Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-06-02
More Water than they Wanted.

topd fHuigs'
More Water than they Wanted.
Jack found tho boys at the lower end Of
the house with the steers and wagon.
Whats the news 2" he asked.
The news with rs is, that we're ont Of
raiu-watcr." RUFF replied
Z" | should think So" said Jack, looking
into a dry hogshcad which stood under the
eaves-spout.
d" It's TOO much Of bother 10 bring all our
water by the pailful. So we are going to
fill these things at the river, aud make the
steers haul EN-"
There were three wash-tubs and barrel.
which the boys were putting upon the bot
tom boards Of the wagon-box, from which
the sides had been removed.
When he went out he found the bows
waiting and accepted a seat with Wad and
Link ON board placed across two of the
tubs RUFF walked by the cattle's horns
while in the third tub sat Choke.
q" You can't sit in that tub going back, you
know" said Link.
" Yes, ! can | will" And Choke chung
fast 10 the handles.
90, well, you can if you want to- sup
pose" said Link but il will be full of
water"
They passed the potato-patch, (Jack smiled
TO see that the potatoes had been dug)
crossed a strip of meadow land below, and
then rounded a bend in the river, in the d.
rection Of deep place the boys knew.
Rufe backed the hind wheels Of the wagon
into the river, over the deep place, and asked
Wad which he would do.-dip the water
and pass it up by the paltul, or stay in the
wagon and receive il.
Whoever dips it up has got to stand in
the river above his knees said Wad and
don't mean to get wet to-day"
VERY well; stay in the wagon, then
You'll get as wet as | shall for I'm going
to pull of my shoes and roll up my trousers.
Choke. you keep in that tub, Just where you
are, till the tub is wanted. Link, you'd bet
ter 20 into the river with me, and dip the
pals, while pass IN up to Wad."
II never can keep my trousers rolled up,
and amt going 10 get wet" said Link.
Then, whispering TO Jack d" There's leeches
in this river; they get right into fellows
flesh and suck his blood like sixty"
Rufe went in bare-legged, and stood on the
edge Of the deep hole, where the water was
hardly up TO his knees. Much as he disliked,
ordinarily, TO set about any work, he was
strong and active when once aroused and
the pals of water went up on the wagon
about as fast as Wad cared to take them.
"Ilullol Don't slop so You're wetting
my feet cried Wad,
q" / cant keep from spilling a drop once ia
a while. You might have taken off your
shoes and rolled up your trousers, as | did"
The barrel was soon two-thrds full, and
Wad called upon Link to help him move it
forward. Link left his seat by Jacks sid,
and walked to the rear Of the wagon. Wad,
as we know, was already there. So was the
barrel of water, standing just back OF the
rear axletree. So also was fresh pail Of
water which RUFF had placed at the extreme
end, because Wad was not ready TO take it.
At that moment the oxen, hungry for
fresh grass and having nipped all within
reach of their noses started up little.
Jack, thinking to prevent mischief by run
ming to their heads, leaped from the front Of
the wagon.
This abrupt removal of the weight from
one end, and large increase of avoirdupois
at the other, produced natural but very
surprising result. Choke in his tub, though
at the long end of the beam, so 10 speak (the
rear aXletree being the fulcrum) was not
heavy enough TO counterbaance two bcnthsre
and a barrel of water at the short end.
He suddenly felt himself rising in the air
and sliding with the empty tubs. His brothers
at the same moment felt themselves sinking
and pitching. There was a chorus of
shrieks, as they made desperate effort to
save themselves. Too late the wagon bot
tom reared, and away went barrel, boys,
tubs, everything.
The oxen, starting at the alarm, helped tc
mecpitete the catastrophe. Fortunately,
ussla g.. i. II.
mantled wagon might have gone flying across
the lot even fast enough to suit Links no
ton of speed
Rufe made one quick effort TO prevent
the boards from tipping up, then leaped
aside, while the discharged load shot past him
Choke, screaming, held fast to the sides
of his tub with both hands. Wad, intend
ing to jump, plunged into the deepest part
of the river. Link made a snatch at the
barrel, and playing at leap-frog (very un-
willingly went headong into the deep hole
Choke met with wonderfully good for
tune his tub being launched so neatly, and
ballasted so nicely by him sitting in the bot
tom, that it shipped but a splash of water
and he iloated away unhurt, and scarcely
wet at all, amidst the general ruin.
The wagon-boards, relieved of their load
tumbled back upon the wheels. To add 10
the confusion, Lion barked furiously
Jack, frightened at first, finally began to
laugh, when he saw Choke sailing away
under full steam, and Wad and Link
scrambling out of the water.
So you We're the fellows that were not
going to get wet !" cried Rufe. "Pick out
your barrel and empty tubs, while | catch
Chokie!"
The river, even in the deepest place, was
not very deep; and Wad aud Link came
wading out, blowing water from their
mouths, flirting water from their hair and
shaking water from their rescued hats, in a
way that made Rufe (after he had stranded
Choke in his tub roll upon the grass in
conyulsions.-M Nichol1s