Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-12-26

the least possible time. From Koop 3
Dam to the mouth of Black Run
the creek described a loup mile
and half long; while the distance
across the bend was less than a
quarter of mile.
Meanwhile, as the racers went
skimming over the CLASSY ice, the
gap between them slowly but sure
ly widened. Claude gained with no
apparent effort; while Sim, though
striving his best, fell gradually be-
hind. Half way down the course
just at the apex of the bend, in fact,
was a wooded ravine through which
q tiny brook trickled, and emptied
into the creek. Half mile up the
ravine was Squire Medford's farm
house.
The ravine had two occupants
that morning whose presence was
unexpected by at least one OF the
skaters. Bouncer, the bulldog, sat
on a flat stone near the mouth Of
the run, and behind him in some
thick bushes, crouched Squire Med
ford's stable lad-who was devoted
ly attached to Polly, by the way.
Bouncer evidently wondered what
he was there for. He was cold, i'll
natured, and hungry; for not bite
of food had passed his great chops
since the previous evening. More
over, to injury had been added in
suit, in the shape of wire muzzle
that was clumsily tied over his jaws.
The clicking, metallic approach
of the skaters was now heard, and
as Claude Gilmore neared the ravine,
twenty yards in advance of his rival,
Bouncer began to see through the
mystery. He growled, pricked up his
ears, and quivered from bow to stern.
"Sisss-sss-sssw The stable boy
was needlessly expanding breath;
for at the first sibilant Bouncer was
off like a streak. With snarl OF
fury he cut across his enemy's path,
leaped upon him, and down they
went together. Bouncer slide to
one side, and Claude rose to his feet
with food of language that was,
to say the least, unbecoming suit
or for Polly Medford's hand. OBJ
serving the dogs muzzle, he plucked
up courage and started off.
But Bouncer had a reckless,
abandoned sort of gait that was
just the proper caper for slippery
ice, and, in less time than it takes
to tell, he had his enemy on his
back again. Claude swore; Boun-
Ger barked vociferously; and, amid
the confusion, Sim Harker whizzed
by the scene without so much as
turning his head.
Claude yelled after him in vain.
He began to understand what was
in the wind now. By a clever eff
fort he lodged the dog, and resumed
the race with fierce determination
to outstrip his rival yet. Alas! it
was useless. Six times Bouncer
knocked him ANONYMOUSLY off his
feet, and six times he struggled up
again, boiling with passion. A
small air-hole was now ahead of him
in mid-channel, and it gave him a
brilliant idea. He lodged Bouncer
once more, and skated straight for
the hole, bent on leaping across it.
but his malicious desire to decoy the
dog to watery grave did not turn
out to expection. Bouncer discreet
ly halted, and waited for the fun.
He was not disappointed. With a
yell of dismay, Claude broke
through the thin ice on the edge of
the air-hole, and plunged into three
feet of water.
Bouncer was too magnanimous
to hit man when he was down; so
he permitted his enemy to crawl out
on firm ice unmolested. Then he
turned his tail, and trotted back to
the ravine. The vicinity of the air.
hole was probably too redolent of
sulphur and birthstone for his taste.
There was great excitement at the
mouth of Black Run when Claude
Gilmore arrived with dripping gar
ments, five minutes behind his rival.
He passionately narrated his adven-
ture, and demanded justice.
The squire's face redeemed with
anger. "Polly, did you have a hand
in this?" he thundered.
There were no conditions to the
race, father" replied Polly, with
cunning evasion of the question.
"Sim won it. will marry him and
no one else"
"You will marry Claude Gilmore"
roared the squire. ~ will teach you
who is master, Miss lmpertinence."
Polly nonchalantly described a
figure eight on her skates. She
looked at Sim, and Sim returned the
glance meaningly. Then they took
hands and glided swiftly down the
frozen creek. Pursuit was useless.
The squire could make no Roadway
on the ice, and Claude had already
taken off his skates.
Well, the story has the usual end
ing. Polly and Sim reached the
latter's sleigh, which had been sta
toned at Orr's Bridge in anticipa-
ton of such a contingency, and
drove off to Harrisburg to be mar
ried. They came back a week later,
and were forgiven. The squire was
elected in the spring, in spite of
Claude GilmOre's onnosit;on aud