The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1908-01-07
!, Willie and the
VIhvnn[ps.
By W. F. BRYAN
, Copyright. 1907, by M. NJ Cunningham

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" scoffed the infant
scientist
"You have to oil them, don't your
defended Tim. "That's it" he went on
as 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 me" he
demanded.
"How fast can you runY' demanded
Tim, with a glance at the oval path
around the lawn Accepting the hint,
Willie traversed the oval as rapidly as
his pudgy feet could carry him.
''They can run three times as fast as
that" declared Tim. Come to think
it over, some of the whumps can run
three and half times faster"
'"Then | won't run away into the
woods again. promised Willie. and he
trotted soiemnly around the corner of
the house to play in the sand heap in
the back yard.
Bess Farley dimpled deliciously as he
disappeared.
at was all ] could do to keep my
face straight" she said, with laugh
81 don't think we will lose Willie again
as long as we stay in camp. 1t was an
Inspiration. Tim. but what would the
president sayT
I'D go to join the nature fakirs,"
was the laughing reply; "but, at any
rate, l 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 Will
ham,"
"a habit to be checked only by the
whumps." assented Bess. Lets walk
as far as the spring and see if we can
see any of the curious beasts. | sup
pose need fear no dangerY
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 ard
pushed into the woods-those woods
which so irresistibly attracted Bess
Farley's small brother 1t was Will
lies first season in camp, and his voy-
age of exploration invariably resulted
in lost bearings and a rescue party.
Confident that the fabulous whumps
would keep the youngsters at home,
Tim and Bess made their way to the
spring with no thought of Willie But
his sand toys soon palled 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 croaking
solemnly in the marsh just beyond the
road Perhaps if he was very cautious
he might evade the dreaded whurnps.
He was such a little fellow, he might
be able to hide if they CHANGED his
way.
There was lovely big green bill
frog in the marsh. Perhaps even now
he was sitting on tuft of grass fairly
begging a 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 amiably waiting
to become target. Willie could hear
them croaking, but not even baby
frog offered itself to his aim, and the
boy wandered on. He found a new
charm in the woods, since at any mo-
ment he might be called upon to flee
from whump, and he pressed on
ward
Suddenly his heart stood still for one
awful instant From the bushes just
beyond came 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 holder, Willie crept forward and
beheld the lair of the whumps.
1t was a rather inviting spot. not at
all what one would expect in the clock
work beasts. Three white tents were
pitched in a 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 a tripod over the fire.
This probably contained the last victim
of the whumps' canabalistic tendencies,
and Willie shuddered as he thought
how narrowly he had escaped a SINH
lar fate He was still congratulating
himself upon his safety when without
warning some of the whumps burst in
to the open, and Willie's blood chilled
as he saw that they bore as captives
Bess and Tim The latter were brave
They we're both laughing and joking
and trying to pretend that they did not
care. but that was all make believe,
Willie knew.
One of the whumps forced Bess into
a chair and another forced upon her
reddish drink that they drew from
bottle 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.
'sPlease. Mr.. Whumpp' he called, pre-
cipitating himself upon the man who
was trying to make his sister drink.
please don't kill Bessl Let her go and
take me. I'll wind you up. Honest l
will. You don't want her. She is such
skinny thing"
A roar of laughter greeted his APP
pearance, and Bess blushed redly at his
personal allusion. The campers were
puzzled, but In French Mason explain
ed the bugbear that had been created
to keep Willie out of the woods.
sTts a shame to tease him." cried
Bess, touched by the boys willingness
to sacrifice himself for her. These
are not whumps, Willie"
.Yes. they are" he insisted. 81 can
hear the clockwork ticking" He was
clinging to the leg of Bess' captor; Jim
Brace, and after one quick glance the
biggest of the whumps caught the
situation. HE hears Braces dollar
watch" he explained as he rolled in
the grass in his glee and his fellows
howled with delight. That dollar
watch had been standing joke ever
since they had come in camp.
Brace smiled as sudden thought
struck him. 81 am a whump," he ad-
mitted. 81 am the chief. or mug
whump. There is but one means OF
,s.,o,,o from, M, awful r,oxvar TT is