, 1881-10-21

lent him. They tell about people that
lived in the woods, the same as ROBIN
Hood did. Tom told us some of the
stories. and We wished we had lived
then.
There was a meadow a good ways
down the mountain, and there were lots
of cows in it.
Wesley said we might make raid on
those cattle, and drive them across the
border.
At first we were only funning, but by
and by Wesley dared me, and dared
Wesley, and Tom said he would go II we
did. Only Chris Fraser didn't think
there was any fun in doing mlschle1.
Jerry told him it would only be to scare
the cows little, and they would come
back before morning. But Chris
wouldn't go; he said he would stay by
the fire.
1 call that plucky for little fellow.
for l can tell you it's lonesome for lei
low to stay all alone In the woods on the
mountain at night.
The rest of us fellows blacked our
faces with some coal from the fire. and
started down the mountain. We s'posed
it was midnight; but it wasn't more than
nine o'clock.
We crept along pretty quiet until we
got into the meadow, though it was an
awful way down; twice as far as we
thought. We couldn't see house any
where, and we guessed there wasn't any.
We made line and rushed straight at
the cattle Tom told us to shout,
Douglass to the rescue" but we
couldn't remember it, and made any sort
of noise.
tell you those cows were surprised; ;
they ran like everything. but instead of
going into the woods, they rushed right
over fence into corn field. That's the
worst about cows; they always do go the
other way We couldn't get them out,
and we wished we hadn't done it.
It's queer that things LOOK different
after you have done them, especially
things that make you sorry. L s'pose
that Is the reason grown up folks get
along better, because they have found
out how it will seem afterward, and so
they don't do it. And can't see why
things that are real nice to read about in
books are so awful mean when live folks
do them.
The rest of the story isn't very inter
esting. While We were talking about
the way to get the COWS out, man and a
big dog came out of the bushes close by.
The man said:
Boys, you're surrounded, and may
as we'll give it up, because this dog will
pin the first fellow who starts, and he
amt no ways particular where he sets his
teeth"
OF course we had to give up, and he
took us back to q barn and made lis sit
speak, and he told all about the camp
and the stories.
The man laughed some, and KEPT say
ing ''um," and pooh, and then he said
that the boys in his day had enough to do
to keep them out of such mischief, and
had to use his legs so much day-times
when he was a boy he was mighty glad
to keep them still nights. He said he
thought good old fashioned thrashing
would take the nonsense out of US, and
then locked US up, and told Towser to
watch us. Just as he was about going
away Jerry Fraser jumped up and said:
my little brother Chris is up where
you see that fire. He's only ten years
old, and he told us not to go and do it.
He won't know what has become of us,
and he might try to fad us and get
lost. If you'll let me go and stay with
him, I'll come back in the morning honor
bright"
The man looked as il he didn't mean
to do it, so Jerry said if he didn't believe
him he might thrash HIM now, and make
sure of that much, or if he'd let anyone
else go it would be Just as we'll. So the
man said:
Come on"
But he sent his hired man with Jerry.
/ call it mean not to trust frllow, but
the hired man said that was a part of the
punishment when boys got into mischief; |;
they loose their good name.
The farmer asked Chris to stay in the
house but he begged to be locked up with
the rest of US.
In the morning something queer hap
pened. G.. f. came over very early to
get the farmer to go up the mountain
with him for fox hunt. I ought to
have said this farmers name was Eph-
rain Holson. He told G.. f. to como
around to the barn and he would show
him some young foxes he had trapped.
What G. f. saw was five boys with very
black, dirty faces, sitting on the edge of
the hay-mow. He pretended not to know
us, and when the farmer said:
''What do you think of that lot for
catch?"
He said he thought it was very clever
catch.
Tom Kelly said, "Hello, Mr.. Ridley"
But he only put up his glasses and
stared and asked the farmer where he
caught us.
I'm my meadow, trying to drive off
my COWS, " said Mr.. Holson.
States prison offense," said G.. F.,
shaking his head. "What are you going
to do with them?" "well," said the far
mer, Il did CALI to give 'em thrash
ing all round, but I've bout concluded
to-
When he said this he stopped and
looked ut us, and you'd better believe
our hearts we're kind of humping, be-
cause after what G.. F. said about States
prison we thought sure he was going to
send us to jail. But he only said.
I've bout concluded to give 'em
good breakfast and send 'em home 70
thrash the man that put such nonsense
into their heads"
Il. +. looked queer, and Tom Kelly
was so tickled that he turned n back
.~a~4ault and kicked up his heels in
remember that there's plenty OF fun III
the world that other people can enjoy as
we'll as themselves, and that it pays bet
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