The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-09-18
THE BOY WHO
DREAMED Fl,
- By N. QUAD
By NJ. QUAD
Copyright. 1914. by Associated Lit
a Press.

John BOyce was u village carpenter.
aud it cannot be said of him that he
vas a Woodworking u AS a matter
Of fact. be was inclined to be lazy.
He had a wife who was regarded as
easy going. and the couple did not cut
much Of u figure In the estimation of
the villagers.
The only child Of the Boyces when
they had been married more than
sever years was u son named Bob.
six years old. He wasn't dull. and he
was not considered unusually smart
just an average boy. If any n had
predicted that be was going to turn
that county inside out before he reach
ed the age Of seven he would have
been looked upon as light in the head.
The boy started his career ut the
breakfast table one morning when he
said:
Father, did the lightning ever strike
anything in H~ilIsdale?"
Not that remember" was the reply.
But it's going to-"
How do you known"
dreamed it last night"
"What'll it striker"
''The Methodist meeting house. It's
going to strike the spire and bust it
all to pieces and then burn the church
down."
Bob. the cat must have been lying
on your stomach" said the mother.
who was somewhat impressed by his
earnestness.
mo. she wasn't"
1T amt worth minding," said the
father as he left the table to oil his
pipe.
An hour later he met the pastor of
the church on the street and told him
what young Bob had dreamed.
indigestion" replied the good man.
On the afternoon Of the third day
thereafter a thunderstorm zane. While
the clouds were banking up the boy
came in from play and said to his
mother:
Now you watch out and you'll see
the church struck! And so It hap
pened.
When it came to be generally known
that the boy had dreamed it. it was
commented on as a curious thing, but 1t
was the start Of his career as a dream
er. 1t was about two weeks later that
be said to his father:
Father. they are going to steal Mr..
Enright's black horse"
How do you know"
Il dreamed it last night. The horse
was in a lot. and a strange man put q
bride on him and rode him off,"
During the day the carpenter saw
Mr.. Enright and told him of the dream
and advised that the horse be. locked
in the barn O. nights. The owner
laughed heartily and replied:
Don't let Bob dream that my moth
er-in-law is coming on to live with me-"
Two nights later the horse disap.
peared and was lever heard of again.
Young Rob didn't rush the dreaming
business. 1t was four weeks later that
he said:
Father. MIR. Jones. the constable. is
going to be hurt"
"How?" was asked. ;
Il dreamed that q man hurt him."
What sort of a looking MANI"
His nose was reddish, and he had
bushy whiskers and was In his shirt
sleeves"
The constable was told. and he
smiled and replied:
''Boyce. do you believe in your boys
dreams?"
Yes. ! think So"
,VXyoll <> .L>r, RAJ, kAck Z 5onSk hn~nSn
a five dollar bill I'll bet against q fifty
cen piece that this dream of his turns
out to be nonsense"
MI. BOyce fshed up the coin, and the
wager al made. That was In the
forenoon. In the afternoon he drove
out into the country to serve some pa
pers on q farmer. and while talking
with the mans wife at the door he
was hit on the head with a club by
the husband. who sneaked up behind.
The %assaulter had q reddish nose and
bushy whiskers.
The constable was In bed tor two
months. and the farmer ran away to
avoid arrest.
The next dream was that Deacon
GOodhue would lose his two cows II he
didn't shut them up. When told of 1t
he replied:
They must take me for an old fool
to think | would heed anybody's
dream"
But that Boyce boys dreams have
come true"
Two days later the deacon's cows
were run over by q train on the rail
road.
This dreaming was uncanny. 1t was
dangerous 1t got on the nerves Of
a whole county.
In old Salem days they would have
denounced that boy as q wizard and
roasted him at the stake. As it was.
they could do nothing but ask each
other what should be done.
1t was a lightning rod man that solv-
[ ed the problem that puzzled all others.
I'm. not a superstitious man." he
said. as all other men say. but !