Omaha daily bee., 1918-08-28
SSDreamlamd Adventures"

A complete. new adventure each week,
beginning Monday aud ending Saturday

me-" added Raggedy Jim. I'm for
taking her back home this minute"
You're for doing what the gang
says to do" threatened Tags. lust
now the question is who is going to
cook the stuff brought from town
for support"
Hal the Fat is," said Laughing
Jake. "Let Raggedly Jim do it," said
Hal. "It's Tags turn" said Jim It's
up to BERTHE the Boozer," said Tags.
Let's play cards to see who'll do it,"
concluded Berthe.
And that is what they did. But be-
fore they began to play, Laughing
Jake brought out his gun and leaned
it against a stump beside him, declar-
ing he was going to get the potpie if
the Birds came back.
MY, it must be awful to be so
lazy that you'd rather go hungry than
do the cooking" thought Peggy. She
had listened very intently to their talk
and she felt that in Raggedy jim
she had a possible friend. And per-
haps in BERTHE the Boozer, too, al
though he looked so wobbly and dis
reputable that it probably wouldn't
make much difference whether he was
for her or against her.
Peggy had now time to examine her
prison. 1t was a very stout box, with
heavy boards on all sides except one.
and on that side were Stats so solid
that she knew she couldn't break
them. 1t seemed hopeless to think of
trying to escape without help from
outside.
But help was nearer than she
thought. She heard a stealthy chirp
from behind the box. She put her ear
close to the boards and listened.
princess Peggy, we are still here"
whispered General Swallow. Billy
Belgium has come, too, and he says
he will free you if he has to whip all
five tramps at the same time, He says
to be ready to break out when every
thing is ready"
"I'll be ready" whispered Peggy in
answer.
Peggy was very anxious to see
what Billy Belgium would do. She
couldn't imagine how he could set
her free. As for his whipping the
tramps, she knew he had the courage
to try it, but it was altogether too big
job for one boy, no matter how
brave he was.
The Birds, who had been very quiet
for some time, now began loud clat-
ter on the opposite side OF the clear
ing. The tramps stopped their game
to listen, and Laughing Jake reached
for his gun. They didn't want an
other slashing and clawing from the
Birds. But no Birds came in sight
and the tramps went on with their
game.
Peggy quickly saw the reason for
the loud noise. In the midst OF it
Reddy Woodpecker with a whole
corps of Woodpeckers quietly ap-
peared in front of her prison. They
promptly attacked the bottom Of the
Stats, drilling into them with their
sharp bills. The clatter of the other
Birds drowned out most Of the sound
of their hammering and they were
concealed from the tramps by weeds
that grew in front of the box. By
vigorous work, at which they took
turns so they could keep going at top
speed, they soon had the stats cut
nearly through.
While they were doing this, Peggy
noticed an odd happening behind the
tramps. General Swallow darted out
toward Laughing Jake's gun and as
quickly darted back again into the
woods. Then the gun began to wob-
bic. In a moment it fell over. The
tramps were so wrapped up in their
game that they paid no attention to
it. After short pause the gun began
to move toward the woods. When it
was halfway there it caught upon a
root. 1t seemed to try to get over the
root but stuck there fast. All Of a
sudden there was loud bang as one
of the barrels of the gun was dis
charged. The frightened tramps fell
off the boxes on which they were sit
ting. At the same moment Billy Bel
gium leaped from the woods, snatched
up the gun and leveled it at the
tramps. He had been pulling II with
string which General Swallow had
slipped over its barrel. 1t had gone
off Unexpectedly when the trigger
CAUGHT on the root.
Hands up!" shouted Billy Into
the air went FIVE pairs Of hands as the
tramps obeved. Break out, Princess
PEGGY" added Bill.
Peggy threw herself against the
weakened Stats and they gave way be-
fore her. She was free again, at
least for the moment.