Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-10

down to the barrel next me, and Wen work
| away from the slope, to keep our feet
as dry as possible"
| 1t took full quarter of an hour and also
| took lot Of skin from the palms of two
| right hands, to bore a hole in each barrel;
then another hole had to be bored in each.
| to admit air and hurry the flow, but the
| boys were sustained through all by their
virtuous purpose, and by the melodius CUR
gle and ripple of the dozen streams uniting
in one at the gutter and slowly making
| way down the gentle slope toward the
| creek, which was the general depository of
| all street drainage. Fortunately, as Billy
| whispered, the creek was more than half
| mile away, otherwise, all the catfish and
suckers might be made drunk by the de-
testable stuff.
Finally the last air hole was bored, and
two young backs straightened and tried to
get rid of some cruel aches and shooting
| pains; then two blistered right hands
sought each other. two hot gimlets were
raised aloft, and Billy whispered, quoting
| from the Temperance Glee Clubs adapta-
ton of the "Star Spangled Banner
"And thus be it ever when brave men shall
| stand
| Between their loved homes and runs
sad desolation.'
| That's So" Ted answered, 'but next
| time I'll lend the gimlet If some other fellow
will do the boring. Ow. but my hand does
| burn awfully!'
| Come home by way of our house." said
Billy. There's a can of linseed oil in our
barn and father always uses it for nlistered
! hands," ,
| Together the boys walked beside the little
| torrent, which their inspired energy had
| created; the night was too dark Tor them
to see much, but they could hear the hur-
! rying liquid; beside, as Ted remarked, any
| one who was both blind and deaf couldnt
| help knowing all about it, for oh, how the
| stuff did smell!
"Indeed it does" said Billy. II wonder
the odor doesn't wake all the drunkards IN
| town. If we don't want to give ourselves
| away at home we'd better leave our shoes
| and stockings outside.
| At the foot of the slope, where the boys
| and the stream had to take different d.
| rections, the members of the Reform Spy
| Corps stopped for one last. exultant look.
| and Ted leaned. SO low that he lost his
| balance, fell and dropped his gimlet.
Il must find that gimlet," he said. as he
arose, "for it had fathers name scratched
| on the handle, and anybody finding 1t
| might suspect something.
| So both boys began cropping about the
| ground for the eimlet and finally Billy
| lighted a match and then a twist of paper.
! BE careful" exclaimed Ted, seeing and
| Selling the gimlet. Put out your light.
somebody may see us by it" Billy did not
act quickly enough to suit the cautious
| Ted, SO the latter snatched the paper and
| thrust it, flame downward. into the gutter
to extinguish It. In an instant there was
a fash of light, much brighter than that
the paper had made, and both boys started
| backward In alright, for the flame was
running up the gutter and down the gutter
| and making a fierce blaze and a bad smell
| and a choking smoke.
You idiot" exclaimed Billy. Didn't you
| know that alcohol would burn? The faster
| we leg it now the better for u.s."
| wed better hide" said Ted, "for by
this light ANYBODY who happens to see US
| will know u.s.
| Billy thought so too, SO the couple dash
| ed into old Mrs. Binders garden and hid
| themselves in the dense shade of a grape
arbor: They were none too soon about
tt either for several families, whose win
| dows had no blinds, were aroused bysthe
| glare, and the men came out and shouted
"f1re!' and knocked at the doors of other
men, and soon the boys heard hurrying
| steps and then loud shout
| ITS Perks & Rushitt's store"'
You don't suppose it can be, do your
| groaned Ted to Billy.
Il don't know, I'm sure" was the shaky
| reply. Perhaps the fire has found it's
way up the hill, and made some Of the
barrels explode. or set them afire. hope
It's nothing worse than that.
"'Twouldn't have happened" complained
Ted, 'ff you hadn't lit that paper"
IF you hadn't lost the gimlet you mean.
LAS to that said Ted, eft all came of
your wanting to spill the barrels. What if
| the stuff wasn't whisky, after all? May be
| it's spirits of turpentine or something"
| "'Tisn't turpentine," said Billy boldly,
| but the very next moment he found HIM
self full Of awful forebodings. There were
many things beside alcohol that would
burn, or SO he had heard at the drug
| store. Suppose the barrels had contained
| some Of the inf1ammable things that were
| used in mixing paint, and of which men
| were so careful, when there was fire any
| where near?
BY this time the entire town seemed
| aroused; men were shouting everywhere,
and running from every direction, so the
| boys thought it safe to sneak over the
back fence, into unfrequented street,
| out of which they could DASH join the
| general crowd, and learn what they really
had done, and how much damage had been
1 n fhniy
lief that Perks & RuShitts store was not
| afire, but the barrels themselves were
burning fiercely, and men were pushing
them with long poles. to the middle of the
| ST. eet. Suddenly Billy saw his own IA
ther, hurried to his side. and asked, as
innocently as he could. although he doubt
| ed whether he did 1t very well.
whats 1t all about father"
| Twelve barrels of gasoline for the self
| making gas that some of Perks & Rush
tits machines were to supply at the big
| political meeting at the maple grove next
Saturday night I'm not a bit sorry for
the firm. either: they'd no license, as yet,
to sell the stun. yet they've brought it
| right into the heart of the town"
'Oh, I'm SO glsd," exclaimed Billy.
Yes. I suppose SO; boys always like to
see fire. no matter who may suffer-"
didn't mean that" said Billy. humbly.
| charred poles with which the barrels had
| been pushed away. Suddenly there was a
new blaze and Billy was literally in it
/
gasoline with which his shoes were soaked.
Billy yelled with fright, while Perks roar
ed.
Lie down in the street-quick. Some
| body heap dust thick on his feet-nothins
| else will put out the fire."
| PERKS orders were quickly obeyed; then
the dust on Billy's feet was drenched with
water, and when finally he was picked up
| and scraped off his feet felt as II shod
with lead. When his father at last started
him homeward Perks and Rushitt both
| stopped him and asked:
How did his feet get wet with gasoline.
| Mr. Blew? Some one bored holes in those
barrls and perhaps your son may be use
| fuI to us in tracing the matter?"
| Poor Billy. He wasn't worth q cent az q
| liar, so the whole truth came out within
ten minutes, and Perks and Rushitt want
ed to throw both boys into the fire, and
they a1terward sued the boys parents for
something dreadful, called Consequential
DAMAGES, because the fire frightened
everybody out of using the seIf-rnakins
| gas.
Billy is still on the reform side Of all
| 0lI2SfinnS h,,f ta