Round-about Rambles in Lands of Fact and Fancy | Page 9

mere boy--one of the very youngest of soldiers!
"Sire!" he cried, "we've taken the town! Our men are in the
market-place, and you can ride there now! And see!--upon the
walls--our flag!"
The eyes of the General flashed with joy and triumph. Here was
glorious news!
As he turned to the boy to thank him for the more than welcome tidings
that he brought, he noticed that the lad was pale and trembling, and that
as he stood holding by the mane of his horse, his left hand was pressed
upon his chest, and the blood was slowly trickling between his fingers.
"My boy!" said he, tenderly, as he fixed his eyes upon the stripling,
"you're wounded!"
"No, sire!" cried the boy, his pale face flushing as his General thus
addressed him, and the shouts of victory filled his ears, "I am not
wounded; I am killed!" And down at his General's feet he fell and died.
There have been brave men upon the battle-field ever since the world
began, but there never was a truer soldier's heart than that which kept
this boy alive until he had borne to his General the glorious news of the
battle won.

A LIVELY WAY TO RING A BELL.
[Illustration]

Here are two young men who look very much as if they were trying to
break their necks; but in reality they have no such desire.
They are simply ringing that great bell, and riding backward and
forward on it as it swings through the air.
These young fellows are Spaniards, and in many churches in their
country it is considered a fine thing to go up into the belfry of a church
or cathedral, and, when the regular bell-ringers are tired, to jump on the
great bells and swing away as hard as they can make them go. No
matter about any particular peal or style of ringing.
The faster and the more furiously they swing, the jollier the ride, and
the greater the racket. Sometimes in a cathedral there are twenty bells,
all going at once, with a couple of mad chaps riding on each one of
them. It is, doubtless, a very pleasant amusement, after one gets used to
it, but it is a wonder that some of those young men are not shot off into
the air, when the great bell gets to swinging as fast and as far as it can
go.
But although they hold on as tightly as if they were riding a wild young
colt, they are simply foolhardy. No man or boy has a right to risk his
life and limbs in such reckless feats.
There is no probability, however, of the sport ever being introduced
into this country.
Even if there were no danger in it, such a clatter and banging as is
heard in a Spanish belfry, when the young men are swinging on the
bells, would never be allowed in our churches. The Spaniards may like
such a noise and hubbub, but they like a great many things which
would not suit us.

DOWN IN THE EARTH.
[Illustration]

Let us take a little trip down under the surface of the earth. There will
be something unusual about such an excursion. Of course, as we are not
going to dig our way, we will have to find a convenient hole
somewhere, and the best hole for the purpose which I know of is in
Edmondson County, Kentucky.
So let us go there.
When we reach this hole we find that it is not a very large one, but still
quite high and wide enough for us to enter. But, before we go in to that
dark place, we will get some one to carry a light and guide us; for this
underground country which we are going to explore is very extensive,
very dark, and, in some places, very dangerous.
Here is a black man who will go with us. He has a lantern, and he says
he knows every nook and corner of the place. So we engage him, get
some lanterns for ourselves, and in we go. We commence to go
downwards very soon after we have passed from the outer air and
sunshine, but it is not long before we stand upon a level surface, where
we can see nothing of the outside world. If our lanterns went out, we
should be in pitchy darkness.
Now we are in the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky!
This vast cavern, which stretches so many miles beneath the surface of
the earth, has never been fully explored; but we are going over as much
of it as our guide is accustomed to show to visitors, and if our legs are
not tired before we get back I shall be very much surprised, for