The Sunday Oregonian., June 07, 1903, PART FOUR, Page 39, Image 39

THE SUNDAY OREGONIAK, PORTLAND, JUNE 7, 1903.
C-RCIISE OF THE LA K E'R I MM ElRS
CHAPTER Vm sr CANOE AGAINST STEAMBOAT
THE Lakerlmmers found themselves
in a cluster of small Islands. At a
distance It seemed that any one of
them "WQuld be an Ideal place to pitch a
camp. On approaching each one. some
special fault was to be found -with it.
On this one there -was no good, place to
land. On that one the undergrowth of
shrubbery -was too thick; on the third
there was no shrubbery at all; on -the
fourth there was a suggestion of snakes.
And so it went until they reached the
last island, and the last drop of sun
shine was gone.
When the sky was squeezed as dry of
sunshine as an old sponge, the Lake
rlmmers bumped their canoe into a patch
of rocks and stumbled and tripped up a
shelving bank to a miserable little patch
of an Island. There was no end of
trouble getting the tent ashore, and once
it was carefully unfolded, they decided
it would be a waste of time to put it up.
The sleeping-bags were next hunted for,
and in the light of a little campflre they
pushed their weary feet Into the sleeping-bags,
laid their tired bones on the
mattress of pebbles and roots of trees,
and tried to sleep. The 11 of them
squirmed like a can of fishing worms
for a long time before they grew so
drowsy that they found any position-good
enough to sleep In and any rock good
enough to sleep on.
Thero is one good thing about this
island," said Jumbo, drowsily, "there is
no room for any wild animals or snakes.
"Wo cover every inch of ground there is."
"And I hang over the edge in about
four places," said Sawed-off. "If I
didn't have a good grip on the stump of
a tree I'd slide Into the river. And if my
right hand. goes to sleep when I do, I'll
have a bath before I'm ready for it."
And the next thing they knew it was
morning.
During the breakfast a beautiful word
to waste on such, a skimpy atfalr as they
made of it Sleepy grew very eloquent
upon th importance of turning back. He
informed his friends that they were get
ting farther and farther from home and
mother. That they had almost no money
with them in case anything should hap
pen, and that in place of relieving the
anxiety of B. J.'s mother and father,
there would probably be 22 more fathers
and mothers In mourning, for sons who
had left home and never come back.
"Besides," said Sleepy, "suppose we did
find B. J. after we had chased him to
the end of the Mississippi and across two
or three oceans, and cornered him on a
kopje in South Africa. S'posln' when we
had him cornered he should say: 'No,
thanks: I don't care to go back.' Then
what -would we do, and what proof have
we that he would ever go back with us?"
They wre all aching in every bone
from sleeping on their rocky beds, and
the cold morning light took the romance
out of the pursuit. Their resolution to
pursue B. J. to the ends of the world
seemed to have an attack of rheumatism,
and when Sleepy appointed himself chair
man and then made a motion to return
home, and seconded the motion, 11 hearty
ayes resounded.
So back into their boat crawled the
Argonauts, and turned their prow home
ward, and very pleasant it was to think
of Lakeiim again and of all the com
forts of home. But, once they were out
of the lee of the island, the full current
of the Mississippi caught them, and it
was necessary to paddle with a will and
without rest. They were all feeling as
though they had rowed 15 miles upstream,
and that it was quite time to rest a while,
when Quiz looked about him and asked:
"That Island over there looks, pretty
familiar. When did we see that before?"
They were all glad for an excuse to
stop rowing, and they discussed the Is
land. It had a very familiar look to all
of them, but they could not place It. At
length Bobbles exclaimed:
"Why, that's the measly Island we slept
on last night." Beddy broke out:
"Do you mean to say that we've been
simply paddling at a standstill all this
time." ,
"Looks as if nothing had been moving
around hero for the last two hours but
this fool current."
Sleepy was the last to speak. He had
stared at the Island In dumb amazement
and reproach. He eald:
"That island sticks closer than a
younger brother. I think we'd better drift
a while and see if we don't run into B. J.
after all."
So they shipped their paddles in disgust
and the current towed them along as If It
were electricity end the canoe a trolley
car.
Pretty was just suggesting that they
had better go ashore and see if the walk
ing were good.
"?Ve might get home finally by walk
ing," he said, "unless even the land down
here rolls out from under your feet faster
than you can skedaddle."
But Just then the boat came Tound one
of the endless turnings of the river, and
there ahead of them tbey saw a small
city, the houses crowding down to the
water's edge as If they were a thousand
ducks about to take a swim. At one of
the wharves of the town there was a
small sternwheel steamboat.
"I'll bet that boat Is the 'Hiram Q.
Mudd." said Tug.
No one took the bet, but every one took
his oar and the ten paddles churned up
the water in a fair imitation of a wheel.
"I can see the log raft there, too," said
Punk. "Old Mudd has been waiting for
that all this time."
But once more fate was against them.
While they were digging up the water in
their frantic haste and getting nearer and
nearer the goal, the" old boat was slowly
starting out on its way and nosing the
clumsy raft out into the stream. Tug was
for pursuing the boat straightway, but
Punk said:
"If old Mudd Is as much of a brute as
they say, B. J. is probably pretty sick of
his cruise, and I shouldn't be surprised
if he had escaped while the boat was lying
here at this town. Whatever we do. we
ought to stop there for a minute and ask
a few questions."
There was a short hurried debate and It
was decided that Punk's suggestion was
the safest one. so they rowed to shore and,
stopping at the landing, found a knot of
people who had been attracted by the
strange craft. While the people on the
wharf were trying to ask what sort of a
boat the Lakerlmmers had. and what they
were doing with it, the Lakerlmmers were
bombarding the shore with questions as
to B. J. One or two of the townspeople
remembered B. J. from the description
the Lakerlmmers gave, and remembered
seeing him work like a beaver on the deck
of the boat as It left the landing.
"Just after they started," one of the
townspeople said, "the captain of the boat
sent the young fellow down on the raft
to fix something that had got messed up.
It seemed as If the boy was not used to
walking on slippery logs floating In the
water, because he tripped and fell three
or four times, and came mighty nigh goln'
down through the raft. If he bad got
down between two of them logs, he would
never have got up aagin. It don't take
more than one .misstep to finish a fellow
on one of them rafts."
The Lakerlm boys in their swimming
exploits had walked on logs, and knew
how dangerous a test it is of a sure foot
and a sure eye. The thought of poor B.
J. scampering about across a thousand or
more wet logs in the middle of the deep.
swift Mississippi, gave them all a shiver
of terror. They wasted no time in conver
sation, but struck out on their way.
By this time the "Mudd" was well out
in the middle of the stream and her wheel
waB throwing out a long train of bouncing
waves, and her prow was sending to shore
an arrow head of long ripples.
The "Mudd" was a rusty and worn-out
old boat, and she was shoving a great
stupid raft ahead of her, but she was more
than a match for the ten eager paddles
of the Lakerlmmers. And they suffered
the bitter sight of watching her grow
smaller and smaller in tne distance.
But still they pursued, stopping only
for hasty snacks when their hunger roado
them too faint to ply the oars. And even
then they rejoiced to see that the current
carried them forward.
Again night overtook them, and again
they made the best of a tentless night,
this time on a strip of- soft shore land.
Early in the morning they set forth
again andVabout noon stopped at a small
town to ask information.
Once more, as if they were being teased
and tantalized on purpose, they found
that the boat was not far ahead of them.
A breakdown in the rickety machinery
had compelled her to stop for repairs.'
The first mate of a handsome side-wheel
packet boat wblch had tied up at this
town to take on passengers, told them that
the "Hiram Q. Mudd" had left only shortly
before.
"Old Captain Mudd put in here," he
said, "and patched up his boat for a while
longer. I told him that the Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Old Boats ought
to keep him from driving that poor back
any longer. But he fixed her up some
how, with some shingle nails and a little
mucilage, and went on. She'll sink with
him some day, and it will be 'good rid
dance of bad rubbish. "
The Lakerlmmers took up their dreary
work again and rounding a curve in the
channel saw not far ahead of them the
boat they hunted so eagerly. Far away
as It was they could hear It grunting and
wheezing, and it seemed as if the old tor
toise could not forever win the race
against the swift hare, their canoe. But
still the tortoise plodded on, and the hare,
for all its gracefulness and fieetness,
seemed unable to catch up with it
CHAPTER IX.
After a time a long neck of land pushed
out Into the river, and the channel made
a great wide curve. Every extra mile
of distance meant so much more labor
and pain to the Lakerlmmers, and they
had no kind feelings for this new way
round. But as they came closer they
HOW I TRAINED
HE WAS about the size of a dime
when we caugnt him vwhlle seining
for fish off Sandy Hook for the
New Tork Aquarium.
Blue crabs are too plentiful In New
York's salt waters to make them espe
cially attractive for aquarium purposes.
But this one was so beautifully marked
with light blue and red claws and a
green and blue back that I put him
carefully Into one of the big galvanized
tanks that we carried along.
That night he was Introduced into his
new home a large crystal tank holding
about a gallon of sea water and filled with
a tiny forest of green. Indigo, purple and
crimson sea weeds.
The size of his body was no index to
the size of his temper. That was as bad
as any possessed by a fully grown blue
crab, which probably Is the most vicious,
belligerent and plucky creature that lives
In fresh or salt water.
The blue crab will hold on to a man's
finger or to another crab until his claw is
torn off. Ho will go out of his way to
attack ofher creatures that swim near
him. Even the savage blueflsh will dart
away when he sights a blue crab stalking
along on the bottom with his shears wide
open, ready to pinch anything that ap
proaches him.
I have seen blue crabs locked in battle
In such desperate fury that they refused
to let go of each other although the fisher
men stamped on them. Often a basket full
of captured crabs will fight so fiercely that
there will hardly be a single crab that Is
not fastened grimly to another, and some
times one crab will hold two others one
with each claw while still other crabs
will have hold of him.
The little crab in the tank lived up to
the reputation of his family. He had not'
been in It more than a few minutes before
he leaped at a kiljie fish three Inches long
and fastened himself to Its back with his
beautiful, glasslike claws, tearing at it like
a tiger.
When I put my hand In to remove the
remaining fish to another tank he Jumped
at my finger and pinched It till the blood
came. He hung on like a little bulldog
even after I had pulled my hand out of
the water, and I "had to shake him off with
an effort.
Then he began to race around the pretty
tank, tearing up the weeds. It was plain
that be did this for no reason In the world
except mere malicious anger.
The little fish that had been In the tank
before the wicked crab arrived had be
come so tame that they would hurry to
the surface as soon as I approached. They
would nibble at my finger tips and take
their food from the hand. One of them
would even let me put my hand under
him and hold him as long as the hand re
mained in the water.
Naturally I wanted to tame the crab,
but all the flsh-wlse folk smiled at the
Jdea and said that It was a ridlcuolous
thing to expect. There were only two
men who thought that it might be done.
They were Spencer and Dpnyse. of the
Aquarium, who have had wonderful suc
cess themselves, having tamed even the
shy tropical reef-dwellers such as the
angel fishes, and the trumpet fishes so that
they will rise to the hand.
The first thing was to accustom the crab
to take food that was held out to him in
stead of being dropped In. For this pur
pose a long thin glass tube was used for
a beginning. By closing Its upper end with
the finger it was possible to prevent the
water from entering its lower end when
It was thrust Into the tank, except to
the height of about a quarter of an inch.
In this small quantity of water a bit of
clam was held suspended and then the
apparatus was lowered until it was in
front of the eagerly watching, suspicious
little fighter.
The first time this was done he rushed
at it and struck at the glass rod so
fiercely with his shears that the sound
could be heard plainly on the outside of
the tank. But after clawing and nipping
at the hard, transparent object for a few
minutes, he became convinced that he
could not get a good bold, and retired
to a corner under the weeds to reflect. At
least, he seemed to reflect. He sat hunched
in a heap with his shears folded like hands
in front of him, while his stalk eyes gazed
fixedly at the glass tube that I held mo
tionless. It was quite a while before the crab
ventured out again. But at last the clam,
which, of course, he could see plainly In
side the tube, tempted him beyond further
endurance and he made another frantic
effort to bite through the tube. This time.
however, 'he ceased after one attempt and
began to circle around it.
After he had examined It from all sides
he did Just exactly what a human being
who knew all about glass tubes would
have done. He tried to work In under it.
to fish that clam out. Ho burrowed with
all his slender legs and swlmmerets until
he had removt-d the fine gravel from the
resting place of the tube. Then he began
to feel around under It. Although this was
quite Impossible he continued to try until
my hand grew so stiff from holding the
tube that I released the pressure on the
found that a little strip of water sep
arated this neck of land? from the main
thore. It was too narrow and too shal
low for a steamboat to cut through, but
they decided to try it in their light craft,
Co into the sluice-way they turned, fear
ing that It might be only a Wind alley
and lead them far in-ihore and then con
front them with dry land.
Now and then there came the ominous
shuffling sound of a keel scraping the
bottom of the stream. Twice a number
of the Lakerlmmers had to step out of
the boat to lighten her across a shallow
place. They did not object to the wet feet
and the discomforts of this, but later they
came to a sandy place where the water
crimpled like curly hair, and the sand
beneath was smooth as any beach. Here
they ran aground again. Tug instantly
leaped out of the boat to drag it along,
tut his feet sank under him and he went
down and down.
"Quicksand," he cried as he sank.
Puuk, Reddy and Heady, who were
nearest to him. reached out and seized
his hands. Reddy and Heady prepared
at once to Jump into the water to his res
cue, but Tug cried out:
"Stay where you are or you'll be in the
quicksand, too "
So they kept their places and fought
with the hungry sand that seemed to be
fragging at Tug for its prey. The strug
gle was long and. fierce, and again and
again It seemed as though the boat
would go on Its side and throw them all
Into the treacherous channel. But after
a wearying struggle they tore Tug from
the alligator Jaws of the quicksand, and
pulled him Into the boat, where he sank
exhausted and sickened with his fight
for life.
With his last remaining breath he man
aged to gasp:
"Row on! row on! don't mind me."
And on they rowed, digging their pad
dles into the sand which flowed away
like thick water, until they were once
more In a deeper part of the stream.
From then on the sluice-way ran
straight and deep and they made fine
speed. At length they heard, off to their
left, the puff, puff, puff of an engine, and
the smack, smack, smack of a wheel
against the water. Then "suddenly the
sluice-way ended in the wide prairie of
the Mississippi Itself.
And there right abreast ot them is the
"Hiram Q. Mudd."
And there on her bow leaned B. J.,
weary and dejected.
(To be continued.)
A BLUE CRAB
upper end, which, of course admitted the
water from below. It rushed In and car
ried the clam up with It,
The antics of the crab were ludicrous
then. For 'an instant he started backward
in fright Then he swam upward alongside
of the tube with all his legs and swlmmer
ets working madly, and grabbed again and
again at the fleeting clam.
The next day the operation was repeated,
only after the tube had been nearly drawn
out of the water I permitted the clam to
settle slowly, so that it, floated in the
mouth of the tube where the crab could
get at It,
At first he was suspicious, and his at
tempts to seize it were half-hearted. He
would always scuttle away before he had
quite reached It with his outstretched
claw. But all at once he mustered up
courage, grabbed it like lightning and
half tumbled, half swam to the bottom of
the tank, where he crawled as far below
the weeds as he could.
During the next three days he over
came his fear so far that he wbuld dart
half way to the surface to meet the tube
when it was Inserted. By the end of
the week he became fearless enough to
swim clear to the surface and hang on to
the 'mouth of the tube, searching for the
clam he knew to be In It,
Then I Inserted my finger, barely put
ting It below the surface of the tank.
As soon as I touched the water the crab
came scuttling upward, but when he saw
that it was not his friend, the tube, he
fell backwards again and looked wrath-
fUlly at the new and strange Intruder. Pa
tiently I kept my finger in position, but
could not lure him out of his weedy nest.
For four days I continued this for a
long period each day without success.
y - :
'" ' -
The Blcnderklns soon saw a eight
That, filled them with supreme delight
"Twas no less than a tat balloon
Bound on a voyage to the moon. " ' S'
And little Andy, pa and ma '
Entered at once- and cried "Hurrah!
The moon "we'll sample and with speed
Learn If 'tis made of cheese Indeed."
Then little Andy, shy and good.
Upon his very tiptoes stood
And looked down at the wondering throng
.That cheered the Blunderklns. along;
While courtly pa stood bat in hand N '
And bowed In manner proud and grand,'-
And ma looked out with senile smile ,
I had begun to wonder if I would have tQ
do something else .when, on the fifth
morning, the crab made up his mind to in
vestigate. He swam almost up to my fin
ger and then hurtled back to the bottom.
That afternoon, when I laaerted my finger
again, he came closer, but still did not
touch it
On the following day he suddenly dart
ed at It and nipped it ferociously, and
swam away again madly. When he found
that the finger did not move he returned
and nipped at it again. After he had
done this enough times to make that fin
ger tip uncomfortably sore, he got so in
quisitive that he actually held on to it,
I could feel a queer vibration as he ex
erted all his tiny but powerful muscles
to nip with all his strength; and when
the finger still failed to move, he put all
his legs around It and hitched himself up
on it until his" eyes ,and mouth were out
of the water. Then he saw me, and
dropped back- with a mighty splash.
The next day I put & bit of clam on
my finger tip and held it Just at the sur
face. Mr. Crab pounced at It, seized
the clam and dived to the bottom witn
his legs paddling frantically, just like
a boy who has broken a pane of glass and
is hustling away, not daring to look be
hind to sec If the pursuer la, close to him
or not.
After he had been brought to this pitch
it- seemed as if he would never grow any
tamer. He took the clam without hesi
tation, but ho always fled instantly the
moment It was In his claws. Day after
day I held it out to him. and day after
day he took it and fled.
After almost two weeks of this I placed
the clam on my finger In such a way that
It would be just above tho surface after
the finger-tip was In tho water. It re
quired only three attempts to induce the
crab to climb up and reach out of the
water' for the tidbit, Then I knew I had
him.
The next day the clam was a little
further out of the water, and again the
crab climbed up. The third .day I man
aged to make him climb almost entirely
out of tho water after the food.
On the fourth day I not only placed the
clam Jn such position on my finger that ho
would have to leave the wer entirely
to get It, but I pressed my thumb on j
one end of the pleco to hold It so that he
would have to pull at It, That frightened
him at first, and there was another de
mand on patience, but finally I had the
satisfaction of seeing him hold fast to
the finger with all his sharp legs white
he tore at the clam without trying to ske
daddle back Into the water. -
All the rest of the taming operation
was easy after that. It required only
great gentleness and care not to make
any sudden motions that might alarm
him.
About the time that the crab had grown
to be about as big as a half-dollar he was
so confident that no harm wojld come to
him that I was able to put my whole hand
Into the tank and he would swim up, climb
on It and eat whatever he found there for
him. '
At last he would Bit on my hands and
take the clam from the fingers of the
other hand, and when bis education had
progressed as far as that he may be said
to haVe been perfectly tame. Finally he
got so friendly that he would climb on my,
hand even when there was no food on It
During the time that I had him he shed
his shell about half a dozen times. This
was a wonderful operation. I could al
ways tell when he was ready to do It,
for he would make an elaborate hiding
place for himself a few days before tho
time.
When he was ready to shed tho first
thing that happened was that his- shell
would begin to split along the sides.
As his flesh bulged out from the openings,
tho split grew rapidly until the upper
shell was loose like a lid. The crab strug
gled vehemently to withdraw his legs
from the shell. Just like a fat man trying
to get out of a tight overcoat. Finally
he would fall on his back and kick and
fight until he worked himself quite loose.
Despite all contortions and wrltnlngs,
the shell would not be broken. After the
crab had crawled out It would be perfect,
even tho eye stalks being just as they
were while the crab was In It,
The upper shell always closed back
again on the lower, and five minutes after
the'' crab had emerged anybody looking
into the tank would have been deceived
into thinking that the discarded shell
was a live crab, sitting wickedly and
watchfully on tho bottom.
Many persons to whom I showed the
cast shell while It still lay In the tank
refused to believe that It was not a crab
until I fished It out. Tho crab's new shell
hardened on him within two days after
shedding the old one.
J. W. MULIER.
PICTURES TO PAINT
xo; 2.
That could be seen for many a mile.
It was a spectacle eo bright
AU folk were dazzled by the sight -If
you would show the glorious scene
Paint the balloon an. emerald green.
' The ropes around It were bright blue.
Pa's hat was red and ma's gloves, too.
In crimson coat and yellow hair
Andy was quite beyond compare..
Pa's coat was orange, and ma's hat
In rich pi cm color on her sat
Her dress was noble to behold
In white with little spots of gold.
So dressed up In the richest way, v
They went toward the moon that day.
SILAS HUTCH UNS' 'RESIGNATION
I
T was Silas Hutchlns" first day as
teacher of the East Paynvllle School.
He was a young man with an abiding
faith in Silas Hutchlns. an amazing lack
of tact and determination to rule the
school from the start He entered the
schoolhouse that' morning, a stranger to
most of the pupils, with a chip on his
shoulder.
Now. as It happened, they, wera willing
to start fair. As Jim Stebblns said to
Jason Fellows, "Let's size up the noo
teacher, an if he's half-way decent we'll
help him run the school and keep Ike in
order. But if he's a chump, he can. run
It himself, and we'll have a, hand In the
fun, too."
And Jason assented, with a secret hope
that Mr. Hutchlns would prove a chump.
They had been on the side of the late
schoolmaster, Jonathan Symonds, be
cause he had appealed to their better in
stincts; but Jason was perfectly willing
to give his better instincts a rest for this
term, and he hoped with all his heart that
Hutchlns would not come up to their
standard.
Silas Hutchlns had read numerous
stories about young men who had risen
to greatness, and who had gotten their
start by obtaining the mastery over un
ruly boys; but ho, did not know that plg
headedness la only distantly related to
force and cannot work the same results.
He rang the bell out of the school win
dow, and the children came hustling and
pushing in, a giggling, hearty lot
When they were seated he. rose and dis
closed the chip on his shoulder.
"Children," he said, "I have come to
this school to teach you an you ought to
learn, and I intend to do it" (Exchange
of glances between Jim and Jason.) "I
don't know how you feel about it, but I
intend to be master here. If you. all
obey me you will find that I am all right
and you'll enjoy your work, but I a
like to see a boy break a rule. I'd have
him out of here in a minute, and I'd
show him by the feeling of his palms
that there are two rulers in this school,
myself and this."
Here fie held up a ferule. He may
have meant to be Jocose, but he failed to
elicit a smile from a single pupil. "Now
we'll begin school, and, remember, no
monkey, business or you'll find that I'm
a pretty tough man to deal with."
A more injudicious speech never was
made by a young roan Just beginning a
career. At the start of It he had not an
enemy In tho school. At the close he
was an unpopular man.
The morning session passed without in
cident Jim and Jason were aching- to
show him that he wasn't master; but a
survival of the feeling that Mr. Symonds
had aroused in them kept them at their
tasks. And, for a wonder, Ike Roberts
behaved himself, whether through fear
or lack of opportunity It would be hard
to say.
He was a dull, heavy boy, with no am
bition and little wit He had been In
the district school for four years and had
learned In that time nothing that a
bright boy could not master In as many
months.
Few teachers had been able to do any
thing with him, and it is a question
whether It would not have been better for
his companions If ho had been ruled out
of school altogether. Mo3t farming com
munities boast of at least one such boy.
i dull of eye, coarse in feature, shambling
In gait, a coward and-a bully and a dis
turber of schoolroom peace.
Mr. Hutchlns had the teaching quality
and he was able to make the lessons In
teresting. With force added to his other
accomplishments he would havo been a
success. As it was, the. morning- passed
pleasantly.
At the afternoon session Mr. Hutchlns
was hearing the first class In reading.
Mabel Stillson stood up and read: "Pretty
soon those in the balcony heard the
sound of drums." This seemed to be the
cue for a roll of drums from the fingers
of Ike Roberts. Dub. dub. dub dub dub,
dub. dub, dub dub dub followed by the
bass drum (heavy heels on a loose board
under his desk).
Such an Impudent defiance of authority
could not have been passed over by any
teacher, and' Mr. Hutchlns, who had been
anxious to show the school that he was
BY CHARLES BATTELL LOOMIS
, ;
r
They -told, him about M little
master of it was secretly elated. "Sit
down," said he to Mabel. "Come up
here!" he called out to Ike.
Jim Stebblns. still somewhat swayed by
the lofty Ideals that Symonds had Im
planted, rose to his feet, intending to
give his moral support to the teacher.
Ike was no friend of his. He was fol
lowed by Jason, who rose for the same
reasons, but poor, misguided Mr. Hutch
lns mistook tho action for more mutiny,
and In a thunderous voice he roared:,
"Take your seats and fold your arms
until I have a chance to see you."
Jim and Jason wavered a moment and
then sat down hard, and the Impact broke
their loyalty to their teacher.
Ike walked up to tho desk with swaying
neck and a leering smile. He was not at
all abashed, for he felt himself a physical
match for the teacher. Mr. Symonds, the
late Instructor, bad been a small man, but
he had a way of saying things that ad
mitted no doubt of his intentions to
the minds of the most misguided,
and Ike had stood In awe of him, but this
loud-mouthed, man would be "dead easy."
"Hold out your hand, sir," said Mr.
Hutchlns. Ike held his hand out palm
down and wiggled his fingers, looking
over his shoulders at the other children
and grinning oaflshly. The wiggle was
followed by a giggle from the pupils.
"Sllencel" roared Mr. Hutchlns. "I will
bo master."
Then followed an exhibition, pitiable In
the extreme. Iko would not hojd his palm
up, and after vainly trying to make him.
Mr. Hutchlns brought tho ruler down on
his knuckles, as he supposed, but a turn
of the hand at the right moment saved
them and the ruler descended with some
forco on tho teacher's own knee.
A titter ran around the school, and the'
poor schoolmaster colored to the roots of
his hair. No man ever had better inten
tions than Silas, but he lacked tact to a
surprising degree, and now, Instead of
ejecting the mutinous pupil bodily from
the school, which act would have restored
his prestige for Ike was a muscular boy
he said petulantlly, "Go, stand In the cor
ner for a quarter of an hour." Of course
Ike refused, and Henry Martyn, a small,
delicate boy, aged seven, said under his
breath, "Good boy, Ike."
Mr. Hutchlns heard him and immedi
ately dropped Ike's case.
"What'd you say, sir?" said ho to Hen
ry. Henry immediately began to whim
per. "How dare you Incite rebellion, sir?
Go Into that closet and stay there until I
tell you you may come out"
Henry, a nervous, pallid, little lad.
obeyed with trembling legs. After he had
squeezed himself into the closet which
was pretty nearly filled with kindling?,
broken desks, stools and other rubbish,
Mr. Hutchlns locked the door arid said
triumphantly "I will be obeyed in my
own school."
Ike meanwhile had gone back to his
6eat where he sat with a malicious grin
on his loutish features. Jim leaned over
and whispered to Jason, who nodded his
head. Then he rose and said: "Mr.
Hutchlns, I like to be ruled by a man
that knows how to rule. The teacher we
WHAT RUTH SAW IN AN APPLE
JUST as the sun drops hl3 golden head
in the far West, Grandma Watkins.
seated in her arm chair by the window,
with her two grandchildren, Ruth and
baby Bonny, beside her, would talk over
the happenings of the day.
One twilight as grandma leaned back in
her chair, and cuddled Bonny, who sat in
her lap, close to her, Ruth from a stool
at their feet, said: "Oh! HowI wish I
were a poet"
"What "would you do?" asked grandma,
with a smile. Ruth's odd ways always
amused her.
"Well." answered the maiden, "I would
write about"
"People bringing"us candy and cookies,'
Bonny interrupted eagerly.
"Yes, yes," and Ruth kissed the little
interpreter, while grandma sadly smiled.
She could not help wishing that she was
able to get her children more luxuries.
It was all she could do to provide them
with plain, home comforts. They were
left orphans, suddenly, and, two years
ago, were brought into grandma's home.
"Yeil," continued the girl, "I would
write about an apple, make the story very
light and airy, and draw it well out on
paper as It Is In my mind. Perhaps, then,
people would rave over It," she cried.
"What would you say about the apple,
Dearie?" and grandma patted' the brown
hand resting' on her knee.
"Just this. I would compare it with
mankind. For Instance: The mother tree,
lightly kissed and caressed by the sun.
and Spring's wind, at last sends forth
tiny cradles of pink and white satin,
which we call the apple blossom.
"Then from out of the cradle, finally,
comes the baby apple, which Is a pale
green. So now the cradle is no more
needed, and the sunbeams, the fairies of
Spring, come In robes of silver, and with
their withering power, and the aid of
the gentle winds, scatter them. At last
the little green apple, tossed by the play
ful winds, bathed In Summer's dews, and
dried by the sun's rays, becomes a bright
and rosy color.
"Then wanders by a stranger, and see
ing it still clinging- to the mother-tree's
dress he plucks, it As our friend, the
'stranger, eats it he notices where the.
had before you made us boys mled. and
we respected him. Ha didn't try ta bully
rag us at all; but you ain't fit to govern,
a class, because you don't know how to
act yourself yet
"Now, me and Jason were groin' to help
you to keep order If you'd gone about it
fair and square. We're no friends ot Ike.
if he did get the best of you; but when
you shut up a little kid like Henry Martyn
fer whlsperln' I don't want to belong to
a school that's run that way, and If you
don't let Hen out me an Jason5 axe goln
to leave."
During this daring speech tho school
master's face was a study. He seemed to
be aware that he had failed, and at one
point he looked as If he were going to
own up that he was sorry, which at that
stage of the game would have been as
fatal as what followed; but his plg-head-edness
suddenly reasserted Itself, and
when Jim sat down he, said:
"I don't propose to be helped In the
running of this 'school by any one, and
I'll keep Master Martyn In that closet
until tomorrow if I see fit"
"Ob, all right" said Jim. "Then me
and Jason will take a vacation, and we'll
do you the favor to send for Hen's
father."
James and Jason then walked out ot
the schoolhouse together, A spirit of con
trariness controlled Ike for the rest of
the session. He did not care to be on
the sam sldo of the fence as hie two
enemies, and ho gave Mr. Hutching so
more trouble.
It was a stifling hot afternoon, and the
schoolmaster's conscience told him that
the small closet was no place for a dell
: cate chap like Martyn. but his muUshntss
would not let him open the door, and
class after class got up and recited, and;
still the little boy remained in his suffo-
eating prison.
School was generally dismissed at 3
o'clock, and ten minutes of that hour
Hiram Martyn. Henry's father, strode
Into the school. He had been haying
when Jim, on his way home, told him
of the punishment that had been meted
'out to his little son. He had also beer
made acquainted with the various inci
dents that had enlivened the session.
Hiram Martyn was a tall, smboth-sbav-en,
elderly man. He was one of the
trustees of the school. He walked up to
Mr. Hutchlns desk and said, "Where's
my son, Henry?"
"I had to shut him up in that closet
for disrespect.."
"Had to shut him up, did yer? Henry Is
a little terror, I know, although it's taken
you to discover It Now, just s'pose you
let him out"
Mr. Hutchlns replied with more dignity
than he had yet shown, "I'm teacher
here, Mr. Martyn, and I'll run the school
as I please. When school's over I'll let
Henry out; hot before."
Martyn compressed his lips and worked
his gnarled hands nervously. He glanced
at the clack. It wonted six minutes to
three.
"I don't know whether you know' It or
not, but I'm just about accustomed to
have my own way where my son is con
cerned. Tou let him out of that closet
before I count three or I'll make' kindling
wood of the door."
For answer Hutchlns Bat down in hl3
seat and called out "Third class in read
ing stand up." They had already been
through with their lesson, and in reality
the work of the day was over, but the
teacher wished to show Mr. Martyn that
he was not afraid of his threat
"Tou hear me!" said Martyn, striding
toward the closet door. "A man who
would shut up a poor little tyke like
Henry on a scorching day like this ain't
fit to teach hogs how to eat Now, will
you let him out or shall I break the
door down? One, two, three"
Silas Hutchlns made no sign that he
heard what the farmer was saying, and
In a moment Mr. Martyn's burly foot
shivered the light door, and with a tug
of his powerful arms he had pulled what
was left of it off its hinges and otlsclcsed
to view the senseless form of his little
son. The heat and the terror of the sit
uation had overcome him.
Martyn picked him up and strode out
to the pump with him. Dashes of cold
water from a half dozen, willing hands
for all the children had trooped out with
fno more thought of Hutchlns than If he
had not existed brought him around in a
few minutes.
Then Hiram Martyn went back to the
schoolroom and picked a pad from the
teacher's desk and wrote on it: "This
school is closed until further notice.
Hiram Martyn, Trustee."
This he pinned upon the front door.
Then he said: "Run out, children. I'm
sorry to have cut your schoolln' short,
but we'll probably open In a few days
with some one to run the school that
'knows how."
The children stood around, wlde
moutbed at the words. Hutchlns sat at
his desk. In a brown study. He was
wondering what to do next. But Mr.
Martyn decided the question for him.
"Young man," he said, "I've nothln.
agin you. I dare say you're good for
somethln', but from all accounts you ain't'
a leader of men, nor boys, neither, andj
I advise you to get some place wher;
you won't have no occasion to show,;
authority. Tour resignation is accepted.
life began at the stem, it is very sweet'
So are the dear little ones, as they first?
toddle from their satiny cradles.
"As the stranger bites deeper, he comes
upon the core, or heart and it Is either
sweet and juicy, or dry.and worm-eaten.
So is the baby, now grown to middle-age.
By that time, his character and seeds of
the past have ripened, and his disposition,
is either cold and hard or sweet and gen
tle. But the last bite Is, what we would.
call, a sourish one, and, so, is a person
grown aged. Aro not they generally sour'
and saj,dr Ruth brightly smiled.
"Ah, no, my child," quickly said grand
ma, "Tou do not quite speak the truth,
there. Old age is not always sour, as you
say, but bitter and yet sweet. Age is
made bitter by the troubles of the past
years, and. yet sweet by peace, who
places her kiss upon the aged, thus mak
ing age bitter-sweet"
"Ah. yes, it were better I changed it to
bitter sweet grandma, dear," and Hutu
sprang from her stool and throwing her
arms lovingly around the old lady's neck,
sealed a kiss beside that of Peace. "For
give me, dear. I should have known bet
ter, for you are not sour."
"Tou are but a child," she answered
gently, "And it would be far better it
you thought Ies3 of such things. But, see.
baby has fallen asleep. Tou had better
take her to bed"
"Tes," and Ruth obeyed.
Meanwhile, Grandma sat alone, in the
fast-gathering dusk, with her toil-worn
hands folded in her lap. She was thinking
of what Ruth had said. "Tes," she finally
murmured. "That would make a fine poem,
but It Is far better that the life of the
aged should be blltter sweet than sad and
sour," and grandma sighed.
Esther mhxer.
673 E Burnslde, Portland. Or.
Percy's Predicament.
Said Percy Hare. "I cannot bear
Upon the street my shoes to wear.
I mean I hato upon my feet
To wear my shoes when In the street
Or rather In my shoes I hato
To on the atreet pedestrlaoate!
Because you see my shiny shoes
Their perfect pristine polish lose'."
One -half of the German. Nation saSerstaa&r
naeic. .