The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-11-21
LaurenS Advertiser
$3.50 Per Year in Advance.
UNCLE JOHNS HALLOWEEN.

ulu you cNGr, On IldllOWC cn, play
pranks with the gates and wagon wheels
and cabbage patcheS?" asked Herbert,
carly Halloween evening.
eyes, once; just onCe,'' answered
Mr.. Halstead, while a slow smile spread
over his face at the recollection. cit
was when / was 49," continued the
uncle, "and come to think of it, l guess
we were all thirteen. That is a terrible
unlucky number; no wonder we met
with disaster. Henry Bales, Jim
Fowler, Ed Jones and | got our heads
together after school and planned a
midnight romp which should include
old Josiah Barnegat, who was the ter
ror of all the boys in that vicinity. He
was rich, and lived on a finely cult
vated farm; but he was stiugy-pru-
dent, he called it-and crosscr than
two sticks. Not n boy III the whole
township dared to steal a capful Of his
apples or nuts, although he grew the
finest ones in that region, Jim and l
planned to do what no boy had eve
dared to attempt-play a trick on old
Barnegat, as he was called. Ed and
Hen said they would 90 with us, but
we could see they were fainthcartcd
an'. idtlly o"'hllS III liSll 9lOSn NSiO'S
ne started.
"Of course, ii isn't necessary to tell
you boys that we went to bed suspi-
clously early tina; night, and that ut II
O'Clock we crawlcd out of the window
and slid down the porch post, or at
least | did, and presume the others
got out in an equally surrcptitious
manner. We met at tho corners, and
proceeded steathily in a file toward the
Barnegat farm.
"'Ill bet," whispered jim, "that
wen find every gate nailed fast and
every wagon locked up"
"'And every cabbage pulled SAID
Ed, with tremblc in his voice. In
those days throwing cabbagcs on peo.
ple's porchcs was a Halloween fashion,
Eds words proved very nearly true,
We crept over the garden patch with,
out finding so much as a cabbage
stump, and tried every gate without
finding one that would lit off. W.
were discouraged, and about to beat I
cautious retreat, when jim said:
"'Let's try the wagon hose; per
haps he has forgotten to lock it,
"sIIe wouldn't forget that. Let:
get back to the corners,' Whispered
Ed, then he jumped as the 'To.whoo
of an owl echoed through The right.
"'l'm going to try 1T anyway,
said jim. You boys stay here; I'll b.
back in minute lie crcpt alon!
toward the wagon house and | crawl
ed after HIM, Hen and Ed bringing u
the rear. Jim reached the house first
and against its white. pancled surface
| could see his black figure maxim
frantic gestures and bobbing up an
down.
cots u%nlockedl It's unlocked!' h
whispered, shrilly, as we drew nea,
"The old gcntleman's wits must hav
been wool-gathering tonight. w
won't do a thing to his wagon, will w
boys? 1t was so dark in the bulldin
that we could not discern the outlin
of a single object and we dare nc
strike match, for fear some one nigh
be watching from the house. Jir
and | ventured in while Ed and He
waited, poised on their tiptoes read
for flight. We CROPPED around unit
we found the enclosure was bare O
everything except a big one-hors
wagon. We tried to get the wheel
off but the pins which held them i
place had been bent. After a wins
pered consultation we decided. in lie,
OF a wheel, to draw the wagon dow
the lane and desert it in the middle q
big pasture field, if we could do
without awakening a roar from tn
Vigllant shotgun, which rumor said al
ways stood at the old mans bedside
We muifled the reach with our coat
to dcaden the sound somewhat, an,
crept at a snail's pace past the house
trembling every time II of the hug
wheel dropped into a chuckholc
When we got back fifty rods or s,
from the house what Il jolly time w,
had. We stopped and danced
and turned somcrsaults on tht
the dry October turf, and tossed Oh,
hats in the crisp air. We acted il
turn as we thought Josiah BarncoaI
would act when he missed his wagon
and, altogether performed like a quar-.
tet of lunatics. Finally we took ur
our line of march toward the pasture
Held again, jim and Juggling away at
the thills of the wagon, while Ed and
Her pushed from behind. Midway
IN the ane was quite a steep hill,
down which we gaily raced at the In
mineIt danger of Jim and L being run
over by the heavy vehicle. Then we
pushed and tugged in desperate fash
ion to get II load to the top of the
gentle incline beyond. You will un-
derstand that we were pretty tired by
the time we turned into the pasture
field.
"The night had been rather dark
thus far for frosty October, but lust as
we left the lane the moon peeped over
the belt of eastern woods as if she
were smiling upon our pranks. To
keep up our spirits, which were flag
glng with WEAKNESS, jim sung the
first line OF wait for the Wagon, |
took up the next line, and then Ed
and Hen followed. Hens clear young
voice rang out with:
"Wait for the wagon, boys, and we'll
all take a ri-ah-h-h-hr
cit was a halr-raising yell which end
ed the refrain. jim and | dropped
the tongue and turned in time to see
ED and Hen streaklng for the house.
Hen turned once to shout, sRun, bows.
runP aud before we had time to collect
u wits the boys were mere dots fad
ing down the lane.
"rl be switched said jim, and in
the moonlight L could see his mouth
puckcr as if to emit a whistle. did