Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-08-20
JACK, THE COWARD.
How He Displayed His Timidity
By Capturing q Thief.

There must be skating again by this
time"
"Of course there Is"
Lets go over to Horizons pond"
"Hurrahl Let's. It'll be splendid
moonlight"
"'Boys and girls, come out 10 play
The moon doth shine as bright as day"
Eyes, yes;
Come with q whoop, como with d CALL
Come with good will, or not OF oil.
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
IL wish il wasn't such a long way out
TO Horizons" remarked Hal Perkins.
"IIoi don't mind the walk bit"
said Jack Quincy. 1T just gets my
blood we'll up for skating
THE skating does that for me-" said
Archie Day. "Whoop-now for racer
Along the quiet road rushed tho jolly
crowd, some following the sleigh track,
which took winding way among the
drifts and hidden stumps, others taking
q short cut struggling through drifts or
springing over distractions
"Halloo Hold up!'
The suggestion was scarcely neces-
sary, for as o farmers sleigh met them
I'm the narrow road many of the noisy
racers had come 10 halt.
Going over TO Horton's2" asked the
occupant Of the sleigh,
YES"
ITO skate2'
Yes"
You can't There's Just been another
lot o chaps warned of 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
sense2 Don't you know how it's been
thawing for week pastp'
Don't you know how II froze last
nightp7
ayes, l know; but i'm take another
just such freeze 10 put Horizons pond
clear up TO the point Of safety. Come
back, boys Climb in and I'll haul you
all home"
"Pshawi" said Hal, In tone of great
disgust; I'm not going right back after
coming all this way"
There's good place 10 build a fort
out there, any way, and we can have
some kind of 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
hill beneath which Horizons pond lay
cleaning in the moonlight
~ believe It's all nonsense about it's
not being safe" said Archie, stamping
on the ice. see how solid 1t Isl"
Step by step they ventured farther
and farther out
Don't let's oil go in crowd" eau.
tionod Hal. But scout here in the
middle It's as firm as rock. mean to
skate. Come on"
80 say we all OF US" cried Archie.
80 say we all Of u.s." camo In a
chorus. "Skates onr'
Aren't you coming?" asked Hal oi
Jack, observing that he made no mo.
ton to put on his skates.
u Y
safe"
"Humph" said Archie. "You mean
you're afraid"
"Wcll, perhaps that's about 1t. Yes,
I'm afraid unless know thing Is
safe"
81 wouldn't be coward" sneered Hal.
1--WE seen IL written by wiser folks
than you or me, Hal, that there's nc
bravery In taking risks when there's no
need OF it,
well, Pm 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 you ng-
or members of the party.
''Are you sure 1t isn't safe2" one OF
them asked. looking longingly after the
skaters.
mo, not sure al all" said Jack. but
just think, boys, what a thing 1t would
be TO break into that cold water--and
| what thing IL would be for our moth
ers and the other folks at home If"
That's go" 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 short run along
the shore of the pond.
Good a. skating" was agreed. And
no danger OF breaking through. either.
The moon rose higher and higher,
looking down with beaming smile upon
the rollicking sport More than once
Jack felt sorely tempted 20 put on his
skates and dare tho ioe, as his compan-
ions jeered at him for not joining Thorn.
There's some trouble down there, .
said Jack, pausiug for moment at the
top of the hill just as he with his small
party wore ready for slide
He could not make ont exactly what
was going on. but he could see all the
boys running towards spot at which
some excitement seemed TO center.
Perhaps some ones broken in" said
one Of the boys.
Jack gave the ground tap with his
foot which sent his sled 10 the bottom
of the hill
Bring sled he heard as soon a. the
sound of the scuddiug runners had
ceased. lie sprang up and seized the
! rope.