Year: 1870

| NJ the outset, MS courage always arose
when mischief was fairly under way.


1t was bright October night, and the
turkeys were plainly to be seen roosting
on the boughs Of the trees. The old COB.
bier, perched on the barn.yard gate, raised
his head and uttered sleepy gobble as he
heard the boys stealthy footsteps, but, for
tunately, it was not loud enough to arouse
the others.


"The gobbler is good, fat old fellow,
but we musn't touch him, he'd make too
much noise" whispered Will Burton.


eve can't get any of the others, they re
up SO high" said Ned.
| "Can't we climb q? Tommy, YOU are
just the fellow to climb up on that slender
branch and bring that plump one down.
We are SO heavy that it might not bear US,
and besides, we should make so much more
noise than YOU" said Will persuasively.


81" Come, Tommy Tucker, you must do
something more than sing for your supper
tonight" said Ned.


awe are so near the house they will
be sure to hear us" said Tommy, anxious.
ly. "And how can I keep the turkey
from making noise ?"


"Squeeze her so tight she can't; put
your hand right around her throat" d.
rected Will.


And Tommy began to climb the tree
very slowly and carefully, casting anxious
glauces toward the house. Aud still the
fat turkey slumbered serenely on the end
of the bough, without q suspicion that her
earthly career was so near the end.


Tommy reached her perch, caught her
in his hands, and stifled the cry she at
tempted to utter. And not another turkey
was aroused. They were prospering more
finely than they had hoped. Tommy
could almost taste roast turkey. He had
forgotten that there is many slip 'twixt
the cup and the lip" But ah they had
mscalculated the strength of that bough.
1t snapped under Tommy's weight, as he
turned, and down they all came, to the
ground, Tommy, turkey and tree-bough.


Of course Tommy loosed his hold Of
the turkey, and she set up screaming
loud enough to wake the seven sleepers,
and all the other turkeys Joined their
voices, the old gobbler gobbliug frantically,
louder than all the rest


Will snatched the turkey that Tommy
had caught and wrung her neck fercely,
while Ned helped Tommy up.


30, I can't run! / believe I have
broken my ankle" said Tommy, as Ned
and Will attempted to drag him along


"You must run - said Will. "Far-
mer Alden and his whole family will be
after US in two minutes ?"


And, indeed they had only Just got
over the orchard wall when an upper win.
dow in the house was thrown open, and a
night-capped head thurst out. aud mo-.
ment afterward they heard farmer Alden
cplling to his hired men.


You may be sure they didn't wait to
hear anything more, but ran for their
lives, poor Tommy limpiug and groaning
with pain, until they reached grove some
distance behind the school buildings.
There they deposited the turkey at the
foot Of tree, and covered it up with dry
leaves. After that Tommy gave out en-
tirely, and Will and Ned were obliged to
carry him, while Bert Hildreth took
charge Of the turkey.


1t was not very easy matter to get him
up stairs without making noise enough to
arouse Mr.. Spriggins, whose room was on
the first floor, and who slept with one eye
open, all the boys declared, so ready was
he to hear the faintest sound at night.
But they did reach their rooms without
rousing any one, and Will and Ned and
Bert were in high glee at their success,
though how they were to account to the
teachers for Tommy's sprained ankle was
a puzzle. !.
| Poor Tommy was not in good spirits at
all; the prospect of roast turkey on the
morrow failed to cheer him.


When morning came he was unable to
60 down stairs his ankle was very much
swollen aud very painful. Bert Hildreth
gave Doctor Grindall to understand, if he
did not tell him in so many words, that
Tommy had sprained his ankle on the play
ground, the night before. but still Tommy
was tormented by fear that his accident
would be connected with the disappearance
Of farmer Alden's turkey, which was sure
to be made known, for the farmer was not
one to bear the loss in silence, and he
knew, of course, that it had been stolen,
for he must have seen them running away.
Besides that, Toumy's conscience troubled
him; he had not played so many pranks
in his life as the other boys, and so it was
more tender.


At recess that forenoon Will and Ned
and Bert took their way to the grove, as
soon as they could get away from the other
boys They had resolved not to take any
body else into their confidence, because
there were so many "tell tales" that it
wasn't safe. They dressed the turkey,
and then made FIRE in q secluded place,
and, after great care and many trials, sue.
ceeded in arranging the turkey upon it so
that II would roast neither slowly nor too
quickly. They were little afraid to leave
it there, as they were obliged to until their
recitation hours were over, for if anybody
were to find It there. the whole story,
would be sure to come out.


But fortunately nobody did happen