Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-25

~ AkerS and Billy jackson made up
~ the Boys Summer Camp" and
jolly, courageous band of boys they
were. The Boys Summer Camp" was
pitched in the woods on the bank of a
fine stream in which fish abounded.
And hunting in the woods was as fine
as any one could wish for Every
morning the boys had fish or squirrel
for breakfast, and only rarely did they
20 TO their mess box" for a slice of
bacon or ham as a change in diet
The boys had been campingjust three
days when one morning Scotty re-
marked at the breakfast table (Which
was a huge. fiat stone in the tents
Yard that life was very sweet and
peaceful here in the woods. why"
he said, there's not one thing to fear.
nor anything to mar the peaceful day
and night. It's fas safe here in the
camp as it is at home in our tightly
locked and barred houses, and good
deal pleasanter."
Yes, at home we don't wake In the
morning before sunup to the music of
n thousand birds songs. And there
we don't have the joy of running to
the creek and plunging into it and hav-
ing Il swim before breakfast" agreed
Tom, taking huge gulp of coffee from
tin can. 1.-The camp life for ME. boys.
Wish l could stay here the year
round"
well I'll TESS up that I'd like lit
tie more excitement" said Billy, the
rough-and- tumble boy of the group,
and one who loved above all things
else adventure and excitement. Il
don't care in what form the excitement
might come" he went on, Just so it's
excitement. But this quiet, peaceful
life which Scotty and Tom find so
agreeable is not quite to my taste I'd
like to hear the panther's cry and the
wolves howl at night I'd go 10 sleep
on that sort of music. And in the early
morning il would be rather amusing To
have band of savage Indians swoop
in upon us and to put them 10 rout
with our guns. Something doing is my
motto" And Billy sighed to think that
the tame camp life could know no
change such as he spoke of
WELL I'm willing to let good enough
alone. declared Hamb, a freckle-
faced chap with a huge appetite. Il
would rather eat my breakfast in peace
than in war, and I'd not relish being
panther's breakfast"
well, that's a matter of taste"
laughed Billy. AS for me. Id rather
go without sleep and breakfast once in
a while than to live in humdrum mo-
notony, A little slirnish with Indians
in the morning. battle with panthers
and wolves at night would add zest to
camp life. Why come to the woods IL
there's no excitement to be had2 one
might as well STAY at home and live
like ordinary civilized folks"
"IIist-what was that?" And Scotty
turned his ear attentively in the direc-
ton of a clearing in the woods little
five-acre patch of land which had been
used by its owner as a pasture for milk
cows, but which had been without ami
NAL life during the boys three-day
camp there. "Hist-what strange noise
was that?"
Then of sudden the underbrush
parted-or was thrust rudely aside
and a wild-eyed bull appeared just 100
yards off The boys rose from the
breakfast table as one man, and each
looked at the other in sudden alarm.
The bull glared at them a moment,
then. head to earth. he paved and bel
lowed, preparing an attack on the
camp.
"To the trees, for dear lifes sake"
cried Billy forgetting for the moment
his love of excitement and danger.
up tree, every mothers son of your
And he led the way to a tree easy of
access to the top. Up the tree Billy
and Tom scrambled, while Hamb and
Scotty went like squirrels up another
tree close at hand And not a moment
too soon did the boys reach safety.
Within another half minute the enraged
bull which was evidently out on the
war path, was directly under the tree
in which Billy and Tom were perched.
And so vigorously did he horn the tree
which was young one and therefore
not very strong-that the boys were
almost shaken from their unpleasant
seats on swaying limbs.
Say did you have any idea that such
an animal was In our midst when you
longed for excitement" cried out
Hamb to Billy. Guess II we fellows
hadn't been with you, Bill, you'd have
fought it out with Mr.. Bull, eh?"
This joke was greeted with laughter
from all the boys save Billy. He, with
reddening face, sat holding tightly to
the shaking limbs, declaring mentally
that If he could pet at that hill he