Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1873-03-06


/" Are you hurt, Gussy asked her
brother, catching her up.
"No-o she answered, rather un-
certainly "only 1 b'lieve my elbows
full er snow
"Never mind little snow if that's
all, we're ali right again" And, tucking
her down on the sled, he pranced off
with her SO comically that she soon
forgot the overturn in her merriment
at his antics.
Now the road was very wide, and in
the exact middle of the sliding track
was a gigantic "jounce," which the
boys affected and the girls stunned.
Gid, although he slid carefully on the
slides with Gussy, was aching to plunge
over that identical jounce. And he
secretly resolved that, after he had
given her five slides, he would put her
III Lucy Shows care, and so down once
| lollily.
The next slide the boys all hitched
their sleds together, Hugh Cameron
ahead, in spite of Meg's protestations,
and steered straight for the jounce,
shouting, "Clear the track Train s
coming and only Gid and Gussy
remained behind.
Just as the train got swiftly under
way, the cry of "a team team "
was raised, and Gid saw with surprise
horse and sleigh at the foot of the
! hill.
The snake like train gliding down the
hill with the uproarious cries of 'Turn
out Hold on!" frightened the
horse, which plunged out of the
road on one side, while the snarl of
sleds piled up on the other.
Whoa, here !" called out peculiar
voice, which the boys Immediately
recognized as the voice of an eccen-
trio old codger who lived two or three
miles from the village. "What yer
dewin' here, yer catermounts 2"
" Winding our own business" re-
torted Hugh, from whose face the
blood was dropping. "This hill is for
us boys to slide on, and nobody but
greenhorns ever drive through here,
either :"
"Sho - drawled the old man calmly,
getting back slowly into his sleigh, and
turning his horse. "Then, seem S ]
don't set up for a greenhorn, boys, l
guess I'll go back Sorry, though,
that split your slide"
This was certainly rather unexpect-
ed, and called forth chorus of apollo
gies from the other boys; but Hugh,
somewhat hurt and very much
ashamed, went sulkily home, followed
by Meg, and sorrily soothed by her
triumphant g. told you So"
Gussy's remaining three slides were
delightful successes, for old Pointer
was a prodigy of speed, and the cheers
which invariably followed their wild
progress were very exhilarating to
Gussy.
Nor, Chicky," Gid said, after the
fifth slide, "you stand here minute
with Lucy, and see us boys go all
hitched together once. o, you'll say
it's fun You watch, and when the head
boy gets to the jounce, and hollers
'HOop, {0 p you'll see him pop; and
then the whole train II go popping
after him, right up into the air and
down with a chunk and then we'll go
home.
Gussy danced with delight by Lucy's
side, but said nothing.
The Pointer was generously snapped
for Bob Thayer's "Dexter. and Bob
went head boy and Gid hindermost.
Each boy hitched the rope of his rear
neighbours sled to his own, and lay
fiat, face down. The word was given,
and the train had begun to move from
the hilltop when Gussy broke from
Lucy, and, running with all her speed,
flung herself forward, and came down
like bomb upon her brothers head
and shoulders.
go GuSSYr' he screamed, helplessly,
for her fifty pounds held him down
like nightmare, sc get Off Get OFF,
Il can Skeer, Gid!" shouted the lit
tie plague, sticking in her toes sturdl-
ly, and swinging the sled off in spite of
him. They were now going like the
wind.
"Boys!" bawled Gid, frantically,
"stop! hold on! don't go over that
lowe ounce u
But it was too late; the jounce was
reached, the popping process already
begun.
His cutlery had only set the boys to
snubbing" and jamming up togeth
er, and at every pop there was a crash.
When Gid's sled struck, Gussy popped
off into space, and he was inserted
endwise in a snow-bank on the oppo-
site side of the track, so thoroughly
frightened at the thought of Gussy's
probable damages that he did not
think of himself. All that could be
seen of that rash infant was pair of
red socks kicking vigorously but noise
lessly; but it turned out, when she
was pulled up where shecould breathe,
that she was very slightly injured.
Dear little heart - exclaimed Gid,
pityinglv, rubbing her smarting fore
head with his rough, wet mitten.
''No matter, Gid" she said, reso-
lutely trying not to sob. ''That sled
dnnE skccr SO VOL as Pointnr. docs ltln