Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1902-07-04

be rung, and that he had promised thrash
ing to any one who should ring it.
Following instructions, Jim forced a side
door, and was pulling the bell rope mer-
rily, and the loud peals sounded out above
those of the other bells, when he was
seized by. the irate guardian of the church,
who cuffed his ears until he heard half a
hundred bells ringing anything but merry
tunes.
He was brave lad, though, and said not
a word of his punishment as he joined the
other boys and followed them about the
dark streets, the silence of which they broke
repeatedly by explosions from the old-fash-
toned horse pistols which they carried, and
his Joy was nearly complete when one of
his companions permitted him to shoot one,
after it had received six or seven charges of
powder. That the pistol at its discharge
| flew backward, narrowly missing the head
of a playmate, and left his fingers in a
sadly benumbed condition for hours after
ward, was reckoned by him as one of the to-
be-expected events of the day, and his laugh
over the mishap was as hearty as that of
any of his fellows.
| If he did not understand the school-teach-
err, later, when, upon the green, he read
! the Declaration, or the congressman ora
| tor who followed him in a very patriotic
| speech, no one would have thought so from
| his manner, for his applause was as hearty,
| and his hooplas as vocferous as anybody's.
There was a procession of "ragamuffins"
| in the afternoon, and the tireless feet of
| Jim tramped close behind them all along
| the long march. The merry fellows were
mounted, and when the horses galloped,
| Jim ran. They could not get beyond his
| close line of vision.
| His Joy was complete, when, later on in
| the afternoon, the boys designated him as
| committee of one to gather up all of the
stray barrels and boxes of the village for
| the evenings bonfire on the village green.
He had no money to invest in fire-crackers
or other fireworks, but he was privileged to
see the display, and it was his proud dis
| tinction to start the fire in the evening
and keep it supplied with fuel.
With glad and bright eyes he watched
| the sizzling and popping of the crackers, the
| loud kissing and bursting of the rockets, and
| chased wildly about after the devil
| dancers"
Nothing marred his keen joy. His laugh
ter was loudest when boys placed lighted
crackers in his pockets, or exploded giant
| crackers between his legs.
| Merriment was at its height, when cries
| of fire were heard. There was but one fire
| engine in the village, and this was pumped
| by hand. There were no waterworks, and
| dependence had to be had upon the wells.
| All of the houses were of wood, and a
| strong wind prevailing, there imminent
| danger that the entire village would be
/ consumed. 1t was decided that in order to
| stay the progress of the flames it would be
necessary to blow up with gunpowder the
| church, from which Jim had been forcibly
| expelled that morning.
| The head was removed from a key of the
explosive, and the same was placed beneath
the doomed edifce-
But little later the wind shifted, and it
| was no longer thought necessary to destroy
the church. There, however, was the pow
| der, likely to explode at any moment from
| flying sparks, of which the air was full. Vol
unteers were eagerly called for to remove
| the menacing powder, but there was no re
| Spouse.
Presently the matter was brought to the
attention of Jim, who, without moments
| hesitation, rushed into the condemned
building, seized the filed keg and ran with it
| to nearby well, into which he cast it, and
| the danger was passed. In the short jour.
| ney he made the air was literally filed with
| flying sparks, and it seemed little shcx,
| of miracle that some one of them did nc.
| reach the exposed powder as he bore Il
| along.
Jim was at a loss to understand why hs
| should have been made hero Of, or thatthe
next day the grateful people should have
presented him with brand-new suit oil
clothes and nice little purse of money Tt
him his daring act was but "a incident in
| che many OF the day, which he decided in
his own mind to be the greatest and mosi
glorious in his uneyentful life.