The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-07-16
SOME SMART BOYS OF BYBuRY.

BYBURf village was quite famous. il
my day. for its smart boys--about
dozen Of them, pretty near Of an ace
bright scholars, good fellows generally
and wide awake for any enterprise.
There could be stories told about theil
adventures. their campmg-out, theil
fishing and boating trips, their many
doings on land and water; but was not
there To see. l was not one of them.
Poor little Andyr' they called me,
for l was cripple. Perhaps it was
because l could not run. nor climb. nor
do anything, hardly, that l admired
them the more.
Fourth If July was their great day,
Of course; it is the boys day every
where in this land Of freedom. They
began it by ringing certain church
bell the moment midnight struck.
which was the signal for all the little
cannons TO blaze out. There were six
churches in Bybury, and two of them
had bells, which these youngsters had
christened Liberty Bell" and PRO
hibition Bell They were allowed to
ring the former just as much as they
pleased-and for that reason they did
not care anything about ii: they were
forbidden TO touch the other till sunrise
OF the Fourth-and for that reason
they were determined to begin with il
on the midnight before; and they always
managed to do it.
Their only opposer was Captain Mil
liken. who had no motive in the world
Tor the opposition, only once having
said that he did not want it rung, he
was bound to have his way-there are
q good many such people The boys
liked the old gentlemen. bur they de-
termined not to be beaten; and when
you take twelve boys against one man
You may be sure that there's mischief
ahead. His only right Of refusal was
in the fact that he was sexton. and also
owned more pews in the Westinghouse
than any other man. However, from
year 10 year the townspeople said,
" Let them ring. 1t Is better way to
celebrate than to use so much pow
der"
On this particular Fourth, Captain
Milliken made great boasts that he had
got the doors and windows so securely
fastened that the boys would have to
give it up. That being equal 10 chal-
lenge, no boy of any spunk. and GER
tainly no Bybury boy. would give II
up. The evening before the Fourth
there was a mysterious gathering in an
unoccupied house near BY; and TO this
rendezvous one OF the big BOYS. Tom
Milliken. the Captains nephew, carried
me on his back. Because" said he,
we want your help"
1t turned out that they all intended
TO get about two hours sleep on some
old carriage robes which they spread
on the floor and at half-past eleven
sharp was to call them and then wait
orders.
II was lovely night. warm. dewy.
starry, but 50 still! The villagers had
gone TO bed early to have a little repose
before the inevitable cannonadine be-
gun-they always did at Bybury. for
there was no sleep after midnight in
that neighborhood till that set Of bows
had outgrown celebrating They II
seemed long hours TO me, for. trusting
10 my known wakefulness, every bow II
them had dropped of. and sat curled
up by window with Toms watch IN
my pocket, till the time slipped by.
Punctual TO the moment had them
up; and after whispered consultation
hey went out to try means OF ingress.
while l kept watch and was to signal II
any one approached.
It's no good to try, for the Commo-
iore"-that was what they called him
=" has been as good as his word. So
now for itr' said Tom. at last. and
pulling on his shoes and cap, he began
o climb the lightning-rod.
IL H. -
ised TO be put up on meeting-houses,
Tou will not understand the fooIhardi-
hess OF this proceeding. Instead Of fol-
owing the walls Of the building--in I
which case the risk would have been [
fearful en0ugh--the rod descended |
'lanting in mid-air from the belfry, far
'ut to the main building. 50 that for [
ong distance 1t was out In space, sway |
ng at the least touch: then from the
'aves Il run down the side OF the house.
md then was supposed TO be secured .
irmly in the ground. But this one /
lad been broken of a ward or [
more ut the bottom, SO 1t was
ather shaky and uncertain thing AZ d
he best, besides being constructed n ,
pieces which were hooked together IN Z
loose way. 1t was rough and rusty.
md about as large round as a mans r
numb: Such was the ladder by which '
'om Milliken proposed to climb ND TO
ne high bell tower, on the dark side OF n
ne church, with no light to guide him r
kept what came from the stars. o
Tom Millikcn was not afraid Of any, q
hing; but now, when the boys saw him a
lowly going up, hand over hand, in the G
arkness. they began to realize what a G
feat i was, and begged in low n
Tom! Tom! do come down! Lets 7
i've It up!'' !.
But Tom whispered back. stop your
Ol<of taxa ooru NJ 49,. 4 "A