Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-06-08
A VACATION SPENT At CAMP.


asked Lloyd March to go camping
with them on Whip-poorwill lake, he
had been all excitement (for although
he was five years the boys junior they
always liked to have him with them
for he was so willing to do anything
they asked of him. This was two
days ago and today he had asked his
mother If he might go but you could
easily guess what her answer had
been, as he disconsolately climbed the
stairs to the loft where he always
slept and as he climbed how he wish
ed that tomorrow night he might be
with the big boys out at the lake.
He wondered how he could sleep all
summer in his hot loft.
Hark! What was that ''e heard?
Could it be the boys coming to ask
his mother if he might go? How his
heart leaped for joy but-he heard a
woman's voice and knew it was but
a neighbor lady come to spent the
evening with his mother. But listen!
There is a boy's-it is Robert Boyd
voice. Lloyd almost went running
down the stairs to tell him how much
he thanked him for being asked to go
camping, but just then he he I'd his
mother say:
Bob, lady just brought me a let
ter which says that I am wanted at
my aunt's home in Boston immediate
ly and so I'll let Lloyd go camping
with you boys"
They were both astonished then to
see an apparition come boiling down
the stairs and after it had turned three
summersaults, embraced Mrs. March
and almost wrung Roberts hand OF
in shaking it, they managed to make
out Lloyd in his night clothes. Lloyd
was so excited he scarcely slept any
that night and the next morning was
up bright and early to see his mother
off on the train.
The boys started to the lake In a
covered wagon at o'clock and reach
ed there at noon. After dinner they
set up the tent and then asked and re-
ceived permission of a farmer to play
ball In his meadow. Every day for a
week the boys all went to play but
two who stayed at camp to cook and
see after things in general.
On the day before they intended to
go home they all wanted to go and
play ball for the last time but there
must be two stay at camp. Although
it was not Lloyd's turn" to stay, he
had agreed to (as bad as he wanted to
go) stay in another boys place for
tritle he had always liked to have had
one like. So today after the boys had
gone Walter Boyd (Robert's brother,
climbed into one Of the hammocks
with book and Lloyd took book OF
Virgil (Which he was studying) and
went to the edge of the lake a hundred
yards from camp, where he got into
a boat and rowed to the other side
where 1t was shady. But instead OF
studying he found himself lying on
his back, gazing at the sky and day
dreaming when all at once he smelled
smoke coming from the direction of
the camp.
He rowed leisurely to the little
wharf thinking he would see who was
burning brush in this dry weather
when he heard an agonizing scream.
He ran with all his might to camp
which he could see was ablaze
and by the door Of the tent lay Wal
ter. Lloyd almost lost his presence
of mind but he dragged Walter away
from the blaze, severely burning his
hands in doing so and then threw
dipperful of water on his face.
Walter slowly opened his eyes and
then Lloyd sped to the lake and back
again with bucketful after bucketful
Of water; just as he quenched the
last blaze the boys came around the
bend to see the front Of the tent in
ashes, Walter groaning with pain and
Lloyd fainting, then they ran and re-
vived him after which they dressed
his and Walters burns.
Walter said he had been smoking