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another Princess on board the frigatea French one this time察I had heard 

that   that   sort  was    rather   nice。   But     I  abandoned      the  notion    at  once察

recollecting that the heroes of all history had always been noted for their 

unswerving constancy。 

     The French captain was snug in bed when I clambered in through his 

cabin window and held a naked cutlass to his throat。                     Naturally he   was 

surprised      and   considerably      alarmed察    till  I  discharged     one   of   my   set 

speeches   at   him察  pointing   out   that   my   men   already   had   his   crew   under 

hatchways察that his vessel was even then being towed out of harbour察and 

that察  on   his   accepting   the   situation   with   a   good   grace察  his   person   and 

private     property     would     be   treated    with   all   the   respect    due   to   the 

representative   of   a   great   nation   for   which   I   entertained   feelings   of   the 

profoundest   admiration   and   regard   and   all   that   sort   of   thing。     It   was   a 

beautiful speech。        The Frenchman at once presented me with his parole察

in the usual way察and察in a reply of some power and pathos察only begged 

that    I  would    retire  a  moment       while   he   put   on   his  trousers。    This     I 

gracefully consented to do察and the incident ended。 

     Two of my boats were sunk by the fire from the forts on the shore察and 

several brave fellows were severely wounded in the hand´to´hand struggle 



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with the French crew for the possession of the frigate。                 But the bo'sun's 

admirable strategy察and my own reckless gallantry in securing the French 

captain at the outset察had the fortunate result of keeping down the death´ 

rate。    It  was   all  for  the   sake   of  the  Princess    that  I  had   arranged    so 

comparatively tame a victory。           For myself察I rather liked a fair amount of 

blood´letting察red´hot shot察and flying splinters。           But when you have girls 

about the place察they have got to be considered to a certain extent。 

     There was another supper´party that night察in my cabin察as soon as we 

had got well out to sea察and the French captain察who was the guest of the 

evening察  was   in   the  greatest   possible   form。    We   became   sworn   friends察

and   exchanged   invitations   to   come   and   stay   at   each   other's   homes察  and 

really it was quite difficult to induce him to take his leave。             But at last he 

and his crew were bundled into their boats察and after I had pressed some 

pirate bullion upon themdelicately察of course察but in a pleasant manner 

that admitted of no denialthe gallant fellows quite broke down察and we 

parted察our bosoms heaving with a full sense of each other's magnanimity 

and good´fellowship。 

     The next day察which was nearly all taken up with shifting our quarters 

into    the  new    frigate察 so   honourably     and   easily   acquired察   was   a  very 

pleasant one察as everyone who has gone up in the world and moved into a 

larger house will readily understand。            At last I had grim察black guns all 

along each side察instead of a rotten brass carronade察at last I had a square´ 

rigged ship察with real yards察and a proper quarter´deck。               In fact察now that 

I had soared as high as could be hoped in a single voyage察it seemed about 

time to   go   home   and   cut a   dash   and show  off a   bit。     The   worst   of this 

ocean´theatre was察it held no proper audience。               It was hard察of course察to 

relinquish all the adventures that still lay untouched in these Southern seas。 

Whaling察     for   instance察  had    not   yet  been    entered    upon察   the  joys   of 

exploration察  and     strange   inland    cities   innocent   of   the  white   man察  still 

awaited me察and the book of wrecks and rescues was not yet even opened。 

But I had achieved a frigate and a Princess察and that was not so bad for a 

beginning察  and   more      than   enough     to   show   off   with  before   those   dull 

unadventurous folk who continued on their mill´horse round at home。 

     The    voyage     home    was    a  record    one察  so  far  as   mere   speed    was 



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concerned察  and   all   adventures   were   scornfully   left   behind察  as   we   rattled 

along察  for   other   adventurers   who   had   still   their   laurels   to   win。 Hardly 

later  than   the   noon   of   next   day  we   dropped   anchor   in   Plymouth   Sound察

and heard the intoxicating clamour of bells察the roar of artillery察and the 

hoarse cheers of an excited populace surging down to the quays察that told 

us   we   were   being   appreciated   at   something   like   our   true   merits。     The 

Lord     Mayor     was    waiting    there   to  receive    us察 and   with   him    several 

Admirals of the Fleet察as we walked down the lane of pushing察enthusiastic 

Devonians察the   Princess   and I察  and   our war´worn察  weather´beaten察  spoil´ 

laden crew。       Everybody was very nice about the French frigate察and the 

pirate booty察and the scars still fresh on our young limbs察yet I think what I 

liked best of all was察that they all pronounced the Princess to be a duck察

and a peerless察brown´ haired darling察and a true mate for a hero察and of 

the right Princess´breed。 

     The air was thick with invitations and with the smell of civic banquets 

in a forward stage察but I sternly waved all festivities aside。              The coaches´ 

and´four I had ordered immediately on arriving were blocking the whole 

of   the   High    Street察  the  champing      of   bits  and   the   pawing     of  gravel 

summoned us to take our seats and be off察to where the real performance 

awaited us察compared with which all this was but an interlude。                     I placed 

the Princess in the most highly gilded coach of the lot察and mounted to my 

place at her side察and the rest of the crew scrambled on board of the others 

as   best   they   might。    The   whips   cracked      and   the   crowd   scattered    and 

cheered as we broke into a gallop for home。                The noisy bells burst into a 

farewell peal 

     Yes察 that   was undoubtedly  the usual   bell   for   school´room  tea。           And 

high time too察I thought察as I tumbled out of the bath察which was beginning 

to   feel   very   hard   to   the   projecting   portions   of   my   frame´work。     As   I 

trotted downstairs察hungrier even than usual察farewells floated up from the 

front door察and I heard the departing voices of our angular elderly visitors 

as   they   made     their  way    down    the   walk。    Man     was    still  catching   it察

apparently Man was getting it hot。              And much Man cared             The seas 

were his察and their islands察he had his frigates for the taking察his pirates 

and their hoards for an unregarded cutlass´stroke or two察and there were 



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Princesses in plenty waiting for him somewhere Princesses of the right 

sort。 



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           THE RELUCTANT DRAGON 



     Footprints   in   the   snow   have   been   unfailing   provokers   of   sentiment 

ever since snow was first a white wonder in this drab´coloured world of 

ours。    In   a   poetry´book   presented   to   one   of   us   by   an   aunt察  there   was   a 

poem by one Wordsworth in which they stood out stronglywith a picture 

all to themselves察toobut we didn't think very highly either of the poem 

or the sentiment。       Footprints in the sand察now察were quite another matter察

and     we   grasped     Crusoe's     attitude   of   mind    much     more    easily    than 

Wordsworth's。        Excitement   and   mystery察  curiosity   and   suspense   these 

were the only sentiments that tracks察whether in sand or in snow察were able 

to arouse in us。 

     We   had   awakened   early   that   winter   morning察  puzzled   at   first   by   the 

added     light   that  filled  the   room。    Then察    when    the   truth  at  last  fully 

dawned   on   us   and   we   knew   that   snow´balling   was   no   longer   a   wistful 

dream察  but   a   solid   certainty   waiting   for   us   outside察  it   was   a   mere   brute 

fight for the necessary clothes察and the lacing of boots seemed a clumsy 

invention察and the buttoning of coats an unduly tedious form of fastening察

with all that snow going to waste at our

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