The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-07-01

ing to leave the tail of that little jackass ex
cept under most extraordinary circum
stances.
A fly of exceptional vigor assaulted Julius
Caesar upon the flank, and, his tail not
whisking as well as usual, because of the in
cumbrance, he missed the enemy at the first
swish and moved uneasily forward for sew
eral feet. As it CHANGED, this movement left
the other string of frecrackers fairly in the
lap of Cocoanut. The boys were still dis.
cussing the situation.
''It's too bad; it's too bad" said Billy
"What'll we do?"
81 don't know" said Cocoanut.
"Do you think we dare let 'em off even Il
the flag didn't fy?" said Billy.
y don't know" said Cocoanpt.
III believe I'll get on Julius Caesar and ride
little" said Billy, "and you throw stones at
him and hit him if you can. It's pretty
hard to make him run, you know"
"All right" said Cocoanut.
Billy rose and wandered over and mounted
Julius Caesar, Cocoanut barely turning his
head and watching the white boy lazily, as
Billy gathered up the bride, which was the
only equipment Julius Caesar had. 1t was
then, just as Billy had fairly settled himself
down, that an inspiration came to Cocoanut.
''Lemme let off just one little cracker" " he
said. "Mebbe it'll start Julius Caesar ago
ing" and Billy joyously assented.
Now Cocoanut had never seen the effect
which whole string of firecrackers can pro-
duce. He had assisted in firing one or two
little ones, and that was all he knew about
1t. Billy didn't know that the string of
tirecrackers was attached to the tail of Ju-
Illus Caesar, and Cocoanut himself had abso-
lutely forgotten it. Cocoanut produced a
match and lit it and carefully ignited the
thin, papery end of the ultimate little crack
er on the string, and it smoked away and
flickered and sputtered towards its object.
There have been various exciting occasions
upon the island whereon is Honolulu. There
have been some great volcanic explosions
there, and earthquakes and tidal waves. 1t
is to be doubted, however, if upon that
charming island ever occurred anything more
complete and alarming and generally spec
tacular, in small way, than followed the
moment when the first cracker exploded of
that string of S7t feet attached to the tail of
Julius Caesar. Cocoanut had expected one
cracker to go off, but had anticipated moth
ing further. He was correct in his view
only as regarded the mere goingotf of the
cracker. What followed was surprise to
" all hOIIu. W as
a rattle and roar the first two or three
feet of small crackers went off, and then, as
the first cannon cracker was reached with a
thunder and blast of smoke, Cocoanut went
over backwards and away off into the grass,
while Julius Caesar simply launched himself
into space. 1t was all downhil before him.
He started for Australia. Anybody could
see that. You couldn't tell whether he was
going for Sydney or Melbourne, but you knew
he was going for Australia in a general way.
His leaps, assisted by the downhill course,
were something to witness. Cocoanut has
since estimated them at 40 feet jump, while
Billy says 90 (for both boys, it is good to say,
are still alive), but then Billy was ON the
jackass and may have been excited; prob
ably somewhere, say, about so feet, would be
the correct estimate. Talk about your hor-
rifying comets with their tails of fire! They
were but slight affairs, locally considered.