Jiffsy

jiffsy

As you may know, Docker consists of a series of containers that operate independently from each other. It's excellent since all team members can work on the same items. Docker could virtualize OS-level and gather all the needed packages. When we talk about Docker, we are talking about running a program in a container with our custom settings. We could define these settings in a file called Dockerfile. What are the benefits of Docker? Maybe before this, you were using an Apache server, which is good, but it's not suitable and convenient. Docker is good because of: All members are accessing the same packages. Anyone can see the latest changes made by others. All settings and versions are the same. So, with these benefits, we could go to the tutorial. I'm assuming you have Docker installed on your Linux system and are familiar with Laravel. Installing Laravel create a directory and name it what you want. open terminal or CMD in this directory and type in composer create-project laravel/laravel example-app When you installed Laravel successfully, go to the folder of Laravel, and here is your first Laravel structure. go to the public folder and cut all the files there. you must navigate to the root file outside the Laravel folder. paste them here like this: So we did this because we wanted to launch Laravel without the command. From the root, we must establish a primary route to the Laravel folder and have access to all of them. php artisan serve Dockerizing Laravel Now open the index.php file in your root project and alter it like below: So we changed it and placed “Laravel” (the name of our project directory) in all the paths. Simply create a Dockerfile folder at the root (which signifies the root directory of your project) and you're done. It must be precisely this name, with a capital D. Now enter these codes into your Dockerfile: FROM php:7.4-apache COPY ./php.ini /etc/php/7.4/apache2/php.ini RUN a2enmod rewrite WORKDIR /var/www/html RUN docker-php-ext-install mysqli Be aware that you may set the PHP version as you like. Also, the command is used to allow accessing the subfolders in your Apache root system. RUN a2enmod rewrite is the path to your Apache root system. In Windows, this path is whereas, in Linux, it is . WORKDIR C:\HTTPD\Apache24\htdocs /var/www/html In the root, create a php.ini file and leave it empty. It is now time to dockerize our Laravel project. In the root directory where Dockerfile resides, open your terminal and type in . docker build -t laravel:01 is used for creating a new image in Docker. means tag name, which you may set any name for it, and the dot means all your current directories and subdirectories of your project. docker build -t . Now you may verify with the command whether the image was created or not. docker images It's container turn. As you may know, a container is a Docker image for storing and executing multiple packages on Docker. As a consequence, we must design our container for it to operate. So type in this command: docker run -d -p 84:80 -name apachelaravel -v "$PWD":/var/www/html laravel:01 is obvious; it implies constructing and operating the container. indicates setting port 84 to the true port 80 of our Apache system. docker run -p You may verify whether your container is running or not by typing in this command docker container ls -a Now in your browser, simply type in http://localhost:84 If you see an error like this: The stream or file "/var/www/html/laravel/storage/logs/laravel.log" could not be accessed in append mode: unable to open stream: Permission denied The exception occurred when trying to log Don’t worry, you can resolve this simply. Just go to the Laravel directory, open your terminal, and enter these three commands one by one: chmod -R gu+w storage chmod -R guo+w storage php artisan cache:clear These instructions allow access by the Apache server to the storage directory in Laravel. And here you are. Just reload the page, and you will see that Laravel is running successfully.

Dockerize Your Laravel Project in a Jiffy

The Synergy of AI and Blockchain: How DeepBrain Chain Globally Democratizes GPU AI Infrastructure

I can't help but roll my eyes every time I hear about how exorbitantly priced the SEO industry has become. It's downright absurd! Seriously, $1000 for an SEO audit? Come on! Are we supposed to believe that it takes some mystical wizardry to audit a website? Anyone with half a brain and a bit of time can audit a website in less than an hour. It's really not rocket science. Let's break this down. What does an SEO audit entail? Checking for broken links, analyzing site speed, reviewing meta tags, evaluating keyword usage, and maybe a few more technical details. There are plenty of free tools out there that can do this for you in a jiffy. Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and even Screaming Frog—these are just a few examples of tools that make the process ridiculously simple. But no, the SEO industry wants to convince you that you need their "expertise" to navigate these waters. They come up with fancy jargon and overly complicated reports to make it seem like they are doing something extraordinarily complex. It's a classic case of creating a problem to sell the solution. The truth is, most of what they do can be learned through a few hours of research and a bit of hands-on experience. And let's not forget the SEO "gurus" who charge an arm and a leg for their so-called expertise. Many of them don't have any special knowledge; they're just good at selling themselves. They perpetuate this myth that SEO is some kind of dark art, only understandable by the chosen few. It's infuriating because it exploits businesses, especially small ones that don't have massive marketing budgets. The irony is that the basics of SEO haven't changed much over the years: create valuable content, ensure your site is user-friendly, and build quality backlinks. Sure, algorithms get updated, and there are always new trends, but the core principles remain the same. There's nothing that justifies the exorbitant prices these firms charge. What really grinds my gears is the fear-mongering. These SEO companies prey on the fear of losing out on Google rankings. They throw around terms like "penalties" and "algorithm changes" to scare businesses into thinking they need to shell out big bucks to stay afloat. It's predatory and unethical. And let's talk about the long-term contracts. Many SEO firms lock clients into six-month or year-long contracts with the promise of gradual improvements. They bank on the fact that SEO results take time, but often, they don't do anything substantial after the initial audit and a few tweaks. Clients end up paying thousands of dollars for marginal gains they could have achieved on their own. It's high time businesses wised up to this racket. The absurdity of paying for links Don't even get me started on the absurdity of paying for links. It's like the wild west out there with these so-called "link-building services" charging outrageous amounts of money to place a hyperlink on some random, low-quality blog. Seriously, $150 for a link on a site with a domain rating (DR) of just 20? Are they serious? It's daylight robbery, plain and simple. The entire concept of paying for links is fundamentally flawed. It's built on the idea that you need these links to boost your SEO, which is true to some extent. But let's be honest here: paying through the nose for links from mediocre sites is a scam. These services prey on businesses' desperation to improve their rankings, promising them the moon and delivering dust. Here's a reality check: you can find over 30 places to build great editorial links right now for free. It just takes a bit of effort and genuine outreach. Write quality content, network with industry peers, and engage in real, value-driven collaborations. You don't need to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on links that might not even have any significant impact. And then there are those paid guest posting services. What a joke! Some of these services are charging over 90% more than what they actually pay to secure those guest post spots. It's a massive markup for doing what? Sending a few emails and making a couple of phone calls? It's highway robbery, and it needs to stop. These companies often operate under the guise of "premium" services, but the truth is, most of them are just middlemen looking to make a quick buck. They overcharge for placements on subpar sites, and the links they provide are often from blogs with little to no real traffic or engagement. It's a classic case of quantity over quality, and it's businesses that suffer the consequences. The worst part is that paying for links is against Google's guidelines. It's a risky game to play, and the penalties can be severe. If you're caught buying links, your site's rankings can plummet, and recovering from a penalty is a long and arduous process. It's simply not worth the risk or the expense. What businesses need to understand is that there are ethical and effective ways to build links. Focus on creating valuable, shareable content that naturally attracts links. Build relationships within your industry and collaborate with reputable sites. Participate in relevant forums and communities where you can share your expertise and link back to your site. In the end, the best links are those that are earned, not bought. They come from genuine engagement and providing real value to your audience. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to pay exorbitant amounts for links to succeed in SEO. It's a myth perpetuated by those looking to profit off your hard-earned money. Educate yourself, use the free tools available, and take control of your SEO. It might take a bit of effort initially, but it's far more empowering and cost-effective in the long run. Don't fall for the overpriced hype. SEO isn't some arcane science—it's a skill you can master with a bit of dedication and common sense. I can't help but roll my eyes every time I hear about how exorbitantly priced the SEO industry has become. It's downright absurd! Seriously, $1000 for an SEO audit? Come on! Are we supposed to believe that it takes some mystical wizardry to audit a website? Anyone with half a brain and a bit of time can audit a website in less than an hour. It's really not rocket science. Let's break this down. What does an SEO audit entail? Checking for broken links, analyzing site speed, reviewing meta tags, evaluating keyword usage, and maybe a few more technical details. There are plenty of free tools out there that can do this for you in a jiffy. Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Ahrefs, and even Screaming Frog—these are just a few examples of tools that make the process ridiculously simple. But no, the SEO industry wants to convince you that you need their "expertise" to navigate these waters. They come up with fancy jargon and overly complicated reports to make it seem like they are doing something extraordinarily complex. It's a classic case of creating a problem to sell the solution. The truth is, most of what they do can be learned through a few hours of research and a bit of hands-on experience. And let's not forget the SEO "gurus" who charge an arm and a leg for their so-called expertise. Many of them don't have any special knowledge; they're just good at selling themselves. They perpetuate this myth that SEO is some kind of dark art, only understandable by the chosen few. It's infuriating because it exploits businesses, especially small ones that don't have massive marketing budgets. The irony is that the basics of SEO haven't changed much over the years: create valuable content, ensure your site is user-friendly, and build quality backlinks. Sure, algorithms get updated, and there are always new trends, but the core principles remain the same. There's nothing that justifies the exorbitant prices these firms charge. What really grinds my gears is the fear-mongering. These SEO companies prey on the fear of losing out on Google rankings. They throw around terms like "penalties" and "algorithm changes" to scare businesses into thinking they need to shell out big bucks to stay afloat. It's predatory and unethical. And let's talk about the long-term contracts. Many SEO firms lock clients into six-month or year-long contracts with the promise of gradual improvements. They bank on the fact that SEO results take time, but often, they don't do anything substantial after the initial audit and a few tweaks. Clients end up paying thousands of dollars for marginal gains they could have achieved on their own. It's high time businesses wised up to this racket. The absurdity of paying for links Don't even get me started on the absurdity of paying for links. It's like the wild west out there with these so-called "link-building services" charging outrageous amounts of money to place a hyperlink on some random, low-quality blog. Seriously, $150 for a link on a site with a domain rating (DR) of just 20? Are they serious? It's daylight robbery, plain and simple. domain rating (DR) The entire concept of paying for links is fundamentally flawed. It's built on the idea that you need these links to boost your SEO, which is true to some extent. But let's be honest here: paying through the nose for links from mediocre sites is a scam. These services prey on businesses' desperation to improve their rankings, promising them the moon and delivering dust. Here's a reality check: you can find over 30 places to build great editorial links right now for free. It just takes a bit of effort and genuine outreach. Write quality content, network with industry peers, and engage in real, value-driven collaborations. You don't need to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on links that might not even have any significant impact. And then there are those paid guest posting services. What a joke! Some of these services are charging over 90% more than what they actually pay to secure those guest post spots. It's a massive markup for doing what? Sending a few emails and making a couple of phone calls? It's highway robbery, and it needs to stop. These companies often operate under the guise of "premium" services, but the truth is, most of them are just middlemen looking to make a quick buck. They overcharge for placements on subpar sites, and the links they provide are often from blogs with little to no real traffic or engagement. It's a classic case of quantity over quality, and it's businesses that suffer the consequences. The worst part is that paying for links is against Google's guidelines. It's a risky game to play, and the penalties can be severe. If you're caught buying links, your site's rankings can plummet, and recovering from a penalty is a long and arduous process. It's simply not worth the risk or the expense. What businesses need to understand is that there are ethical and effective ways to build links. Focus on creating valuable, shareable content that naturally attracts links. Build relationships within your industry and collaborate with reputable sites. Participate in relevant forums and communities where you can share your expertise and link back to your site. In the end, the best links are those that are earned, not bought. They come from genuine engagement and providing real value to your audience. Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to pay exorbitant amounts for links to succeed in SEO. It's a myth perpetuated by those looking to profit off your hard-earned money. Educate yourself, use the free tools available, and take control of your SEO. It might take a bit of effort initially, but it's far more empowering and cost-effective in the long run. Don't fall for the overpriced hype. SEO isn't some arcane science—it's a skill you can master with a bit of dedication and common sense.

SEO Services Are Overpriced To The Hilt - Stop Paying Wallet Parasites

deployments come in all shapes and sizes. We support bare metal installs on any version of , containerized installs on any version of (including Red Hat OpenShift), and installs just about anywhere you can deploy a small lightweight single binary. But with flexibility comes the inevitability that edge case issues will require debugging. MinIO Linux Kubernetes In this blog post, we’ll show you how to debug a MinIO install running in Kubernetes and also some of the common issues you might encounter when doing bare metal installation and how to rectify them. Kubernetes Debugger Pod There are a few ways to access the MinIO API running inside a Kubernetes cluster. We can use or set up a listening on to be able to access the API. Both of these methods offer a way to access the service from outside the network, but they do come with one major downside: You can only access the Service that the NodePort or Port Forwarding references on an available port (not the usual configuration for the application). For example, you have to access the MinIO API, usually found on port , via a randomly assigned port. kubectl port-forwarding Service NodePort 9000 3xxxx What if I told you there was a better way – and it's not novel? When debugging applications you want to have full access to the native run-time environment so you can use various tools to troubleshoot and debug the cluster. One way to do that is launching a “busybox” style pod and installing all the required tools needed to debug the application. First launch a into the same namespace as your MinIO install. In order to do this create a yaml file called with the following yaml. Pod debugger-pod.yaml apiVersion: v1

kind: Pod

metadata:

  name: mc

  labels:

    app: mc

spec:

  containers:

  - image: minio/mc:latest

    command:

      - "sleep"

      - "604800"

    imagePullPolicy: IfNotPresent

    name: mc

  restartPolicy: Always The above Pod configuration is pulling the image for MinIO utility. In order to ensure the pod doesn’t just launch and then exit, we’ve added a command. mc sleep Once the yaml is saved apply the configuration to the Kubernetes namespace where the MinIO cluster is running kubectl apply -f debugger-pod.yaml Once the pod is up and running access it via shell $ kubectl exec -i -t -n default mc -c mc -- sh -c "(bash || ash || sh)"

[root@mc /]# Then with you can access the MinIO cluster mc [root@mc /]# mc alias set myminio    --insecure

Added `myminio` successfully. Now that we have a debugger pod up and running, you can perform action on the cluster directly within the same network. For example, if the replication was broken due to an site going offline or a hardware failure, you can resync any pending objects to be replicated using the following command [root@mc /]# mc admin replicate resync start minio1 minio2


[root@mc /]# mc admin replicate resync status minio1 minio2


✔ ✔ ✔

ResyncID: 		 2248d1d1-633f-4d61-b938-d8ea0b9b2d31

Status:   		 Completed

Objects:  		 2225

Versions: 		 2225

FailedObjects:     0

Throughput:   	 5.3 MiB/s

IOPs:     		 124.23 objs/s

Transferred:  	 94 MiB

Elapsed:  		 17.909833202s

CurrObjName:  	 testbucket/web-app/tsconfig.json Another reason you would run the debugger pod is if there are some file system permissions or invalid groups configurations in your pod, you can update them using the debugger pod [root@mc /]# chgrp -R 1000780050 .minio.sys/ The above debugging method can also be used in bare metal environments. For instance you can launch a busybox or bastion node with installed and follow the same instructions as above. mc Debugging Bare Metal Bare metal Linux installs are the most straightforward. In fact it just takes a few commands to get MinIO installed and running with SystemD. For details, please see . Configuring MinIO with SystemD Once in a great while, bare metal installs go awry. Here are some of the (not-so-common) pitfalls that we are asked about  in or . These pitfalls are not hardware or operating specific but can be useful to know in any kind of environment. SUBNET Slack File Permission One of the most common pitfalls is the file permissions of the MinIO binary and the configuration file. If this occurs, when you start MinIO using SystemD you will see and here is the full stack trace Assertion failed for MinIO. # systemctl status minio.service

● minio.service - MinIO

     Loaded: loaded (/etc/systemd/system/minio.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)

     Active: inactive (dead)

     Assert: start assertion failed at Tue 2023-12-26 18:21:38 PST; 8s ago

             AssertFileIsExecutable=/usr/local/bin/minio was not met

       Docs: https://docs.min.io


Dec 26 18:13:37 minio1 systemd[1]: minio.service: Starting requested but asserts failed.

Dec 26 18:17:50 minio1 systemd[1]: Assertion failed for MinIO.

Dec 26 18:21:38 minio1 systemd[1]: minio.service: Starting requested but asserts failed.

Dec 26 18:21:38 minio1 systemd[1]: Assertion failed for MinIO. This could be caused by a number of reasons, let's go down the list and check for each of them. : The binary, in this example located at needs to have permission for user and group, respectively. MinIO Binary /usr/local/bin/minio root:root # ll /usr/local/bin/minio

total 93804

-rwxr-xr-x 1 root    root    96018432 Nov 15 16:35  minio* : The MinIO service needs to run under a unique Linux user and group for security purposes, never run as a user. By default we use for the user and group names. In the SystemD service config file you should see something like this MinIO Service User and Group root minio-user User=minio-user

Group=minio-user : The directory where MinIO data will be stored needs to be owned by or whichever user you decide to run the MinIO service as above. MinIO Data Dir minio-user:minio-user # ls -l /mnt

total 4

drwxrwxr-x 2 minio-user minio-user 4096 Dec 27 09:58 data : Both the config files should have permissions for user and group like so SystemD and MinIO config root:root # ls -l /etc/default/minio

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1330 Dec 27 09:52 /etc/default/minio


# ls -l /etc/systemd/system/minio.service

-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 941 Dec 26 17:13 /etc/systemd/system/minio.service : The entire install process should be run as . You can also try if your user has permissions but the recommendation is to run as root as the install needs to place files in a bunch of places that only the user can access. Your bash prompt should have a and not a like so Run as Root root sudo root # $ vs # $ If none of the above work, the best approach is to remove the app, directories and configs and start a fresh install as a root user. Port conflict Another common issue related to deleted files which still hold on to the process, which causes port conflicts. Even when a service is not running, you may be unable to start a new service on the existing port or the service that is running will misbehave (such as not allowing you to login). # lsof -n | grep (deleted)

COMMAND PID USER FD TYPE DEVICE   SIZE 	NODE NAME

nginx   	13423 root 5u  	REG 253,3   42949672960 	17 (deleted)

minio 	13423 minio 6u    REG 253,3 	0         	      18 (deleted)

minio       13423 minio 7u    REG 253,3 	0         	      19 (deleted) You might see errors such as those below on a MinIO install Login Failed net::ERR_FAILED 500 Internal Server Error 401 Unauthorized The screenshot above shows an internal server error and an unauthorized error. While looking at the surface it looks unclear what has caused this error, we can debug with a little linux knowledge what to look for that could cause this, let's take a gander. There are several ways to debug this issue, first lets check to see if multiple MinIO processes are running on the same node # ps aux | grep -i minio

minio-u+    5048  0.3  1.7 1594008 144384 ?      Ssl  11:03   0:01 /usr/local/bin/minio server --console-address :9001 /mnt/data/disk1/minio


minio-u+    9276  0.3  1.7 1594208 144301 ?      Ssl  11:25   0:01 /usr/local/bin/minio server --console-address :9001 /mnt/data/disk1/minio As we can see above there are 2 MinIO processes running. Start by killing the process that is older or has been running the longest, in this case it seems to be the process ID . 5048 kill -9 5048 Sometimes even after killing the process the service might still not start or might still get hung up because it has reserved a process number but not let it go. This can be caused by files that have been deleted but are still being tracked by the operating system. You can find the deleted files via LSOF lsof -n | grep '(deleted)' Last but not least, if there are no deleted files left over or hung processes and if everything looks absolutely clean, the last resort is to quickly restart the node. This is a no-nonsense method that  shuts down and clears any pending files and processes so you start a fresh install. SUBNET to the rescue Although rare, installation edge cases will always exist. MinIO customers know that they have nothing to worry about because they can quickly message our engineers – who have written the code – via the portal. We've seen almost everything under the sun, so while the issue might look cryptic or mind boggling at first glance, we'll put our years of expertise debugging installations in many varied environments to work and help you in a jiffy. SUBNET If you have any questions on troubleshooting and debugging installs be sure to reach out to us on ! MinIO Slack

Pro Tips for Debugging MinIO: Overcoming Common Issues in Kubernetes and Bare Metal Environments

MinIO ডিবাগ করার জন্য প্রো টিপস: কুবারনেটস এবং বেয়ার মেটাল পরিবেশে সাধারণ সমস্যাগুলি অতিক্রম করা

Profi-Tipps zum Debuggen von MinIO: Überwindung häufiger Probleme in Kubernetes- und Bare-Metal-Umgebungen

Consejos profesionales para depurar MinIO: superar problemas comunes en Kubernetes y entornos bare metal

Conseils de pro pour déboguer MinIO : surmonter les problèmes courants dans les environnements Kubernetes et Bare Metal

मिनियो डिबगिंग के लिए प्रो टिप्स: कुबेरनेट्स और बेयर मेटल वातावरण में आम समस्याओं पर काबू पाना

MinIO デバッグのプロのヒント: Kubernetes とベアメタル環境での一般的な問題の克服

MinIO 디버깅을 위한 전문가 팁: Kubernetes 및 베어메탈 환경의 일반적인 문제 극복

Dicas profissionais para depuração do MinIO: superando problemas comuns em ambientes Kubernetes e Bare Metal

Советы для профессионалов по отладке MinIO: решение распространенных проблем в Kubernetes и средах с голым железом

MinIO'da Hata Ayıklamaya Yönelik Profesyonel İpuçları: Kubernetes ve Bare Metal Ortamlarında Yaygın Sorunların Aşılması

Mẹo chuyên nghiệp để gỡ lỗi MinIO: Khắc phục các sự cố thường gặp trong môi trường Kubernetes và Bare Metal

调试 MinIO 的专业技巧：解决 Kubernetes 和裸机环境中的常见问题

Hi there, fellow coders! We’re all on a quest to level up our programming skills, right? So, how do we become coding wizards? Well, here’s what people generally do: Scouring through other people’s code — because we all know there’s wisdom in those curly braces. Devouring programming articles — the ones that reveal secrets, shortcuts, and maybe even a joke or two. Sifting through documentation — yes, those sprawling tech manuals that often make us feel lost in a maze. But they hold the keys! But here’s the fun part: to reach greatness, you’ve got to be a detective and search for those telltale signs of being, dare I say it, an “average” developer. 🕵️‍♂️ My mission is to guide you in discovering these four telltale signals of a short-sighted programmer, so you can steer yourself down the right lane. coding They don’t “design” prototypes, they “build” it! Let me tell you a little story about my journey from a code-centric prototype skeptic to a design enthusiast. I used to be all about code-based prototypes, and I couldn’t fathom why anyone would bother with non-code-based ones. I’d ask questions like: “Why on earth would we need a figma prototype when we can whip up a code-based one that mimics real user interactions?” I mean, I loved the fact that with a code-based prototype, you could thoroughly test all the features and squash those pesky bugs early on. Plus, you’d get a head start on understanding the nitty-gritty technical challenges from day one. Not to mention, having something tangible to show customers was pretty sweet. But guess what? In the grand scheme of things, it turned out to be a bit of a dud. Here’s why: First off, building a code-based prototype is like a time-sucking black hole. It can drag your project timeline into a never-ending abyss. Once you and your team dive headfirst into coding, you’re stuck on that roller-coaster, even in the project’s infancy. Making changes to a code-based prototype? Buckle up for a bumpy ride because it means a truckload of adjustments down the line. And let’s not forget that . customer requirements are about as stable as a Jenga tower in an earthquake It’s way smarter to give them a sneak peek at a non-tangible product and gather their feedback. Let’s picture this with a scenario — Imagine you’re building a ridesharing app, and you decide to kick things off with a code-based prototype. Your team puts a ton of effort into designing a system where users can book rides and make payments via a third-party API. The client loves it, and you start charging full steam ahead, adding more bells and whistles. But then, oh snap, you realize the API costs an arm and a leg! You’d love to hit the brakes and switch gears, but you’ve already invested so much time and energy that you’re essentially handcuffed to the code. Rolling back? Good luck with that; you’ll need a time machine. Learn the difference between a prototype and an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) If you’d started with a non-coded prototype, you could’ve easily shown it to the client, discussed options, and if necessary, hit that undo button in a jiffy. No extensions, no drama. So, the moral of the story? I’ve learned the hard way that code-based prototyping isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s time to embrace the non-code-based way — your project’s sanity and flexibility will thank you! 😄🚀 They think they can just hit the ‘Undo’ button on life’s big choices! (Like choosing the right tech stack) Back in the day when I was just a code-writing newbie, I had some wild ideas. I was basically a self-taught programmer, and I had this grand notion that I could whip up any project using any tech stack under the sun. I was notorious for my random experiments. If I was building a blog site with Flask and stumbled upon some dude on YouTube singing praises of Django, you bet I’d jump ship without hesitation. I’d scrap all my previous code right in the middle of the project and switch to Django. And guess what? If Django didn’t tickle my fancy, I’d casually saunter back to my old stack like it was a stroll in the park. And it wasn’t just limited to the back-end stuff. Frontend, libraries, payment processors — you name it, I flip-flopped between them more times than I can count. So, what did all these shenanigans teach me, you ask? Well, I developed this quirky belief that I could reverse or change any decision, anytime, anywhere. As time went on, I started reading stuff by other developers, and a couple of times, I heard them griping about their choice of tech stack. They were moaning about how it had made their lives miserable. But in my mind, I was like, “Why are these folks whining? Can’t they just flip the switch to their preferred tech stack?” What I didn’t get back then was how darn hard it is to do a 180 in the professional world (I was just out the college at that time). You can’t do major transitions on a live product with thousands of paid users, nor you can simply plug-and-play major elements in real-world. See, when you’re building your own pet projects, you’ve got all the time in the world. You can try things out, switch libraries, flip-flop between programming languages — it’s all a walk in the park. But once you venture into the professional realm, that’s when the headaches come rolling in. Even if you’ve dotted every ‘i’ and crossed every ‘t’ in your code, adhering to all the best practices like DRY and crafting code that’s as flexible as a rubber band, it won’t save you. Why? Because if the higher-ups decide to change a major design element, all those best practices go out the window. One little tweak to a crucial step, and your project’s timelines are about as reliable as a weather forecast. So, what’s the takeaway from this? In the real world, decisions you make often have no U-turns. So, before you dive headfirst into picking that quirky, unsupported third-party library, take a step back. Do some good old requirements gathering, research like your life depends on it, evaluate your options, assess the risks, and maybe even whip up a prototype. Make sure you’ve covered all your bases before committing to a big decision. It’ll save you a world of trouble down the road! They’re totally clueless about what’s coming up! You know, it’s like developers sometimes forget that the future is a thing! I mean, they swear they get it, but come on, they keep repeating the same old mistake. So, when do they mess it all up? Well, it’s like a clock ticking down to the deadline, and they start panicking more about the here and now, forgetting all about what’s down the road for their software. They ditch those crystal balls for shortcuts, just to wrap up the project. Imagine coding up an analytics tool for your company, and you go, “Oh, that shiny third-party API looks cool!” No research, no second thoughts. But then, down the line, you need some fancy features, and guess what? No documentation! How would you feel? Pretty much like you’d bitten into a sour lemon, right? — Regret City, population: you. Here’s the lesson: Trendy APIs might seem all the rage, but they’re like those one-hit wonders in the music world — here today, gone tomorrow. Go for the trusty folks who’ve been around the block, the ones with a solid track record of dependability. It’s like picking the rock-solid friend over the flaky acquaintance for the long haul! They go for the full app in DIY mode! I still remember that initial rush of feeling like a tech wizard when I whipped up a simple HTTP server in C without using any third-party libraries. Man, that was fun! I thought I was the bee’s knees when I first used my app. I was like, “I can build anything I want, exactly how I want it!” But here’s where I took a wrong turn. I used to be obsessed with crafting the ultimate, perfect product right from the get-go. I didn’t want to waste a minute building a stripped-down version. I had to create an app with 20 different features, but only 2 of them were super crucial. Instead of just putting together a simple app with those 2 must-haves, I went all out, trying to make the mother of all apps with all 20 features from the very start. Silly, right? You see, because I thought I was a genius, I believed I had it all figured out and didn’t need any client feedback. Here’s a nugget of wisdom for all you fellow developers out there: Don’t fall into this trap! Loads of developers, like me, dream of building that flawless app right from the beginning. They don’t want to “waste” time on a basic version. But trust me, building that simplified prototype is the way to go. It helps you spot problems early on, and you can gather feedback to keep improving. Just by having a basic version, you can test your ideas and make sure everything’s working smoothly. Plus, you’ll catch those pesky issues before they turn into big headaches down the road. So, what’s the takeaway here? The next time you’re starting from scratch on a software project, kick things off with a stripped-down version of your product, focusing on the most vital feature. It’ll save you a ton of time and hassle in the long run. Also published here.

Spotting a Short-Sighted Developer in the Wild 

The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . RUBY PREPARES FOR SERVICE. here RUBY PREPARES FOR SERVICE. Our poor old honest friend John Crumb was taken away to durance vile after his performance in the street with Sir Felix, and was locked up for the remainder of the night. This indignity did not sit so heavily on his spirits as it might have done on those of a quicker nature. He was aware that he had not killed the baronet, and that he had therefore enjoyed his revenge without the necessity of "swinging for it at Bury." That in itself was a comfort to him. Then it was a great satisfaction to think that he had "served the young man out" in the actual presence of his Ruby. He was not prone to give himself undue credit for his capability and willingness to knock his enemies about; but he did think that Ruby must have observed on this occasion that he was the better man of the two. And, to John, a night in the station-house was no great personal inconvenience. Though he was very proud of his four-post bed at home, he did not care very much for such luxuries as far as he himself was concerned. Nor did he feel any disgrace from being locked up for the night. He was very good-humoured with the policeman, who seemed perfectly to understand his nature, and was as meek as a child when the lock was turned upon him. As he lay down on the hard bench, he comforted himself with thinking that Ruby would surely never care any more for the "baronite" since she had seen him go down like a cur without striking a blow. He thought a good deal about Ruby, but never attributed any blame to her for her share in the evils that had befallen him. The next morning he was taken before the magistrates, but was told at an early hour of the day that he was again free. Sir Felix was not much the worse for what had happened to him, and had refused to make any complaint against the man who had beaten him. John Crumb shook hands cordially with the policeman who had had him in charge, and suggested beer. The constable, with regrets, was forced to decline, and bade adieu to his late prisoner with the expression of a hope that they might meet again before long. "You come down to Bungay," said John, "and I'll show you how we live there." From the police-office he went direct to Mrs. Pipkin's house, and at once asked for Ruby. He was told that Ruby was out with the children, and was advised both by Mrs. Pipkin and Mrs. Hurtle not to present himself before Ruby quite yet. "You see," said Mrs. Pipkin, "she's a thinking how heavy you were upon that young gentleman." "But I wasn't;—not particular. Lord love you, he ain't a hair the wuss." "You let her alone for a time," said Mrs. Hurtle. "A little neglect will do her good." "Maybe," said John,—"only I wouldn't like her to have it bad. You'll let her have her wittles regular, Mrs. Pipkin." It was then explained to him that the neglect proposed should not extend to any deprivation of food, and he took his leave, receiving an assurance from Mrs. Hurtle that he should be summoned to town as soon as it was thought that his presence there would serve his purposes; and with loud promises repeated to each of the friendly women that as soon as ever a "line should be dropped" he would appear again upon the scene, he took Mrs. Pipkin aside, and suggested that if there were "any hextras," he was ready to pay for them. Then he took his leave without seeing Ruby, and went back to Bungay. When Ruby returned with the children she was told that John Crumb had called. "I thought as he was in prison," said Ruby. "What should they keep him in prison for?" said Mrs. Pipkin. "He hasn't done nothing as he oughtn't to have done. That young man was dragging you about as far as I can make out, and Mr. Crumb just did as anybody ought to have done to prevent it. Of course they weren't going to keep him in prison for that. Prison indeed! It isn't him as ought to be in prison." "And where is he now, aunt?" "Gone down to Bungay to mind his business, and won't be coming here any more of a fool's errand. He must have seen now pretty well what's worth having, and what ain't. Beauty is but skin deep, Ruby." "John Crumb 'd be after me again to-morrow, if I'd give him encouragement," said Ruby. "If I'd hold up my finger he'd come." "Then John Crumb's a fool for his pains, that's all; and now do you go about your work." Ruby didn't like to be told to go about her work, and tossed her head, and slammed the kitchen door, and scolded the servant girl, and then sat down to cry. What was she to do with herself now? She had an idea that Felix would not come back to her after the treatment he had received;—and a further idea that if he did come he was not, as she phrased it to herself, "of much account." She certainly did not like him the better for having been beaten, though, at the time, she had been disposed to take his part. She did not believe that she would ever dance with him again. That had been the charm of her life in London, and that was now all over. And as for marrying her,—she began to feel certain that he did not intend it. John Crumb was a big, awkward, dull, uncouth lump of a man, with whom Ruby thought it impossible that a girl should be in love. Love and John Crumb were poles asunder. But—! Ruby did not like wheeling the perambulator about Islington, and being told by her aunt Pipkin to go about her work. What Ruby did like was being in love and dancing; but if all that must come to an end, then there would be a question whether she could not do better for herself, than by staying with her aunt and wheeling the perambulator about Islington. Mrs. Hurtle was still living in solitude in the lodgings, and having but little to do on her own behalf, had devoted herself to the interest of John Crumb. A man more unlike one of her own countrymen she had never seen. "I wonder whether he has any ideas at all in his head," she had said to Mrs. Pipkin. Mrs. Pipkin had replied that Mr. Crumb had certainly a very strong idea of marrying Ruby Ruggles. Mrs. Hurtle had smiled, thinking that Mrs. Pipkin was also very unlike her own countrywomen. But she was very kind to Mrs. Pipkin, ordering rice-puddings on purpose that the children might eat them, and she was quite determined to give John Crumb all the aid in her power. In order that she might give effectual aid she took Mrs. Pipkin into confidence, and prepared a plan of action in reference to Ruby. Mrs. Pipkin was to appear as chief actor on the scene, but the plan was altogether Mrs. Hurtle's plan. On the day following John's return to Bungay Mrs. Pipkin summoned Ruby into the back parlour, and thus addressed her. "Ruby, you know, this must come to an end now." "What must come to an end?" "You can't stay here always, you know." "I'm sure I work hard, Aunt Pipkin, and I don't get no wages." "I can't do with more than one girl,—and there's the keep if there isn't wages. Besides, there's other reasons. Your grandfather won't have you back there; that's certain." "I wouldn't go back to grandfather, if it was ever so." "But you must go somewheres. You didn't come to stay here always,—nor I couldn't have you. You must go into service." "I don't know anybody as 'd have me," said Ruby. "You must put a 'vertisement into the paper. You'd better say as nursemaid, as you seems to take kindly to children. And I must give you a character;—only I shall say just the truth. You mustn't ask much wages just at first." Ruby looked very sorrowful, and the tears were near her eyes. The change from the glories of the music hall was so startling and so oppressive! "It has got to be done sooner or later, so you may as well put the 'vertisement in this afternoon." "You're going to turn me out, Aunt Pipkin." "Well;—if that's turning out, I am. You see you never would be said by me as though I was mistress. You would go out with that rapscallion when I bid you not. Now when you're in a regular place like, you must mind when you're spoke to, and it will be best for you. You've had your swing, and now you see you've got to pay for it. You must earn your bread, Ruby, as you've quarrelled both with your lover and with your grandfather." There was no possible answer to this, and therefore the necessary notice was put into the paper,—Mrs. Hurtle paying for its insertion. "Because, you know," said Mrs. Hurtle, "she must stay here really, till Mr. Crumb comes and takes her away." Mrs. Pipkin expressed her opinion that Ruby was a "baggage" and John Crumb a "soft." Mrs. Pipkin was perhaps a little jealous at the interest which her lodger took in her niece, thinking perhaps that all Mrs. Hurtle's sympathies were due to herself. Ruby went hither and thither for a day or two, calling upon the mothers of children who wanted nursemaids. The answers which she had received had not come from the highest members of the aristocracy, and the houses which she visited did not appal her by their splendour. Many objections were made to her. A character from an aunt was objectionable. Her ringlets were objectionable. She was a deal too flighty-looking. She spoke up much too free. At last one happy mother of five children offered to take her on approval for a month, at £12 a year, Ruby to find her own tea and wash for herself. This was slavery;—abject slavery. And she too, who had been the beloved of a baronet, and who might even now be the mistress of a better house than that into which she was to go as a servant,—if she would only hold up her finger! But the place was accepted, and with broken-hearted sobbings Ruby prepared herself for her departure from aunt Pipkin's roof. "I hope you like your place, Ruby," Mrs. Hurtle said on the afternoon of her last day. "Indeed then I don't like it at all. They're the ugliest children you ever see, Mrs. Hurtle." "Ugly children must be minded as well as pretty ones." "And the mother of 'em is as cross as cross." "It's your own fault, Ruby; isn't it?" "I don't know as I've done anything out of the way." "Don't you think it's anything out of the way to be engaged to a young man and then to throw him over? All this has come because you wouldn't keep your word to Mr. Crumb. Only for that your grandfather wouldn't have turned you out of his house." "He didn't turn me out. I ran away. And it wasn't along of John Crumb, but because grandfather hauled me about by the hair of my head." "But he was angry with you about Mr. Crumb. When a young woman becomes engaged to a young man, she ought not to go back from her word." No doubt Mrs. Hurtle, when preaching this doctrine, thought that the same law might be laid down with propriety for the conduct of young men. "Of course you have brought trouble on yourself. I am sorry that you don't like the place. I'm afraid you must go to it now." "I am agoing,—I suppose," said Ruby, probably feeling that if she could but bring herself to condescend so far there might yet be open for her a way of escape. "I shall write and tell Mr. Crumb where you are placed." "Oh, Mrs. Hurtle, don't. What should you write to him for? It ain't nothing to him." "I told him I'd let him know if any steps were taken." "You can forget that, Mrs. Hurtle. Pray don't write. I don't want him to know as I'm in service." "I must keep my promise. Why shouldn't he know? I don't suppose you care much now what he hears about you." "Yes I do. I wasn't never in service before, and I don't want him to know." "What harm can it do you?" "Well, I don't want him to know. It is such a come down, Mrs. Hurtle." "There is nothing to be ashamed of in that. What you have to be ashamed of is jilting him. It was a bad thing to do;—wasn't it, Ruby?" "I didn't mean nothing bad, Mrs. Hurtle; only why couldn't he say what he had to say himself, instead of bringing another to say it for him? What would you feel, Mrs. Hurtle, if a man was to come and say it all out of another man's mouth?" "I don't think I should much care if the thing was well said at last. You know he meant it." "Yes;—I did know that." "And you know he means it now?" "I'm not so sure about that. He's gone back to Bungay, and he isn't no good at writing letters no more than at speaking. Oh,—he'll go and get somebody else now." "Of course he will if he hears nothing about you. I think I'd better tell him. I know what would happen." "What would happen, Mrs. Hurtle?" "He'd be up in town again in half a jiffey to see what sort of a place you'd got. Now, Ruby, I'll tell you what I'll do, if you'll say the word. I'll have him up here at once and you shan't go to Mrs. Buggins'." Ruby dropped her hands and stood still, staring at Mrs. Hurtle. "I will. But if he comes you mustn't behave this time as you did before." "But I'm to go to Mrs. Buggins' to-morrow." "We'll send to Mrs. Buggins and tell her to get somebody else. You're breaking your heart about going there;—are you not?" "I don't like it, Mrs. Hurtle." "And this man will make you mistress of his house. You say he isn't good at speaking; but I tell you I never came across an honester man in the whole course of my life, or one who I think would treat a woman better. What's the use of a glib tongue if there isn't a heart with it? What's the use of a lot of tinsel and lacker, if the real metal isn't there? Sir Felix Carbury could talk, I dare say, but you don't think now he was a very fine fellow." "He was so beautiful, Mrs. Hurtle!" "But he hadn't the spirit of a mouse in his bosom. Well, Ruby, you have one more choice left you. Shall it be John Crumb or Mrs. Buggins?" "He wouldn't come, Mrs. Hurtle." "Leave that to me, Ruby. May I bring him if I can?" Then Ruby in a very low whisper told Mrs. Hurtle, that if she thought proper she might bring John Crumb back again. "And there shall be no more nonsense?" "No," whispered Ruby. On that same night a letter was sent to Mrs. Buggins, which Mrs. Hurtle also composed, informing that lady that unforeseen circumstances prevented Ruby Ruggles from keeping the engagement she had made; to which a verbal answer was returned that Ruby Ruggles was an impudent hussey. And then Mrs. Hurtle in her own name wrote a short note to Mr. John Crumb. Dear Mr. Crumb, If you will come back to London I think you will find Miss Ruby Ruggles all that you desire. Yours faithfully, Winifred Hurtle. "She's had a deal more done for her than I ever knew to be done for young women in my time," said Mrs. Pipkin, "and I'm not at all so sure that she has deserved it." "John Crumb will think she has." "John Crumb's a fool;—and as to Ruby; well, I haven't got no patience with girls like them. Yes; it is for the best; and as for you, Mrs. Hurtle, there's no words to say how good you've been. I hope, Mrs. Hurtle, you ain't thinking of going away because this is all done." About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Anthony Trollope (2004). The Way We Live Now. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5231/pg5231-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

RUBY PREPARES FOR SERVICE.

The Worms of Purgatory: When the Hunter Becomes the Hunted

The Worms of Purgatory: যখন শিকারী শিকারে পরিণত হয়

Die Würmer des Fegefeuers: Wenn der Jäger zum Gejagten wird

Los gusanos del purgatorio: cuando el cazador se convierte en cazado

Les Vers du Purgatoire : Quand le chasseur devient le chassé

यातना के कीड़े: जब शिकारी शिकार बन जाता है

煉獄の虫：狩る者が狩られる時

연옥의 벌레: 사냥꾼이 사냥당할 때

Os vermes do purgatório: quando o caçador se torna caçado

Araf Solucanları: Avcı Av Olduğunda

Những con sâu luyện ngục: Khi thợ săn trở thành kẻ bị săn

炼狱之虫：当猎人成为猎物

Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . Chapter XVIII here CHAPTER EIGHTEENTH. The Karagwah.—Lake Ukéréoué.—A Night on an Island.—The Equator.—Crossing the Lake.—The Cascades.—A View of the Country.—The Sources of the Nile.—The Island of Benga.—The Signature of Andrea Debono.—The Flag with the Arms of England. At five o’clock in the morning, preparations for departure commenced. Joe, with the hatchet which he had fortunately recovered, broke the elephant’s tusks. The balloon, restored to liberty, sped away to the northwest with our travellers, at the rate of eighteen miles per hour. The doctor had carefully taken his position by the altitude of the stars, during the preceding night. He knew that he was in latitude two degrees forty minutes below the equator, or at a distance of one hundred and sixty geographical miles. He swept along over many villages without heeding the cries that the appearance of the balloon excited; he took note of the conformation of places with quick sights; he passed the slopes of the Rubemhe, which are nearly as abrupt as the summits of the Ousagara, and, farther on, at Tenga, encountered the first projections of the Karagwah chains, which, in his opinion, are direct spurs of the Mountains of the Moon. So, the ancient legend which made these mountains the cradle of the Nile, came near to the truth, since they really border upon Lake Ukéréoué, the conjectured reservoir of the waters of the great river. From Kafuro, the main district of the merchants of that country, he descried, at length, on the horizon, the lake so much desired and so long sought for, of which Captain Speke caught a glimpse on the 3d of August, 1858. Samuel Ferguson felt real emotion: he was almost in contact with one of the principal points of his expedition, and, with his spy-glass constantly raised, he kept every nook and corner of the mysterious region in sight. His gaze wandered over details that might have been thus described: “Beneath him extended a country generally destitute of cultivation; only here and there some ravines seemed under tillage; the surface, dotted with peaks of medium height, grew flat as it approached the lake; barley-fields took the place of rice-plantations, and there, too, could be seen growing the species of plantain from which the wine of the country is drawn, and , the wild plant which supplies a substitute for coffee. A collection of some fifty or more circular huts, covered with a flowering thatch, constituted the capital of the Karagwah country.” mwani He could easily distinguish the astonished countenances of a rather fine-looking race of natives of yellowish-brown complexion. Women of incredible corpulence were dawdling about through the cultivated grounds, and the doctor greatly surprised his companions by informing them that this rotundity, which is highly esteemed in that region, was obtained by an obligatory diet of curdled milk. At noon, the was in one degree forty-five minutes south latitude, and at one o’clock the wind was driving her directly toward the lake. Victoria This sheet of water was christened , or Victoria Lake, by Captain Speke. At the place now mentioned it might measure about ninety miles in breadth, and at its southern extremity the captain found a group of islets, which he named the Archipelago of Bengal. He pushed his survey as far as Muanza, on the eastern coast, where he was received by the sultan. He made a triangulation of this part of the lake, but he could not procure a boat, either to cross it or to visit the great island of Ukéréoué which is very populous, is governed by three sultans, and appears to be only a promontory at low tide. Uyanza Victoria The balloon approached the lake more to the northward, to the doctor’s great regret, for it had been his wish to determine its lower outlines. Its shores seemed to be thickly set with brambles and thorny plants, growing together in wild confusion, and were literally hidden, sometimes, from the gaze, by myriads of mosquitoes of a light-brown hue. The country was evidently habitable and inhabited. Troops of hippopotami could be seen disporting themselves in the forests of reeds, or plunging beneath the whitish waters of the lake. The latter, seen from above, presented, toward the west, so broad an horizon that it might have been called a sea; the distance between the two shores is so great that communication cannot be established, and storms are frequent and violent, for the winds sweep with fury over this elevated and unsheltered basin. The doctor experienced some difficulty in guiding his course; he was afraid of being carried toward the east, but, fortunately, a current bore him directly toward the north, and at six o’clock in the evening the balloon alighted on a small desert island in thirty minutes south latitude, and thirty-two degrees fifty-two minutes east longitude, about twenty miles from the shore. The travellers succeeded in making fast to a tree, and, the wind having fallen calm toward evening, they remained quietly at anchor. They dared not dream of taking the ground, since here, as on the shores of the Uyanza, legions of mosquitoes covered the soil in dense clouds. Joe even came back, from securing the anchor in the tree, speckled with bites, but he kept his temper, because he found it quite the natural thing for mosquitoes to treat him as they had done. Nevertheless, the doctor, who was less of an optimist, let out as much rope as he could, so as to escape these pitiless insects, that began to rise toward him with a threatening hum. The doctor ascertained the height of the lake above the level of the sea, as it had been determined by Captain Speke, say three thousand seven hundred and fifty feet. “Here we are, then, on an island!” said Joe, scratching as though he’d tear his nails out. “We could make the tour of it in a jiffy,” added Kennedy, “and, excepting these confounded mosquitoes, there’s not a living being to be seen on it.” “The islands with which the lake is dotted,” replied the doctor, “are nothing, after all, but the tops of submerged hills; but we are lucky to have found a retreat among them, for the shores of the lake are inhabited by ferocious tribes. Take your sleep, then, since Providence has granted us a tranquil night.” “Won’t you do the same, doctor?” “No, I could not close my eyes. My thoughts would banish sleep. To-morrow, my friends, should the wind prove favorable, we shall go due north, and we shall, perhaps, discover the sources of the Nile, that grand secret which has so long remained impenetrable. Near as we are to the sources of the renowned river, I could not sleep.” Kennedy and Joe, whom scientific speculations failed to disturb to that extent, were not long in falling into sound slumber, while the doctor held his post. On Wednesday, April 23d, the balloon started at four o’clock in the morning, with a grayish sky overhead; night was slow in quitting the surface of the lake, which was enveloped in a dense fog, but presently a violent breeze scattered all the mists, and, after the balloon had been swung to and fro for a moment, in opposite directions, it at length veered in a straight line toward the north. Dr. Ferguson fairly clapped his hands for joy. “We are on the right track!” he exclaimed. “To-day or never we shall see the Nile! Look, my friends, we are crossing the equator! We are entering our own hemisphere!” “Ah!” said Joe, “do you think, doctor, that the equator passes here?” “Just here, my boy!” “Well, then, with all respect to you, sir, it seems to me that this is the very time to moisten it.” “Good!” said the doctor, laughing. “Let us have a glass of punch. You have a way of comprehending cosmography that is any thing but dull.” And thus was the passage of the over the equator duly celebrated. Victoria The balloon made rapid headway. In the west could be seen a low and but slightly-diversified coast, and, farther away in the background, the elevated plains of the Uganda and the Usoga. At length, the rapidity of the wind became excessive, approaching thirty miles per hour. The waters of the Nyanza, violently agitated, were foaming like the billows of a sea. By the appearance of certain long swells that followed the sinking of the waves, the doctor was enabled to conclude that the lake must have great depth of water. Only one or two rude boats were seen during this rapid passage. “This lake is evidently, from its elevated position, the natural reservoir of the rivers in the eastern part of Africa, and the sky gives back to it in rain what it takes in vapor from the streams that flow out of it. I am certain that the Nile must here take its rise.” “Well, we shall see!” said Kennedy. About nine o’clock they drew nearer to the western coast. It seemed deserted, and covered with woods; the wind freshened a little toward the east, and the other shore of the lake could be seen. It bent around in such a curve as to end in a wide angle toward two degrees forty minutes north latitude. Lofty mountains uplifted their arid peaks at this extremity of Nyanza; but, between them, a deep and winding gorge gave exit to a turbulent and foaming river. While busy managing the balloon, Dr. Ferguson never ceased reconnoitring the country with eager eyes. “Look!” he exclaimed, “look, my friends! the statements of the Arabs were correct! They spoke of a river by which Lake Ukéréoué discharged its waters toward the north, and this river exists, and we are descending it, and it flows with a speed analogous to our own! And this drop of water now gliding away beneath our feet is, beyond all question, rushing on, to mingle with the Mediterranean! It is the Nile!” “It is the Nile!” reëchoed Kennedy, carried away by the enthusiasm of his friend. “Hurrah for the Nile!” shouted Joe, glad, and always ready to cheer for something. Enormous rocks, here and there, embarrassed the course of this mysterious river. The water foamed as it fell in rapids and cataracts, which confirmed the doctor in his preconceived ideas on the subject. From the environing mountains numerous torrents came plunging and seething down, and the eye could take them in by hundreds. There could be seen, starting from the soil, delicate jets of water scattering in all directions, crossing and recrossing each other, mingling, contending in the swiftness of their progress, and all rushing toward that nascent stream which became a river after having drunk them in. “Here is, indeed, the Nile!” reiterated the doctor, with the tone of profound conviction. “The origin of its name, like the origin of its waters, has fired the imagination of the learned; they have sought to trace it from the Greek, the Coptic, the Sanscrit; but all that matters little now, since we have made it surrender the secret of its source!” “But,” said the Scotchman, “how are you to make sure of the identity of this river with the one recognized by the travellers from the north?” “We shall have certain, irrefutable, convincing, and infallible proof,” replied Ferguson, “should the wind hold another hour in our favor!” The mountains drew farther apart, revealing in their place numerous villages, and fields of white Indian corn, doura, and sugar-cane. The tribes inhabiting the region seemed excited and hostile; they manifested more anger than adoration, and evidently saw in the aëronauts only obtrusive strangers, and not condescending deities. It appeared as though, in approaching the sources of the Nile, these men came to rob them of something, and so the had to keep out of range of their muskets. Victoria “To land here would be a ticklish matter!” said the Scot. “Well!” said Joe, “so much the worse for these natives. They’ll have to do without the pleasure of our conversation.” “Nevertheless, descend I must,” said the doctor, “were it only for a quarter of an hour. Without doing so I cannot verify the results of our expedition.” “It is indispensable, then, doctor?” “Indispensable; and we will descend, even if we have to do so with a volley of musketry.” “The thing suits me,” said Kennedy, toying with his pet rifle. “And I’m ready, master, whenever you say the word!” added Joe, preparing for the fight. “It would not be the first time,” remarked the doctor, “that science has been followed up, sword in hand. The same thing happened to a French among the mountains of Spain, when he was measuring the terrestrial meridian.” savant “Be easy on that score, doctor, and trust to your two body-guards.” “Are we there, master?” “Not yet. In fact, I shall go up a little, first, in order to get an exact idea of the configuration of the country.” The hydrogen expanded, and in less than ten minutes the balloon was soaring at a height of twenty-five hundred feet above the ground. From that elevation could be distinguished an inextricable network of smaller streams which the river received into its bosom; others came from the west, from between numerous hills, in the midst of fertile plains. “We are not ninety miles from Gondokoro,” said the doctor, measuring off the distance on his map, “and less than five miles from the point reached by the explorers from the north. Let us descend with great care.” And, upon this, the balloon was lowered about two thousand feet. “Now, my friends, let us be ready, come what may.” “Ready it is!” said Dick and Joe, with one voice. “Good!” In a few moments the balloon was advancing along the bed of the river, and scarcely one hundred feet above the ground. The Nile measured but fifty fathoms in width at this point, and the natives were in great excitement, rushing to and fro, tumultuously, in the villages that lined the banks of the stream. At the second degree it forms a perpendicular cascade of ten feet in height, and consequently impassable by boats. “Here, then, is the cascade mentioned by Debono!” exclaimed the doctor. The basin of the river spread out, dotted with numerous islands, which Dr. Ferguson devoured with his eyes. He seemed to be seeking for a point of reference which he had not yet found. By this time, some blacks, having ventured in a boat just under the balloon, Kennedy saluted them with a shot from his rifle, that made them regain the bank at their utmost speed. “A good journey to you,” bawled Joe, “and if I were in your place, I wouldn’t try coming back again. I should be mightily afraid of a monster that can hurl thunderbolts when he pleases.” But, all at once, the doctor snatched up his spy-glass, and directed it toward an island reposing in the middle of the river. “Four trees!” he exclaimed; “look, down there!” Sure enough, there were four trees standing alone at one end of it. “It is Bengal Island! It is the very same,” repeated the doctor, exultingly. “And what of that?” asked Dick. “It is there that we shall alight, if God permits.” “But, it seems to be inhabited, doctor.” “Joe is right; and, unless I’m mistaken, there is a group of about a score of natives on it now.” “We’ll make them scatter; there’ll be no great trouble in that,” responded Ferguson. “So be it,” chimed in the hunter. The sun was at the zenith as the balloon approached the island. The blacks, who were members of the Makado tribe, were howling lustily, and one of them waved his bark hat in the air. Kennedy took aim at him, fired, and his hat flew about him in pieces. Thereupon there was a general scamper. The natives plunged headlong into the river, and swam to the opposite bank. Immediately, there came a shower of balls from both banks, along with a perfect cloud of arrows, but without doing the balloon any damage, where it rested with its anchor snugly secured in the fissure of a rock. Joe lost no time in sliding to the ground. “The ladder!” cried the doctor. “Follow me, Kennedy.” “What do you wish, sir?” “Let us alight. I want a witness.” “Here I am!” “Mind your post, Joe, and keep a good lookout.” “Never fear, doctor; I’ll answer for all that.” “Come, Dick,” said the doctor, as he touched the ground. So saying, he drew his companion along toward a group of rocks that rose upon one point of the island; there, after searching for some time, he began to rummage among the brambles, and, in so doing, scratched his hands until they bled. Suddenly he grasped Kennedy’s arm, exclaiming: “Look! look!” “Letters!” Yes; there, indeed, could be descried, with perfect precision of outline, some letters carved on the rock. It was quite easy to make them out: “A. D.” “A.D.!” repeated Dr. Ferguson. “Andrea Debono—the very signature of the traveller who farthest ascended the current of the Nile.” “No doubt of that, friend Samuel,” assented Kennedy. “Are you now convinced?” “It is the Nile! We cannot entertain a doubt on that score now,” was the reply. The doctor, for the last time, examined those precious initials, the exact form and size of which he carefully noted. “And now,” said he—“now for the balloon!” “Quickly, then, for I see some of the natives getting ready to recross the river.” “That matters little to us now. Let the wind but send us northward for a few hours, and we shall reach Gondokoro, and press the hands of some of our countrymen.” Ten minutes more, and the balloon was majestically ascending, while Dr. Ferguson, in token of success, waved the English flag triumphantly from his car. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Jules Verne (2002). Five Weeks in a Balloon. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved October 2022 https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/3526/pg3526-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html

At five o’clock in the morning, preparations for departure commenced

“O RUSSET WITCH!”

Rainbow Valley by L. M. Montgomery, is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here . MARY STAYS AT THE MANSE CHAPTER VI. MARY STAYS AT THE MANSE The manse children took Mary Vance to church with them the next day. At first Mary objected to the idea. “Didn’t you go to church over-harbour?” asked Una. “You bet. Mrs. Wiley never troubled church much, but I went every Sunday I could get off. I was mighty thankful to go to some place where I could sit down for a spell. But I can’t go to church in this old ragged dress.” This difficulty was removed by Faith offering the loan of her second best dress. “It’s faded a little and two of the buttons are off, but I guess it’ll do.” “I’ll sew the buttons on in a jiffy,” said Mary. “Not on Sunday,” said Una, shocked. “Sure. The better the day the better the deed. You just gimme a needle and thread and look the other way if you’re squeamish.” Faith’s school boots, and an old black velvet cap that had once been Cecilia Meredith’s, completed Mary’s costume, and to church she went. Her behaviour was quite conventional, and though some wondered who the shabby little girl with the manse children was she did not attract much attention. She listened to the sermon with outward decorum and joined lustily in the singing. She had, it appeared, a clear, strong voice and a good ear. “His blood can make the violets clean,” carolled Mary blithely. Mrs. Jimmy Milgrave, whose pew was just in front of the manse pew, turned suddenly and looked the child over from top to toe. Mary, in a mere superfluity of naughtiness, stuck out her tongue at Mrs. Milgrave, much to Una’s horror. “I couldn’t help it,” she declared after church. “What’d she want to stare at me like that for? Such manners! I’m glad stuck my tongue out at her. I wish I’d stuck it farther out. Say, I saw Rob MacAllister from over-harbour there. Wonder if he’ll tell Mrs. Wiley on me.” No Mrs. Wiley appeared, however, and in a few day the children forgot to look for her. Mary was apparently a fixture at the manse. But she refused to go to school with the others. “Nope. I’ve finished my education,” she said, when Faith urged her to go. “I went to school four winters since I come to Mrs. Wiley’s and I’ve had all I want of that. I’m sick and tired of being everlastingly jawed at ‘cause I didn’t get my home-lessons done. I’d no time to do home-lessons.” “Our teacher won’t jaw you. He is awfully nice,” said Faith. “Well, I ain’t going. I can read and write and cipher up to fractions. That’s all I want. You fellows go and I’ll stay home. You needn’t be scared I’ll steal anything. I swear I’m honest.” Mary employed herself while the others were at school in cleaning up the manse. In a few days it was a different place. Floors were swept, furniture dusted, everything straightened out. She mended the spare-room bed-tick, she sewed on missing buttons, she patched clothes neatly, she even invaded the study with broom and dustpan and ordered Mr. Meredith out while she put it to rights. But there was one department with which Aunt Martha refused to let her interfere. Aunt Martha might be deaf and half blind and very childish, but she was resolved to keep the commissariat in her own hands, in spite of all Mary’s wiles and stratagems. “I can tell you if old Martha’d let me cook you’d have some decent meals,” she told the manse children indignantly. “There’d be no more ‘ditto’—and no more lumpy porridge and blue milk either. What does she do with all the cream?” “She gives it to the cat. He’s hers, you know,” said Faith. “I’d like to cat her,” exclaimed Mary bitterly. “I’ve no use for cats anyhow. They belong to the old Nick. You can tell that by their eyes. Well, if old Martha won’t, she won’t, I s’pose. But it gits on my nerves to see good vittles spoiled.” When school came out they always went to Rainbow Valley. Mary refused to play in the graveyard. She declared she was afraid of ghosts. “There’s no such thing as ghosts,” declared Jem Blythe. “Oh, ain’t there?” “Did you ever see any?” “Hundreds of ‘em,” said Mary promptly. “What are they like?” said Carl. “Awful-looking. Dressed all in white with skellington hands and heads,” said Mary. “What did you do?” asked Una. “Run like the devil,” said Mary. Then she caught Walter’s eyes and blushed. Mary was a good deal in awe of Walter. She declared to the manse girls that his eyes made her nervous. “I think of all the lies I’ve ever told when I look into them,” she said, “and I wish I hadn’t.” Jem was Mary’s favourite. When he took her to the attic at Ingleside and showed her the museum of curios that Captain Jim Boyd had bequeathed to him she was immensely pleased and flattered. She also won Carl’s heart entirely by her interest in his beetles and ants. It could not be denied that Mary got on rather better with the boys than with the girls. She quarrelled bitterly with Nan Blythe the second day. “Your mother is a witch,” she told Nan scornfully. “Red-haired women are always witches.” Then she and Faith fell out about the rooster. Mary said its tail was too short. Faith angrily retorted that she guessed God know what length to make a rooster’s tail. They did not “speak” for a day over this. Mary treated Una’s hairless, one-eyed doll with consideration; but when Una showed her other prized treasure—a picture of an angel carrying a baby, presumably to heaven, Mary declared that it looked too much like a ghost for her. Una crept away to her room and cried over this, but Mary hunted her out, hugged her repentantly and implored forgiveness. No one could keep up a quarrel long with Mary—not even Nan, who was rather prone to hold grudges and never quite forgave the insult to her mother. Mary was jolly. She could and did tell the most thrilling ghost stories. Rainbow Valley seances were undeniably more exciting after Mary came. She learned to play on the jew’s-harp and soon eclipsed Jerry. “Never struck anything yet I couldn’t do if I put my mind to it,” she declared. Mary seldom lost a chance of tooting her own horn. She taught them how to make “blow-bags” out of the thick leaves of the “live-forever” that flourished in the old Bailey garden, she initiated them into the toothsome qualities of the “sours” that grew in the niches of the graveyard dyke, and she could make the most wonderful shadow pictures on the walls with her long, flexible fingers. And when they all went picking gum in Rainbow Valley Mary always got “the biggest chew” and bragged about it. There were times when they hated her and times when they loved her. But at all times they found her interesting. So they submitted quite meekly to her bossing, and by the end of a fortnight had come to feel that she must always have been with them. “It’s the queerest thing that Mrs. Wiley hain’t been after me,” said Mary. “I can’t understand it.” “Maybe she isn’t going to bother about you at all,” said Una. “Then you can just go on staying here.” “This house ain’t hardly big enough for me and old Martha,” said Mary darkly. “It’s a very fine thing to have enough to eat—I’ve often wondered what it would be like—but I’m p’ticler about my cooking. And Mrs. Wiley’ll be here yet. She’s got a rod in pickle for me all right. I don’t think about it so much in daytime but say, girls, up there in that garret at night I git to thinking and thinking of it, till I just almost wish she’d come and have it over with. I dunno’s one real good whipping would be much worse’n all the dozen I’ve lived through in my mind ever since I run away. Were any of you ever licked?” “No, of course not,” said Faith indignantly. “Father would never do such a thing.” “You don’t know you’re alive,” said Mary with a sigh half of envy, half of superiority. “You don’t know what I’ve come through. And I s’pose the Blythes were never licked either?” “No-o-o, I guess not. But I think they were sometimes spanked when they were small.” “A spanking doesn’t amount to anything,” said Mary contemptuously. “If my folks had just spanked me I’d have thought they were petting me. Well, it ain’t a fair world. I wouldn’t mind taking my share of wallopings but I’ve had a darn sight too many.” “It isn’t right to say that word, Mary,” said Una reproachfully. “You promised me you wouldn’t say it.” “G’way,” responded Mary. “If you knew some of the words I could say if I liked you wouldn’t make such a fuss over darn. And you know very well I hain’t ever told any lies since I come here.” “What about all those ghosts you said you saw?” asked Faith. Mary blushed. “That was diff’runt,” she said defiantly. “I knew you wouldn’t believe them yarns and I didn’t intend you to. And I really did see something queer one night when I was passing the over-harbour graveyard, true’s you live. I dunno whether ‘twas a ghost or Sandy Crawford’s old white nag, but it looked blamed queer and I tell you I scooted at the rate of no man’s business.” About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. L. M. Montgomery (2004). Rainbow Valley. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5343/pg5343-images.html This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org , located at https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html.

MARY STAYS AT THE MANSE

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