Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-07-12

are" tainted Joe as last resort.
You're 'fraid to play ball"
I'VE amt towards edther!" replied
Dorothy with toss Of her head as
she started skipping backward down
the walk. ..
Ruth began to Jump pepper Just
for spite, so Orville and Joe, feeling
quite prosecuted, arose with dignity
and sauntered down the street, whist.
ling as If they didn't care.
y tell you." said Orville, lets 90
fishing. We can dig some bait In the
garden and Two got an extra pole
for you. What do you say?" -,
That's 4 sol" replied Joe. Lets
get your spade and dig some worms
now"
In about fifteen minutes the boys
were walking down the street with
poles over their shoulders, looking
neither to right nor left while Dorothy
and Ruth gazed after them in curios'
ity.
The boys were fortunate In having
a small stream not more than block
away LASl1 uOAAAOOe ~ WY " ~ y
soon at the scene Of their operations
Joe was the first to bait his hook
and throw In" While he sat on the
bank fishing Orvflle hunted around for
a more favorable place to cast his line
''Tell you what I'm going to do,
joe" said Orville. "See that limb
I'm going to sit out on It 80 can
fish farther out from the bank"
A single limb from willow tree
projected horizontally few yards
over the water.
'.I believe I'll try it, too" said Joe.
mo-" replied Orville, II don't be.
lieve it'll hold US both. You can try 1t
after awhile"
Orville was soon sitting triumphant.
ly on the limb, watching his cork ex-
pectantly, while Joe, somewhat en.l.
GUS, sat on the bank and contented
himself with angling for the smaller
fish that kept near the shore. Both
regarded their corks intently, watch
Ing for nibble.
Don't girls make you tired?" asked
Orville, swinging his legs lazily be-
meath the limb.
"They sure do agreed Joe. III !
was girl I'd die if had to play with
dolls and jump rope"
$50 would I. Funny thing is, they
seem to like It," said Orville. Girls
miss out on a 'normous amount OF run
by not playing baseball and going
fishing, don't you think so?'.
'Yep But guess they couldn't 90
these things if they wanted to. They'd
be too 'fraid Of worm and fish and as
for baseball-they'r all right to chase
grounders, but they can't throw or
catch Bit
'sTake It all round" said orville,
with q judicial air. "they amt much
account. If I-sh! I've got hite!,'
Joe leaned forward and watched
silently as Orville allowed the fish 10
nibble at hts bait.
.7's a big one, too" whispered Or
vile.
Let him take the cork clear under
before you jerk him out" Whispered
Joe.
The fish was slow to take the fnit1a-
tive, but at last he began swimming
toward midstream. Orville
decided to let Mr.. Fish have all the
line he wanted, so he edged further
out on the limb.
Cr-r-rack!! Splash!
Down went Orville, pole. line and
limb into the water! It all happened
so quickly that Joe was stunned. He
sat on the bank gripping his own
pole and waiting for his chum to come
to the surface. When Orville did
come up he floundered about, swinging
his arms confusedly, for he couldn't
swim. And at that spot the water
was quite deep.
"Swim for the short!" shouted Joe,
but his advice was useless. He might
as we'll have told his chum to fly
for the short. Orville splashed
around in the water, but his efforts
did him little good.
Joe looked around to see II anyone
was near, but the only persons he saw
were the girls skipping rope in front
of Orville's house. He decided to call
for help, so he yelled as loudly as he
could:
Help! help! help"
He saw the girls turn and run as
fast as they could go. And as he saw
them coming he forced himself to
admit that girls can run pretty fast
after all.
In the meantime Orville had gone
down a second time and when he
came up his eyes we're closed and his
efforts to save himself seemed more
frantic and vain than ever. Dorothy
saw instantly the terrible plight Or
vile was In. ....s ~. ....
Here, Ruth, give me your skipping
rope!" she ordered.
Fortunately the girls had chung to
their skipping ropes when they started
for the stream. Dorothy hastily tied
the two ropes together. H.,
Get out of the way, Joe," she COM
manded as the frightened boy stood
watching. ready to cry.
Dorothy flung one end Of the rope,
weighted with a wooden handle,
straight at Orville's head. It hit him
square on his forehead and 1t seemed
to bring him to his senses, for his
eyes opened and he saw the rope. He
grasped it firmly and Dorothy pulled
him to shore, Ruth helping her.
It was not long until the unconscious