Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-08
JACK, THE COWARD.

ChO1A, 111L w W AiIb'
How He Displayed His Tinidity
By Capturing a Thief.
''There must be skating again by this
time"
''Of course there is
'Let's go over to Horizons pond"
''Hurrah! Let's. It'll be splendid
moonlight"
Boys and girls, come out to play.
The moon doth shine as bright as day"
''Yes, yes;
Come with whoop, come with call
Come with good will, or not at ALI
A merry lot of school-boys gathered
in the village street just as the full
moon arose over the snow-carpeted hill
in the east.
81 wish it wasn't such long way out
to Horizons" remarked Hal Perkins.
"Ho! 1 don't mind the walk bit, 3"
said Jack Quincy. at just gets my
blood well up for skating"
"The skating does that for me-" said
Archie Day. "Whoop!-now for racer
Along the quiet road rushed the jolly
crowd, some following the sleigh track,
which took winding way among the
drifts and hidden stumps, Others taking
a short cut, struggling through drifts or
springing over distractions.
''Halloo! Hold up!7
The suggestion was scarcely neces-
sary, for as a farmers sleigh met them
in the narrow road many of the noisy
racers had come to halt
''Going over to Horton's?" asked the
occupant of the sleigh.
Eyes"
''To skate?n
Eyes"
'You can't. There's just been another
lot O. chaps warned off there. The ice
amt solid"
''Oh, that's all yarn" came in vehe-
ment protest.
II tell you it's so. Amt you got any
sense? Don't you know how it's been
thawing for week past?"
Don't you know how it froze last
night?"
Yes, l know; but it'll take another
just such freeze to put Horizons pond
clear up to the point of safety. Come
back, boys. Climb in and I'll haul you
all home"
''Pshaw" said Hal, in tone of great
disgust; I'm not going right back after
coming all this way"
There's a good place to build fort
out there, any way, and we can have
some kind of a frolic. And two or three
of us have got our sleds, so we can do a
little cOasting if we want to-
GO ahead, them" was the response,
shut look out for that ice"
Again on the quiet air broke forth the
shout and laughteras the party rounded
hill beneath which Horizons pond lay
cleaning in the moonlight.
Il believe it's all nonsense about it's
not being safe" said Archie, stamping
on the ice. ''See how solid it is"
Step by step they ventured farther
and farther out.
Don't let's all go in crowd" eau
toned Hal. But scout here in the
middle it's as firm as rock. / mean to
skate. Come on"
$50 say we all of u.s. cried Archie.
bO cay VIC all " us UdlDe III a
chorus. 'Skates onr'
aren't you coming?" asked Hal OF
Jack, observing that he made no mo-
ton to put on his skates.
''No," said Jack, Il don't believe it's
SAFE
"Humph!" said Archie. 'YOu mean
you're afraid"
well, perhaps that's about it. Yes,
I'm afraid unless 1 know a thing is
safe"
Il wouldn't be coward, sneered Hal.
'I've seen it written by wiser folks
than you or me, Hal, that there's no
bravery in taking risks when there's no
need of it,"
well, I'm thankful to say I'm no
coward. Come on, boys"
He dashed away over the ice followed
by all except two or three of the young
er members of the party.
Are you sure it isn't safe?" one of
them asked, looking longingly after the
skaters.
''NO, not sure at all, " said Jack 'But
just think, boys, what thing it would
be to break into that cold water-and
what thing it would be for our moth
ers and the other folks at home if"
That's So" came in hearty acquies-
cence.
Lets take the sleds and go up and
try the coasting, suggested one of the
boys
This is good" said one of the minor
ity party as they flew down the hill,
ending their slide with a short run along
the shore of the pond.
Good as skating, was agreed. "And
no danger of breaking through, either. y
The moon rose higher and higher,
looking down with beaming smile upon
the rollicking sport More than once
Jack felt sorely tempted 70 put on his
skates and dare the ice, as his eompan.
tsas teeFsd ct hin tog not joining them,