The promised story was not omitted, however, and
Phyllis, sitting on a little footstool at her brother's feet, looked
up eagerly for it.
'Well, Phyl, I will tell you a true history that I heard from an
officer who had served in the Peninsular War--the war in Spain, you
know.'
'Yes, with the French, who killed their king. Lily told me.'
'And the Portuguese were helping us. Just after we had taken the
town of Ciudad Rodrigo, some of the Portuguese soldiers went to find
lodgings for themselves, and, entering a magazine of gunpowder, made
a fire on the floor to dress their food. A most dangerous thing--do
you know why?'
'The book would be burnt,' said Phyllis.
'What book, you wise child?'
'The Magazine; I thought a magazine was one of the paper books that
Maurice is always reading.'
'Oh!' said Claude, laughing, 'a magazine is a store, and as many
different things are stored in those books, they are called
magazines. A powder magazine is a store of barrels of gunpowder.
Now do you see why it was dangerous to light a fire?'
'It blows up,' said Phyllis; 'that was the reason why Robinson Crusoe
was afraid of the lightning.'
'Right, Phyl, and therefore a candle is never allowed to be carried
into a powder magazine, and even nailed shoes are never worn there,
lest they should strike fire.
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