The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-11-02
pepper Fecit. Ammo Dom: 1885 Sept;

pepper Fecit. Ammo Dom: 1885 Sept;
XXiiij.
''Lookl'' cried Dolly, there's more
writingl What's bobo, Alan2''
spanish for fool. believe said
heyoung man. Eye bobo, hys trappe;
modern English. 'booby trap. Your
pirate ancestor was a bit of a humorist.
it seems.
"A BOBBY trapl" exclaimed Miss
ColepeppeN Were the boobies. sup
pose, as we've fallen into it.
"Quite so! I don't see how we can
logically refute that argument, 2 was
the reply.
''How very rude of Nicholas the
Firstl" said that worthy's descendant
Indignantly. ''But what you suppose
is the meaning of it all, Alan?''
well, lean only guess of course; but
from the evidence should fancy it was
something like this: Nicholas the First
obviously put this snuggery together in
September, 1887, which is the date on
the front door in the cave up above,
you remember. Then he went away on
cruise and in the meanwhile some
evil minded person picked the lock of
the aforesaid front door, came in and
raided the room. Nick I returned, saw
and considered. His absences from the
cay We're long. However strong front
door he put up, determined man
would always have plenty of time to
smash it down undisturbed if he wanted
to. So your worthy ancestor devised,
and on Sept. "a, 1888, completed this
BOBBY trap, which resets itself and is
evidently capable of holding just as
many of the Pry family as choose to
march into it. l rather fancy Nick
would chuckle considerably, too, if he
could know how neatly his invention
had caught us today. But do you think
that's correct reading of the history ?"
Perfectly said the girl "But
what do you suppose happened to the
prisoners who were caught in the trap2''
eff Nicholas the First returned soon
after their capture, I've no doubt he
dealt out hard listed justice according
to his lights. If, on the other hand, his
cruise was a protracted one, I'm afraid
the intruder would starve. The ira
ditions of the time do not suggest that
the Jail would have been victualed.'
Dolly shuddered. 'And WEI" she
suggested in tone which was more
than half frightened.
'tSRall find way out, no fear, . re-
turned the undergraduate boldly
Probably by the identical passage
which the old gentleman used for his
own comings and goings But before
we go We'll just see what sort of an in
heritance the old scoundrel has left
.ou.
But, though he thus assumed reas-
turing tone. Guthrie was far from feel
ing in his own mind the confidence
which he simulated. But, even so, it
must be admitted that the strongest
emotion in his mind at the moment was
curiosity, and SO the other feeling Of
doubt was for the present relegated to
The background.
The furniture of the chamber was
simple. There was an old four post bed.
ltead of heavily carved Spanish ma
nogany, with a roof over it strong
enough to resist waterspout; there
was small oak table with three tripod
stools to match, and there was clumsy
seaman's chest, made of oak and fitted
with rope beckets at the ends. The lid
of this chest was locked, but a vigorous
kick from Guthrie sent it flying open.
Dolly and he at once began to overhaul
its contents. and the first thing they