Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-16
When Old Snap
Held The
Fort

l llCIlc lcuL as UOyS COuu VAoA AOl.
was strong and withstood the sieg
Of winds which came to try thei
power against it. And outside tn
| tent, just a few feet from its entrance
was shed built of rough boards. Un
| der this shed the boys cooked thei
camp dinners and breakfasts. A ston'
fireplace had been built by Laurence
| who was a genius in the way Of dc
| ing domestic things" The fire Away
blazed and never smoked, which wa
| indeed an accomplishment on Lau
rences part, seeing that 1t was he VIII
built the fireplace and stuck tn
"smoke-leader'' in the right direction
Harry was the Nimrod Of the party
He never failed to come in from hunt
ing and fishing with a bag. Jack wal
the entertainer, and would sing song
and tell stories by the hour, as thu
three lay stretched about the caml
fire. The tent was only slept In, ant
the out of doors served as loungint
place, kitchen and DINING room.
The boys had located their camI
near a farm house which was JUS
outside the fine woods, and which was
reached by path. There they went tc
buy butter, eggs, and an occasional
watermelon from the farmers Wife
And there they became acquainted
with Snap, a 1erce-eyed, evil-lookine
bull dog. But Snap belied his looks
He was, in truth, a good-natured Eel
low, molesting no one unless "sicked
on by some one whose authority he re-
spected> Tramps, to be sure, we're his
pet aversion, and when one OF those
worthless individuals came within
the precincts of Snaps domain, he
sent him on his way at pretty rapid
gait. If the said tramp perservered In
hanging about the farm, after Snap
had shown his objection to his pres
ence, he was liable to get into trou-
ble-occasionally feeling the sharp.
ness of Snaps teeth and not infre-
quently leaving piece Of his tattered
garments as souvenir to Snap.
Snap took to the three young camp
ers as a dog naturally takes to boys.
There is something in boy-nature
and in dog-nature which draws the
two together. So it proved in the
case. Of Laurence, Jack, Harry and
Snap. They became fast friends from
the very first meeting.
One morning Laurence informed
his comrades that butter was out, :"
and that he'd be obliged to make a
trip to the farm for more.
well, I'm off fishing this morn
Ing" said Harry. tits q fine day for
bites. AS still as cave. Fish seem
to get hungry on still, warm days."
And I'm of to make a study OF
that strange rock formation on yon-
der side Of the river" said Jack. his
geology lying open before him on the
ground where he was stretched on
his stomach, reading from the text
book.
"All right. Professor" laughed
Laurence, Jacks older brother, and
who was very fond of him. "Stuff your
brainery while Harry and I go to
provide the wherewithal to stuff your
stomach this evening. Even the very
learned must eat"
Jack laughed. Harry haw-hawed,
and Laurence winked good-naturedly
"Well, I'm off to market" he added,
taking a basket on his arm and start
ing out to follow the winding path
which led along the rivers bank to-
wards the farm house.
"And I'm away also, yes" laughed
Harry. He grabbed up fishing tackle
and basket and bait. "I'll return In
time to hear about the age Of those
rocks yonder," he said, turning to
Jack. IT'LL then, farewell, Professor. y
ooh, say, Nimrod!" cried Jack
calling after Harry. who's to watch
the Fort this morning? / can't stop
here till you're through coaxing the
finnies. And Laurence is off for half
the day, mind me. He'll get into an
argument with that old farmer over
the proper way to raise game chickens
and-well, we'll see him when the
hour is noon. can't idle away my
time to watch the camp"
Then leave the place and 90 and
find out the age Of your bank OF
rock yonder," replied Harry, THE
Fort can hold itself, reckon. Moth
ing here too precious to leave"
.'All right" cried Jack, getting tc
his feet and closing up his book
"And I'm off, too. It's far more nee
essary that should acquaint myself
with some bits Of information con
corning the peculiar formation of rock
yonder than that I should lie about
this Fort, keeping possible tramps
away"
Then Jack, book under arm and
pencil and paper and magnifying glass
inside a little leather shoulder-case
set out to walk half a mile up the
river to point opposite q great cliff
of rock. There he would row across
in a little canoe which he and his
comrades had tied up at that point In
the river.
Laurence reached the farm house
in due time and Mrs. Right, the far
mers wife. weighed out a pound OF
butter for him. Then she gave him q
big bottle of fresh buttermilk. That's
for your dinner today said the good
| woman.
Laurence thanked her and started