Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-05-02
"Sot the Americans" said Archie


Louis, IN scornful tone. There were
no Americans big enough to pay us for
the trouble. The Swiss do not fpht
babies. Whom have you like William
Tell? Who in America can use a bow
like that, to shoot the apple from the
head of his son? Who" getting more
excited, ''who that could stem a boat on
Lake Geneva in such a storm, and then
dare to jump ashore-who-Ah there
are none in America"
''Now you just take that back!"
screamed ''The Trumpet" whose rage
vas also rising. "You don't know what
you're talking about. / guess you never
heard about Washington crossing the
Delaware, in little bit Of a boat, with
his whole army, when it was just full OF
iOatIng ice, where your old Tell darsn't
STIR, and cold as anything, lots colderD
Switzerland ever is; and standing up
every step of the way, with his hat off. "
In his haste Archie was drawing bis
facts from the engraving of Washington
crossing the Delaware, which he had
seen at home, rather than from the
pages Of history. However, as Louis
prded himself upon his ignorance of all
American heroes and heroisms, he was
not prepared to deny one statement more
than another.
At this instant John Drew spoke;
There's Professor Wilson motionine
us out of the yard, boys" he said. "I'll
tell you what" and he turned to Louis:
"We're going to skate down to Brandon
Point this afternoon, and you can come,
too; and down there you fellows can
tight 1t out. If you lick we'll give three
cheers for William Tell, and, if the
Trumpet does, we'll cheer for George
Washington; only you fellows must
cheer, too, whichever way it is; and
we'll see fair play
This arrangement being satisfactory,
| feeling sure that William Tells reputa.
| tion would lose nothing in his hands.
| He attacked his dinner as savagely as
lie meant to attack George Washington,
and subdued it as thoroughly as no
| hoped to subdue him.
He did not mention his intention to
his mother; for, being woman, she had
queer prejudices against fights; but he
kissed her good-by with a tragical air
which nearly told the whole story
He said only that he was going on the
river to skate, and she, woman like
again, kissed him and said: ''Ah ! that
river is so wide and big; I do not love
1t; but have a good time with the rest.
I 1nv child, for Louis had been too proud
ever to speak at home of his school
troubles, and, of course, she never i'm
agined him as other than favorite.
When he reached the river bank he
found the boys I'll ready 10 start, and he
quickly put On his skates and Joined
them.
AS was fitting, the representatives of
| the Swiss and American heroes led the
way, Louis little ahead of Archie.
They had passed the fine houses, and
were just opposite the miserable Polish
quarter, when Louis skated into large
air hole, and Immediately after him
| Archie Emerson.
The Upper Mississippi is frozen dur.
ing five months of most years, and the
ice is so strong that the river becomes
regular highway for teams and bur
dens of the heaviest kind But, how.
ever cold the weather may be, and how
ever clear and thick the ice may be,
there is at all times danger from all
holes rs they are called-sometimes rea
holes in the ice, but more frequently
places which only skim over with thin
covering of ice which never hardens
The air hole into which these bows
plunged, however. was due to the holes
which the neighboring Poles had cut
to serve rs wells. There were so many
of these that the ice between was much
weakened, SO much so that when Louis
skated upon it, it was very mich as il
| he had skated into open water
Alas The swift running mountain
stream in his Swiss home. for whose
sake he SO despised the sluggishness O
American rivers, had been no swimming
school, and Louis in the water had beer
perfectly helpless but for Archie. who
though not far enough behind TO keel
himself from going in, had seen in th,
instant before that the hole extended
nearly to the shore. Otherwise the situ
alton would have been quite hopeless
for, once under the strong ice on III,
other side, the best swimmer could no
escape.
The other boys could only look on il
Mortified silence for to approach tn,
thin ice meant only danger for them
selves, and added danger for the two.
How he did it, Archie never knew; bu
he seized Louis, and made away Will
him 10 the shallow water, from which th,
two freezing, trembling champions wer,