The state herald., 1893-06-30
with ali our work so behind I'm goin

II Know It's behtnd, said Len.
but the boys think they'll get beaten
II don't pitch for 'em; so they're kind
of urging me strong to CO."
but what's baseball, Len, beside
necessary work like ourn? Thnt's NIL
such boys think. Thcm's tho boys J
met out here, s'pose," he continued.
"llerc teasing you off! Id like to put
my hoss-whip on 'em!'
The next evening the boys came
around again, TO learn whether Len
could go.
HE has given me another stint, and
good big one" said Len, with his
odd, low laugh. ears
Lets go see it, cried Ned Corliss.
They went n ross the Held, and the
boys hastily looked the stint over.
1.-TWO days work." exclaimed
Horace. "That uncle of yours-well,
no matter what. OF course you can't
go-unlcss,' he added, unless we raise
crew and help you do it."
"And that's just what we had better
dol" said Ned. 'For we must have
Len"
Soon after six o'clock on Fourth of
July morning there were eleven boys
in Selcctman Burbank's potato field.
hoeing with all their might. They
had finished u row apiece, and Ind all
turned to upon the remaining two
lows when Burbank appeared.
Hes coming out to forbid your 60
I'M muttered Ned.
81 guess not" said Len.
''If he does, les mob him."
But Burbank had only come to say
TO Len that he must try to string"
n late-planted acre of sweet corn with
Irvine, to keep off the crows, before he
went away. IN put the ball of Irvine
down here Mt the end of this row." he
said, MS he turned back.
The boys groaned after him.
well, IL will only take us few
minutes said Len.
Eut MS they came near the ends of
the rows. Horace Atkins picked up the
Irvine ball, unobscrved, and put IL in
his pocket So Len could not find the
Irvine, and after searching awhile he
set of with the other boys, who i'm
patiently hurried him away to collect
their baseball outfit.
On their way TO the village Horace
| slipped the ball of Irvine into Lens
pocket, where he presently found IT,
lie suspected that trick had been
played, but said nothing. lie had
never disobcyed an ex press COM
mand Of his uncle. But II was too late
to turn back.
The background was half n mile
ont of the village, near the river, n
little way from the bend above the
falls which furnish the wntcr-powcr
for the factories,
When Mr.. burbank found that Len
had gone off with the boys without
stfinging the corn, he was angry: and
grew more angry MS he worked, alone,
that day. II seemed TO him to be
downright rebellion to his authority.
So about the middle of the afternoon
he drove to the village with the intep.
ton OF fetching Len back home TO
finish the stint
But meanwhile an event had DC.
CURED.
The ball game was oyer. Len had
\ pitched good game for the Thornhill
nine. The score stood: Tbornhili
eighteen, Longcroft thirteen. The at
| tcntion OF the crowd was termed to II
tub race" on the river above the
"boom," rs the long line of logs at
tached end to end and extending across
the channel above the falls IL termed
BESIDES the ,ontestants In their tubs,
there Were boats on the water above
the boom. Among them was batcau
In which one of the young lady school
teachers of the village was taking u row
WI h seven or eight OF her girl pupils
and two lnds. aged ten and thirteen
years. The older OF the two lads was
the oarsman.
While they sat watching the race
the ba,,au driflcd against the boom.
The boy with the oars attempted to
push OF. The old rope with which
the ends OF the logs were fastened
parted under the strain, and the boom
| opened. The 10y, who was leaning
over the side of the boat Ms he pushed,
! fell overheard.
There was nm cutlery on board the
bateau and from the crowd; but the
boy wns n swimmer. md by few
hhstv strokes reached the boom logs,
whcrc he supported himself
Meantime the bntcnu driftcd through
the gap In the boom, aud before any
one took heed OF the danger. was iioat-
Ing down toward the quicker water
above the falls. which were only fifty
or sixty rods below.
Then. indeed, n sudden shouting and
tumnlt arose.
Some OF tn. people called 20 the boy
In tn, boat To row bncls: others
shouted, "liow 10 the shorcl" Every.
thing was confusion. aud the worst
confused person wns the little fellow
who. with one oar, could only pull this
boat round aud round.
The Thorphiii nine had put ON their
jackets. and were watching III, tub
rncc. Len and Ned lay ON the grass
near tho river bank Len with his hand
inl.his Jacket . ,lsrt. resting div ON
the baseball aud the twinc ball bcsid,
H. When tho cutlery ros. they jun ncd
M together. aud stood looking cnrn.
nstly at the batrnu for moment.
The boomn parted cried Ned. !.
There's only thatiittlc chap aboard.
mud they're Hnitiny down toward tho
rupldsi' exclaimed Len. quick, Ned,
Como onl'
Then M II running To "lrtt" ON
nhortRtounder. he sped down the road
beside the rivcr.
An idcn had flashed into his mind
mn Idea snggested by the twinr.bn In
his pocket aud reel Of small rop. that
he had noticed that morning. M they
came up the read. on thu platform 81
one Of tho stores ON rivcrstrcci Do1g-
Ing paai the teams aud the sbontlng.
excited crowd, he ran 10 thlssiore.
Grab that rope, Ned Corlis-," he
shouted over his shoulder. "urab that
rope and come on. Wa must yet IA line
ucrohs the stream"
Withou, 40 much ~ nod 10 the
proprietor. Ned unhcsltatlngly seized
upon the reel ofrope and followed Len.
who hni already run ont OH th. pro.
ias,inR rocks. few rods above tho
cataract
"i,un " on the reel and he ready 10
tic the end. guicli" exclaimed Len. In
tones Of int'nsr. but suppressed. ON.
ciicmrnt.