The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1923-01-11
THE
STRANGE BOY
WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE
EFEEE
copyrisht. 1922. By the Macmillan Co.

were considering idi SCI "'"'
tiers concerning their coming NIKE.
They were Twelve. Thirteen and -Four
teen. aud full of the JOY that washes
Into life with the first full tide OF
youth. At the Manual they had been
making things with their hands IN
wood and Iron and stone. Creation
seemed good to them. And they
talked, making their tomorrow a KIM
Of exalted yesterday. which is the way
Of youth. An oic party OF f"rty-nNe'
sitting near ,aem reading mustys
book that had been OFF the list OF best
sellers for six long months. closed the
book over his finger to mark the pince
while he listened to the chatter OF
the boys.
There was talk of days Walk
In the country; of raft to be made
at the river under the scout-master
direction: of fishing tackle to be had
at the towns store; where the best
rods might be bought what minnows
were worth. Some consideration was
given to the various grades of khaki
for scouting suits.
They were good scouts Of the nrst
and second classes, and much ot their
chatter was of camp and field.
The boys were lying on lawn be-
meath he stone veranda rainrg
wherein his old feet rested FROM
time to time the youngsters Looked
xxhIyIinu nv
and In monosyllnbles checked of the
makers and perhaps the owners or
the machines; but the checking did
not stay their talk of the glorious to-
morrows. silyered and gilded with
yesterdays.
Canned" sighed the old party.
Canned boys" he repeated.
The boys looked up and. seeing
the feet disappear from the railing,
Thirteen rose quickly and said as he
appeared:
"Yes, sir. What was 1t, Fatherf
Did You speakT
The old party shook his head. and
the boys stretched out again on the
blue grass AS he opened his book
and fumbed for his place, over the
page top he saw. coming round the
house from the rear, a thin, freckled,
barefooted youth. with long trousers
rolled up halfway to his knees, show
ing the lowered calico lining. Sus
penders striped the shoulders of the
boys coarse-checked blue-and-white
cotton shirt. Twisted into his right
suspender was Y-shaped stick,
wound with rubber. whereon dia-
mond-shaped leather piece dangled
from two strings
"If the marshal sees that he'll ar
rest you" said the man; and as the
strange boy grinned the old party
asked: "where have you been so
Iony7- -
The other boys did not seem to
notice the strange boy, who grumbled
as he sat down beside them:
"Doing my chores. Old Sooky's
calf like to never got her supper out
of this bucket. And old Sooky tried
to hold up on me. think they
ought to make somebody brush the
flies off while I milk. bet old Sooky
hit me in the eye dozen times with
her tail. Say. they's mangerful of
kittens in the south STALL"
The other boys looked up when the
old party shifted his feet and
groaned:
"Ohi These are not real boys
they're canned boys! All the other
industries have left the home for
the cannery--why not boy-making?
Here. boys" The old party lifted
his voice sharply.
Yes. sir" cried Fourteen. rising
agilely and salutlng.
(which one of you knows what
one OF you ever seasoned "a piece Of
hickory behind the stove over the
wood box all winter for your bow? DO
you know what hodark is?'
"Yes. sir" replied Thirteen. ut
is q corruption Of the French words
bots dare. meaning wood Of the arch,
and is probably an Indian transla-
tion of the French habifanr's word
describing the tough. spr.ngy wood of
the Usage orange. or common hedge
plant"
The strange boy grlnned and the old
party answered:
"0h grand Now then, Bud. you
tell them about the bodark"
Tie boys sat down. and the old
PARTY took the words from the
strange boys mouth and went on:
"Rodark is a hard brown wood and
makes the best bow you ever saw
better than hickory even. Few boys
thar | know ever had bodnrk bow,
though all OF them knew TINT the
Indians priced bodark highly.
"Say. boys"-the man addressed him
self 20 The youths whose faces |
beamed cherublcaily over the rail |
suppose You could have Babe
Ruth and Douglas Fairbanks. and |
the greatest scoutmaster in the world. |
and The greatest football player, |
all rolled into one right here In the |
yard--who would wait In the barn |
while you-"
What barnT cut in precise Thir-
teen.
We'll. the garage. fhen"-the man
corrected himself and hurried on
while you went into the house and
stole fried cakes for him. and"
stole what?" cut in Twelve.
why. fried cakes-doughnuts. Don't !
you boys eat doughnuts?'