Q: CHAPTER XXX

THE LANDSLIDE-CONCLUSION

"Dick, are you badly hurt?" cried Tom.

"No--it's only a scratch. But it was a close call."

"To cover!" came from Jack Wumble. "Quick, all of you!"

There was no need to call out, for all realized that they were in a dangerous position. It was Arnold Baxter who fired on Dick. Now Tom fired in return, and so true was his aim that the elder Baxter was hit in the left shoulder.

As soon as our friends were under cover they held a council of war.

"We ought to round 'em up," muttered Jack Wumble. "Don't you think so, Jim?"

"I am with ye on it," answered the old trapper. "We air five to three, although one o' the crowd is wounded."

"It's not much--only a scratch," said Dick, as he showed the wound. "Yes, let us surround them if we can. Anyway, it will be better if we get on the high ground above them. It's useless to think of staking off the claim while they are in the vicinity. They'll pull up our stakes, and shoot us in the bargain."

Their talk was interrupted by a crashing of the bushes, and looking up they saw that their enemies were beginning to roll rocks down toward them. One rock, weighing several tons, tumbled within two yards of them.

"All right, we'll try some o' that when we're on top," said Slim Jim.

It had threatened rain, and now the drops began to come down, at first scatteringly, and then in a steady downpour. In this rain they moved off through the brush, leading their horses and following the old hunter, who knew more of the old Indian trails than did even Jack Wumble.

Answer the following questions:
1. Who was wounded?
2. By whom?
3. Did anybody shoot back?
4. Who?
5. Did he hit anybody?
6. Who?
7. In what part of his body?
8. Who was the old trapper?
9. Who was he talking to?
10. Were they in agreement?
11. How many men did they have?
12. How many did the other side have?
13. Where did Dick think they should get to ?
14. Did something interrupt their discussion?
15. What ?
16. What were they starting to do?
17. Were those big rocks?
18. How big was one of them?
19. How close did it come?
20. Did it start to rain then?
A: 1. Dick
2. Arnold Baxter
3. Yes
4. Tom
5. Yes
6. Baxter
7. in the left shoulder
8. Jack Wumble
9. Jim
10. Yes
11. Five
12. Three
13. the high ground
14. Yes
15. their enemies
16. roll rocks down toward them
17. Yes
18. several tons
19. within two yards of them
20. Yes

Answer the questions at the end based on the text.

CHAPTER XXX

FERN Mullins rushed into the house on a Saturday morning early in September and shrieked at Carol, "School starts next Tuesday. I've got to have one more spree before I'm arrested. Let's get up a picnic down the lake for this afternoon. Won't you come, Mrs. Kennicott, and the doctor? Cy Bogart wants to go--he's a brat but he's lively."

"I don't think the doctor can go," sedately. "He said something about having to make a country call this afternoon. But I'd love to."

"That's dandy! Who can we get?"

"Mrs. Dyer might be chaperon. She's been so nice. And maybe Dave, if he could get away from the store."

"How about Erik Valborg? I think he's got lots more style than these town boys. You like him all right, don't you?"

So the picnic of Carol, Fern, Erik, Cy Bogart, and the Dyers was not only moral but inevitable.

They drove to the birch grove on the south shore of Lake Minniemashie. Dave Dyer was his most clownish self. He yelped, jigged, wore Carol's hat, dropped an ant down Fern's back, and when they went swimming (the women modestly changing in the car with the side curtains up, the men undressing behind the bushes, constantly repeating, "Gee, hope we don't run into poison ivy"), Dave splashed water on them and dived to clutch his wife's ankle. He infected the others. Erik gave an imitation of the Greek dancers he had seen in vaudeville, and when they sat down to picnic supper spread on a lap-robe on the grass, Cy climbed a tree to throw acorns at them.

1. Which lake did they go to?
2. Who rushed into the house?
3. Why did he want to go on a final spree?
4. Who ended up going a long and acted like a clown?
5. Did he wear something that belonged to someone else?
6. And who did he throw an insect on?
7. What plant did they wish to not run in to ?
8. Did anyone throw an acorn?

Numbered answers:

A:
1. Lake Minniemashie
2. FERN Mullins
3. To get in a spree before school starts and they're arrested
4. Dave Dyer
5. Carol's hat
6. Fern's
7. poison ivy
8. Yes, Cy