The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-06

in earnest, must say you are a blamed
fOOl!"
"That's my lookout" laughed Wal.
lace, starting to walk toward the brush
heaps.
"And see here!" cried his uncle.
"you are not to damage the trees. or
endanger the corded wood by your
fires.''
"Of course not" consented Wallace.
without looking back.
"lle talks that way just to carry out
the joke" thought Uncle Bent. .He
don't act like it, though. See here!"
he again called out, IL suppose you
know there's only one way OF moving
this rock9"
"You suggested lifting" said Wal
lace, smiling over his shoulder.
cit will take quantity of powder, and
a good many days work." said the old
man, anxious to get at the boys real in
tentions.
IL haven't any money to buy pow
der, or to hire men; so l shall have to
try other MEANS" Wallace replied.
"Do you mean it?" cried his uncle,
growing astonished.
~ am going to try" said Wallace.
"But what-how-how are you going
to manager"
III can't say until have studied into
the matter a little" And again Wal
lace walked on toward the woods.
Uncle Bent also went off, irritated
and puzzled. He was really inclined to
set the boy down for fool; and he was
confirmed in this opinion, on coming
out again after dinner, and finding what
Wallace hV been doing.
He had got another boy to help him;
tall, gawky fellow, whom Uncle Bent
recognized as Simple Jack-one Of those
weak-minded youths who are to be found
in almost any village. He was dragging
brush from the land and placing it in
piles near the bowlder.
"GO'n' to have some fun" he said,
when the old man asked him what he
was about.
"What sort of fun?" Uncle Bent in
quired.
"Go'n' to make q big fire, an burn
up the rock" replied Simple Jack.
"Burn up the rock!" growled the
old man, with angry impotence. "That
nephew of mine is certainly a fool, and
ne has taken another fool into COM
pany!"
He walked off toward the woods,
where he saw Wallace disentangling the
brush-heaps.
The boy looked up from his work,
wiped his brow under his old hat-brim,
and turned a red and sweaty face toward
his uncle.
$50! you're going to burn up the
bowlder, are you?" cried the old man,
with somewhat savage sarcasm. "That's
a bright idee?'
81 didn't say was going to burn it
up,' Wallace replied, embarrassed and
nettled.
" Simple Jack says 500
"Simple Jack isn't the boss Of this
job"
Wallace gave pull at alarge branch
and then added in rather dry, drawl
ing tone, "But won't dispute what hi
says. I've been thinking about that
bowlder good deal, uncle. l cant tel
yet what I'm going to do, for I'm moi
sure my experiment will succeed"
"Well, mabby you know what you're
about; but doubt it," And with s
scowl and q puzzled expression, the ole
man went off to his mill.
lie thought u good deal that afternoon
about powders, his brothers poor wild
ow and his nephew Wallace. Simple
Jack and the problem OF using fire Il
remove rocks. He finally became 81
worked up by his thoughts that he lef
his business at an unusually early hou'
and went home.
His mind was not at all relieved t(
find that the boys had actually built
raging fire Of brush against a broad side
of the rock.
Nor, I must say, was Wallace at al
pleased to see his uncle approaching
The critical moment in his experiment
had arrived; and, although he felt rea
sonably certain Of success, the old man.
presence made him nervous.
But then, he reflected, it would b.
pleasant to have him there to witness
his triumph.
Wallace was adding bits Of dry brusl
to the fire Immediately beside the rock
while Simple Jack was bringing waite
from Uncle Ben.'s well and filling tubs
"What's the water for?" the old maj
demanded of the tall, awkward youth.
ITO put out the rock when it burn
too fast" replied Simple Jack, lugginl
his pals. "Goin' to have great fun
$50 you're rely trying the fire!'
cried Uncle Bent, approaching the seem
of the experiment. II don't see that tn
bOwlder has burnt up much yeti"
"No, not vet. II is getting prett
hot, though, and we have plenty NOR
brush, YOU see," replied Wallace.
"lt win be some time before you nee
the water il it is to put the rock on
when 1t burns too fast, as Jack says,
observed the sarcastic old man.
"Jack don't get things quite right
though I've tried to explain them
him." replied Wallace. 1--WE sha
need the water pretty soon, think
That will do, Jack! Now stand by tbs
; tub, and do just as tell yon."
! There was q tub on each side OF tn
fire, which was now rapidly dying ava.
Instead Of replenishing the fire, Wallae
, hauled what was left Of it quickly ava
|. from the rock with an iron rake.
! "NOw dash on!" he cried; and set Ii
! example Of throwing water from one
the tubs upon the heated face Of tt
9 porous rock.
Jack hurled water from the other tu(
!, II was cold water from the we'll. As