St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-10-07


sailor. who had slept through many a
roaring storm, was not to be awakened
by so trivial noise as that made by a
falling scuttle. The snoring be gan
again, and Tom stepped out upon the
roof. He could climb like a cat and every
inch of every roof on the farm was
familiar to him. He ran lightly along
the ridge-pole, jumped down upon the
wood-shed roof, thence to still lower
roof and then to the ground.
He put on his shoes Che generally
went barefoot in warm weather.
but he felt that this was an occasion
which demanded shoes, like Sunday or
town meeting), and went round to the
east porch and whistled. Bert, who was
on the watch and had already fastened
the bed cord to the post, opened the Win
dow, swung down to the roof of the
porch, and reached the ground from
thence by ladder which Tom brought
Their first resort was to the butterv,
large, square room, with two windows.
Toms father rigidly carried out his in
tentions of punishment. and the boys
had been kept on bread and milk
through the day, good enough fare for
ANYBODY, but considered rather deficient
by BOYS accustomed to unlimited sup
plies of Mamma Jones delectable pua-
dings, pies and doughnuts.
Tom at once opened his plan to Bert.
He proposed that they should say the
next day in Captain Ingram barn, hid
den in the hay, and the following night
smuggle themselves on board the
schooner. In the meantime they must
have something to eat, and, without any
scruplcs, they. rilfed the contents of jars
and pals. taking many thick slices of
pink corned beef and couple of pies.
These were packed into one of Nam
my's tin pals, and, thus provided for,
our two heroes started out on their tray
els, with as delightful anticipations of
the wonderful and surprising things in
store for them as ever Columbus had.
1t was about three miles to North Wharf;
but, refreshed by the enforced rest of
the day, they trudged cheerfully along,
munching mince-p pie and cheese.
Captain Ingram barn was a large
J one, and. as the having season was
past, it was well filled with hay from
the floor to the topmost NOW. The
boys selected the latter place in which
) to hide, and eXcavated a large hole in
the nav near the wall. The moon had
, sunk low in the west, and the moon
beams fell through the crevices of the
barn, lighting up their little den and
lending to it sense of comfort and
cozinesS.
1t was sometime before they were
sufficiently composed to think of sleep.
They talked in low tones, their talk
dwelling mostly on catching Goldfish and
whales, on the difference between
: schooners and barques, and such nauti-
: cal subjects. Once Bert ventured to
, wonder what Nanny would say. when
: she found they were gone; but this sub
} ject was quickly thrust aside as disa-
J greeable and inappropriate.
At last they began to grow sleepy,
, and Tom was just dropping off, when
he thought he heard a movement OF
some sort, not far away: He was wide
awake in an instant. He knew there
l was not an animal in the barn, for the
cows and horses were always left in the
pasture during warm summer nights.
, He clutched Bert's hand convulsively,
and found he, too, had heard and was
} wide awake.
} In moment or two there was a sub
r dued "Ahem" coming apparently
, from the NOW just under them. Cold
sweats started out all over Tom when
, he heard that, and his mind turned in
5 voluntarily to the unfinished chamber
, and empty bed there How he wished
: himself back in it! They sat with
, clasped hands, hardly daring to breathe.
t Pretty soon, although it seemed TO the
| boys ages, there was another and q
l louder "Ahem!'
t Who or what was it? 1t was before
l the days of tramps, though occasional
? ly stray vagabond was seenin Canter'
bury. Could it be hand-organ man:
Bert had heard fearful stories of the
capture of children by hand-organ men
he had heard how they starved and beat
i them, and how tired the children got
0 walking all day and shaking the tam
BOURNE. What if this hand-organ man
, should carry them off! Somehow 3
roaming life did not seem so desirable
and charming to him as it did when nc
, and Tom were talking about going tc
+ sea.
a And Tom! A few days before he had
heard Sam Ellis telling at the store
about crazy man who had escaped
, from the Danvers Lunatic Asylum anc
: was wandering about the country. ter
!, rifying the women and children. CoulC
q it be possible. thought Tom, that that
q very man was in the barn with them:
Or perhaps some dreadful beast had es
capped from a menagerie and secreteo
9 itself in the barn-a lion, Or tiger, OF
d a huge anaconda. 1t was not impossi
BILE. They had heard of such things
e 1t was only with the greatest effort that
' the two frightened little fellows kept
from shrieking outright.
IT, 4l,n;,, os,on4 ,.nlioe thora 1yara nf