Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-12-15


.sThen I'll foot It! Seventeen miles
isn't much OF a tramp" Fearing de-
cIared, with a sudden revival OF en-
ergy.
The red headed youth shifted disap-
provtngly. eff we've got to cross" he
said, lowering his voice and moving
nearer to Fearing. 'T can put We on to
somethin' better-that is, If we've GOT
the nerve and-and d little somethin'
to make it interestin' to me-" he added.
with mysterious pantomime that
Fearing understood perfectly.
''I've plenty of BOTH he declared.
land am ready to use them to the best
advantage. II you doubt 1t, try me
and See."
''Oh. you're all right" the lad admit
ted, with an appreciative CLEAN in his
eyes. Now, listen. Right In that shed
at the bottom of this here lot there's
an iceboat belongin' to a city chap that
comes out here every summer. He'll
be here after Christmas to sail his
boat, and I'm goin' 10 help him. Now,
what's to prevent me and you from
takin' a skim over to Oriskany? Just
to see II the things in good runnin' or
der, you know" he added, with a sug-
gestive sQuint OF his left eye.
Fearing did not stop to go into the
moral consideration of the situation.
The prospect of getting to Oriskany
was too attractive for that. His ca
gerness to accept the proposition was
so great that he could hardly wait I'M
til the youthful originator of the
scheme was ready to put it into execu
ton Toward nightfall the precious
pair made their way through the drifts
to the boathouse, End half an hour later
the rakish looking craft was ready for
business.
AS the landlords son had predicted,
the frozen surface of the lake was as
free from snow as If it had been swept
The force of the wind had also lessen
ed greatly, but enough remained to
make the voyage a daring venture. It
was a ticklish business to put on full
sail in such q breeze, but Fearing
would be satisfied with nothing less.
and his reckless companion was only
too willing to have it so. Almost be-
fore the self appointed crew of two
could adjust itself the machine made
leap for the open roadway and before
speeding at a rate that would have
made a bird envious.
Luckily there was nothing to oppose
its progress. The ice was in prime
condition and as smooth as crystal.
All the intrepid navigators had to do
was to keep the craft in position and
hang on for dear life Fearing vas
sport enough to enjoy the risky busi-
ness even Invested Of it's ultimate OBJ
ject, and the lad was too excited to
remember the financial end of the
matter. The seventeen miles and a
half were traversed with a speed that
must have made a new record in ice
yachting had it been noted. Almost
too soon the lights Of Oriskany ad
monished them that 1t was time TO
lower the canvas and make ready the
drag. Five minutes later they were
once again on terra frma, the yachts
neck buried in an immense snowdrift
that rose like fortihcation along the
shore.
THAT was dead easy" said the lad.
1.-THE hardest Jobs to come. I've got
to get this concern back, and-and
probably I'll have to explain how It all
happened"
'I'n keep the secret" Fearing prom
ised laughingly, land here is some
thing to help pay the damages" he
added, handing him brand new TWEEN
ty dollar bill.
"Geer' the other CALCULATED. ''Ye
must "a wanted to git to Oriskany
mighty bad"
A little later. when Fearing and the
girl for whom he had accepted a des-
perate chance stood under the mistle
toe, he did not reproach himself for
what he had done.
The Cuckoo.
Where does the cuckoo lay its eggs?
What is its staple diet? What course
does it take in its autumn migration
when It returns to its African haunts:
These are questions that await salts
factory answers. Until it was found
that the cuckoo laid its egg on the
ground and subsequently carried it in
its bill to a neighbOring nest it was
supposed that the bird fed largely on
the eggs Of smaller birds. This fallacy
has been disproved. Probably in the
whole range of British birds there is
no other that can boast such curious |
domestic traits as the cuckoo. 1t makes |
no nest, does not attend to incubation
duties and rears no young and appar- |
emily never sees the bird that is hatch |
ed from the egg that it surreptitiouSly |
places in the nest of some smaller bird. |