American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-01-10

ROlkS lHdb IdttlEu W IA tPO IL -
way that amused me greatly. Then,
too, ne could rip out words that had
a new and wonderful sound In them.
| made up my mind that he was like
ly to become a valuable asset when l
heard Aunt Deel saw to my Uncle Pea
body:
you'll have to send that loafer
away. right now, ayes, l guess you
Will"
"Why7"
Because this boy has learnt to
swear like a pirate-ayes-he hast"
Uncle Peabody didn't know 1t but
| myself had begun to suspect 1t, and
that hour the nan was sent away,
and / remember that he left In anger
with a number of those new words
flying from his lips. A forced march
to the upper room followed that event.
Uncle Peabody explained that 1t was
wicked to swear-that boys who liz
1t had very bad luck, and mine came
In "a moment. / never had more of
1t come along In the same length OF
time.
After / ceased to play with the
wills boy Uncle Peabody used to
say, often, It was q pity that l hadn't
somebody Of my own age for COM
pany. Every day l felt sorry that the
wills boy had turned out so badly,
and / doubt not the cat and the shep-
herd dog and the chickens and Uncle
Peabody also regretted his failures,
especially the dog and Uncle Peabody,
who bore all sorts Of indignities for
mig sake.
One day when Uncle Peabody went
| for the mail he brought Amos Grim
shaw to visit me. He was four years
older than Ia %freckled, red-hairec
boy with a large mouth and thin lips
He wore n silver watch and chaln
which strongly recommended him II
my view and enabled me to endure
his air of condescenslon.
He let me feel 1t and look 1t al
over and 1 slyly touched the chair
with my tongue just to see If 1t hat
any taste to 1t, and Amos told mi
that his father had given 1t to him ant
that 1t always kept him "kind o
s~calrt."
"Why2"
"For fear I'll break er lose 1t an
git licked" he answered.
He took a little yellow paper-coy
cred book from his pocket and begal
to read to himself.
"What's that?' / ventured to as
by and by.
"A story" he answered. 81 met
ragged oil woman In the road t'othe
day an she give me a lot of 'em an
showed me the pictures an l got t
readln' 'em. Don't you tell anybod
cause my oil dad hates stories al
he'd lick me til / couldn't stan IL h
knew / was readin' EN-"
/ begged him to read out loud an
he read from a tale of two robber
named ~Thunderbolt and Lightfoot VIII
lived In a cave In the mountains. The
were bold, free, swearing men VIII
rode beautiful horses at a wild ga
lop and carried guns and used thei
freely and with unerring skill an
helped themselves to what they wan
ed.
He stopped, by and by, and conide
to me the fact that he thought /
would run away and join a band
robbers.
"How do you run away?" I aske
"Just take the turnpike and kee
goln' toward the mountains. VIII
We meet a band o. robbers give 'e
the sign an tell 'em you want
join"
He went On with the book and rea
how the robbers had hung a capti'
who had prosecuted them and int
fered with their sport. The story e
planned how they put the rope arour
the neck of the captive and tire
I the other end of 1t over the lin
! of a tree and pulled the man in
the mir.
He stopped suddenly and demanded
: "Is there a long rope heref'
: / pointed to Uncle Peabody's h,
/, rope hanging on a peg.
lies hang a captive" he propose
At first l did not comprehend h
meaning. He got the rope and thre
its end over the big beam. Our o
; shepherd dog had been noslng Il
. NOW near us for rats. Amos caug
! the dog who, %suspecting no harm, can
, passIvely to the ropes end. He ii,
the rome around the dogs neck.