Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1902-05-12
Black
Rock:
By RALPH Common
q 49, q q $50 y p q @@
. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

he could depend for help. These he or.
ganized into n vigilance committee
charged with the duty of preventing
miners and lumbermen from getting
away to Slavin's.
1.-THE critical moments will be imme
diately before and after dinner ana
then again after the show is over" he
explained. THE first two crises must
be left to the care of Punch and Judy
and, as for the last, l am not yet sure
what shall be done" But l saw he hao
something in his head, for he added, 81
shall see Mrs. Mavor."
'WhO is Mrs. Mavor?" l asked.
But he made no reply. He was a
born fighter, and he put the fighting
spirit into us all. We were bound to
win.
The sports were to begin at 2 o'clock
BY lunchtime everything was in readi
ness. After lunch | was having a quiet
smoke in Craig's shack when in he
rushed, saying:
"The battle will be lost before it is
fought. If we lose Quatre Bras, we
shall never get to Waterloo"
"Whats up"
"Slavin, just now. The miners are
coming in, and he will have them in
tow in half an hour"
He looked at me appealingly. knew
what he wanted.
Gall right. l suppose 1 must, but ii
is an awful bore that a man can't have
a quiet smoke"
you're not half q bad fellow" he
replied, smiling. 81 shall get the la
dies to furnish coffee inside the booth.
You furnish them intellectual nourish-
ment in front with dear old Punch and
Judy"
He sent a boy with bell round the
village, announcing, punch and Judy
in front of the Christmas booth be-
side the church." and for three-quar-
tiers of an hour shrieked and sweated
in that awful little pen. But it was
almost worth it to hear the shouts Of
approval and laughter that greeted my
performance. 1t was cold work stand
ing about, so that the crowd was quite
ready to respond when Punch, after
being duly hanged, came forward and
invited all into the booth for the hot
coffee which Judy had ordered.
On they trooped, and Quatre Bras
was won.
No sooner were the miners safely en-
''"ged with their coffee than l heard a
-reat noise of bells and of men shout
ing, and on reaching the street | saw
that the men from the lumber camp
were coming in. Two immense sleighs,
decorated with ribbons and spruce
boughs, each drawn by a four horse
team gayly adorned, filled with some
fifty men, singing and shouting with
oil their nAght, were coming down the
hill road at full gallop. Round the cor
ner they swung, dashed at full speed
across the bridge and down the street
and pulled up after they had made the
circuit of block, to the great admira-
ton of the onlookers. Among others
Slavin sauntered up good naturally
making himself agreeable to Sandy
and those who were helping to unhitch
his team.
"Oh, you need not take trouble with
me or my team, Mike Slavin. Batch
ees and me and the boys can look after
them fine" said Sandy coolly.
This rejecting of hospitality was per
fectly understood by Slavin and by all
"Dats too bad, hehY' said Baptistt
wickedly. "And, Sandy, he's got goot
money on his pocket for sure too"
The boys laughed, and Slavin, join
Ing in, turned away with Keefe an(
Blaney, but by the look in his eye
knew he was playing Br'er Rabbit ant
lying low.
Mr.. Craig just then came up.
"Hello, boys! Too late for Puncl
and Judy, but just in time for hot cot
fec and doughnuts."
"Bon! OATS fuss rate" said Bap
tiste heartily. "Where you keep him ?
"Up in the tent next the churc
there. The miners are all in"
"Ah! OATS so? OATS bad news 70
the shanty men, heb, Sandy?" said tn
little Frenchman dolefully.
"There were clothesbasket full O
doughnuts and a boiler of coffee LEI
as l passed just now" said Craig Ell
couragingly.
"Allons, mes garcons. vitel Neve
say keelp cried Baptiste excited.
stripping off the harness.
But Sandy would not leave the horse
till they were carefully rubbed dow
blanketed and fed, for he was entere
for the four horse race, and it behoo'
ed him to do his best to win. Beside
he scorned to hurry himself for an
thing so unimportant as eating. Tn;
he considered hardly worthy even I
Baptiste. Mr.. Craig managed to g
a word with him before he went Of
and saw Sandy solemnly and Ell
phatically shake his head, saying: "a
We'll beat him this day!' And l gat
cred that he was added to the vigilan
committee.
Old man Nelson was busy with b
own team. He turned slowly at N
Craig's greeting. 'How is it, Nelson
And it was with very grave voice
answered.: