Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-07-02

couple of miles, and started to fish
but the wind came up strong and WI
decided to go back to the Club house
We had small sail in our boat and
suggested that we raise ii and sail
that 1t would be much easier than row
Ing. We got the sail up all right and
moved off a little ways very good Aft
er we had gone about half mile, We
mad to change our course to swing oyei
to the Club house Just as we did, the
sail whirled around and the pole on
the bottom of it hit me crack on thu
back of the head that raised luG1l
as big as an egg. I'laid fiat down id
the bottom of the boat and we fnally"
reached shore. This was the second
day. The next day decided to go il
on my own hook - to live alone as il
were for one day. I told the boys !
wouldn't go rowing, fishing shooting I
or anything else. They said l was q
dead one and ought not mind a few LTD
tie bumps, that everybody got them
who won't camping, so they went thel
way and l stayed on the Club house
porch till they got out of sight
Then l didn't stop to pack up \
not on your life. I hobbled to the first
house on the road to the station and
made a deal with lantern awed boy
to haul me to the depot. His price for
this service was Spin advance.
81 waited while he hitched up, and
after long while he appeared on the
scene with horse that bumped itss
back like dromedary and an old road
cart with seat about a foot and a
half wide. asked him if l was sup,
posed to hang on with one hand and
run along behind or sit in his lap He
said:
"'Git in; there's room fur two
81 climbed up and perched on the
little iron rod on the side of the seat
and we started.
II never had such ride in my life,
He struck every mud hole and every
rock between our starting point and
the town, and just as we got about
half a block from the station, the old
| peter gave snort and kick and
started down the home stretch like a,
cavalry charge. The kid slipped oul
on his feet unframed and the old
horse made hop. step and jump
across two tracks, then the cart struck
a long tie and the bump whirled me
out so hard that l broke two boardaiI
the platform when-I lit
81 sat up and rubbed my shin and
gritted my teeth and was wondering
how many people. would have to kill
to get in good humor when a voice
behind me said:
"Did We hurt yerself?' r.
81 looked around and there stood
| that brute of a boy. I grabbed a club
and started after him. On the secon%
| lap around the, depot I was almQ1l
close enough to cave in his skull an
was just raising the club to brain hi
when a woman who was in the waitf#
room saw him go by the door ab&
stepped out to see what the fuss WASH
| tried to dodge between her and the
building and got tangled in chain
| that had one end fastened to her and
| the other to. a handy legged bull terri
err The way me and the woman and
the dog mixed it up for a minute was a
sight. There wasn't anything to it but
blur. We were all down for the
count two or three times. AS soon astE
could break loose I rolled over and
over and got far enough away to gen
up. When I got the dust out of my
we'll eye, l could see that wretch of a
boy standing across the track grinning
at me- But had had enough. madeI
rush for the train and before 1t
stopped I was on and told the con-
ductor to hurry and get out of town.
He thought l was a train robber and
came very near shooting me before
could convince him that was harm
less. Finally, we got under headway
and here / am.
mo more vacations for mel pre-
fer the hard and laborious TOLL
G. p. G. 5