The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-11-30

During the next Jew days there were
some very mysterious consultations be-
tween the boys of 1.-The Expedition" as
they termed it, who managed to come
together in a cornfield several times.
One moonlight night, 500 afterward,
Ben and Charley Marble stole softly
away from their fathers house and hur=
They had gone two miles when they
came to the first patch of timber.
HALT! Who comes thereP' rang a
voice in the bush before them.
They had expected to hear the voice
at this place; yet it startled them and
they stopped instantly.
"Who comes thereP" repeated the
voice, and they heard the sharp click of
agunlock.
EssBush,, it's as! Don't shootp' cried
Charley, quickly.
"Who comes there, thenp" demanded
Bush.
1.-The Invisible bog Catamount of the
Crags," acclaimed Ben.
"And who is with youP"
"The Hyena of the Palms." answered
Charley.
..Now, who are you that dares to
challenge usP" exclaimed Ben, iercely,
swapping his empty pepper-box revolver
at the sentinel.
1.-The Crockerdile of the Mountings,"
answered Bush, whose education had
been very much neglected.
sAll rightI' IAN right!" and the
three boys sat down to await reinforce
ments.
SSH" breathed Charley. ''Some one
is coming"
Catamount Ben laid his ear to the
ground after the of Catamount
Bill, when listening for savages.
"White menu he whispered, mysteri-
ously. 81 can hear their toes turned out.
Indians always walk with their toes
turned in"
.Haltr", commanded Bush, "who
comes therep"
"The Cabot of the Amazon" replied
Archy Jones, who supposed he had
chosen the name of some dangerous
South American animal.
"Halt! Who comes therep" again
commanded Bush.
"The Capricorn of the Arctic Zone"
piped little Lem Burton, his big, wonder
my CJOS anu 0ClIOdOC "hlIC ldCO, 1ItL1Icu
with yellow, waving hair, seeming to APP
pear from the darkness before his body
was visible.
The Catamount, the Hyena, the Croco-
die, the Cabot and the Capricorn all
being present, the company was COM
plete and proceeded through the ''big
woods to the river.
The country was full of wolves and
wildcats in those days, and, as the boys
walked s~tealthily along, they more than
once thought they saw fiery eyes in the
shadows of the giant trees, and, although
they did not acknowledge it, were very
glad when they reached the river.
Bush had already secreteda canoe by
the river bank, and they were soon on
w.,if Island, the theme of their past con-
situations and the scene of their future
adventures.
Wolf Island contained about ten acres,
was covered with enormous willow, cot
ton-wood and sycamore" trees, between
which, in many places, hung greatgrape-
vines; forming a network of as roman
tic and mysterious hiding-places as even
an Indian could wish.
About the center of the Island, near a
steep bank, under a canopy of trees, the
boys built a fire of drift-wood, and re-
clined around it in the most striking at
titudes they could assume.
Each one had his pantaloons in his
boots, his waist encircled by a belt, either
of leather, rope or bark, and in each belt
was some kind of a weapon.
Catamount Ben had an old pepper-box
revolver, though as yet he had no am
munition for it.
He was a fine, manipulating fellow,
with black eyes, brown cheeks and a GER
tain set to his lips, which indicated that
he did not intend to be second in any
undertaking.
His younger brother, Charley, the
Hyena of the Plains, was of much milde1
type, with lighter complexion, more
slightly built, and was inclined to follow
rather than to lead. He was armed with
a wooden bowie knife, the result of much
whiting, on a refractory clapboard.
The Cabot of the Amazon, Archy
Jones, a freckled-face, hot-looking boy
of eleven, was armed with his steel-trap
The Capricorn of the Arctic Zone, lit
tie Lem Burton, rejoiced in his mother
sway-backed old butcher-knife; and
finally, the 'sCrockerdile of the Mount
ings," the broad-shouldered, thick
necked, square-jawed, small nosed anc
big-footed Bush Shackleford, besides be
ing armed with a single-barreled shot
gun, carried in his belt a two-edget
knife. made of an old file and having
corn-eob for a handle and a wrinkleC
bootleg for a sheath.
''It was now after midnight, but Their
were no sleepy eyes around the fire
whose ever-changing light gave the for.
est a weird and romantic appearance.
The moonw went down, leaving an arcl
of darkness above and a wall of dark
ness about them. Beyond this wall thu
owls hooted and the waters of the rive
Kissed and swashed around the ole
snags.
They passed the night fighting mus
quitoes and listening to Ben, as ne rea'
"The Invisible Catamount of the Crags,'
frequently ~interrupting him, however
with the wish that the Indians woult
attack the island that very night.
They had brought neither blanket
nor provisions. Catamount Bill neve
carried such things, being proof agains
dampness, cold and hunger; and VIII,
should not they be the same?
III.
The sunr rose bright and beautiful, an
they prepared for active operations
They had planned it all out. The Croco
die was to take his shotgun, ''Smok
DEATH" and, crossing in the t
the mainland, kill two or three deer TO
breakfast. They would then max
moccasins and buckskin coats, wit
d fringes, of the hides.
The Cabot was to trap for beaver, an
the rest were to begin digging a cave i
the side of the bank. A cave would b
very useful, mysterious and romantic
In a few minutes the Crocodile re
turned, with the announcement that tn
canoe had either foated away or beel
stolen. They were prisoners on the isl
and.
"Well, never mind" he said, bravely