The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1907-07-02
Subscribe For The Pioneer.


mast Her casll piellestt of guns was q
meager half dozen three on y side.
The two big iilecrackers We're placed
In position ut the Chesapeake's bow
md stern, and the commodore, joyfully
EstIiking a match, stopped down to fire
his guns.
Whack!. sPhrastus shot out into the
pond, turning a somefsault and. scat
Jering matches. as he went. His line
lofsmotion was directly across the Ches
! apeake. Both her. slender masts snap
| ped, and the stately vessel careenea
| till her whole armament slid off into
| the water.
Phrastus' first thought as he emery
| etlgputiing and Rsputtering was that the
| heat had exploded the firecrackers all
once. But when he got the. water
| out of his eyes. he saw that the British
had received unexpected re-enforce-
nents.
KING George XII, arriving unexpect-
ed from the rear, had disposed Of the
American commodore and now turned
| his attention to the stars and stripes,
| which he .ialnIaed into the bank with
| repeated blows of his woody head, Ehe
patriotic blood Of 'Phrastus boiled.
Git out of that, you old British ram.
Lee my flag alone! I'll hit You with a
rock, While
He dug vainly about with his fingers
!, IN he muddy bed OF the pond. but found
/ nothing larger than a small pebble.
| Meantime King Georges pointed feet
~,
i the soil. Rhrastus lifted up his voice in
| reproach and lanlentation
! You're the nleanest; .lleanest old sheep
that eyer sVasl we did beatayou, we~d!d,
1--we dial Oh my boom + rrcrackers
--Iloe--he's a-sp.ilin'e every last one! I
/ oaleor-out!"
| The howl drew King Georges attention
Ito the pond He stood moment with
/ lowered horns and then plunged threatens,
iisglg forward drawing back, however, as
/ his feet touched the water.
/ NJ he forward movement 'Phrastus
/ turned and ran lie reached the shore as
/ King George came galloping around the
L curve Fl 3s 49,
| Up the nearest tree scrambled the small
I American. 1t was not-a very large one
/ and received nabIow from King Georges
! head that almost shook the climber loose
before he reached place of safety in
| tho crotch
For some irne-'Phrastus afterwa1d
/ said, 1.-THE htilfmornir,,'' but he was In
I no condition to tdge-King George butted
| the tree. bringing down upon himself
| fresh explosions OF fearful wrath and all
Isthe breakah lt%$ branches 'Phrastus could
| reacll.- Afterward he 1ibbled about in the
i vicinity cunning at intervals to renew
i the assault and never going far enough
| away. to permit the escape CT his prisoner.
Aunt Scillai S dinner was late, for Uncle
illaen went to the parade, but it was an ex-
/ ceptionally good one, and there was a
| puffy little turnover at 'Phrastus, place
/ Aunt 'Scilla rang the little bell, and I'm
! Gle Ben rang the big bell without bring
ing SMALL nalil1aR,- forward to- cat it,
I, After all I've said. declared Aunt
i Priscilla, her lips growing o1ninously thin
7 and tight, that boys been and gone to
/ the psradels,
- 'Tain,t agin nature if he has said
I lJllela5E Sen When you stretch string too
hight, it IL sgiap - sE!s ss IS # 'ssE5
Something a snap" said Aunt 'Scilla.
| Her eyes did. i've got to train UP that
/ boy IN the way he should go, and mean
| to do it. Don't you dast say a word,
1 Benjamin. .AarbucEsle! If he don't learn to
! go straight now, he'll go crooked all his
i life -
After dinner she cut two long lilac
1 sprouts and trimmed them with ostenta-
j tioNs care, While she was washing dishes
! in the Kitchen Uncle Ben slyly cut tiny
i slashes along the whole length of each
1 switch #
/ It was thesnliddle of the afternoon when
| a boy with . dirty, tear marked face and
/ mud stained clothes shuff1ed into the
! house. Under his arm he carried dis
1 nlisted toy schooner and di1apidated
five cent American flag.
4 So Theephrastus5 WILSON, = greeted Aunt
i 'seiila., .'you'ya: been to the p'rade after:
all. Very well sir. you're goin' to re-
/ neIiiber this Fourth of July as long as
/ you live Come straight here,
! IS she fouiished one Of the switches. and
i it fell to pieces in her astonished hands. t
Guess SHELL member it," wlined
Phrastus. II hain't been to the p'rade, /
hain't! I stuck up in tree this hull
i eyerlastiii" Fourth, with Turner'S old ram;
i a. buttin' at At tryin to shake me down
! Id had to stayed there all night, too,
+ likely,-if Mfr. Turner's Pete hadn't come
4 along. You jest asst him. 2
j When Harvey Harris heard of 1t, he
! could not resist saying, ESQ the British
sisbeat, Ell, 'Fnrastus ~
Just that of,cel'' said 'Phrastus.
= - 45- ? -