The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-23

men of boy as you could have asked sturdy of bare legs, brown of face, red Aof hair, ragged and tumbled of garb. His crew was active. though slightly less robust. fair haired, light skinned chap, blue eyed and somewhat better clad than his companion. There was something winning about his face. At a glance [ knew his soul He was dreamer, an idealist, an artist in the bud, Ny heart leaped out to him in- stinctiyely in a great impulse of sym pathy and understanding. Indeed, sud- denly I felt the blood jingle through my. hair. looked upon life as had not these three years. The ina agfnation of youth, the glamour of adventure, lay here before me, things I cruelty had missed these last few years, it seemed to me.
 How now, shipmates ?'''I remarked mildly. Would st doubt the faith of one who himself hath flown the Jolly RoFer2 Cease your fears and come aboard that is to say. come ashore
 Git out, Jimmy heard the capf tain say ih a low voice after a moment of indecision- Keep him covered till T. tie her up-'
 Jimmy, the fair haired pirate, hauled in on the alders and flung grappling iron aboard my bank, which presently he ascended His once white Jacket now was soiled, and one leg of his skniekers was loose from his scramble up the bank He was belted beyond all earl-like need wore indeed two belts, which supported two long hunt ing knives and Malay creese, such as we now get from the Philippines, as well as q revolver large beyond all pro- portion to his own size. A second re- volver of like dimensions now gtrem- b1ed dn his hand, and, even though it's direction toward me was no more than ] general, resumed the goosehesh un- derneath my swaistcpat for no man could tell wha might happen.
 ttCome alongside, brothers,'s said I, pushing my fly rod to onesside. Make fast and come aboard And, tell me, what cheer '
 They drew up to me, stern of mien. bold of bearings dauntless of purpose. How envied them. Theirs all the spIendor of youth, of daring, of adven- lure. of romance things gone by from me or for the most part never known.
 As clearly. as though always had known them saw into the hearts of these, and what I isaw made my own heart ache and yearn for something it had ever missed.
 " hat cheer comrades ?'' repeated at length sWhithcr away and upon what errand ?.s
 1 Now strange thing happened, which do not explain, for that I cannot. In plain fact, these two were obviously runaway boys. not the first nor per haps the last of runaway boys, and I was man of means, a retired man. supposedly somewhat of a hermit. al- though really nothing of the sort: lately q lawyer hard headed and dfsillusion- ed, always a man of ca i'm reason. as prided myself: subject to no fancies q student and q lover of science. a mocker at all superstition and all weak mfndedness. Pardon me that must say all these things of myself.1 l ' ct let me Joe believed who say it. l some spell whether of this presence of youth, whether of the evening and the sun or whether of the inner and strug- gIing soul of man. so fell upon us all then and there that we were not man and boys but bold adventures. all { three of like kidney This was not a modern land that lay about us No: before us lay the picture Of the rolling i deeps it's long green sweIls breaking E high in white spfndrift The keen wind of other days sounded in our ears and wonder pressed the galleons 1 of Spain. Youth. youth and adventure, were ours We seek for treasure,., piped the thin voice of him I had heard called ! Jimmy .sT.et none dare lift hand H saInst us..s,
 I And yvhfther way. my hearties ?',
 spsngs to the Spanish main. . This also from the blue eyed boy. who now yrfth some difficulty managed 10 let , down the hammer of his six shooter swyithout damage to himself or others. 1 ..4Ee didn't know but yotise would i try to stop ls.'' exclaimed the red hair ed leader. We come around the bend and seen you setting there, and we was resolved-to ito
 sHTo sell our lives sdeariy.' 7 supple mented Jimmy. He who would seek to stop us does so al his peril'' And Jimmy made so fell a movement to- ward his side arms that I hastened to restrain him.
 Yes said I; you are quite right, my hearties.' .
 But, gee,' yentured tfe red haired pirate, what was you thinkin' about?" E Tou ask me te tellstrlth.. good sire .'' I made reply. ..and I shall do no less At the very moment you trained your bow chaser on me I was thinking of { two things.;'
 speak on. caififf,' demanded Jimmy fiercely.
 Nay call me not so, good sir," re joined. flor in good sooth am not, but honest. faithful man. Ye have but now asked what pondered, and fain I would speak truth an it please ye. my