The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-02-14

morse was line, spirited animal.
which stepped proudly along with
arched neck and alertness. When the
stranger overlook the two young pc
destrians estopped his horse, saying:
Ny lads, I'm going your way some
distance Would you care to rider
Under ordinary circumstances Cal
yin would have jumped at the chance
TO ride behind horse ike the one
before him, but ON looking up at the
mans face he was struck with its
evil expression, In spite of the owners
effort Mt friendliness. Instinctiyely
the boy felt that the stranger could
not be trusted. So he replied as po-
! litely rs possible:
Nc thank you. we're not tired,
and would just as soon walk!"
Just as soon walk y exclaimed the
man, IA apparent surprise. Why,
boys are generally very fond of rid
ing Come along. my lads, / want to
show you what a fine stopper my
horse is. III wager you never saw
an animal that could move off so
beautifully. Here, jump up; there's
plenty of room for three OF us on the
seat y
NJ replied Calvin firmly, sd
rather walk. My brother and l are
watching the squirrels and birds as
we go along.
well. maybe the little fellow
would like to ride with me, then, +"
the man said. IF you live in this
direction, lean probably take him all
the way home. Come. sonny" he
said to Clay. with smile.
Clay looked at Calvin, who whis-
pered:
Don't do it, Clay; there's some
thing wrong. or he wouldn't coax
us So"
THANK you, mister. replied Clay,
who had unbounded confidence in
Calvin's Judgment, but I'd rather
walk with my brother.
you would, ehf' the man jeered,
and in a moment his whole bearing
changed, while his face became as
cruel as a tigers. well, We'll see
about If"
Then, to the CONSERVATION of the
boys, he dropped the lines upon the
dashboard, sprang from the carriage,
seized Clay roughly, gagged and
bound him and lifted him to the
buggy seat. OF course the little fel-
low struggled fiercely, and it took
the man some time to secure him.
Meanwhile Calvin was not idle.
Frightened as he was, the thought of
his favorite hero's bravery flashed
through his mind, AMI kept him
from running away and leaving his
little brother in the hands of the kid
naper, for such the man evidently
was.
Calvin also remembered how to
keep cool head"
Instead, therefore, of going into a
panic he controlled himself and tried
TO think of some plan to frustrate the
design of the child stealer. An idea
came like an inspiration, and he act
ed at once. While the man was
struggling with Clay Calvin ran to
the side of the horse and slipped off
one of the traces from the end of the
whiff1etree and then scurried around
to the other side and jerked off the
other.
The hdnaper had been too much
absorbed in capturing Clay to notice
what Calvin was doing. By the time
the little fellow had been securely
bound Calvin ran up to the side of
the carriage and began to beg pitt
fully:
''Take me, too, mister. / don't
want to be separated from my little
brothec. Iwon't make any noise or
gire you any trouble if you'll only
take me with him.
well, scramble up, then, you
young rascall" commanded the man.
'I'll get larger reward for two kids
than for one, he added, under his
breath. But mind, boy, if you give
any alarm, I'1l''- and he glared saw
agely at Calvin.
The next moment Calvin had
climbed up to the seat. Then the
man took up the lines and called,
Get upl'' to his horse, whereupon
the animal sprang clean out of the
shafts, which fell with a clatter to
the ground.
How did those traces become un.
hookedf growled the man, with an
oath.
He jumped out quickly, backed the
horse into the shafts and proceeded
nervously to fasten the traces. In
his excitement he let the lines droI
upon the crossbrace of the shafts in
the rear of the horse.
Calvin watched the man breath
lessly, and the instant the second
trace was in place he seized the whiI
and brought it down upon the horses
f1anks with force that caused the
spirited animal to make tremendous
bound ahead. The man tried tc
grasp the lines, but the front wheel
struck him squarely on the hip and
sent him sprawling to the ground
while the carriage spun over him and
away down the road at frightfu
pace.
There was one thing more for Cal
vim to do that required the presence
of mind of a genuine hero, and thai
was to get possession of the lines
Perilous as the feat was, with the
horse at wild gallop, he accom-
plished it after several efforts, and
then began the task of curbing the
frightened animal In this he die
not succeed until his home was al
most reached, but he was able tc
I