The Bessemer indicator., 1893-07-01
with all our work SO behind I'm goin


necessary work like ourn? That's all
such boys think. Thcm's the boys
met out here, / s'pose," lie continued
"Here teasing you off! I'D like to put
my hoss whip on 'em!"
The next evening the boys came
around again: to learn whether Len
"lIc has given me another stint, and
good big one" said Len, with his
odd, low laugh.
LETS go see it!'' cried Ned Corliss
They went across the field, and the
boys hastily looked the stint over
Horace. THAT uncle of yours-well,
no matter what OF course you can't
go-unlcss, he added, ''unlcss we raise
u crew and help you do it."
"And that's just what we had better
dot" said Ned. For we must have
Lem"
Soon after six o'clock on Fourth of
July morning there were eleven boys
in Selectman Burbanls's potato field,
hocipg with all their might. They
had finished row apiece, aad had all
turned to upon the remaining two
rows when burbank appeared.
lies coming out to forbid your go-
in" muttered Ned.
81 guess not" said Len.
"If he does, let's mob him."
But Burbank had only come to say
to Len that he must try to string
Il late-plantcd acre of sweet corn with
twinc, to keep off the crows, before he
went away. '.lll put the ball OF twine
down here ut the end of this row." he
said, as he turned back.
The boys gronned after him.
well, it viii only take us 4 few
minutes" said Len.
But as they came near the ends of
the rows, Horace Atkins picked up the
tw.ne ball, unobserved, and put il in
his pocket. So Len could not find the
twine, and after searching awhile he
set off 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 twine into Lens
pocket, where he presently found it.
He suspected that a trick had been
played, but said nothing lie had
never Gisobeycd an express COM
mand of his uncle. But twas too late
10 turn back.
out OF tho village, near the river, Il
little way from the bend above the
falls which furnish the water-power
for the factories.
When Mr. Burbanl, found that Len
hal gone OFF w tn the boys without
stinging the corn, he was angry; and
grew more angry as he worked, alone,
that day. 1t seemed to him to be
downright rebellion to his authority.
So about the middle OF the afternoon
he drove to the village with the inten-
tion of fetching Len back home to
finish the stint.
hut meanwhile an event had oc-
CURED.
The ball game was over. Len had
pitched a good game for the Thornhill
nine. The score stood: Thornhill
eighteen, Longcroft thirteen. The at
tention of the crowd was termed to Il
tub race" on the river above the
"boom," as the long line of logs at
tachod end to end and extending across
the channel above the falls is termed
Besides the contestants in their tubs,
there were beats on the water above
the boom. Among them was bateau
in which one of the young lady school
teachers of the village was taking Il row
with seven or eight of her girl pupils
and two lads, aged ten and thirteen
years. The older of the two lads was
the oarsman.
While they sat watching the race
inc DHttuu uTllteu hSdlHst Ine Doom.
The boy with the oars attempted to
push off. The old rope with which
the ends of the logs were fastened
parted under the strain, and the boom
opened. Tho boy, who was leaning
over the side of the boat as he pushed,
fell overheard.
There was an outcry on board the
ba tcau and from the crowd; but the
hoy was n swimmer, and by n few
hasty strokes reached the boom logs,
where he supported himself
Meantime the bnteau drifted through
the gap in the boom, and before any
ing down toward the quicker water
above the falls, which were only fifty
or sixty rods below.
Then, indeed, n sudden shouting and
tumult arose.
Some of the people called to the boy
in the boat to row back; others
shouted, Row to the shorel' Every
thing was confusion, and the worst
confused person was the little fellow
who, with one oar, could only pull the
boat round and round.
The Thornhill nine had put on their
jackets, and were watching the tub
race. Len and Ned lay on the grass
near the river bank Len with his hand
inE:his Jacket o.lsct, resting idly on
the baseball and the twine ball beside
it. When the outcry rose they jumped
up together, and stood looking earn
estly at the bateau for moment.
1.-The boom's parted cried Ned.
"Thcre's only that little chap aboard,
and they're getting down toward the
rapids!" exclaimed Len. "Quicls, Nedl
Come onl'
Then as If running to "irst' on q
short-grounder, he sped down the road
beside the river.
An idea had flashed into his mind
an idea suggested by the twinc-ball in
his pocket and reel of small rope that
he had noticed that morning us they
camc up the rcnd, on the platform of
one of the stores on riverstrect. Dodg-
ing past the teams and the shouting,
excited crowd, he ran to thisstore.
"Grab that rope, Ned Corliss," he
shouted over his shoulder. "Grab that
rope md come on We must get q line
across the stream
Without so mu n as nod to the
proprietor, Ned uuhesitatingly seized
upon the reel OF rope and followed Len,
who had already run out on the pro-
jectinR rocks, q few rods above the
cataract. M ai
"Ren IL OF the reel and be ready to
tie the end, quiclkt' exclaimcd Leu. In
tones Of int.ass, but suppressed. ca
~ soo,ssx Tor j stone, bot sseing
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