LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1862, 11 February 1880, Page 3

LITERATURE.

UP THE RIVER WITH A LUNATIC. I know the possibility, nay, the probability of such a thing made me feel more than queer. If there is anything in the world I instinctively fear, it is mad persona. I know little of them, have never been in their company ; possibly my ignorance explains my dread ; but the idea of sitting in the same boat, and on the same seat, with a man who Dr Bawle’s warning : ‘ Don’t let him lose his temper, or murder will ensue,’ made me bound from my seat like Jack-in-box. The boat tipped right out of the water, but I didn’t care. The man was glaring at me with cruel eyes, my muscles were strung, my fists clenched. Every moment 1 expected him at my throat. ‘ What the dickens are you up to ?’ said Alf. * What's the matter with you ?’ ' Exciteable temperament, hot - blooded youth !’ said the stranger. I could have said something had I chosen, but I preferred discretion. I didn’t like his eyes. ‘ N-o—nothing,’ I said. ‘I think I’ll sit in the bow.’

I didn’t wait to learn if any one had an objection, but swinging round, I scrambled past Alf, and tripped full length on to Tom’s knees. The boat went up and down like a swing. It was a miracle ho wasn’t over. ‘ls the fellow mad ?’ roared Air. At the word * mad,’ the stranger rose up straight as a post. ‘Mad!‘ he said; ‘do you know sir ’ He checked himself and sat down. ‘ Pooh! he’s only a boy.’ In passing Tom, I whispered in his ear. ‘ The lunatic,’ I said. ‘ What!’ said Tom, right out loud. ‘ Hold your row, you confounded donkey ! It’s the man from Dr Bawle’s !’ ‘ The ’

He was going to say something naughty—l know he was; but he stopped short, and stared at him with all his eyes. Either Alf overheard me, or else the same idea occurred to him at the same moment, for he stopped dead in the middle of a stroke, and inspected the man on the steering-sheet. Tom and Alf went on staring at him for a minute or more. I kept my head turned the other way to avoid his eyes. All at once I felt the boat give a great throb. I turned; there was the stranger leaning half out of his seat, looking at Alf in a way I shouldn’t have cared to have had him look at me.

* What’s the meaning of this insolence ?’ he said.

The question was not unwarranted; it could not have been pleasant to have been stared at as Tom and Alf wore staring then. ‘1 beg your pardon,’ said Alf, cool as a cucumber; ‘to what insolence do you refer ?’ Tom actually chuckled ; I couldn’t have chuckled for a good deal; it seemed to me not only impudent but risky. I couldn’t forget Dr. Rawle’s words about his homicidal tendencies. He turned red as a lobster. I never saw such an expression come over a man’s face before —perfectly demoniacal. To my surprise he sat down and spoke as calmly and deliberately as possible. * Thank you,’ he said ‘ I shall not forget this.’ There was a sound about his ‘ I shall not forget this,’ I did not relish. Alf said nothing. Tom and he set off rowing as coolly as though nothing had happened. X extemporised a ■eat in the bow, and tried to make things as comfortably as possible. I noticed, although Alf and Tom were so cool, they hardly took their eyes off him for more than a second at a time. His behaviour before their furtive glances was peculiar; he saw he was being watched :he couldn’t sit still; he looked first at one bank, then at the other; his eyes travelled everywhere, resting nowhere; his hands fidgeted and trembled ; he seemed all of a quiver. I expected him to break into a paroxysm every second. If I hadn’t called eut he would have run us right into the shore. When X called he clutched the other string violently, jerking the boat almost round. I heartily wished him at Jericho before he had come near us. Ko one spoke. We went slowly along, watching each other. At last he said something. * I—l will get out,’ he said, in an odd, nervous way. ' With pleasure,’ said Alf ; ‘ in a minute.’ ‘Why not now? Why not now, sir?’ he said, seeming to shake from head to foot. ‘ Where are you going to get ? —into the river ?’

I admired AlE’s coolness, I envied him. I only hoped he wouldn’t let it carry him too far. The man glowered at him; for a moment he looked him full in the face. I never saw a look in a man’s eyes like that in his. Alf returned him look for look. Slightly, almost imperceptibly, he quickened his stroke. A little lower down was a little hamlet with a well-known inn and a capital landing stage. When we came alongside the stranger said — ‘ This will do ; I’ll get out here.’ He turned the boat inshore. No sooner were we near enough, than he rose in his seat and sprang on to the beach. There were several people about, watermen and others. Alf was after him in an instant. He rose almost simultaneously and lept on shore. He touched him on the shoulder. ‘Now, come,’ he said, ‘don’t be foolish ; we know all about it.’ The other turned on him like a flash of lightning. ‘ What do you mean ?’ But Tom was too quick for him; he was on the other side, and took his arm. ‘ Come,’ he said, ‘ don’t let’s have a row.’ The stranger raised himself to his full heighth, and shook off Tom with ease. He then hit out right and left in splendid style. Tom and Alf went down like ninepins. But my blood waa up. I scrambled on shore and ran into him, dodged his blows, and closed. I am pretty strong. He waa old enough to be my father ; but I found I had my match, and more. I was like a baby in his arms ; he lifted me clean off my feet, and threw me straight into the river. It was a splendid exhibition of strength. Tom and Alf, finding their feet, made for him together; and scrambling out as beet I could I followed suit. Aon never saw such a set-out. We clung to him like leeches. The language he used was awful; his strength was magnificent. Though wo were three to one, he was a match for all of us. Of course the by-standere, seeing a row, came up. They interferred, and pulled us off . «Here’* a pretty go !’ said one ; 1 what’s all this ‘Stop him! Hay hold of him!’ said Alf. * He’s a lunatic !’ < A what ?’ said the man.

* He’s a lunatic escaped from Dr. Bawle’a asylum I’ Instead of lending a hand, the man went off into a roar of laughter, and the others joined. The stranger looked literally frantic with rage. A gentleman stepped out from the crowd.

‘There’s some mistake,’ ho said; ‘this gentleman is Mr Travers, of Tollhurst Hall.' You oonld have knocked us all three down with a feather, I do believe. Gould it he possible ? Could we have been such consummate idiots as to have mistaken a sane man for a lunatic ? and that man Lilian Travers’ father!

I could have shrunk into my boots; I could _ have run away and hid myself in bed. To think that wo ahould have dogged, and watched, and insulted, and assaulted the man of all others in whose good books we wished to stand—Lilian Travers’ father. Neves did three men look such fools as we did then. We were so confoundedly in earnest about it, that was the worst of all. I don’t care what you say ; you may think it a first rate joke; but he must have been an eccentric sort of elderly gentleman. If he had behaved sensibly, if he had made one sensible remark, he would have blown our delusion to the winds.

We tendered our apoligies as best we could to the man we had so insulted, but he treated us and them with loftiest scorn, and wo got one after another into the boat amidst th® gibes and jeers of an unsympathetic crowd. And as we rowed from the wretched place a® fast as onr oars would take us, we each of us in our secret heart declared we never should forget our adventure up the river with a lunatic. And wa haven’t.

From that day to this I have never seen Lilian Travers, nor do I wish to.