Little God Ben. J. Farjeon Jefferson

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       What the Dawn Brought

      Ben had something of the ostrich in him. When he fell flat he remained flat, hoping that trouble would pass over him. He remained flat now.

      Nothing happened. This, in a world where nine-tenths of the happenings were unpleasant, was satisfactory. A condition not to be disturbed. He stayed where he was till he forgot where he was, and drifted into a series of entirely new adventures. The only one he remembered when he returned from them to consciousness was a unique journey in a boat made entirely of cheese. This should have been agreeable, since he liked cheese and was very hungry, but every time he ate the cheese he made a hole in the boat and the sea poured in. It was the sea that woke him up. Dampness slid round his boots and along to his knees. The cheese, on the other hand, vanished, and in its place against his mouth was sand.

      He turned over and sat up. Around him were vague forms, enjoying the lethargy from which he had just emerged. In the dim light of dawn he counted them. Six wet little heaps. With himself, seven. He, the seventh, was the most conspicuous but the least complete. Recent rigours had deprived him of all garments above the waist, betraying the tattooings of a regretted youth.

      The heap nearest to him was Lord Cooling. His leg was only a few inches away, and the once-immaculate trouser was rucked up, revealing a sodden sock and suspender. Another heap, almost as close, was Ruth Sheringham. She, also, showed more leg than seemed to Ben respectable. He wondered whether he ought to do something about it. The other heaps were not, to him, identifiable; but we may identify them, and compare them with their normal attitudes.

      One was the film star, Richard Ardentino; his normal attitude was splendidly erect, with face raised to the light. One was Henry Smith; his favourite attitude was under a suburban rose-arch (he grew the best roses in Wembley), or playing cards in the 8.59 to Broad Street. One was Ernest Medworth, whose more familiar attitude was poring over Stock Exchange figures to discover whether, scrupulously or otherwise, they could be turned to his advantage. And the last was Elsie Noyes. Her attitude was best expressed at the head of a line of girl guides …

      ‘Yus, but where’s the Third Orficer?’ wondered Ben suddenly.

      He should have made an eighth little heap.

      The absence of the Third Officer began to worry Ben even more than the absence of skirt over Ruth Sheringham’s leg. He rose slowly to his feet, and peered beyond the heaps.

      He could not see much. Just a misty, creepy dimness. A grey veil that screened—what? Away to the east, beyond the wicked breakers and across the heaving sea, faint light began to illuminate the horizon, but here the grey veil still reigned supreme, concealing all but the nearest objects.

      ‘It’s narsty,’ thought Ben.

      Nevertheless, he stole forward, slowly and uneagerly, stepping carefully among the mounds and envying them their immobility. He had been much happier before he had ceased to be a mound himself. But somewhere through that grey veil, Ben decided, was the Third Officer, and if he’d got into trouble—well, somebody would have to find him, wouldn’t they?

      As he advanced, turning his back upon the shore, the dimness became more creepy. It seemed to be full of ghostly slits, and he did not know whether the darkness in front of him were cliff, wall, or forest. Something ran over his foot. By insisting it was a crab he just saved himself from screaming. But even crabs weren’t nice. Some of these Pacific blighters had claws that …

      ‘Wozzat?’ gulped Ben.

      He leapt, and then stood stock still, while another panic passed. The new oppression had seemed like a figure. Not the Third Officer’s figure. A figure twice as tall, if not three times; standing motionless. But where was it now? A figure that size couldn’t come and go without a sound! The only sound Ben heard was the thumping of his heart.

      ‘I better git back,’ thought Ben unsteadily. ‘Yer wants two at this job!’

      He turned. The sensation that the giant was now behind him caused him to take a header over a large stone. He dived into two arms. They were the arms of the Third Officer.

      ‘Lumme!’ gasped Ben.

      ‘Can’t you stand?’ asked the Third Officer, trying to make him erect.

      ‘My knees is funny,’ explained Ben.

      ‘All of you’s funny,’ replied the Third Officer.

      ‘Well, yer give me a shock!’

      ‘The shock was mutual.’

      ‘Oo’s wot?’

      ‘Never mind. Where are you going?’

      ‘I ain’t, I’m comin’ back.’

      ‘Where were you going, then?’

      ‘Ter look fer you, like.’

      ‘Very nice of you,’ smiled the Third Officer. ‘Well, now you’ve found me like. Did you find anything else?’

      ‘Yus,’ answered Ben, with unpleasant recollection.

      ‘What?’

      ‘Bloke twen’y foot ’igh.’

      ‘What are you talking about?’ came the sharp demand.

      ‘Bloke twen’y foot ’igh,’ replied Ben. Then he added, ‘Mindjer, I ain’t sure wot I seed ’im, but if I seed ’im, that’s wot ’e was.’

      The Third Officer frowned, then regarded Ben searchingly.

      ‘Anything left in the bottle, sonny?’ he inquired.

      ‘If I ’ad a bottle, there wouldn’t be,’ said Ben.

      ‘Where did you see this Gargantuan creature?’

      ‘Oo?’

      ‘Where did you see this giant?’

      ‘Be’ind me. ’Ave a look. I’ve ’ad mine, and one’s enuff.’

      ‘Most kind!’ murmured the Third Officer, and stared over Ben’s shoulder.

      Then, Ben gazing east and the Third Officer gazing west, each man saw an interesting sight.

      Ben saw the sun rise. It slipped into view over the rim of the world, at first the tiniest curve of gold, then a gradually developing disc. The sea threw off its shroud and woke up. It became a madly dancing expanse of water, with a wide, shimmering path stretching from horizon to shore.

      The Third Officer saw what the sun rose on. He saw a forest awaken. He saw the tops of great trees catching the first upward rays. He saw the amber light flow down. He saw Ben’s giant …

      ‘Wozzer matter?’ jerked Ben suddenly.

      The Third Officer did not reply immediately. Then he said:

      ‘Turn СКАЧАТЬ