The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-07-04

be rung, and that he had promised thrash
ing to any one who should ring it.
Following instructions, jim forced 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
hundred bells ringing anything but merry
tunes.
He was a brave lad, though, and said not
q 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
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-
er, later, when, upon the green, he read
the Declaration, or the congressman ora
tor who followed hinS in a very patriotic
speech, no one would have thought so from
his manner, for his applause was as hearty
and his hooplas as vociferous as anybody's
There was procession of "ragamufhns"
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
a 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 Nwere of wood, and
strong wind prevailing, there was 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 foreibly
expelled that morning.
The head was removed from keg OF the
explosive, and the same was placed beneath
the doomed edihce.
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 filled with
flying sparks, and it seemed little short
of a miracle that some one of them did not
reach the exposed powder as he bore it
along.
Jim was at loss to understand why he
should have been made hero of, or that the
next day the grateful people should have
presented him with a brand-new suit OF
clothes and nice little purse of money. To
him his daring act was but an incident in
the many OF the day, which he decided in
his own mind to be the greatest and most
glorious in his uneventful life.