The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1908-10-17
CAPTAIN JIMMY.

And laugh and sparkle in the sun.
CAPTAIN JIMMY.
During the vacation days several
of the boys of Linville, small coun-
try village, decided upon spending a
week or ten days on the banks of a
beautiful river a mile distant from
their homes. The place chosen for
their outing was within short walk
of big -four mill and was on a rocky
cliff overhanging the banks of the
river. Piercing this cliff were numer-
Gus cavelike tunnels, scarce large
enough to admit of small ground
animal. But the boys who had come
there to "camp out" imagined that
within the cliff at a certain distance
from the small entrances they might
find a large cave or inner cavern
where might be found relics of past
age.
II tell you, kids" declared Hank
Jones, leader of the band, "that we'll
find something worth our while if
we'll dig into this cliff. All we've
got to do is to enlarge one of these
tunnels and then we can walk right
into cave that may outdo the Nam
moth Cave of somewhere don't
just know the place"
Pennsylvania, amt it?" asked
Bert Jackson, meaning the noted cave
in question.
"Ho, no, he" laughed Andy Thomas
at Bert's expense. Pennsylvania !?
Well guess not. The Mammoth
Cave is in old Kantuck, or so the
geography says. You'd better find
out something about caves before you
talk about them"
"Well, don't know as it's of any
importance-the Mammoth Cave"
said Hank Jones. "The question
just now before the public Is Shall
we organize cave diggers' union
and go to work at once?'"
"Yep," cried half a dozen voices,
and not one said mo
mill and borrow some digging imple-
ments," said Hank. cts too far to
go home for 'em. I know old Mr..
Perkins, the miller, and he'll lend us
some spades and picks. He trades at
my fathers store, and he'll remem-
ber me all right, all right"
So it was agreed that Hank and
Bert should go to the mill-just
around the bend in the river-and
ask to borrow some digging imple-
ments with which to gain an entrance
to the imagined cave. But upon
reaching the mill the boys were told
by the head miller that Mr.. Perkins
had gone to town, and that he would
not take the liberty of lending any,
thing from the machine shop of the
mill. Filled with disappointment
Hank and Bert started to return to
their camp ground when they saw a
little chap busy about the mill. He
was what is commonly called "small
hand" and was performing small
chores. At the moment that Hank
and Bert beheld him he was cleaning
dried dirt from a large spade, while
nearby lay another implement wait
ing for cleaning.
"Say, they're the very things we
want" declared Hank, pointing to
the spades. "But I'll bet we'll have
time getting them from that kid.
He's old Perkins favorite 'rousty,
and Is an orphan that he got from
somewhere forgot where. But,
say, let's ask him for the spades any
way. He can't do anything but re.
fuse"
So saying, Hank approached the
boy-whose name was Jimmy Malone
and said: "Say, Jim, don't you
know mel I'm Mr.. Jones' kid. Pa
has the grocery store up town-the
one by the postofice, you know"
| "Oh, yes" said Jimmy, putting
down the spade to chat with the boys.
eyes, know your pa. / often &c
there on errands for Mrs. Perkins.
"Well, us kids-a lot of us-are
down here on the river camping, "
explained Hank. "And we've de-
cided to do some cave digging, if we
can get the implements to dig with
Now, we want to borrow those spades
YOU have there. If Mr.. Perking wa:
here he'd let us take 'em right off. y
Jimmy looked undecided. 81 dom
know about that" he said, beginning
to clean the spade. "Mr. Perkins i:
awful particular about his machinery
and tools. He gives orders that moth
in in the tool shop be loaned"
"Oh, he'd not refuse me, kid, de
clared Hank, determined now upor
getting possession of the desire
spades. "Come, let me take them
I'll give you my word that they'll
both be returned to you early thi.
evening""
''But mustn't let anything go ou
of the mill while Mr.. Perkins Is away,
insisted Jimmy. And thereupon b,
took the spades and put them in th'
implement shop which was attached
to the mill.
Hank and Bert turned away bu
as they did so Hank called out t.
Jimmy, "We'll get even with yo1
yet, kid, for your smartness. s.
long ''
That's all right, laughed Jimmy
Then, whistling merrily, he wen
about his work.
A few days later Mr.. Perkins sen