The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-01-15
; Willie and the
; VIhQ]16rljpSo
By w. F. BRYAN.

nation.
.Whumps," replied Tim Mason, "are
beings Hike men. but they are all clock
work inside
THAT winds up?' interrupted VIII
lie. winds up with n key?"
with big key" assented Mason
with inspiration. They steal little boys
and make the little boys wind them up
every half hour day and night. When
the little boys are SO tired that they
can't wind any more they eat them and
then steal some more little boys"
Clocks don't eat" sceffed the infant
scientist.
You have to oil them. don't your"
defended Tim. That's it," he went on
rs Willie nodded assent "They only
eat very fat little boys
Willie glanced at his own plump
person and then looked up in alarm.
Can they run fast-faster'n meg" he
demanded.
''llow fast can you rum demanded
Tim, with n glance at the oval path
around the lawn. Accepting the hint,
Willie traversed the oval as rapidly Us
his pudgy feet could carry him.
"They can run three times rs fast as
that" declared Tim. Come TO think
IL over, some of the whumps can run
three and half times faster"
'Then l wont run away into the
woods again." promised Willie, and he
trotted solemnly around the corner of
the house to play In the sand heap In
the back yard.
Bess Farley dimpled dcliciously as he
disappeared.
at was all | could do to keep my
face straight" she said, with laugh.
II don't think we will lose Willie again
as long us we stay In camp. 1t was an
Inspiration. Tim. but what would the
president say?"
"Pd go to Join the nature fakirs,"
was the laughing reply; "but, at any
rate, shall not have to waste after
Moons hunting for Willie that might
be far more pleasantly spent on the
porch with his sister. Getting lost In
the woods eight times In two weeks
betokens that the wanderlust Is be-
coming habit with the youthful vii
Man,
"a habit to be checked only by the
whumps," assented Bess Lets walk
as far MS the spring and see IL we can
see any of the curious beasts | sup
pose need fear no dangcrf'
She glanced complacently at her
slender outlines, and Mason smiled.
"You wouldn't grease one pinion of
one wheel of whump," he said. $50
let us pursue the whumps to their
lair"
Together they left the camp and
pushed into the woods-those woods
which SO irrcsIstibIy attracted Bess
Farlcy's small brother It was VIII
Hes first season In camp, and his v0y-
age Of exploration invariably resulted
in lost bearings and Il rescue party.
Confident that the fabulous whumps
would keep the youngsters Mt home.
Tim and Bess made their way to the
spring with no thought OF Willie. But
his sand toys soon pnled upon the
boy, and his active mind sought fresh
employment He wandered over to
the edge of the inviting woods and
gazed lovingly into the cool green pas
lures
In the trees the squirrels chatted, and
he could hear the frogs eroaking
solemuly In The marsh Just beyond the
road. Perhaps IL he was very cautious
he might evade the dreaded whumps
He was such little fellow, he might
be able to hide IL they CHANGED his
way.
There was n lovely big green bull
frog In the marsh. Perhaps even now
he was sitting on turf of grass fairly
begging n small boy TO throw stones
at him. With the delightful feeling Of
adventure Willie cast discretion to the
wind and slipped into the shady
spaces.
But no big frog was amlably waiting
to become Il target Willie could hear
them croaking, but not even baby
frog offered itself to his aim, and the
boy wandered ON. He found Il new
charm In the woods, since at any mo-
ment he might be called upon to flee
from n whump, and he pressed on
ward.
Suddenly his heart stood still for one
awful instant From the bushes Just
beyond came Il sound of voices sudden
ly raised in hue and cry. Willie lodged
behind the bush, scarcely daring to
breathe lest his respirations bring
about his discovery, but the sounds
died away In the distance. and, grow
ing bolder, Willie crept forward and
beheld the lair of the whumps.
1t was rather inviting spot, not at
all what one would expect in the clock
work beasts. Three white tents We're
pitched in little glade opening to the
lake. On the shore were boats and ca
noes, while about the tents were easy
chairs Of rustic manufacture.
The only fearful object was kettle
swinging from n tripod over the fire.
This probably contained the last victim
Of the whumps' canabalistic tendencies,
and Willie sbuddered as he thought
how narrowly he had escaped SINH
lar fate. lie was still congratulating
himself upon his safety when without
warning some of the whumps burst in
to the open, and Wlllie's blood chilled
rs he saw that they bore as captives
Bess and Tim. The latter were brave.
They were both laughing and Joking
and trying to pretend that they did net
care, but that was all make believe,
Willie knew.
One of the whumps forced Bess into
a chair and another forced upon her a
reddish drink that they drew from a
polite submerged In the spring That
must be poison that they gave their
victims to render them unconscious.
One dreadful little moment Willie hesi-
tated, then he burst into the open.
"Please Mr.. Whump" he called, pre-
cipitating himself upon the man who
was trying to make his sister drink.
please don't kill Bess! Let her go and
take me. I'll wind you up. Honest |
will. You don't want her She Is such
skinny thing"
A roar of laughter greeted his ap-
H.. U.I