The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-11-16
BILLY'S ADVENTURES.


BILLY'S ADVENTURES.
IL there was anything under the sun
Billy hated it was hauling water Not
that the work itself was hard, or in any
way disagreeable, but because he loveol
the spring and the springside so, ard
his mother was sure to call after him
as he started: Hurry back, Billy, L
am dying for fresh drink - or MAKE
haste, Billy. We can't do thing, not
even put on the pudding, until the
water comes.n
The spring came out half way to a
tall bluff, and danced down over sheer
rocks richly embroidered with lichen
and moss and fern. Some part of the
water was led into trough followed
from long, slender logs, which was
fixed In crotoheted uprights some ten
feet from the ground. The troughs
went quite to the roadside. Billy
drove his barrel underneath it, sud let
the spouting stream go plump into the
squared bungbole.
1t YVES no load at all for merry Tom,
the chunky pony. Going springward,
Billy boy rode him coming home he
walked beside flourishing and cracking
his plated leather whip.
Upon certain October Wednesday
the whip cracked so loudly a. the out
ht reached the spring anyone who
knew Billy would have been certain he
had a new and especially acute griev-
anoe. All the mile between spring and
house he had been muttering, Think
they might a-let me stayed to hear the
last, " or Reckon they think boy, a
big boy, do='t keer nothin' about
hearin' nothin' in the world
Still He had heard something
enough at 'east, to tell vaguely. So he
frightened ; arceptibly as he drew to
the spring, for other thirsty folk were
there-two men N very dusty buggy
with tired looking morse. As he came
up one Of them hailed Billy:
"Howdy, sonny. Dear bless my
soul, but I'm glad to see you. I've
been clean lost this half hour-its good
to find myself anywhere about Squire
Clark's."
"Howdy, brother Amos ~ It's fun
ny-you gettin' lost Thought you'd
rode the circuit till you knew every
pig track, Billy said, beamingly.
Brother Amos, the eolporteur,
wornout itinerant, was prime fayorite
with all the boys he had such knack
of fetching exactly the books they
wanted. books that had blood and
fighting in them, and good boys
who did not die young of their
own goodness.
at is funny, l never hit on this cross
road before-rve often heard Of your
spring,n Brother A.os returned.
"What's the good word up at the house
Billy? Any chance for travellers 10
stay all night ?p
"Plenty-st least reckon so,p Billy
answered, his sense Of news to tell sud
denly checking hospitality. Reason l
say that, don't know jus how thlngs'll
be when we get there. 1 left the sher-
/ iff there-and bout dozen more men
and they were tellin' bow the men
they were after bad stole bout 81 .O)),-
600 in town last night, and gone chasin'
Off in a buggy this mornin' as If be
hadn't done a thing"
"Desr NE Why. we came from
towul We heard nothing Of all this.'
brother Amos said, turning TO his COM
panion, who yawned and shook his
head.
Then suddenly he sat upright, and
looked at Billy with a keen pair Of
eyes. The barrel was by this time IN
derneath the spout, and filling very
fsst. The stranger got out Of the buggy
and went beside it, pcering into its
depths as though it were something
out Of the common
"Here's s new style of water works
-eh, brother Amos ?'' he said with n
gurgIing laugh then to Billy: Tell
me how you get the water out ?"
Easy enough Don't you see the
srile there at the bottom?" Billy boy
retorted, over his shoulder. He was
busy cutting dogwood bOughs TO shade
the barrel in transit, and keep the
water cool. As he turned with both
hands full, a vicious fly made merry
Tom dance, 50 the slide was in danger
Of upsetting.
Here, Give me tile bushes-I'll
fix them while you hold the horse, =
the stranger said, fetching a hand out
his pocket. There was knife in it 50
keen and sharp, " hen it was opened it
awoke Billy 10 oovetousness.
By help of it, in thrice, the boughs
were in place, though Billy boy could
not understand why in the placing the
stranger meddled so much with the
wedge-shaped board that went into the
bung.
"f'll tell mother who's comin-she'll IL
be sure to have place for you," be
shouted to brother Amos, determined
ly taking the road ahead Of him. For
the first time in fifteen years' water
hauling, merry Ter. had TO trot up
bill with fun barrel
The sheriff, riding out Of the Clark
gate, almost ssore at sight Of brother
Amos's companion. "To think of
ketchin' him, when we'd about give