Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-14
A Tubing Adventure.

| when I was a boy, said Uncle John, as
| he sat on the porch and watched the sun
| go down behind the hill, II managed to
have pretty good time up here on the
| farm. How do you find 1t, boys?''
We do, too said Ted. Il guess there
aren't many things that we haven't tried
are there. Jack?"
We've been here only a week" replied
Jack and we know every corner OF the
farm, and we've tried every way of excite
ment' We have great fun sliding down
the ice-house roof and bringing the cows
~ and riding the horses down in the field.
Uncle John?"
why, of course" said their uncle. .I
was born and brought up here and If my
business wasn't in Japan I'd be here every
summer OF my life. I'd like to be a hoy
again with you and show you all the pranks
used to play. Wouldn't you enjoy rolling
down nil in the cask as we used to do?"
ana Uncle John laughed heartily as he
T thought OF It.
ana 50. after lighting his pipe, he com
menced:
I'VE boys had very inventive minds and
We're up TO all sorts of capers. so it is no
wonder that after reading in the fairy tale
OF the old woman who was rolled down
the hill IN a cask we decided to see what
her sensations We're like, So we got a
large and strong caSk which belonged to
grandfather, taking care to pull all the
nails out. however. and fixed it to start on
its travels. We lined 1t with old grain
sacks to make it more comfortable. and
then three OF US boys piled in and the
fourth sent the barrel rolling down the
hill 1t was the strangest sensation L ever
felt, and after practicing for a while we
grew quite fond Of the sport although ii
was quite dangerous one, and called 1t
tubing. The only drawback was in get
ting the old tub up hill again, but after
awhile we remedied that by rigging up
a uf aRI lant
1T must have been finer cried Ted and
Jack together. and just then Tom Winters,
the boy who lived on the next farm, came
up and the subject was forgotten
The next day, when the boys were rum
maglng underneath the old corn crib look
ing for some mischief to get into, they
came upon queer old barrel, which
brought Uncle Johns story back to their
minds.
Il guess this is the tub Uncle John was
telling us about" said Ted Isn't 1t a
queer old machine. l say boys"-to Jack
and Tom Winters-"let's try It! Uncle said
he used to think it great sport"
So the old cask was rolled out and
brushed quite clean and then hoisted on
the wheelbarrow and wheeled to the top
of Sunset Hill The hill was rather steep,
which was all the better for the purpose.
the boys thought. but 1t was a question in
which direction 1t should be started. The
woods commenced at the foot of the hill
| to the west, SO north was the only feasible
direction to take, although it did seem
rather rocky and steep. Only two of the
boys could go at once; the third had to
be left behind to start the tub rolling.
Tom Winters took a look at the side hill
before him. and then kindly volunteered
to do this while Jack and Ted took the
first ride. So they crawled IN.
When all was ready Tom Winters showed
the barrel. and off 1t went gaily skipping
down the side of the hill. At the very first
turn Ted and Jack knocked heads violent
ly: unfortunately they had forgotten that
when Uncle John went down there were
three inside. which made 1t comfortable
fit. At the second turn they We're thrown
against the side of the barrel and before
they had turned a half dozen times they
were sorry they hadn't taken Uncle Johns
word for 1t and not tried II themselves;
Over and over they went. bruised and
beaten, about until they were almost insen-
sibie. and there was no way OF stopping
their steed until the foot OF the incline
should be reached.
Had they been capable of hearing they
would have heard a great shout from Tom
Winters and have wondered what IL meant
When the barrel was half way down IL
struck large stone which, instead or stop
ping It, turned its course to the west, and
| Tom was Mortified to see 1T steering for
| the pond. The water wasn't very deep,
but even in shallow water two boys cooped
| In barrel stood very little chance Of saw
| ing themselves. It was then that Tom
shouted, and taking to his heels followed
the fast descending tub as quick ., as he
reach the pond before the barrel. The
boys inside were unconscious OF their dan
ger, but they were not unconscious OF the
many somersaults they had turned nor OF
| the many bruises they were receiving.
| With q crash and bang the old tub
came in contact with another large stone,
in frasments and the boys. followed by
some OF the slaves, were thrown into the
pond by the impetus which they had gain
ed. Fortunately Toms call had been heard
| by Uncle John. and he was on the spot
In a rnaryelouSly short space of time, con-