Moore's a milksop," said Bob decidedly.
"Why?" asked his sister. "I thought you liked him."
"So I did," answered Bob, "but I hadn't found out what a stupid he was."
"And how did you find it out?" asked Maud.
"Well, I'll tell you," said Bob. "Last Saturday, you know, we had apaper-chase, and the track was over the bog meadows down by the river.Harry Moore and I were last, and all of a sudden he stopped and said: `Ican't go over these fields.' I asked him why not, and he said they were_too wet_." Bob uttered the last words very contemptuously.
"Well?" questioned Maud.
"Well, I told him he was a little milksop and had better go home, and hewent, and I haven't spoken to him since, although I met him and hislittle sister and brother with their go-cart this morning. I don't careabout being friends with milksops," Bob added frankly.
"Of course not," Maud agreed.
"Oh, bother this rain," said Bob impatiently. "It's going to be wetthis afternoon. What shall we do?"
"Come here, children," said their Grandfather, from his chair by thefireside. "I will tell you a little story to while away the time."
The old man had been sitting with his eyes closed, and the childrenthought he was asleep. But he had heard Bob's anecdote.
Grandfather's stories were always interesting, and the children wereglad to forget the weather in listening to one of them.
"I was thinking just now," said their Grandfather presently, "of a greatand good man, who is now one of the greatest officers in the army. Iwant to tell you a little incident that happened when we were schoolboystogether. We were three years together, then he left, and I have neverseen him again, for his life has been spent in foreign lands. He wassome years older than I, and I daresay he soon forgot the little fellowwho used secretly to look up to him and worship him. But now I musttell you why he became my hero. One day a party of boys had arranged towalk to a place four miles distant, where there was to be a meet of thehounds. I wanted very much to go; I joined the party as they set out ontheir expedition. There were six boys, all older than myself, one ofthem being the handsome, clever fellow whom even then I thought superiorto all the rest. Well, it was a good long walk, over fields and hedgesand ditches. I had some trouble to keep up with the others, for youmust remember I was a very small boy then, and once, in jumping a ditch,I gave my ankle a little twist which made it still more difficult to goalong fast. However, no one noticed me, and I was determined not to bebeaten.
"At last we came to a large field, where some cattle were grazing whichwe had to cross.
"`There's a mad bull in this field,' said one of the boys; `he chasedFarmer Jones the other day.'
"`We can run for it,' said another coolly, `if he comes after us.'
"Now, I knew I could not run with my sore ankle, and the idea of thebull terrified me. `Can't we go another way?' I asked.
"Fear must have been written on my face, for some of the boys burst outlaughing.
"`Little Morrin's afraid,' said one mockingly. `Sit down under thehedge, dear: then the bull won't see you.'
"`Go on,' said another; `never mind the little milksop.'
"But my hero, the biggest and strongest of all, looked at me kindly andsaid: `Is anything the matter, little Morrin?'
"And, reassured by his kind tones, I told him I had hurt my foot alittle, and did not think I could run.
"`Get up on my back then,' said he, and, before I could say a word, hestooped down and lifted me up with his strong arms, then strode on asbefore.
"The others began to taunt and mock me.
"`Let him alone, you fellows,' said my champion. `He's a plucky littlechap to come at all with such pleasant companions as we've been.'
"We got through the field without attracting the attention of the bull.The place of the meet was just beyond, and we were in good time to seethe gay scene. We went back by a different road, and my hero made themall march slowly so that I might be able to keep pace with them.
"It was a little thing, was it not, Bob? I say: a little thing.Perhaps you will hardly believe that one little act of kindness alteredmy whole life. It taught me lessons which I might never have learnedotherwise. It showed me how we can help one another by the simplestkindness and sympathy. All through my life his influence has helped andencouraged me--though, as I tell you, I never saw him again."
"Is that all, Grandpa?" asked Maud.
But Bob did not speak. He was thinking of what he had said about HarryMoore.
"I think," he said to Maud that evening, "I'll just ask Moore why he wasafraid of the wet fields. Perhaps he's delicate, or perhaps he'dpromised not to go."
"Grandfather's hero wouldn't have called him a milksop," said Maudthoughtfully.
"No," answered Bob, "and I wish I hadn't; but then, you know, I hadn'theard about Grandfather's hero."
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