Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-15
MICKEY FINS RAFT.

wood dripped rain, and the two streams
which fed Browns pond were changed
from tricking silver rivuiets into roar
ing, muddy torrents. tearing madly along
between their banks
Micly Films tame crow refused to 60
out of doors, even when urged to do SO
by Mrs Finn S broom. but sat moping and
croaking hoarsely under the stove The
three little yellow goslings peeped plain
lively. and hid under the doorstep. but
the belligerent billy goat came out of his
barrel and stood in the rain, as though in
defiance of the elements. Mrs Finn re
marked one day that she hoped he would
get the 'newmonya, which remark her
son thought uncalled for and unnecessa
rily severe.
Whether the food at Cooney Island sug
geSted it, or whether it was deliberate
attempt to inculcate little biblical as
well as profane history into the minds of
his pupils, is matter of no Importance.
at any rate, Mr.. Flaherty, the pompous
and superficial teacher of the little red
schoolhouse under the hill. read the story
Of the deluge to his pupils one afternoon.
among whom was Mickey Finn
Little Mike was profoundly impressed
with the story As he was an magma
tive boy, be lay in his little trundle bed
at night listening to the patter Of the
rain upon the roof. and saw In fancy that
great ungainly ark floating upon the
waters. He pictured to himself Shem,
Ham and Japhet. peering anxiously out
Of the windows In search of the land. and
to the ears of his fancy came the bleating.
Of nanny goat and the lowing of a COW.
1t happened that the teacher said moth
ing to his scholars about the bow set i'll
the heavens as a sign that there should be
no more food. and SO Mickey, reasoning
that the earth, and especially Cooney
Island, was to be inundated, began to
think about some means of deliverance.
So troubled did be become over the
momentous question that his mother
noticed his abstraction. She feared that
her boy was going to be LII Still the
thought of how to save his mother and
father and the animals from the threat
ened destruction stuck to him like bur
dock AT last. after hearing from Jack
Doolan some Incidents in the adventurous
life of Robinson Crusoe, an idea came tG
him. He would build rafti
II can make it out O the rails in tn
Stumpy Field fnce, said be to himself
The idea ticlzled him so much that he be
gan dancing Jig in his mothers newly
scrubbed kitchen, and she boxed his ears
and sent him down cellar to chop some
wood Here be ccnfided bis scheme to
the nanny goat with an admonitory shake
Of the head that she was not to tell ANY
wan. not even tn billy" He would DO
sure to save her and the three goslins, but
the crow could take care of himself. ''be-
kase he had wings"
Mickey decided to keep his scheme a
profound secret from every one, not even
Jack Doolan was to know it until the raft
had been completed and the food began
TO come in at the kitchen door.
Although little Mike was possessed of
more of the resources of civilization than
fell to the lot of Mr. Noah, the ark
builder, still he was hampered by the
necessity for secrecy And so three days
passed before the raft was finished
Mickey measured tie raft with top
cord, and found it to be two cubits IL
length and one cubit and a span in width,
although he did not figure according to
Hebrew methods.
So pleased was Mickey with the success
of his undertaking that it was only by
the most hercUlean efforts that he re
strained the secret within his bosom
There were his parents, unconscious of
coming danger, and he had the means OF
saving them from a terrible fate. The
only relief lie had WAS daily communion
with the billy goat.
Now, Billy, he would say we needn't
be Altered Fax thares room on tn raft
fur you an yer wife If yen only kape
still an not be buckin' yell not be drowned
like thin other billy goats"
at last the day memorable in the an
nails of Cooney Island came. The dawn
was murky and gloomy Little Mike
arose with the sun and dropped softly
out of the window He was about to test
the raft to see II it was pondworthy.
He first took the billy down to the pond
and tied him to u bush The nanny fol
lowed. The goslings were safely slowed
away in the boys pockets, where they
kept up an unavgiiing peeping against
the close confinement. The dog went
along without any urging The billy,
the nanny and the dog each had corner
of the raft 20 Itself. while the goslings
were granted the freedom of the deck
The raft was propelled by long pole
Out into the muddy waters of the pond
Mickey urged the raft. while tho crow
few around In wide circles overhead
The raft foated and behaved beautifully
1t rode the troubled waters like Mrs
McGee's drake. The floating domestic
menagerie was getting along swimmingly
until that notorious gossip, Mrs Murphy,
looked out of the kitchen window and
saw the raft. She uttered yell Of ter
Tor and exclaimed:
God save isl there's that larrup
Mickey Finn fostin around on big
boord Wild goats an dogs; an phwat's
thin little yaner things on tn boo-di
Musha. but thare's goslingsl Run, PADDY.
an tell his mother"
IL less than Eve minutes Ell TIE resi-
dents Of the is.ald were on the margin OF
the pond, including the elder Firms Mrs
Finn was In a paroxysIn Of fear lest Ter
son should be drowned. while her bus
band contented himself with bran6shing
s stou. hickory stick In Mickey's direc-
ton. and threatened 20 use IT II he did not
''stheer tn boa. ashore
In the meantime the sluice gate Of tho
pond had beeAEf:ed in order 70 reise~e
the dan of toSInuch pressure The ran
swung around into tie curTen: made BY
the sucking stuice gate. The dog began
to howl and tug a. his cord Tie e-osiiDgs
ran hitler and thither upon the raft. and
.heir feeble peeping wrung Mrs Fms
heart with anguish
All vera veraI ne gosnn,s II 90
down Tn mil race
Al the ma Mckey vas working ~i:s
AZ his uAght with the pole. aid al las.
succeeded IN getting tho raj, out Of tho
current Encouraged by his mothers
pleadings and frightened By bis fathers
threats. be poied the raft toward the