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thinkers£»¡¡more¡¡modifiers¡¡and¡¡completers£»¡¡and¡¡fewer¡¡inventors¡£



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sermons£»¡¡that¡¡which¡¡was¡¡now¡¡working¡¡in¡¡Falconer's¡¡mind¡¡was¡¡the¡¡first

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ancestor¡¡had¡¡borne¡¡in¡¡his¡¡mental¡¡constitution¡£¡¡¡¡After¡¡his¡¡fashion¡¡he

as¡¡well¡¡as¡¡Robert¡¡enjoyed¡¡the¡¡sun¡¡and¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡and¡¡the¡¡water¡¡and¡¡the

sky£»¡¡but¡¡he¡¡had¡¡sympathies¡¡with¡¡the¡¡salmon¡¡and¡¡the¡¡rooks¡¡and¡¡the

wild¡¡rabbits¡¡even¡¡stronger¡¡than¡¡those¡¡of¡¡Robert¡£









CHAPTER¡¡XIX¡£



ROBERT¡¡STEALS¡¡HIS¡¡OWN¡£



The¡¡period¡¡of¡¡the¡¡hairst¡­play£»¡¡that¡¡is£»¡¡of¡¡the¡¡harvest¡¡holiday¡¡time£»

drew¡¡near£»¡¡and¡¡over¡¡the¡¡north¡¡of¡¡Scotland¡¡thousands¡¡of¡¡half¡­grown

hearts¡¡were¡¡beating¡¡with¡¡glad¡¡anticipation¡£¡¡¡¡Of¡¡the¡¡usual¡¡devices¡¡of

boys¡¡to¡¡cheat¡¡themselves¡¡into¡¡the¡¡half¡­belief¡¡of¡¡expediting¡¡a

blessed¡¡approach¡¡by¡¡marking¡¡its¡¡rate£»¡¡Robert¡¡knew¡¡nothing£º¡¡even¡¡the

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school¡­fellows£»¡¡there¡¡was¡¡one¡¡amusement£»¡¡a¡¡solitary¡¡one¡¡nearly£»¡¡and

therein¡¡not¡¡so¡¡good¡¡as¡¡most¡¡amusements£»¡¡into¡¡which¡¡he¡¡entered¡¡with

the¡¡whole¡¡energy¡¡of¡¡his¡¡nature£º¡¡it¡¡was¡¡kite¡­flying¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡moment¡¡that

the¡¡hairst¡­play¡¡approached¡¡near¡¡enough¡¡to¡¡strike¡¡its¡¡image¡¡through

the¡¡eyes¡¡of¡¡his¡¡mind£»¡¡Robert¡¡proceeded¡¡to¡¡make¡¡his¡¡kite£»¡¡or¡¡draigon£»

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portion¡¡cut¡¡away¡¡from¡¡it£»¡¡that¡¡pared¡¡to¡¡a¡¡light¡¡strength£»¡¡its¡¡ends

confined¡¡to¡¡the¡¡proper¡¡curve¡¡by¡¡a¡¡string£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡away¡¡went¡¡Robert

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thickness£»¡¡was¡¡readily¡¡granted¡¡to¡¡his¡¡request£»¡¡free¡¡as¡¡the¡¡daisies

of¡¡the¡¡field¡£¡¡¡¡Oh£¡¡¡those¡¡horrid¡¡town¡¡conditions£»¡¡where¡¡nothing¡¡is

given¡¡for¡¡the¡¡asking£»¡¡but¡¡all¡¡sold¡¡for¡¡money£¡¡¡¡¡In¡¡Robert's¡¡kite¡¡the

only¡¡thing¡¡that¡¡cost¡¡money¡¡was¡¡the¡¡string¡¡to¡¡fly¡¡it¡¡with£»¡¡and¡¡that

the¡¡grandmother¡¡willingly¡¡provided£»¡¡for¡¡not¡¡even¡¡her¡¡ingenuity¡¡could

discover¡¡any¡¡evil£»¡¡direct¡¡or¡¡implicated£»¡¡in¡¡kite¡­flying¡£¡¡¡¡Indeed£»¡¡I

believe¡¡the¡¡old¡¡lady¡¡felt¡¡not¡¡a¡¡little¡¡sympathy¡¡with¡¡the¡¡exultation

of¡¡the¡¡boy¡¡when¡¡he¡¡saw¡¡his¡¡kite¡¡far¡¡aloft£»¡¡diminished¡¡to¡¡a¡¡speck¡¡in

the¡¡vast¡¡blue£»¡¡a¡¡sympathy£»¡¡it¡¡may¡¡be£»¡¡rooted¡¡in¡¡the¡¡religious

aspirations¡¡which¡¡she¡¡did¡¡so¡¡much¡¡at¡¡once¡¡to¡¡rouse¡¡and¡¡to¡¡suppress

in¡¡the¡¡bosom¡¡of¡¡her¡¡grandchild¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡I¡¡have¡¡not¡¡yet¡¡reached¡¡the

kite¡­flying£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡have¡¡said¡¡nothing¡¡of¡¡the¡¡kite's¡¡tail£»¡¡for¡¡the

sake¡¡of¡¡which¡¡principally¡¡I¡¡began¡¡to¡¡describe¡¡the¡¡process¡¡of¡¡its

growth¡£



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its¡¡spine¡¡the¡¡string¡¡which¡¡was¡¡to¡¡take¡¡the¡¡place¡¡of¡¡its¡¡caudal

elongation£»¡¡and¡¡at¡¡a¡¡proper¡¡distance¡¡from¡¡the¡¡body¡¡joined¡¡to¡¡the

string¡¡the¡¡first¡¡of¡¡the¡¡cross¡­pieces¡¡of¡¡folded¡¡paper¡¡which¡¡in¡¡this

animal¡¡represent¡¡the¡¡continued¡¡vertebral¡¡processes¡£¡¡¡¡Every¡¡morning£»

the¡¡moment¡¡he¡¡issued¡¡from¡¡his¡¡chamber£»¡¡he¡¡proceeded¡¡to¡¡the¡¡garret

where¡¡the¡¡monster¡¡lay£»¡¡to¡¡add¡¡yet¡¡another¡¡joint¡¡to¡¡his¡¡tail£»¡¡until

at¡¡length¡¡the¡¡day¡¡should¡¡arrive¡¡when£»¡¡the¡¡lessons¡¡over¡¡for¡¡a¡¡blessed

eternity¡¡of¡¡five¡¡or¡¡six¡¡weeks£»¡¡he¡¡would¡¡tip¡¡the¡¡whole¡¡with¡¡a¡¡piece

of¡¡wood£»¡¡to¡¡which¡¡grass£»¡¡quantum¡¡suff¡££»¡¡might¡¡be¡¡added¡¡from¡¡the

happy¡¡fields¡£



Upon¡¡this¡¡occasion¡¡the¡¡dragon¡¡was¡¡a¡¡monster¡¡one¡£¡¡¡¡With¡¡a¡¡little¡¡help

from¡¡Shargar£»¡¡he¡¡had¡¡laid¡¡the¡¡skeleton¡¡of¡¡a¡¡six¡­foot¡¡specimen£»¡¡and

had¡¡carried¡¡the¡¡body¡¡to¡¡a¡¡satisfactory¡¡completion¡£



The¡¡tail¡¡was¡¡still¡¡growing£»¡¡having¡¡as¡¡yet¡¡only¡¡sixteen¡¡joints£»¡¡when

Mr¡£¡¡Lammie¡¡called¡¡with¡¡an¡¡invitation¡¡for¡¡the¡¡boys¡¡to¡¡spend¡¡their

holidays¡¡with¡¡him¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡was¡¡fortunate¡¡for¡¡Robert¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡in¡¡the

room¡¡when¡¡Mr¡£¡¡Lammie¡¡presented¡¡his
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