He also
gave Alister his address, and he and the other officers collected a
small sum of money for him as a parting gift.
That afternoon we three crossed the harbour, and went for a walk in the
pine-woods. How I longed for Charlie! I would have given anything if he
could have been there, warmed through by the hot sun, refreshed by the
smell of pines, resting his poor back in the deep moss, and getting
excited over the strange flowers that grew wild all round our feet. One
never forgets the first time one sees unknown flowers growing wild; and
though we were not botanical, like Charlie, we had made ourselves very
hot with gathering nosegays by the time that Dennis summoned us to sit
down and talk seriously over our affairs. Our place of council was by
the side of a lake, which reflected a sky more blue than I had ever
seen. It stretched out of sight, and all about it were pines--pines. It
was very lovely, and very hot, and very sweet, and the little black
flies which swarmed about took tiny bits out of our cheek, and left the
blood trickling down, so cleverly, that one did not feel it--till
afterwards.
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