The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-10

TtSt tFdlII
from here. No horse or sleigh can travel
the road. A hundred men could not reach
EN-
NO" shouted Bob More'ey. but the
Red Devils can. The Red Devils to the
rescue" And he rushed out OF the kitch-
en- like a wild man.
Tad had caught his meaning at once,
and began TO explain TO his father
that the Red Devils would put on their
snow shoes and travel over the thin crust
across country. over the swamp about
four miles. and take relief to the snow
bound sufferers. The "Whizzer' was
quickly brought out, and another old to-
boggan was dragged down from the
stable loft. Tad's mother and the servants
worked as fast as their hands could move
packing the good things that had been in
tended for the anniversary dinner. and
In less than an hour the "Whizzer" and
the old toboggen were heaped with bas-
kets. In the meanwhile the Red Devils,
summoned by Bob, had been arriving, one
by one.
But how about the doctor?" asked
Tad's mother
Mr.. Wallace had sent for the doctor,
and he was In the house. He had never
snow-shoed. and Of course 1T would be inn
possible for him to travel four or five
miles over the thin crust any other way.
But Bob came 80 the rescue.
"Why not pack the doctor on the tobog-
gan and drag him there?" he said.
"There's no more room on the tobog-
CANS" said Tad. They're almost too
heavy now
Then We must make another" said
Bob. 1t took some minutes to determine
how this should be done, but finally. at
Tad's suggestion, two smooth boards
her ND = N "a
was fastened at the forward end. so as
TO make the curve. A soap box was
nailed on as a seat for the Doctor ropes
were attached. and two hours after the
messengers arrival the Red Devil relief
expedition was starting over the drfted
fields.
They had n hard time at first until
they got out into the open country, where
the snow had not drlfted 80 heavily, be-
cause there was nothing much for IL TO
drift up against. The boys took turns at
pulling the toboggans for fifteen or TWEEN
~ minutes at a time, helping one anoth-
er up hills and over rough places They
did not try TO follow the roads, but made
cut across the country, taking their
directions from the doctor, who had a
small compass on his watch chain. and
acted as sort OF navigating officer for
the expedition. But in spite Of the fact
that the doctor had none OF the hard
phyical work of dragging to perform, he
probably had the worst time Of any Of
the recuers. More than once he was upset
into snow drifts, where the crust was too
thin to support the tobOggan, and then
ii took the combined efforts Of half a
dozen Of the boys to get him out.
After an hours travel the unfortunate
physician looked more like Santa Claus
Z ha eiz
were numb and two miniature streams
Of cold water trickled down his back from
the melting snow, that kept getting into
his neck and ears. But otherwise the eX-
petition got along pretty well, until 1t
came 10 the top OF the hill that slopes
down for fully half a mile. and ends at
the swamp. which had TO be crossed
Tad suggested that 1t would be much
easier and quicker to coast down the hill
on the toboggans than to go down any
other way. and one of the other boys
Immediately proposed that the three to-
bOggans have a race. The Doctor OBJ
jected vigorously to this, but the boys
overruled his objections. and before he
knew what had happened he was whiz-
ling down the hill with couple of red
devils Oh the back Of his toboggan, and
| toboggan load OF other red devils on
either side of him. and with more red
on the sleds charging down the hills be-
hind him, bowling like savages.
Now an improvised toboggan is not the
best thing I'm the world to race on. It is
not fitted for the strain. And the Doc
tors t0boggan, as we know. was a very
hastily imprOvised affair, consequently
when 1t ran afoul OF a concealed stump
half way down the hill, the boards and
the snow shovel parted company with
a crack and shock that sent the Doc
tor and has companion Devils rolling
head over heels down the icy incline into
the swamp, where the Doctor landed in
an icy pool 1t took them just three
quarters Of an hour to repair damages
and to pacify the Doctor, who was 50
much irritated that he wanted to walk
the rest Of the way, but at the end Of
that time they got started again. and in
half an hour they had fought their way
throughthe thick bushes and had crossed
the swamp. When they came to the
edge Of it and broke out Of the UNDER
growth, they caught sight Of the train,
almost completely buried in the snow.
At tho anniversary, dinner which oc-
CURED about a week later, Tads eldest
brother made a speech, in which he told
OF the adventures Of the party i'm the
special car. He told of how melancholy
and depressed everyone was on the train.
II sat looking out Of the window of
the car" he continued, wondering If
all that snow would ever melt, and pray
ing that some sort Of assistance IN SHIT
come TO us. My eyes rested on the dis
tant swamp, when suddenly | saw what
looked to me like a band Of Indians
moving about i'm the bushes in all their
feathers and war paint. | did not be-
lieve It possible that there could be
any savages in New Hampshire, but /
could not discredit my eyes when the fig
ures came in full view, and set up a
wild war-whoop. / felt convinced We
were about 10 be scalped. for the Indians
grabbed their sleds and made for the
train as II they were thirsting for our
chilly blood. 1t was not until the band
was almost upon US that we recognize
the boys, and L shall remember that
sight and the feelings | had as long as !
live. Heaven bless the Red Devils! They
came over the snow like hurricane, AMI
their impetus was so great that they
could hardly stop their toboggans We
picked the Doctor up from under the
baggage car and took him in and
thawed him out And / don't blame him
for refusing 10 go back with the Red
Devils" And all this happened just
exactly year ago.-ffarper's Young Poo