The Seaforth News, 1924-11-13, Page 7r
ONE AUTUIVIN NIGHT.barn was burned, Hilt something ran
It was a dark, chilly October. night,' ;',aster than they,
and one single, bright star was shin -1' Each time the, terrible noise sound-
ing in at the chamber window where ed nearer than before, and soon they
Charlie and Will -Rogers were ,sup could .plainly hear. the rapid steps
posed to be wrapped in the healthful, of the somethingthat was pursuing
innoce.tt sleepofboyhood. - them.
But for more than an hour Charlie' "Climb a tree, Charlie,". gasped
laud been; gazing at that twinkling ,will; who felt that he could not keep•
star, that seemed to wink'knowingly that headlong pace much longer.
back at him, and his thoughts were "Yes—come l". replied Charlie, as
very, very Busy all the while, the noise sounded not thirty feet be -
And considering the fact that .hind then;: ' "
Charlie was a well-bred lad, those e ', ,,;.
thoughts were very strange ones. Fin- 1 Dalt ng across the ditch, they
ally he flung the quilts aside 'and''„grasped at the low bonghs of the first.
turned over to wake Will, with an tree they came to ,and luckily, each
energetic piiach- chose 'the' same tree, -a low -limbed
"0 -o -oh!” said Will, now wide spruce, among whosedense' green
.awake, branches they soon sat an safety. `
"I say, Willy Do you like honey?" "Will it go by?. Can it 'climb?"
"Of course I do." questioned Will, as he hugged the
"Do'gou ;Vaca some?" - trunk of the tree:
"ILIhouldn'tobject." No, it did not go lay.' Dn'the con -
"Letts get it then;' • 'teary, it stopped directly under the
Where. spruce; and sent forth another 'awful
"From old' John Alton's 'apiary. rear, or screech, the'boys did not kilo*
There's lots: there: I'saw at to -day which to which to
wheriI Carried; lila saw home He:was ;.But it did not climb:: It was con -
et webk among the bees:- He's taken ,tet y., watch at the foot of .the:tree,
th6 most of it away,:'but there's: lets now and then making that a ideous
left" •noise to let- them know ;that it was
"You wouldn't - steal; •Ohaahe"•------waiting, -
"You don't"sup-pose he'd 'give us "What time do yeiiaupp'se .lt'is7"
any, do` you, Will?. He's tecetin .for said Charlie':' "
that. Head 'never �-. at lash. The,rnb
r mass what rattle uP, what little triols ;slot it. •S'
we'd;thke, and' it. isn't `so`bad-'to take you can tell what kind ef-a'beiiat'It is,
anything from; him. , He'e an old, akin -1 Will. It's; n yepnb side Of the tree
flint,. anyhow." , • Will cautienely `cre t out en a large
„ ,t I p g
Oh, Charlie. As if stealing wasn't lamb and looked -downward. � " t" s
stealing, no. matter. who, W4 .bilk-. it,•1 in ' I wa
.. _ }' g quietly at the -foot. of the tree—
from!" he could tell that' much; but he- was
"Well- anyhow, lI'm' going, to have quite' certain that he had never seen
anything like it,
Arid'Oliariie' e.• t' „
b gen ,:,feeling`' tole , '`'EIoW large, is it?" asked Charlie.
his clothes,— "Larger than old, 'Brittle,' and you
"Of course I'm with. you�, Charlie. I ;Into* .lie weighs. most .,.hundred and
want some honey 'as bad as yen do; fifty . pounds.. Maybe—oh, ,; Charlie!
but It doesn't seem just right!'__..._. I maybe it's. -.an • `Indian' devil.' .:Tom
"We-,won't.take but alittle;<and noi.jenes says that theywillmever climb
one will be the wiser. Don't make any a tree their 'intended prey isl�in. Is
noise. Colne: on!' ..„ it—oli, Charlie, is, it?" '
It is: stra'n 'e ho ' 'A
g w� each individual nd Wih'shooiC ith fright as ball
stain will groan, and ,ever .door will as he had done ' Y
Y <, writ .the cold.
utter a moaning _protest, in 'the still- Imo-don't-knew�I'm sure" ens-
ness of night loud 'enough to' awaken wered Charlie;•very tremulous) "I
the soundest sleeper. The boys never wish we'd never thought of co ing—
had theright,ef it before. ,;In faot, this that is, I WWII hadn't. You viveraho
was their first nocturnal raid. to blame, fol• I aciaXed yon," • t
'Down the stairs they crept, catching "No, ,you"didn't ;Char`IiA," averred
their breath as a stair creaked louder Will, ,eagerly, ready to.beer his share
than 'usual under, their -cautious foot- of the blame. "f, needn't have .come
steps, and 'beached itis 'kitchen door in, if I �hadn :t a ,mind to. But.I wish
without' disturbing the deep snering we were at home, and I never, never'll
that came from the bed'xoom where ge to steal 'again," groaned. the poor
Mr. Rogers and'liia geed wife were
peacefully slumbering,.uneonscious of
the fact,, that their sons' . footsteps
were straying. into forbidden paths.
' Suddenly there was -a break in the
sonorous sounds, a hush, the door
creaked' loudly as it WAS'slowly open-
ed by Will's hand, and there father's
voice WAS heard; ..:..
"tiVlro s there?"
" Quick now,•, Charlie!" whispered Slowly e, e' darkness gave way to
Will; as he slipped through the small the gray dawn, the weird, fantastic
space, not daring- to open the door shapes around them took familiar
further. form in'the-rosy 'daylight, ,that was.
They tiptoed through the woodshed. never half as welcome before. :
anc'i` ,ill;