The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-08-15

| coed ed to ''hook up the buggy pre-
p aratory to search for the constable.
Some kind fate had provided that the
laprobe should be in the house; when
Mr. Gard ner went in for it / slipped
around to the back of the stable, my
heart beating double-quick time, anc
found that the heavy board window o,
the harness-room was secured on the
outside by a staple and spike arrange
ment In jiffy it was open, and Mr.
Bankman was trying to keep up with
me in a pell-mell cross-country race
that soon put us out of immediate dan
ger
For more than month l did not sec
Mr.. Bankman at all, though it was the
halcyon time Of luscious fox-grapes
that grew in great clusters in the depths
of the swamp, of ripe apples and pears
any body's property while they were
in the orchard-and unlimited roast
ing ears.
When he finally reappeared precau-
tons were doubled; to me only was ac-
corded the honor of fishing with him,
| ana he refused to leave the bosky pur-
lieus of Painters swamp, unless on
stormy night he might seek shelter in
an outlying hayrick.
1t was during this period of retire
ment that rainy day, which happened
to be holiday at the school, brought
me to the swamp with fishing tackle
and bait, jacket big and fat with half
loaves of bread and with much elo-
quence to persuade Mr.. Bankman into
visiting "hole'' famous for cells and
suckers" l argued that no one would
be around in such weather even though
the redoubtable Mr.. Gardeners house
was within quarter of mile; that
the banks of the creek rose up a hun
bred feet or more on each side, so we
should be quite hidden, and that
didn't have many holidays. We finally
started off in heavy drizzle
But before long there came sudden
tremendous downpour of rain that sent
me scampering for shelter, while Mr.
Bankman, to whom rain and sunshine
were equally welcome, sat stolidly on,
manipulating his four poles stuck in
the bank, hand or foot on each one
to feel the vibrations that every now
] anu bllGl i1IO d RAOI1OuS Jug.
| could not get to the top of the bank
and the woods there without making
wide detour for an easier climb. AS
stumbled up the crumbling bank, my
eve caught sight of the old kingfishers
hole, that we had dug out year after
year to get the beautiful, glistening,
ivory eggs; this had not discouraged
her from coming back each year to tun-
mel still further into the bank from the
same old entrance, so that now it was
quite big enough to crawl in and lie at
full length. 1t struck me as a fine
place to take refuge in, and l called out
my intention to Mr.. Bankman, with
the result of getting a scolding for
making so much noise. The leaves and
debris of Mrs Kingfsher'S previous
household arrangements made 1t quite
comfortabl | was amusing myself
while the heavy shower lasted by see
ing how far back | could worm myself
into the narrowing passage, when
was startled by dull, muff1ed sound
like the far-away unloading of a coal
wagon, it increased rapidly, then sud-
denly stopped, and l found myself in
the dark. 1 put out my hand toward
the entrance and felt wall of dirt.
squirmed up to it and began to dig it
away, but there was no room to pass it.
back | called out, with the result of
filing my eyes and mouth with loose
particles of sand Again tried to bur-
row out Then after awhile it began
to be hard to breathe, and harder and
harder until forgot all about it and
everything