test of a good plot was stated by Aristotle in the following words, and no one since his time has improved upon it: "The plot," says Aristotle, "being a representation of action, must be the representation of one complete action, and the parts of the action must be so arranged that if any be transposed or removed, the whole will be broken up and disturbed; for what proves nothing by its insertion or omission is no part of the whole."

88.

Assignments on the Plot.

A. Examine the conclusions of the several narratives quoted in the preceding pages of this chapter. Is the conclusion in each case expected? What is its nature?

B. Analyze the following narratives, pointing out (1) the elements of the story, that is, the opposing forces, and the setting; (2) the nature of the obstacle; (3) the character of the beginning; (4) the means of exciting suspense; (5) the point of highest interest; (6) the nature of the conclusion. Then taking it up sentence by sentence, show how each part of the narrative contributes to the development of the plot. See whether any of the sentences can be taken out or transposed without disturbing the unity and sequence of the whole.

1. On topping some rising ground we again sighted antelope. 2. The hood was then slipped from the chetah's head. 3. He saw the animals at once; his body quivered all over with excitement, the tail straightened, and the hackles on his shoulders stood erect, while his eyes gleamed, and he strained at the cord, which was held short. 4. In a second it was unfastened, there was a yellow streak in the air, and the chetah was crouching low some yards away. 5. In this position, and taking advantage of a certain unevenness of the ground which gave him cover, he stealthily crept forward toward a buck that was feeding some distance

away from the others. 6. Suddenly this antelope saw or scented his enemy, for he was off like the wind. 7. He was, however, too late; the chetah had been too quick for him. 8. All that was to be seen was a flash, as the supreme rush was made. 9. This movement of the chetah is said to be, for the time it lasts, the quickest thing in the animal world, far surpassing the speed of a race-horse. 10. Certainly it surprised all of us, who were intently watching the details of the scene being enacted in our view. 11. The pace was so marvellously great that the chetah actually sprang past the buck, although by this time the terrified animal was fairly stretched out at panic speed. 12. This overshooting the mark by the chetah had the effect of driving the antelope, which swerved off immediately from his line, into running round in a circle, with the chetah on the outside. 13. The tongas were then galloped up, and the excitement of the occupants can scarcely be described. 14. In my eagerness to see the finish, I jumped off and took to running, but the hunt was soon over, for before I could get quite up, the chetah got close to the buck, and with a spring at his haunches, brought him to the ground. 15. The leopard then suddenly released his hold, and sprang at his victim's throat, throwing his prey over on its back, where it was held when we arrived on the spot. - Century, 47 : 574.

2. The first interest was attracted toward the combat of Niger with Sporus; for this species of contest, from the fatal result which usually attended it, and from the great science it required in either antagonist, was always peculiarly inviting to the spectators.

They stood at a considerable distance from each other. The singular helmet which Sporus wore (the visor of which was down) concealed his face; but the features of Niger attracted a fearful and universal interest from their com

pressed and vigilant ferocity. Thus they stood for some moments, each eyeing each, until Sporus began slowly and with great caution to advance, holding his sword pointed, like a modern fencer's, at the breast of his foe. Niger retreated as his antagonist advanced, gathering up his net with his right hand, and never taking his small glittering eyes from the movements of the swordsman. Suddenly, when Sporus had approached nearly at arm's length, the retiarius threw himself forward and cast his net.

A quick inflection of body saved the gladiator from the deadly snare. He uttered a sharp cry of joy and rage, and rushed upon Niger; but Niger had already drawn in his net, thrown it across his shoulders, and now fled round the lists with a swiftness which the persecutor in vain endeavored to excel. The people laughed and shouted aloud, to see the ineffectual efforts of the broad-shouldered gladiator to overtake the flying giant.

"A Sporus! a Sporus!" shouted the populace, as Niger, having now suddenly paused, had again cast his net, and again unsuccessfully. He had not retreated this time with sufficient agility, the sword of Sporus had inflicted a severe wound upon his right leg; and, incapacitated to fly, he was pressed hard by the fierce swordsman. His great height and length of arm still continued, however, to give him no despicable advantages; and steadily keeping his trident at the front of his foe, he repelled him successfully for several minutes. Sporus now tried, by great rapidity of evolution, to get round his antagonist, who necessarily moved with pain and slowness. In so doing, he lost his caution, he advanced too near to the giant, raised his arm to strike, and received the three points of the fatal spear full in his breast! He sank on his knee. In a moment more the deadly net was cast over him, he struggled against its meshes in vain. Again, again, again he writhed

mutely beneath the fresh strokes of the trident! His blood flowed fast through the net and redly over the sand! He lowered his arms in acknowledgment of defeat.

-BULWER: Last Days of Pompeii, Bk. V, chap. ii.

C. Make a plot for a story from one of the following combinations:

1. A careless lawyer, a lost will, two misdirected letters. 2. A fighting dog, a small boy, an organ-grinder with monkey, a policeman.

3. An auction, a picture, a tramp, a rich buyer.

4. A school fire at night, a class flag, a venturesome boy.

5. A school club with nothing to do, a poor widow, a house with leaky roof, a boy, a speech.

The Point of the Story.

89. Every good narrative has a "point," a meaning, a central idea, which is its reason for coming into existence and its excuse for being told at all. Sometimes the point is obvious, as in the fable, where it takes the form of a moral plainly stated at the close. But in most cases the point is not stated; the reader is left to draw it out as best he can from the incidents of the narrative. still other cases the writer takes pains to conceal the point of his story because he fears that too plain an exhibition of it will check the reader's interest.

90. Assignment on the Point of the Story.

In

What is the point of the following story of the Man and the Good People? State it in a single brief sentence.

Alan was the first to come round. He rose, went to the border of the wood, peered out a little, and then returned and sat down.

"Well," said he, "yon was a hot burst, David."

I said nothing, nor so much as lifted my face. I had seen murder done, and a great, ruddy, jovial gentleman struck out of life in a moment; the pity of that sight was still sore within me, and yet that was but a part of my concern. Here was murder done upon the man Alan hated; here was Alan skulking in the trees and running from the troops; and whether his was the hand that fired or only the head that ordered, signified but little. By my way of it, my only friend in that wild country was blood-guilty in the first degree; I held him in horror; I could not look upon his face; I would have rather lain alone in the rain on my cold isle, than in that warm wood beside a murderer.

"Are ye still wearied?" he asked again.

"No," said I, still with my face in the bracken; "no, I am not wearied now, and I can speak. You and me must twine," I said. "I liked you very well, Alan; but your ways are not mine, and they're not God's; and the short and the long of it is just that we must twine."

“I will hardly twine from ye, David, without some kind of reason for the same," said Alan, gravely. "If ye ken anything against my reputation, it's the least thing that ye should do, for old acquaintance' sake, to let me hear the name of it; and if ye have only taken a distaste to my society, it will be proper for me to judge if I'm insulted."

"Alan," said I, "what is the sense of this? Ye ken very well yon Campbell-man lies in his blood upon the road." He was silent for a little; then, says he, "Did ever ye hear tell of the story of the Man and the Good People?" by which he meant the fairies.

"No" said I, "nor do I want to hear it."

"With your permission, Mr. Balfour, I will tell it you, whatever," says Alan. "The man, ye should ken, was cast upon a rock in the sea, where it appears the Good People