The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-22
A Misplaced Fourth.
BY James Barnes.
Copyright, 1906, b Harper q Brothers.

Copyright 1905 b Harper Brothers. I
r~1m male population Of Middleton, Ohio, in the
FIJI early summer of 1856 appeared to consist
- altogether of old and boys. True, few
NH@ young men, most Of them dressed in blue coats
with brass buttons, were to be seen on the
Streets but nearly an of them carried their in
sn and one tall lad Of h aon had
with an empty trousers leg pinned up at the knee
astride top rail of zigzag fence that along
hillside at the edge of thcket of underbrush long
Kentucky rife lay nearby log One of the boys
held in his hand glass bottle stopped with bit Of rag
Another leather belt with us. on the brass
plate upside down. The third boy digging at the
rail with dull jackknife.
boy'' said the youngster with the belt "but they
sn"nd t tfs h on .dS Of my a
the boy with the bottle "she tod, Gfandad that two
''Father d let me 60 if he want with Sherman
said Skinny, land brother Bill said I drummed good
tfMy father wants to stay home and look after
ma, the second boy sighed. There had been no news
ive pot letter from Alfred, written jes before he
was taken prisoner guess said the third boy closing
the picture Of an American flag on it.
'7eo and read it to said the oldest boy, w1ig
Cling himself up closer And Hosmer Curtis began, fol-
lowing the words with his thumb: r. ... >.- -
a. sEss ss fa xs s g
tha benz senR . e sa1s lad n s
asss So5s f.
am st sas sc
sc. S@ ~ s&s
W we 1 Win 70 Ses est TO-
feet a%
wrote ssf NO fec erG 4 sson :. ,.re Alfred s7n
2s esaBBS S? vi" have no fireworks tho perhaps We shall
IT dom I'd like to be so1die7," said the
the gunpowder botte-he Also the proud
possessor Of the long rife " 'Tisn't so much fun,
guess. Think 50, Skinny9'
ttYoure 'frad-cat,'' returned the boy with the
belt 'tThat's what you are Will Tevis. - -
The other flushed but said nothing he was by far
the smallest of the three
Chow do you know Alfred was capturedf" said the
thin one, after silence of minute
'sHe was on the missing ist-that's all know, -
said Hosmer, putting the letter back into his pocket
ut viii be the Fourth Of July in two days, re-
marked Skinny, as If to change the subject ''But I
shain' It heard any talk about any celebration
'sLets have all to ourselves suggested 4osmer
"What withe'' asked the smallest boy. II guess
this is all the gunpowder there is town. held up
the bottle. g Tain't moren three charges anyhow he
added: i
look at, said the thin warrior, who jumped suddenly
down from the fence oh and say, you know the two
'tThey're locked up in the enginehouse,'' rejoined
Master Tevis. :
''Whats the matter with anvilf It makes a lot
Of noise suggested Hosmer. s'Where do you get the
: tzsRinny,'; whose real name was Ambrose F. Skin
ner, Jr. assumed a very mysterious air.
s'Now listen, and TN tell you,'' he said "You re-
member when they had that smashup the railroad last
week, don't you2' az.
stYou mean the train going south to the armyf'
asked Hosner. -
tYep that's it. Happened last Thursday, Responded
Ambrose, growing excited. "Wen they two banged
up back the siding above the river bridge
left em. guess they forgot, p'raps But the worst
busted is loaded with powder the barrels;
Of them had big hole in it. I say, come along; III
show you. Tain t far <&...
"Come on; let s'' was the united answer. The tw
listeners jumped the ground and Master Tevis pcke
up rifle Then the three struck off the hill
walked along path thru the thicket Of scrub