Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-07-27
CHAPTER II.-(Continued.)

smiting him such blow that he
I-nocked helpless and was carried off
our Marty as prisoner. This feat of
~ established my good name as
.+rrior. SO / came at last to be regard
* the leader Of our forces. and to
Iookfd up to by bigger boys than my
IN This promotion tickled my fancy
much that | set to work TO prove that
deserved it by devising fresh and in
lsTious schemes for the defeat of our en-
0pa winters evening news reached us
hat our rivals were about to make n
OH 1pon us under cover of night. and
,baf they proposed coming by the little
,saJ ulank bridge, so as to escape our no.
&ca This bridge lay almost out of the
,nwn. and consisted of Il single broad
aipcp Of wood without a rail, erected for
.ba GOOD of the town clerk, who lived
INST opposite to it. We proposed to hide
ourselves among the bushes on our side
~ thp stream, and make an unexpected
,ftacE upen the invaders as they crossed.
Is we started, however. l bethought me
1f an ingenious stratagem which | had
read Of as being practiced in the German
wars. and having eXpounded it. to the
great delight of my companions, We took
Mr.. ChillingfootS saw and set off for the
seat of action.
On reaching the bridge all was quiet
and still. 1t was quite dark and very
odd for Christmas was approa ching
There were no signs of our opponents.
We exchanged few whispers as to who
should do the daring deed. but as the
others shrank from it, and as j was too
proud 10 propose what ] dare not exc
cute. | gripped the saw, and, sitting
astradde upon the plank, set to work
upon the very center of it.
ia l-a., -, IL
way that, though it would bear the
weight of one it would collapse when the
main body of our foemen were UnOn IT.
and s0 precipitate them into the ice-cOld
stream. The water was but Il couple of
feet deep at the place, so that there was
nothing for them but fright and duck
.nc. So cool reception ought to deter
them from ever invading us again and
confirm my reputation as a daring lead
e.. Reuben Lockarby, my lieutenant
son OF old John Lockarby of the Wheat
sheaf, marshaled our forces behind the
bedgerow, while l sawed vigorously at
The plank until | had nearly severed it
across. had no conjunction about the
destruction of the bridge for | knew
4ough about carpentry to see that a
skillful Joiner could in an hours work
make II stronger than ever by putting
a prop beneath the point where | had
divided 1t. When at last l felt by the
Welding OF the plank that | had done
enough, and that the least strain would
snap 1t, l craWled quietly off. and. tax
ING up my position with my schoolfellows.
awaited the coming Of the enemy.
had scarcely concealed myself whom
We heard the steps of someone approach
ns down the fOOtpath which led TO the
Ndge. we crouched behind the cover.
convinced that the sound must come
nom some scout whom our foemen had
sent on in front-a big boy evidently.
~ i nls step was heavy and slow. with
n Ee could make nothing. Nearer came
" SOUND and nearer. until a shadow
lsar lo0med out of the darkness uDon
M 0her SIDE, and, after pausing and
lMms lor a moment, came straight for
AZ Wldge. 1t was only as he was set
aas loot upon the plank and beginning
sAgTly to pick his way across il. thar
Fe discerned the outlines of the fam;iiar
i'm, and realized the dreadful truth
t aSt the stranger whom we had taken
~ tHe advance guard of our enemy was
"a run none other than Vicar Pinfold
' aGl 'hat 1t was the rhythmic pat of his
s.tG s which we heard mingling with his
i sy ans Fascinated by the sight, we
~ utfeft of ali power to warn bim-o
lAe Of staring eyeballs. One stem, TWO
o "pS' tnfee steps did the naughty church
""u IdKe- when there was n rpnding
gGtE and he vanished with mi.ht4
Prath INTO the Swift-flowing stream. he
r cTII nave fallen npon his back. for we
II ' fi.r SEE the curved outline of his mort
ac4 sulc standing out above the sur
; as ne struggled desperately to
T-"'h MS feet. At last he managed r.
hail '- ,t.;!; ana came suffering for the
r ai,,H win such a mixture of godlv eiac-
"ulS ana OF profane oaths that. pyon
apob 1t error, we could not keep from
b "a RiSing from under his feet
800 @g co3yey of wild fowl, we scurricd off
~sboT ne heldS and so back to the
:3 oH where as YOU may imagine. we
l4d occurred. 70 'i''''ei u Will
!, he he matter was too serious. however.
Ne hushed up. The sudden chill set
9o1e manner of disturbance in the
oo. ae o. sack which the vicar had lust
an 5.t ui1HkIng with the town clerk. and
In b; ~ IN OF govt set in which laid him
IN H p3cK Tor fortnight Meanwhile
ia, summation d ! of the bridge had shown
eg'rr u mad been sawn across. and on in
-! traced the matter to Mr.. Chilling
Mi boarders. To save a wholesale eX-
SON r@s OF the school from the town. |
ba,b 4tSpIctu TO acknowledge myself as
jaeJ 'i5 =, INVENTOR and perpetrator of the
rsgec. = hl!Ilngfoot was entirely in the
rsoT VI the vicar, so he was forced to
h. bo luz Il long homily in public-which
h, ga4dhced by an affectionate leave-tak-
Fan a" PrlYate-and to expel me solemnly
Tau 1 lhe school. | never saw my old
ss tsgF again. for he died not many years
l,r arcs, but | hear that his second
rls Nlinam, is still carrying on the bust
4gs when Is larger and more prosper
O1,} IAN OF old. His eldest son turned
han. ana went out to PENIS settle
.air Where he is reported to have been
~ oy the Savages.
Us adventure shocked nv dear
eyss q but it found great favor in the
ma my father. who laughed until the
49, village resounded with his stem
4 ,s,I s.erriment. 1t reminded him. he
Ma. q similar Stratagem executed at
H. r., bTayton by that Godfearing sol
5raa ~, Pride, whereby a captain and
ne,, troopers of Lunsfords own regi-
AN VI horse had been drowned. and
ia ,,1 o1herS precipitated into a river. to
10 IN IN glory of the true church ard to
/ Eyao aes>lactlon of the chosen people.
,e.Ir ~ y, the church folk many were Sc
vs-to1s4ad at the misfortune which mad
rd 'ftHath the vicar, for his pTetensiOns
sons pride had made him hated
p .. the district.
,7,55 III. Ll time had grown into a sturdy
55c5 s.ioaidered lad. and every month
Wber ~ my strength and my stature.
4 vbes.. l was 16, / could carry a bag Of
b ~ " a cask of beer against any man
a III E4tlggq .-,-rI Il