Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1899-07-07
BILLY'S ADVENTURE.
BY MARTHA NJ. WILLIAMS.

If 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
loved the spring and the sprirgside so,
and his mother was sure to call after
him as he started: Hurry back, Billy!
we cant do thing, not even put on
the pudding, until the water comes"
The spring came out half way to a
tall bluff and danced down over sheer
rocks richly embroidered with lichen
ana moss and fern. Some part of the
water was led into n trough followed
from long, slender logs, which was
fixed in crocheted uprights some ten
feet from the ground. The troughs
went quite to the roadside. Billy drove
his barrel underneath it and let the
spouting stream go plump into the
squared bunghOle.
So the filling was ridiculously easy;
and as for driving the slide, that was
as good as play. 1t was no load at all
for Merry Tom, the chunky pony. Go
ing springward, Billy Boy rode him;
coming home, he walked beside, -four
ishing and cracking his plated leather
whip.
Upon a certain October Wednesday
the whip cracked so loudly as the out
fit reached the spring any one who
knew Billy would have been certain
he had new and especially acute
grievance. All the mile betwiXt spring
and house he had been muttering.
"Think they might a-let me stayed to
hear the last" or Reckon they think
a boy, big boy, don't keer nothin'
about hearin' nothin' in the world"
Still, he had heard something
enough, at least, to tell vaguely. SO
he frightened perceptibly as Re drew
TO the spring, for other thirsty folks
were there-two men in a very dusty
buggy, with a tired looking horse. As
he came up one of them hailed Billy:
"Howdy, sonny! Dear bless my soul,
but I'm glad to see you. Pve been
clean lost this half hOur-its good to
find myself anywhere about Squire
Clarks"
"Howdy. brother Amos! It's funny
| you gettin' lost! Brother Amos, the
cOlporteur, worn-out itinerant, was a
| prime favorite with all the boys, he
| had such a knack Of fetching exactly
| the books they wanted, books tnat had
| blood and fighting in them, and good
boys who did not die young of their
own goodness.
1T is funny, I never hit on this cross.
road before-Pve often heard of your
spring" Brother Amos returned
whats the good word up at the
house, Billy? Any chance for travellers
TO stay all nightY"
"Plenty-at least | reckon So" Billy
answered. his sense of news to tell sud
denly checking hospitality. "Reason
say that, don't just know how things
| IL be when we get there. | left the
sheriff there and bout a dozen more
men-and they were tellin how tn,
man they We're after had stole bOu
$1,000,000 in town last night and gon'
chasin' off in a buggy this mornin' al
If he hadn't done a thing"
Dear me, why we came from town
We heard nothin of all thisr' Brothe
Amos said, turning to his companion
who yawned and shook his head
Then suddenly he sat upright aut
looked at Billy with a very keen pal
OF eyes. The barrel was by this TIM
underneath the spout and filing yer!
fast. The stranger got out of the bug
gy and went beside it, peering into 1t
depths as though 1t were something
out of the common.
Here's a new style of water works
| tn, bfOtnef Amos, ne SAID, with
gurgling laugh, then to Billy, "Srell M
how you get the water Out?"
Easy enough! Don't you see tn
spile there at the bOttom?" Billy BO,
retOrted, over his shoulder. He wa
busy cutting dOg-woOd bOughs to shad
the barrel in transit and keep tn
water cool. AS he turned with bot
hands full a vicious fly made Merr
Tom dance so the slide was in DANCE
of upsetting.
Here. Give me the bushes-Tl
fix them while you hold the horse" tn
the stranger said, fetching Land Ou
his pocket. There was a kn!f- in it S
keen and sharp when 1t was opened
awoke Billy to eovetOusness. BY hel
of 1t, in a trice the bOugh5 were 4
place, though Billy-Boy coul1 not VI
derstand why in the placing the straI
ger meddled so much with the wedg,
shaped board that went into the buns
"I'll tell mother who's comin'-she'
be sure to have place for YOU" h
shouted to Brother Amos, determined
ly taking the road ahead of him.
The sheriff, riding out of the Clar
gate, almost swore at the sigEt q
Brother Amos companion. "To thin
of ketchin' him, when we'd about Civ
him up" he said to the man at his e