The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1906-04-27

| officer"
Boys. said q cab driver, who looked
like good natured man, "you want t.
dust right along with that ladder. I've
\ been a boy myself, and l don't blame
you for having little fun. but dom,
carry it too far"
The boys moved on and did very
well for the next two blocks. Then
they came to where one of the horses
hitched to brewery wagon had balk.
ed and refused to go farther. There
was crowd around, and as the boys
wanted to get as near as possible, they
kept pushing on until the ladder was
grazing ribs, arms and legs and half a
dozen voices were shouting:
who called out the fire department.
and what's this old ladder doing hereY %
Humpy was ahead and acting as cap
tain. and man with a red nose caught
him by the arm and twisted him
round and yelled:
Don't yon know anything. you
young cub? What are you jamming
your way in here for?'
I'm taking ladder home" was
the reply.
"Then take it home In a baIlooni
Why. boy, if that ladder had poked me
In the side I'd have twisted your neck
on in minute. Here, you men. take
hold of this ladderr'
Half dozen men seized 1t and help
ed to heave it on TO the sidewalk. and
by the time Humpy and his friends
had found it three or four rungs had
been broken. They picked 1t I'D ane
started off. and by twisting and dodg-
Ing they got around the nearest COR
ner and down one block There they
stopped to rest and talk things over,
but at the end of five minutes along
came boy riding In homemade cart
with goat in the harness. OF course,
the seven boys rose up to look at him
and wish they We're In his place. or
course. he saw them and cracked his
whip and shouted "Gee-upm at his
goat to show off.
1t was just then that a large dog
came bounding across the street at the
and threw him down, and there was
confusion at once. The yells and
screams brought crowd, and while
two or three men were pulling the dog
of and two or three others helping the
boy out from the tangle of his cart q
moving van came down the street 1t
was being driven by deaf man. but
he had good eyesight, and when he saw
the crowd he steered his big wagon
close to the curbstone to find out all
about 1t. Two wheels passed over the
ladder and smashed out every rung,
and the man jumped down and shouted
out.
where Is the man who left that |
ladder there for my horses to stumble |
over and be famed for life?.
1T was crowd of boys, and here Is |
one of them," replied the boy who had |
been driving the goat
''0h. it was you, was itY' Kissed the
man. very well. When get through
using this whip on you you won't leave
no more ladders on the street."
Don't you touch that boy" said a
chunky man. He has right to carry
/ ladder along the street If he wants
o."
"And who are your
Never mind who I am, but don't
7ou touch that boy"
A minute later there was a fight In
which the whole crowd seemed to be
mixed up, and during the excitement
he seven boys got away. When they
cached Humpy's house they stopped
It the gate. and he was asked what he
vas going to tell his mother.
I've got to tell her the truth, of
he replied. and when he went
n and was asked IL he had brought
he ladder he promptly replied:
No. mother, dear. ! got to thinking
hat father might fall and kill himself |.
{ got the ladder. and SO thought
est not to get 1t It would be awful
n you to be widow. and what would
ecome of me IL l lost the best father
d the world?"
And then Humpy got what was COM
1g to him. M. QUAD.