Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1919-01-10

often pine anu sOOH hhu Il hiV b"ih5
with my flint and finder. ] knew that
could mount one Of the horses ana
lead the other and reach home prob
ably. But there was the grist we
needed that knew that we should
have to 20 hungry without the grlst.
II would get wet from above ana be-
low if | tried to carry 1t on the back
of a horse. ! warmed myself by the
fire and hitched my team near 1t so as
TO thaw the frost out of their forelocks
and eyebrows. felt in my coat pock-
cts and found a handful Of nails
everybody carried nails in one pocket
in those days-and | remember that
nv uncles pockets were a museum OF
bolts and nuts and screws and wash
ers.
The idea occurred to me that I would
make kind of sled which was called
a jumper
So | got my ak out of the wagon
and soon found couple of small trees
with the right crook for the forward
end of runner. and cut them and
hewed their bottoms as smoothly as
could. Then / made nOtcheS in them
near the top of their crooks and fitted
n stout stick into the nOtches and Sc
cured it with nails driven by the AK
head. Thus gOt a hold for my evener.
That done, | chopped and hewed an
arch to cross the middle Of the run
nerS and hold them apart and used
all my nails TO secure and brace it.
| got the two boards which were fas-
tened together and constituted my
wagon seat and laid them over the
arch and front brace. How to make
them fast was my worst problem. l
succeeded in splitting a green stick
10 hold the bolt of the evener just I'M
der its head while | heated its lower
end in the fire and kept its head cool
with snow. With this ! burnt a hole
in the end of each board and fastened
them to the front brace with witheS Of
mOOSeWO0d.
1t was late in the day and there was
no time for the slow process of burn
ing more holes, so ! notched the other
ends of the boards and dashed them to
the rear brace with a length of my
reinS. Then retempcred my holt and
brought up the grist and chain and
fastened the latter between the boards
in the middle of the front brace,
hitched my team to the chain and set
out again. sitting on the bags.
1t was pitch dark and the horses
wading to their bellies and the snow
coming faster when we turned into
Rattlcroad. Soon ! heard loud hal
loo and knew that it was the voice of
Uncle Peabody. He had started out
to meet me in the storm and Shep was
with him.
"Thank God I've found We" he
shouted. Tin blind and tired out and
! couldn't keep lantern goin' to save
me. Are We froze?'
I'm all right, but these horses are
awful tired. Had to let EN- rest every
few minutes"
| told him about the wagon-and
how it relieved me to hear him say:
"As long as you're all right, boy, |
amt goin' to worry bout the OF wag-
on-not a bit. Whered We git yer
jumper"
MADE it with the ak and some
nails / answered.
After we got to the barn door at last
he went to the house and lighted hi
lantern and came back with II wrapped
in blanket and Aunt Deel came will
him.
How proud it made me to lear hin
say:
"Deel, our boy is a man now-mad'
this jumper all lone by himself an
has got through all right"
She came and held the lantern VI
to my face and looked at my hands
"Well, my stars, Bart" she ex
claimed in a moment. 81 thought "
would freeze up solid-ayes-poo
bOyl"
We carried the grist in and Aun
Deel made some pudding. How goo'
it was to feel the warmth of the hr'
and of the hearts of those who lovet
me! How l enjoyed the pudding ant
milk and bread and butter
81 guess you've gone through tn
second peril that oil Kate spoke of,
said Aunt Deel as went upstairs.
Uncle Peabody went out to look a
the horses.
When ] awOke in the morning | oh
served that Uncle Peabody's bed hat
not been slept in. / hurried down ant
, heard that our off horse had died II
the night of collie. Aunt Deel was cry
ing AS he saw me Uncle PeabOd
: began to dance Jig in the middl
of the floor.
Balance yer partners !" he shouted
"YOu an l amt goin' to be discourage
If all the bosses dle-be we, Bart|
Never" l answered.
That's the talk! If Necessary WEI
hitch Purvis up with t'other boss al
git our haulin' DONE"
He and Purvis roared with laughte