Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1890-08-02
JACK, THE COWARD.
How He Displayed His Timidity
By Capturing Thief


''Let's go over to Horizons pond"
''Hurrahl 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 a whoop. come with q call.
Come with good will or not at an"
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
II wish 1t wasn't such long way out
TO Horton's,r remarked Hal Perkins.
''Ho! | don't mind the walk bit."
said Jack Gurney. 1T just gets my
blood we'll up for skating"
''The skating does that for me-" said
Archie Day. "Whoopl-now for racer f
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
short cut struggling through drifts or
springing over distractions.
'Hallool Hold upl''
Tho suggestion was scarcely neces.
sary, for as . farmers sleigh met them
in the narrow road many OF the noisy
racers had come TO halt.
"Going over to Horton's2" asked the
occupant OF the sleigh.
"Yesn
ITO skater
"Yes."
'sYou can't There's just been another
lot o. chaps warned of there. The ice
amt solid
"oh. that's all yarn" camo in vehe-
ment protest
III tell you it's 50. Amt you got any
sense? Don't you know how it's been
thawing for week past?'
Don't you know how 1t froze last
nightq'
'sYes, 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 homer
''Pshawl" said Hal. in a tone OF great
disgust; "l'm not going right back after
coming all this way"
There's 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 IL we want to-"
''Go ahead. then" was the response,
''but look out for that ice"
Again on the quiet air broke forth the
shout and laughter as the party rounded
a 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 IL is!'
Step by step they ventured farther
and farther out.
Don't lets all 90 in a crowd,n eau
toned Hal. But scout here in the
middle it's as firm as a rock. ! mean to
skate. Come on"
$50 say We all OF u.s." cried Archie.
80 say we all OF u.s." came in a
chorus skates onr'
AREN'T you coming?" asked Hal Of
Jack, observing that he made no mo-
tion 20 put on his skates.
mo" said Jack, Il don't believe its
safe"
"Humph.H said Archie. "You mean
you're afraid"
''Well. perhaps that's about 1t. Yes
I'm afraid unless l know q thing Ii
safe"
~ wouldn't be a coward, sneered Hal
..Iye seen 1t written by wiser folk;
than you or me. Hal, that there's M
bravery in taking risks whom there's nc
need OF it,
"well, I'm thankful to say I'm n,
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 o
them asked, looking longingly after thu
skaters.
mo- not sure at all" said Jack. "Bu
just think. boys, what thing it woul'
DO to break into that cold water-ant
what q thing Ii would be for our moth
ers and the other folks at home it,
'.Thats So" came in hearty acquies
cence.
Lets take the slods and 90 up an
try the coa ag.v suggested one of th
boys.
This is good. said one OF the minol
ity party as they flew down the hill
ending their slide with short run alon
the shore of the pond.
Good as skating was agreed. IAN
no danger of breaking through, either
The moon roso higher and h!ghe
looking down with q beaming smiie upo
the rollieking sport More than one
Jack felt sorely tempted to put on b
skates and dare the ice, as his compal
ions jeered at him for not joining then
There's somo trouble down there
said Jack, paUsing for moment at II
top OF the hill just as he with his sma
party were ready for slide.
He could not make out exactly wh
was going on, but he could see all Y
boys running towards spot at whi'
some excitement seemed 20 center.
perhaps some ones broken in, sa
one OF the boys.
Jack gave the ground tap with b
foot which sent his sled TO the hotto
of the hill.
Bring a sled, he heard as soon as I
sound OF the scudding runners h
ceased. lie sprang mp and seized {
rope.
"what II the ice Is broken?' sugge
ed one of the boys
But Il did not escape notice that Ja
seemed to forget bis fear OF dams
when there appeared need Of his help
what Is it?' he cried, fastening
wards She group on the ice.
1t was not however, a break in, but
accident OF a different character Are
had been hotly pursuing Hal when