The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-03-04

| It was a tree that would have been
! hard for steeple Jack to climb. and
! how such an ordinary Jack as Jack had
| accomplished il no one not III the Sc
| cret could tell. But there he was. and
| there he'd stay unless some one went
| for him.
! Cut the Tree down" said one man.
| for there are always people around who
| think no mere of trees than they do of
| old shoes. blt fortunately there were
| some there. who knew how many years
| The tree had taken To climb as high
as Jack had in Inimte. and they said
| it would be better far TO cut Jack down
| Than TO harm the tree.
| But by great good luck there was a
! boy in the crowd who had box kite
and he Immediately few it and the
, Irvine passed near enough for Jack to
catch hold of it.
Now" said sam, Il bet | could slide
down that Irvine in two shakes of a
/ lambs rail-"
But / cam do il in one shake $ nd
Jack. and he did. landing all right on
The asphalt pavement.
Ne crowd Chccred and dispersed and
that was the end OF lesson number one
'Iou never had such an experience
rs that before. did You. Jack" asked
sam.
Lets Of times answered Jack. Il
told ycu / was a tree climber"
He isn't cured yet" whispered
Tracy 10 Sam.
Give him time answered Sam
ITS go down to the lake.
So they all ran peE nell down to the
Il N n nd r
Those lcok hard to manage It's hard
er to run ono of those than it is to run
a bike" said Sam.
faint ether said Jack. rnffing
ont his lips. MY father used TO have
can make 'em 90 faster than those
| men can
The words were hardly out of his
mouth before the swan boat glided UP
to the wharf. the hoatman jumped OUT
and lifted Jack into the seat and he
! began to prOpel il around the lake II
will be understood that these are really
water velocipedeS and are worked by
means of PEDALS that turn big paddles.
- that any one who rides a bicycle
will know how 10 run one. although he
may lack the requisite strength. But,
fer once thanks to the magician. Jacks
muscles were strong enough. Round
and round the lake he went AT a speed
that had never been Witnessed before
and that made him so dizzy that he
would have been glad to Stop. hut ne
couldn't. The boys stood on the shore
and cheored and ieerpd by turns. Then
they fell 10 laughing as poor Jack raced
around. his hair streaming in the wind.
l,or n, . A..
bis feet Eobbing up and down like corn
IN Il porrer.
At last he tcgan to show signs Of ex-
haustion and then quick-witted Sam
called ont: "Aahh you can't stop. Bet
| could stop it in two minutes"
Bet | can stop right off" said Jack.
and did 50 with Il suddenneSs that
threw him out 81 the boat uron little
island in the centre OF the lake.
The boatmen had been watching him.
with the greatest establishment. and
one of them rowed to the island in an
ordinary boat and brought him to the
mainland in a really exhausted condi-
tion.
You're wonder. hoy. said the
hoatman. Il never saw anyone 60 as
fast rs that"
That's nothing" said Jack. trle to
his instincts. You ought to see me
wrestle.
This remark made Sam afterward
wonder whether he had not suspected
that he had been enchanted and want
ed to pay the boys back for playing
such trick on him.
"A any rate. as soon as he said il the 4
WEAKNESS went from him. and he he
gan 10 wrestle with Tracy and had
thrown him inside of thirty seconds. He
Z ckied Sam next and each boy in turn
until there were ten boys lying winded
on the grass. But he now found that
he couldn't stop wrestling. A man and
his wife came walking by and he
tackled the man and threw him in IL
Jlfly. Then he SET on park policeman
and threw him. and when another 20
lccman came to his companions aid
lie threw him.
But suddenly in the midst OF his &c
tive exercise he dropped like Il stone. |
white and GREATNESS. Sam went to
him and asked him what was the mat
ter. ''Oh. ! don't know. ! didn't want
TO. climb nor run the swan boat, nor
wreste. but just had to. and my
heart feels as if il WAS going to stop"
Well. Jack. if you'll promise not 10 |
tell snch horrible whoppers in future |
think can get you ont of this fix"
Il bet III tell less whoppers than any |
hoy i'll this crowd for the next year."
said Jack in Il weak voice
And the very next instant the ma
"lclan stepped ont of tree trunk and |
said "Rmnshanringhboom |
backward. and Jack got a., |
rs fresh as n daisy.
But now the boys complain that he
- Very uninterest.ng, because no MAJ
ter how much they cXaggerate he only
SAYS: My, | wish | could do as well !
rs mat. hut he never offers to tell them
now much better he and his family could
do it.
: - So, N7=-7l
ssA 4 r NJ M/o>I