The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-07-27
NUMBER 25

years old, bright, smart fellow, and as
active a cat. His mother was a widow.
who lived on a very little farm, abous
half mile from the hotel. When Jimmy
saw what had happened, and that fifteen
dollars was offered for the recovery of the
hat, his eyes sparkled. He was a read
ing boy, and he remembered what ho
read, and it now flashed across his mind
that the savages in the Pacific islands
climbed higher and smoother trees than
that. And what is more he knew how
they did it.
Without saying word, he turned and
ran for the woods as fast as his legs
would carry him. In a few minutes he
returned, carrying a piece of grapevine
about half an inch thick and five or six
feet long. With this in his hands, he
bounded into the crowd at the foot Of the
tree.
sis it fifteen dollars" he cried, sfor
any one who gets that hat p
cit was fifteen dollars said an elder
ly gentleman who stood near the tree,
''but it has now gone up to twenty. Can
you climb that tree, my boy %
81 am going TO try it sir" said Jimmy.
every well, tho..," said the gentleman;
''the money is yours if you succeed
Jimmy now stepped up to the tree, and
holding the grapevine horizontally before
him, placed the centre of it against the
trunk. He then wrapped the vine once
around the tree, and bringing the ends
back to him, took one in each hand
He then loosened the vine little and
pushed it up the tree as far as he could
reach. Now, holding tightly to the ends;
he drew himself up. The vine firmly
bound around the tree by his weight, did
not slip an inch This is the way he had
read the savsges climbed tall trees
When he had thus drawn himself up, he
wound his legs around the tree and held
fast until he had loosened the vine, and
pushed it up again. And so, foot by foot,
he went steadily up that tall pine tree
1t was terribly tiresome work, and he
stopped to rest several times, but at last
he reached the branches. Grasping the
lower one he drew himself up, dropped
the grapevine, and, seating himself on the
branch, rested for several minutes. Then
/ he climbed up to the hat, diseugaged it,
and threw it Down. AS the hat with its
| beautiful blue vale came floating down. a
! tremendous cheer arose from the people
on the ground; but, fortunately, Jimmy
was not startled by it. After resting a
short time ne came down the tree. He
could slip gradually down without any
| grapevine. AS soon as he reached the
ground everybody clustered around him,
and the elderly gentleman who had col
lected the money. handed him the twenty
dollars.
NOW, my lad" said be, 81 hope you
will make good use Of this
''You may be sure of that, SIR said
! the landlord of the hotel. 81 know JIM
my, and he'll give it TO his mother" As
for Jimmy, he thanked the company and
hurried away. But not home. Early
! in the summer, his mothers only hog
an animal on which she depended for
much OF her living during the winter
had died. Jimmy knew that nothing
would please her SO much as another hogs
/ and SO he went TO farmer Peters, who he
knew had hogs for sale, to buy her one.
About an hour before supper time, he ap-
peared before his mothers door, driving
a fine lazy porker.
"Why, whose hcg is that ?" said she.
''It's yours, mother, and climbed up =
| tree after it," said Jimmy.
When the story was told, his mother
was delighted and all that winter, wber
they had hams, and spare ribs, and pork
and beans, and sausages, and lard, and
hogs head cheese and scrapple, and
picked pigs feet, and all other things
| that can be made cut of fine fat hog,
! Jimmy was glad that he had remembered
how the savages in the Pacific island
| climbed tall trees.
WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BECoM I
II A q.