St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-01-14

w VII IAN tut Oiu iudu WAS
obliged to say. But if you are in ear
nest, must say you are a blamed fool"
That's my lookout" laughed Wal
lace, starting to walk towards the
brush-heaps.
''And see here :" cried his uncle, "you
are not te damage the trees. or endan-
ger the corded wood, by your fires"
'Of course not" consented Wallace.
without looking back.
'Hc talks that way just to carry out
the Joke thought Uncle Bent. "He
don't act like it, though. See here :"
he again called ont, 81 suppose you
know there's only one way of moving
this rock p
'YOu suggested lifting" said Wal
lace, smiling over his shoulder.
1t will take a quantity of powder
aud good many days work." said the
old man, anxious to get at the boys
real intentions.
Il haven't any money to buy powder,
or to hire men; so | shall have to try
other MEANS" Wallace replied.
''DO you mean ?" cried his uncle,
growing astOnished.
"rm going to try" said Wallace.
"But what-hOw-ho are you going
to manage ?"
Il can't say until have studied into
the matter little" And again Wal
lace walked on towards the woods.
Uncle Bent also went off, iIritated
and puzzled. He was really inclined to
set the boy down for fool; and he
was confirmed in his opinion, on com
| ing out again after dinner, and finding
what Wallace had been doing.
He had got another boy to help him
IA tall, gawky fellow, whom Uncle Bent
recognized as simple Jack-one of those
weak minded youths who are 70 be
| found in almost any village. He was
dragging brush from the land and plac-
ing it in piles near the boulder.
Con to have some fun" he said,
when the old man asked him what he
| was about.
"What sort of fun p Uncle Bent in
quircd.
Com to make big fire, and burn
up the rock replied Simple Jack.
"Burn up the rock ~ grOwled the old
man, with angry impatience. THAT
nephew of mine is certainly fool, and
| he has taken another fool in company !"
He walked off towards the woods,
where lie saw Wallace disentanglng
the OruSh-heapS.
The boy looked up from his work
wiped his brow under his old hat-brim,
and turned red and sweaty face tow
ards his uncle.
$50 you're going to burn up the boul-
der, are you ?" cried the old man, with
somewhat savage sarcasm. 'That's
bright idea -
81 didn't say was going to burn it
up" Wallace replied, embarrassed and
nettled.
"Simple Jack says So"
"Smple Jack isn't the boss of this
job
Wallace gave pull at a large branch
and then added in rather dry, drawl-
ing tone, ''But | won't dispute what he
says. I've been thinking about that
boulder, Il good deal, uncle. | can't
tell you what I'm going to do, for I'm
not sure my experiment will succeed"
'Well, mabby you know what you're
about, but | doubt it." And with a
scowl and a puzzled expression, the
old man went off to his mill.
He thought great deal that after
noon about bOulderS, his brothers poor
widow and his nephew Wallace, Sim
pie Jack and the problem of using fire
to remove rocks. He finally became so
worked up by his thoughts that he left
his business at an early hour and went
home.
His mind was not at all relieved to
find that the boys had actually built
raging fire of brush against broad side
of the rock.
Nor, | must say, was Wallace at all
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 mans
presence made him nervous.
But then he reflected, it would be
pleasant to have him there to witness
his triumph.
Wallace was adding bits of dry brush
to the fire Immediately beside the rock,
while Simple Jack was bringing water
fIom Uncle Bent's well and filling tubs.
Whats the water fOr?" the old man
demanded of the tall, awkward youth. |
''To put on the rock when it burns
too fast" replied Simple Jack, Juggling
his pals. Coin to have great fun !"
$50 you're rely trying the fire -
cried Uncle Bent, approaching the
scene of experiment. II don't see that
the boulder has burnt up much yet :"
''No, not yet. 1t is getting pretty hot
though, and we have plenty more |
brush, you see" replied Wallace.
alt will be some time before you
need the water if it is to put the rock |
out when it burns too fast, as Jack |
says" observed the sarcastic old man.
Jack don't get things quite right, |
though Eve tried to explain it to him."
replied Wallace. 1--WE shall need the !
water pretty soon, think. That will |
do, Jack Now stand 10y the tub, and |
do Just as | tell you"
There was a tub on each side of the |
fire, which was now rapidly dying
away. Instead of replenishing the fire, |
Wallace hauled what was LETT of it |
quickly away from the rock with an
iron rake.
"Now dash on - he cried and set
the example of throwing water from
one of the tubs upon the heated face of
the porous rock.
Jack hurled water from the other
tub. 1t was cold water from the we'll |
As it struck the boulder, it Missed and
steamed furiously.
Uncle Bent stepped back, to avoid
being spattered. He had hardly sta
| toned himself at a safe distance when
he was startled by a succession of sharp
reports. Crack crdck-crack :
Il declare - he cried, "the boulder is
! flying to pieces -
Crack -crGck-again. Then after a
| little while, the reports grew dull, and
ceased. But in the mean while, flakes
and masses of rock had broken away