Opening, part 7 · page 21 2101But do not be these things in the hope of finding the great slide--because you might find something quite different, and then you will be sorry.102The great slide is like common slides in that when once you have started you have to go on to the end--unless you fall down--and then it hurts just as much as the smaller kind on ponds.checked by a teacher103The great slide runs downhill all the way, so that you keep on going faster and faster and faster.104George and Jane went so fast that they had not time to notice the scenery.105They only saw the long lines of frosted trees and the starry lamps, and on each side, rushing back as they slid on, a very broad, white world and a very large, black night; and overhead as well as in the trees the stars were bright like silver lamps, and far ahead shone and trembled and sparkled the line of fairy spears.106Jane said that, and George said: "I can see the Northern Lights quite plain."107It is very pleasant to slide and slide and slide on clear, dark ice--especially if you feel you are really going somewhere, and more especially if that somewhere is the North Pole.108The children's feet made no noise on the ice, and they went on and on in a beautiful white silence.109But suddenly the silence was shattered and a cry rang out over the snow.110"Hey!111You there!112Stop!"113"Tumble for your life!" cried George, and he fell down at once, because it is the only way to stop.114Jane fell on top of him--and then they crawled on hands and knees to the snow at the edge of the slide--and there was a sportsman, dressed in a peaked cap and a frozen moustache, like the one you see in the pictures about Ice-Peter, and he had a gun in his hand.115"You don't happen to have any bullets about you?" said he.116"No," George said, truthfully. "117I had five of father's revolver cartridges, but they were taken away the day Nurse turned out my pockets to see if I had taken the knob of the bathroom door by mistake."118"Quite so," said the sportsman, "these accidents will occur.119You don't carry firearms, then, I presume?"120"I haven't any fire_arms_," said George, "but I have a fire_work_.121It's only a squib one of the boys gave me, if that's any good."122And he began to feel among the string and peppermints, and buttons and tops and nibs and chalk and foreign postage stamps in his knickerbocker pockets.123"One could but try," the sportsman replied, and he held out his hand.124But Jane pulled at her brother's jacket-tail and whispered, "Ask him what he wants it for."125So then the sportsman had to confess that he wanted the firework to kill the white grouse with; and, when they came to look, there was the white grouse himself, sitting in the snow, looking quite pale and careworn, and waiting anxiously for the matter to be decided one way or the other.126George put all the things back in his pockets, and said, "No, I shan't.127The reason for shooting him stopped yesterday--I heard Father say so--so it wouldn't be fair, anyhow.128I'm very sorry; but I can't--so there!"129The sportsman said nothing, only he shook his fist at Jane, and then he got on the slide and tried to go toward the Crystal Palace--which was not easy, because that way is uphill.130So they left him trying, and went on.131Before they started, the white grouse thanked them in a few pleasant, well-chosen words, and then they took a sideways slanting run and started off again on the great slide, and so away toward the North Pole and the twinkling, beautiful lights.1 2← previousOpening, part 6next →Opening, part 8↑ back to The Book of DragonsThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg23661/7/page/2/