diff options
Diffstat (limited to '59065-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 59065-0.txt | 3256 |
1 files changed, 3256 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/59065-0.txt b/59065-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..845f101 --- /dev/null +++ b/59065-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3256 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59065 *** + + + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: HARPER'S ROUND TABLE] + +Copyright, 1896, by HARPER & BROTHERS. All Rights Reserved. + + * * * * * + +PUBLISHED WEEKLY. NEW YORK, TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1896. FIVE CENTS A COPY. + +VOL. XVII.--NO. 878. TWO DOLLARS A YEAR. + + * * * * * + + + + +[Illustration] + +AT THE TURN OF THE TIDE. + +BY W. G. VAN TASSEL SUTPHEN. + + +Jack Howard looked with some perplexity at the letter which he had just +received from his chum Fred March. The latter had been spending a month +of the long vacation at his uncle's, on the northern sea-coast, and that +good-natured relative had been kind enough to suggest that the house was +quite large enough to entertain Jack also. Hence the letter embodying +the invitation, together with an earnest request that Jack should come +by the earliest train on Monday morning. That was plain enough, besides +being entirely satisfactory; but there was something else, a postscript, +and this was the puzzle over which Jack was knitting his brows: + +"I'm not to bring my bicycle, since the country roads are too sandy for +good riding; but I must send on at once the three bicycle wheels stored +in the loft of the machine-shop, together with half a dozen heavy coil +springs, as per the enclosed specifications of the foreman of the shop. +Well, what on earth--for it can't be a flying-machine--is Fred up to +now?" + +But the letter vouchsafed no further information upon the mystery, and +Jack's duty was clearly to obey and ask no questions. Evidently Fred had +some new idea, and that meant fun ahead--possibly an adventure. And so +the commission was executed upon the spot, and Jack saw that the box +was shipped early on Friday morning by the fast freight. It should be +delivered to Fred at Agawam Beach by Monday, and Jack would be there +himself that evening. + +"It's a rattling good place for sailing and blue-fishing, and all that +sort of thing," said Fred, on that Monday night, as the two boys left +the house for a stroll down to the beach. "Uncle Win has let me knock +about the bay in his little sloop--there she is at the pier, the white +one, with the red at her water-line--and he says that I've picked it up +as though I had been christened with salt-water. Sailing is nailing good +fun. But look there!" + +The ten-mile stretch of Agawam Beach lay before their eyes, just around +the point that jutted out to form Half-Moon Bay. It was dead low tide, +and the beach sloped so gradually that the receding water had left a +wide floor of hard glistening sand, smooth and firm as a macadam road. + +"I should think you could wheel along that easily enough," said Jack. + +"So you can, and people often drive up to Cape Fear, ten miles off; they +even have trotting matches when the county fair is on. I don't believe +there's another beach like it in the world. But my idea will beat +bicycling and sulky driving out of sight if it works, and I think it +will. We'll go on now and take a look at the 'Jolly Sandboy'." + +"The what?" began Jack; but Fred only laughed, and led the way to the +boat-house. + +It was a mysterious-looking creation that occupied the centre of the +floor. The body of the machine was a skeleton frame-work of hard-wood +strongly braced and bolted together, with a shallow-floored box at the +acute angle. The centre timber bisected this acute angle and the base, +and projected a few feet beyond. The bicycle wheels were attached to and +supported the frame-work at the three corners, the one at the apex being +pivoted so that it could be turned by a tiller in any direction. Just +forward of the base-line, or what corresponds to the runner-plank in an +ice-yacht, was a chock that was evidently intended for the reception of +a mast, the end of the centre timber serving as a bowsprit, steadied by +wire guys that ran to either extremity of the runner-plank. It was +certainly original in design and appearance, and Jack Howard examined it +with respectful curiosity. + +"And what do you call it?" he inquired again. + +"A 'beach-comber,'" said Fred. "The principle of an ice-yacht, you know, +but with wheels instead of runners, for use on the hard sand at low +tide. There was just one thing that bothered me in the way of practical +detail, and that was how to provide for the heeling over in a strong +breeze or a sudden flaw. You know that when the sails fill, as an +ordinary boat, she lies over, and it is her keel or centreboard that +keeps her from drifting to leeward. In an ice-yacht the sharp runners +keep her up, but there must be some sideways yielding to the force of +the wind, and so an ice-boat rears--that is, one runner lifts free of +the ice, and thereby takes off the strain. Otherwise you must either +luff or be capsized. But with beach-sailing this rearing would probably +throw too much weight on the leeward wheel, causing it to sink into the +sand, and perhaps stop her way altogether. The sand is fairly hard when +wet, but it can't be so unyielding as ice. I was just about to give it +up, when I happened to recollect a wrinkle that the Dutchmen use in +their ice-yachts on the Zuyder Zee. In their boats the mast is pivoted +in the chocks, and consequently the sail and all lie over under the +strain. When a squall strikes a fleet of Dutch ice-yachts it looks +exactly as though you had winged a whole covey of partridges. It must be +safer than our American plan, but of course you lose in speed. The +difficulty in my mind was to understand how the mast would come up again +to its proper position; but that's always the way with the people who +write books--they never tell you clearly the one little thing that is +absolutely necessary for a fellow to know to understand what they are +describing. So I had to work it out for myself." + +"This must be where the coil springs come in," said Jack, with sudden +perception. + +"Exactly. The mast is to be stayed by wire guys, each one ending in a +coil spring attached to the extremities of the runner-plank. Of course +we'll have to experiment to see just how many are needed on each side to +give her the best results in the way of stiffness. We don't want her +lying down at every little puff, or we would never go ahead at all. +Neither must she stand up like a church, for something has got to give +way when a squall hits her. We'll set up the mast and give the 'Jolly +Sandboy' a trial trip the first thing to-morrow morning." + +There is little to add to Fred's description, except to say that the +wheels were rather different from the ordinary bicycle type. They had +been built by Mr. March while he was experimenting on the "Happy +Thought," and the two forward ones were twenty-four inches in diameter, +while the rear wheel was but twenty inches. Moreover, the spokes were of +hickory, and the tires were enormous--four inches in diameter, and of +very heavy material. Even in soft sand they would cut in but little, and +the spokes, being of hard-wood covered with water-proof varnish, would +not be subject to rust and corrosion from the salt air and water. Of +course the hubs were fitted with the usual ball-bearing. The sail plan +of the "beach-comber" was that of a sloop, as being the easiest to +handle, and the pivoted rear wheel acted as the rudder. + +The boys, after a little experimenting with the coil springs of the +standing rigging, were delighted to find that the "Jolly Sandboy" would +really go. Of course there was no such thing as tacking; and, indeed, +the "beach-comber's" best point of sailing was with the wind on the beam +or on the quarter. As we all know from our physical geographies, the +prevailing wind at the sea-shore is off the ocean during the daytime, +and consequently favorable to the "Jolly Sandboy." Moreover, the gentle +downward slope of the beach, as opposed to the direction of the wind, +helped to keep her on an even keel. The speed was not very high, but it +was nevertheless great sport to race along the edge of the breakers, and +an occasional ducking from an extra big comber only gave the true salt +flavor. It was hardly practicable to sail except when the tide was going +out or on the half flood, and the best time was when it was dead low, as +so much more of the level beach was then available. Fred generally +occupied the cockpit and did the steering, while Jack stood on the +weather runner-plank and held on to the shrouds, as is the custom in +ice-yachting. + +The "Jolly Sandboy" had been in commission for a week, and the boys had +become fairly expert in her management. On this particular afternoon +they had made the ten-mile run up to Cape Fear, and the conditions were +so favorable for "beach-combing" that Jack proposed that they should go +on past the cape for a mile or two before beginning the homeward +journey. Now between Cape Fear and Cape Thunder, a mile further on, was +a peculiar formation of the coast-line known as Shut-in Bay. It was +surrounded on all sides by precipitous cliffs, unscalable from below, +and at high water it was entirely cut off from the rest of the beach by +the rocky projections of Capes Fear and Thunder. It was a dangerous trap +in which to be caught by the tide, for at ordinary high water there were +only two or three small ledges to which one might climb for safety, and +even then the thoughtless adventurer would have to remain a prisoner +until the ebb. At the time of the spring tides, twice in the month, even +these precarious places of refuge were under water, and the only chance +of a rescue was in being seen by a passing fishing-smack and taken off +by boat. Fred was well acquainted with the dangerous character of the +place, and he looked a trifle dubious when Jack proposed going on. + +"But it's only a mile across to Cape Thunder, and it's not low water yet +for an hour," insisted Jack. "I've got the table here in my pocket; I +cut it out of last week's _Guardian_." + +The table, compiled from the government observations, gave low water for +four o'clock at Agawam, which would make it half past four at Cape +Thunder. Fred looked at his watch and saw that it was just half past +three. Certainly there was a plenty of time to run on for two or three +miles, and then get back beyond the danger-point before the tide was +fairly on the flood. Fred hauled in the sheet, and the "Jolly Sandboy" +plunged forward. + +Well, perhaps they had gone a little further than they intended, and the +tide had certainly turned when they started homeward. But the wind was +fresh, and Fred kept the "Jolly Sandboy" close to the water's edge, +where the sand was the firmest. Every now and then a big wave would +break ahead of them, and shoot a wide tongue of white crackling foam +athwart the bows of the "beach-comber." But there was no time to make +détours, and it was glorious fun, these short, sharp dashes through an +acre of shallow water, with the wash filling the cockpit, and the salt +spray flying over the head of the mainsail. Finally Cape Thunder loomed +up ahead, and ten minutes later the "Jolly Sandboy" had swept around the +point, and was ploughing across the treacherous Tom Tiddler's ground of +Shut-in Bay. + +It must have been a piece of broken bottle, but whatever the cause, the +tire of the lee bearing-wheel had suddenly gone flat. It was impossible +to proceed; but was there time to repair the damage and yet get around +Cape Fear? Fred glanced at his watch. The tide looked as though it were +coming in very fast; but the tide-table was authoritative, and the water +would not be up to the cape until about half past five o'clock. It was +now exactly five by Fred's watch, which would give a margin of at least +twenty minutes. If they could repair the puncture in ten they could +easily get clear. Otherwise they might be obliged to desert the "Jolly +Sandboy," and save themselves by running. Fred shoved his watch back +into his pocket, seized the repair kit, and went to work at the injured +tire. + +It was a good job and quickly done. Certainly not more than five minutes +had elapsed when Jack took the pump to blow her up. But surely the water +was rising faster than ever. And what was that? A sparkle of foam on the +black rocks at the base of Cape Fear! It could not be more than ten +minutes past the hour; they still had fifteen minutes to spare, and Fred +pulled out his watch again. + +_The hands still pointed to exactly five o'clock._ + +With one jump Fred was at Jack's side, and had snatched the pump from +his slower hands. How many of the lost minutes had there been since his +watch had stopped? Five, ten, fifteen, twenty, or was it but a question +of seconds? They were midway between the capes, and it was half a mile +to safety. An instant later and the tire was full again. But beyond a +doubt there could be but little time to spare. Already the big racers +were tossing their white manes against the dark background of the cruel +black rocks that formed Cape Fear; and now, too late, Fred recollected +that it was a spring tide that was coming to the flood, and one of the +highest of the year. Faster and faster the "Jolly Sandboy" drove along, +but now it was certainly a question of seconds. A hundred yards away and +there was still a narrow strip uncovered at the base of the cape. If +they could reach it just after a third wave had gone back they might +squeeze through. There came the first breaker, and the "Jolly Sandboy" +had gained another twenty yards. The second broke close under the reef, +sending a fountain of spray over the rocks and high into the air. The +third and largest was slow in coming, and the "Jolly Sandboy" was close +to the gap. Fred had made a slight miscalculation in timing his speed, +and it was now a question of whether to stop and wait for the backwater +or to race the third wave for the one chance of going clear. There was +no time to weigh the odds, and on tore the "Jolly Sandboy." For an +instant it looked as though they would make it; and then with a sudden +roar the long smooth green wall of water seemed to fall forward at +double its former speed, and took the ground just this side of the cape. +The "Jolly Sandboy," quivering at every rivet, came to a stop as the +surge swept over her. The mainsail caught the full force of a ton of +salt water, and the mast went over the side, snapping the weather +ratlines as though they had been made of tow. It was a matter of hardly +two seconds, and the "Jolly Sandboy" was a wreck. + +It was a hard pull to get clear, but Fred and Jack finally managed to +drag the "beach-comber" back to safer ground. Safer, but for how long? +Already the strip of sand had entirely disappeared at the foot of Cape +Fear, and a full fathom of salt water was boiling and eddying among the +jagged rocks. It would take some ten or twelve minutes for the water to +finally cover the beach of Shut-in Bay, and then what? The ledges to +which they might climb could only save them at ordinary high water, and +at this the highest of the spring tides they would be covered six feet +deep. The overhanging cliff offered no way of escape, and not a boat was +in sight. Like drowned rats in a trap. But no! the thought was too +horrible. There must be some way. There was the mast! Could it not be +set up again, and its broken guys spliced with the mainsheet? It was a +stout stick, some eleven feet in length, and the rise of the water would +be less than ten. The jaws of the gaff would afford a foothold--a +precarious one, it is true, but still a chance to keep their heads above +water. + +With desperate eagerness the "Jolly Sandboy" was run up close to the +cliff and the sail unbent. With the water already boiling about their +knees the boys worked on. And then Fred did a peculiar thing. With a +rapid cut of his knife he severed the stay which had just been spliced, +and the mast fell over again. Seizing a hatchet, he knocked out the pin +that pivoted the stick in the chocks, and let the mast drift away. Jack +looked at him in speechless dismay. + +"Too much dead weight," said Fred, coolly. "Don't you see that those big +tires filled with air are really life-preservers, and with the wooden +frame-work they make a very decent raft?" + +And so it turned out. The raft, though deep in the water, still +supported them; and a quarter of an hour later the steam-trawler _Alice_ +came along and took them on board. + +"Well," said Fred, as they walked up to Uncle Win's, wet and weary but +safe, "you can't deny that the 'Jolly Sandboy' is a good all-around +machine. She carried us on land and saved us in the water; what more do +you want?" + +"I think," said Jack, softly, as he snuffed up the grateful odors from +the kitchen, "that I should like a piece of that fried bluefish." + + + + +AMERICAN CAGE BIRDS. + +BY JAMES STEELE. + + +The rules for keeping cage birds well and happy are few. Cleanliness is +the first requisite; then temperance in feeding, fresh air, and +exercise, in the order mentioned. But these rules should be followed +with care and intelligence if you would keep your birds in good +condition. + +Some people have an idea that all that you have to do is to get a bird, +put it into a cage, and give it food and water as directed. This is very +far from being enough. The habits of your bird must be studied; the +climate of the room in which it lives, the amount of daylight which it +should enjoy, the atmosphere which it breathes, its freedom from sudden +alarms, all have to be considered if you wish your bird to be happy, and +without happiness there is little chance of its being a pleasant +companion. + +Canaries are not included in this article, because they are bred in +captivity, and have inherited the capacity for living in cages. + +In a state of nature small birds flit about and sing only during +daylight, and they always retire to rest at sundown. You must look out +for this if you keep your birds in cages. They do not understand that +they had better keep silent after the lamps are lighted. They +instinctively keep on singing, as if it were still daylight. The +immediate effect of this is that the birds become over-fatigued; they +are apt to moult, grow thin, suffer from exhaustion, and quickly perish. +The cage should be removed to a darkened room at nightfall; or, if this +is not convenient, cover up the cage with a dark cloth before lighting +the lamps. In covering the cage care should be taken so to arrange the +cloth that the bird can have plenty of air. In removing birds from one +room to another it is important to see that there is no change in +temperature. If removed to a different temperature there is a strong +chance that they will begin to moult, which generally leads to something +serious. Remember that Nature supplies a coat to suit heat or cold in +which her creatures are placed, and that sudden and frequent changes in +temperature are a severe tax upon a bird's vitality. + +The object in the construction of a bird's cage should be to furnish +plenty of light and air, and the cage should always be kept perfectly +clean. It is well to have a night covering of dark cloth, which should +cover the top of the cage and extend half-way down the sides, as many +birds are likely to take cold. + +It is almost impossible to rear woodpeckers and fly-catchers, for they +live on a special kind of food, such as grubs and other insects, seldom +touching seeds and fruit; and there are some birds that it is +exceedingly difficult to keep in a small confined space. + +Birds of the thrush variety--and this of course includes robins and +blackbirds--are hardy and docile pets, and will live in a cage with +_varied_ food from seven to ten years. The principal disease to which +they are subject is consumption, and this should be guarded against with +care. Of the thrushes, the robin finds it most difficult to accustom +himself to cage life, and in the spring, at pairing-time, he usually +pines for freedom. I cannot bear to see robins caged, although many +people have succeeded in keeping them happy and contented. + +All of the finches, birds of the mocking-bird type, which includes the +cat-bird, will thrive well in cages. + +Birds should not be taken when too young, as they are likely to sicken +and die; but if caught about the time the pin-feathers begin to show +they will generally live. At this time it is necessary to feed them +almost constantly, and they will devour more than their own weight in +food every day. + +The mocking-bird is by all odds the best American cage bird. The best +food for a young mocking-bird is thickened meal and water, or meal and +milk, mixed occasionally with tender fresh meat, minced fine. Young and +old birds require berries of various kinds, such as cherries, +strawberries, etc. Any kind of wild fruit of which they are fond is good +for them, but this should not be given too freely. A few grasshoppers, +beetles, and other insects, which may easily be obtained, as well as +gravel, are also necessary. + +The mocking-bird can easily be taught a tune, as can the cat-bird, +which, despite his cat-call--generally a cry of warning or distress--is +one of the sweetest singers among our common birds. + +Finches are very bright and animated, and make very desirable pets. They +may be taught many amusing tricks. They will learn to fire small cannons +and imitate death. They may be taught to draw up their food and water in +a little bucket by means of a fine chain. + +Of the finches, the bullfinch is probably the best cage bird. It can be +taught to whistle a tune. This is done by keeping it in a dark room, and +admitting light only at intervals. Every time the light is let into the +room you should whistle one air to it, over and over again. Soon it will +pick up a few notes, and often will be able to whistle the whole tune in +a very short time. The bullfinch is not indigenous to America, although +we have many varieties of finches, and some that closely approach those +native to England; but bullfinches can be purchased at any bird-store. + +Finches should be fed chiefly on poppy and hemp seed--the first to be +given as its usual food. Now and then some unflavored biscuit may be +given them, but they should never be fed on sweetened cake. + +Game-birds and birds that build their nests on the ground almost never +breed in captivity. Birds that are enemies when in their natural state +will live together contentedly in a cage. + +In regard to the feeding of birds, it may be stated in a general way +that birds with short triangular bills, like the finches, live on seeds +or some form of vegetable food entirely, and never require any meat. +Birds with long slender bills, like the thrushes, mocking-birds, crows, +etc., require animal as well as vegetable food, while birds with long +hooked bills, like hawks or gulls, live on a diet entirely of meat. The +reason that the birds in the bird-stores are always in such good health +is because the bird-fancier understands how to feed them, and varies +their diet as their condition demands. + +The importance of giving a bird plenty of water, both to drink and in +which to bathe, cannot be overestimated. Birds suffer frightfully from +thirst when neglected, and as they have no power to express their wants, +they often go for hours unheeded, when a little thoughtful attention +would give them relief. Care should always be taken to see to it that +their water-cup is filled, and that it does not become twisted to one +side or the other so that the bird cannot reach it. + + + + +MORRO CASTLE. + +BY T. R. DAWLEY, JR. + + +After Columbus discovered Cuba the island seems to have been forgotten +by the Spaniards, who bent all their efforts to explore and colonize the +neighboring island of Haiti, to which they gave the name of Hispaniola, +meaning pertaining to Spain or "Spanish land." Although the rising +promontory of Cape Mayzi could be discerned on a clear day from the +coast of Hispaniola, it was not until nearly twenty years after Columbus +had made his memorable discovery that Diego, his son, determined to +conquer and settle the island of Cuba. Diego Columbus was then Governor +of Hispaniola, and under his orders Captain Valazquez disembarked with +300 men on the eastern coast of Cuba and founded the city of Baracoa. +Then the Spaniards crawled around to the south and founded Santiago, +which they made their capital, and then followed in quick succession the +cities of Trinidad, Bayamo, Puerto Principe, Sancti Spiritus, and +Remedios. + +In 1515 the colonists founded a city near the present site of Batabanó, +to which they gave the name of Habana, but the marshy land of the +southern coast proved a very undesirable place for such a city as they +intended to build. Proceeding to the north about thirty miles, they +crossed the island and came to a beautiful little bay, surrounded by +hills on one side and a stretch of flat land on the other. The bay +resembled a huge bowl, with only just one narrow outlet into the sea +where the two points of land almost met--the ridge of rock on one side +and the flat land on the other. A more delightful nook for a city could +not have been hit upon, so the new city of Havana was transplanted from +its original site on the south coast to the shore of the bowl-like bay +on the north. + +[Illustration: A SPANISH TRIAL IN MORRO CASTLE.] + +Captain Velazquez was enthusiastic over his new city, and cutting loose +from the Governor of Hispaniola he set up a government of his own. He +made rapid strides in subjugating the peaceful inhabitants, whom he +allowed to be treated with great cruelty, and Habana soon rose to be a +city of importance. To protect it from any probable invasion from the +sea, a fort was built on each of the points of land which nearly met, +forming the narrow entrance to the bay. The one constructed on the city +side of the bay was called La Punta. Upon the rocks on the opposite side +was built the famous El Morro, which, in the Spanish language, is called +a castle. + +In 1762 the English sailed into the bay in spite of these forts, and +took possession of Havana, which they held for nearly a year. After the +English went away the Spanish government ordered the forts to be +rebuilt, and neither money nor labor was spared to make them +impregnable. By the construction of the forts an immense amount of money +was put into circulation, which necessarily contributed to the +development of many industries. + +As the traveller approaches Havana to-day the old castle walls are the +most curious thing which greets him, for within those walls has +originated many a story of suffering, cruelty, and barbarism. As you +gaze upon those walls a ship's officer may stand by your side and tell +you, as he points to the towering light-house, a sad story of how the +builder of that light--an Englishman, I believe he was--so pleased his +Spanish masters that they, jealous that he might impart the secret of +his work to his countrymen or build for them another such light, +confined him in one of the dungeons and put out his eyes. + +When I sailed by that huge fortress for the first time, and a +fellow-passenger jokingly pointed out a little square window which he +designated as opening into my future cell, I did not think how near his +prophecy would be realized. But El Morro is not designed to hold +criminals. By criminals I mean men who have sinned against their +fellow-beings, men who have robbed and murdered--in fact, have not lived +up to the golden rule to do unto others as they would have others do +unto them. But men, and even boys, who are suspected of not being in +favor of Spain's rule in the island of Cuba, these are called political +prisoners, and Morro awaits them. And so I became a political prisoner +too. And not till I was finally bound by the arms and marched before +soldiers, who held me by a rope as though I was some sort of +domesticated animal, did I remember that little window in Morro's walls, +and wonder if that really was going to be the prison-barred window from +which I could watch the ships bound home. But no; they put me in a cell +with sixteen Cubans, who one and all greeted me as though I were a +friend come to bring them news and consolation. I did see the other side +of that little window, however, and that was when they took me before +the judge and gave me a trial. + +[Illustration: MORRO CASTLE.] + +The Spanish have a queer way of trying folks, according to our notion. +They do not take you into a big court-room full of people, where there +is a judge and a jury and a prosecuting attorney, and where your +accusers are brought before you and made to tell all they know, and if +they tell something they don't know, you have the right to question them +and prove that they are not telling the truth. But they send you into a +little room, where a prosecuting officer examines you all by himself, +and a soldier writes down what you say. And then your trial becomes +something like a simple sum in arithmetic. Some one must swear that you +have done wrong, and then if you get one witness besides yourself who +swears that you did not commit the wrong, then your two statements count +against the government's one, and so it goes. If the government produces +six witnesses you must produce seven; and then again the officer who +takes you into the little room is very powerful, for a great deal +depends upon just how he makes out the papers in your case, and he has a +hand very susceptible to Spanish gold. So it becomes very easy for a +suspect to get off (if he is given a trial), and the government knows +this; so instead of giving their political prisoners a trial, unless +they are sure of convicting them, they keep them shut up in Morro +Castle. They gave me a trial because our government at Washington +demanded it, and as by their simple methods they were unable to find out +what I had been doing, they were obliged to let me go. + + + + +ODD INDIAN SPORTS. + +BY M. W. GIBSON. + + +It is not of bows and arrows that I wish to tell in this paper, nor of +lacrosse and shinny--games of Indian origin with which most boys are +familiar--but of other sports with which our copper-colored friends +amuse themselves, and which, I presume, few readers have witnessed. + +_Spinning Stones._--This is a sport that, as a youth, I often watched +the boys of the Winnebago tribe play upon the frozen surface of +Wisconsin lakes and rivers. A number of smooth stones, usually three, as +round as could be found, and about the size of hens' eggs, were placed +in a bunch on the smooth ice. A whip, made of two or three buckskin +thongs fastened to a handle three feet long, was swung slowly and +brought down upon the ice with a gentle swish, so that the lashes might +curl round the stones. + +Then a swift, deft jerk, so delicately applied as not to scatter the +stones, sent them spinning. When once the stones commenced to rotate, +the swing and the jerk were gradually quickened, growing faster and +faster, until the two motions became merged in one, and the player +settled down to a steady stroke that made the stones hum like so many +tops. These Indian lads could keep a bunch of stones spinning like this +for ten minutes at a time, without allowing one of them to get away. I +used to think they must have inherited their skill in this sport, for I +could never acquire the art, though I tried a hundred times. + +I could start the stones spinning easily enough, but before they fairly +began to hum one or two, if not the whole three, would whiz off, each in +its own direction, beyond the reach of my whip. + +The sport seems to require a peculiar drawing stroke of the whip that I +could never acquire. + +_The Snow-dart._--Another sport, in which I approached a little nearer +to the skill of these same Indian boys, was that of throwing the +snow-dart. The dart was a perfectly straight piece of hickory about five +feet long, made three-cornered, and rounded up at one end. It was about +an inch wide and half as thick, and was thrown with the flat side up. It +had to be made with the greatest care and polished as smooth as glass. +It was always a marvel to me how the Indians, with no other tools than a +hatchet and knife, could make these little hickory flyers so perfectly. +It was wonderful, too, to see how far these Winnebago youths could send +one of them. Selecting a level stretch of snow, as upon a frozen river +or lake, and where the surface was somewhat hardened by thawing and +freezing, the players would stand at a great distance apart. One of them +would take the dart by its middle, lightly balance it between his thumb +and the two first fingers, and with a strong underhand throw launch the +shaft toward his opponent. + +If the snow was just soft enough to allow the sharp under edge of the +dart to sink slightly into its surface, and thus hold it straight upon +its course, then the sport was at its best. + +_The Grass Game of the Digger Indians of California._--I first saw it +played in the Russian River Valley, a great hop-growing region, where, +at the close of the picking season, these Indians, to the number of two +or three hundred, gather to feast upon watermelons and other good +things, and to indulge in pony-races, foot-races, wrestling-matches, +shinny, and other games for several days in succession. I had hard work +to make my way through the crowd that pressed around a large circular +enclosure made of tall willow bushes stuck in the ground where the game +was going on. The players, four in number, were men grown, and squatted +on their knees, two on one side of the enclosure, facing the other two +on the opposite side. On a third side, and equally distant from both +sets of players, sat the umpire. Each player had a little pile of dry +grass in front of him; but only the two on one side made use of the +grass at the same time, for the game is but an elaborate form of "hide +the pencil" that every school-boy is quite familiar with, and while the +players on one side did the hiding those on the other did the guessing. + +To begin the game the player takes a little round stick about +three-quarters of an inch in diameter, sharpened at each end, and about +two inches and a half long. This he holds up in plain view of his +opponent on the opposite side of the enclosure, whose keen eyes follow +every movement as the player takes up handful after handful of the grass +in front of him and winds it about the stick until he has formed a ball +perhaps as large as his head. During this performance the player works +himself into a frenzy of excitement, and makes all manner of frantic +endeavors to "rattle" his adversary. Twisting and squirming about, he +bends his body in all sorts of contortions. Time and again he pretends +to pluck the little stick out of the ball he is forming, and hide it +under a knee or a foot. He tosses the ball high in the air, then from +hand to hand, then into the air again, and catches it behind his back. +Now his chant is low and soft, his movements slow and measured; then +higher and higher he pitches his voice, and faster and faster become his +motions, until one can scarcely see his hands as they dart about in a +cloud of flying grass. + +Presently, at a signal from the umpire, he drops the ball of grass in +front of him, and holds his closed hands behind his back. + +Slowly his adversary extends his left arm as if grasping a bow, and +raising his bent right arm to the level of his eye, as if drawing an +arrow upon an imaginary enemy, with the forefinger of his left hand he +points to the exact spot in which he expects to find the little stick. +Every breath is hushed, and a deathlike silence prevails as he points +steadily for a moment, then lets his right hand fly back against his +chest with a hollow thud, as if he had let fly an arrow. + +With a wild yell, in which every spectator joins, the player then +produces the little stick--from the ball of grass, from under a knee or +a foot, or from one of his closed palms, as the case may be. If he has +been cunning enough to deceive the sharp eye of his opponent, the stakes +are his; but if the guesser correctly locates the stick, the umpire +throws to him the string of wampum, or whatever the stake may be. The +sticks are then thrown across to the opposite players, and the game goes +on. + + + + +THE VOYAGE OF THE "RATTLETRAP." + +BY HAYDEN CARRUTH. + +III. + + +Our first night in the Rattletrap passed without further incident--that +is, the greater part of it passed, though Ollie declared that it lacked +a good deal of being all passed when we got up. The chief reason for our +early rise was Old Blacky, a member of our household (or perhaps +wagonhold) not yet introduced in this history. Old Blacky was the mate +of Old Browny, and the two made up our team of horses. Old Browny was a +very well behaved, respectable old nag, extremely fond of quiet and +oats. He invariably slept all night, and usually much of the day; he was +a fit companion for our dog. It was the firm belief of all on board that +Old Browny could sleep anywhere on a fairly level stretch of road +without stopping. + +But Old Blacky was another sort of beast. He didn't seem to require any +sleep at all. What Old Blacky wanted was food. He loved to sit up all +night and eat, and keep us awake. He seldom ever lay down at night, but +would moon about the camp and blunder against things, fall over the +wagon-tongue, and otherwise misbehave. Sometimes when we camped where +the grass was not just to his liking, he would put his head into the +wagon and help himself to a mouthful of bed-quilt or a bite of pillow. +He was little but an appetite mounted on four legs, and next to food he +loved a fight. Besides the name of Old Blacky, we also knew him as the +Blacksmith's Pet; but this will have to be explained later on. + +On this first morning, just as it was becoming light in the east, Old +Blacky began to make his toilet by rubbing his shoulder against one +corner of the wagon. As he was large and heavy, and rubbed as hard as he +could, he soon had the wagon tossing about like a boat; and as the +easiest way out of it, we decided to get up. It was cool and dewy, with +the larger stars still shining faintly. We found Jack under the wagon. +Ollie stirred him up, and said, + +[Illustration: "SEE ANY VARMINTS IN THE NIGHT, UNCLE JACK?"] + +"See any varmints in the night, Uncle Jack?" + +"Yes," answered Jack, as he unrolled himself from his blanket. "Or at +least I felt one. That disgraceful Old Blacky nibbled at my ear twice. +The first time I thought it was nothing less than a bear." + +"Did he disturb Snoozer?" + +"I guess nothing ever disturbs Snoozer. He never moved all night. How's +the firewood department, Ollie?" + +"All right," replied Ollie. "Got up enough last night. Nothing to do +this morning but rest." + +"Then build the fire while I get breakfast." + +This pleased Ollie, and he soon had a good fire going. I caught Old +Blacky, who had started off to walk around the lake, woke up Old Browny, +who was sleeping peacefully with his nose resting on the ground, quieted +the pony, who was still suspicious, with a few pats on the neck, and +gave them all their oats. Soon the rest of us also had our breakfast, +including Snoozer, who seemed to wake up by instinct, and after waiting +a little for somebody to come and stretch him, stretched himself, and +began waving his tail to attract our attention to his urgent need of +food. + +"Before we get back home that dog will want us to feed him with a +spoon," said Jack. + +It was only a little while after sunrise when we were off for another +day's voyage. We were headed almost due south, and all that day and the +three or four following (including Sunday, when we staid in camp), we +did not change our general direction. We were aiming to reach the town +of Yankton, where we intended to cross the Missouri River and turn to +the west in Nebraska. The country through which we travelled was much of +it prairie, but more was under cultivation, and the houses of settlers +were numerous. The land on which wheat or other small grains had been +grown was bare, but as we got further south we passed great fields of +corn, some of it standing almost as high as the top of our wagon-cover. + +For much of the way we were far from railroads and towns, and got most +of our supplies of food from the settlers whose houses we passed or, +indeed, sighted, since the pony proved as convenient for making landings +as Jack had predicted she would. Ollie usually went on these excursions +after milk and eggs and such like foods. The different languages which +he encountered among the settlers somewhat bewildered him, and he often +had hard work in making the people he found at the houses understand +what he wanted. There were many Norwegians among the settlers, and the +third day we passed through a large colony of Russians, saw a few Finns, +and heard of some Icelanders who lived around on the other side of a +lake. + +"It wouldn't surprise me," said Ollie one day, "to find the man in the +moon living here in a sod house." + +Perhaps a majority--certainly a great many--of all these people lived in +houses of this kind. Ollie had never seen anything of the sort before, +and he became greatly interested in them. The second day we camped near +one for dinner. + +"You see," said Jack, "a man gets a farm, takes half his front yard and +builds a house with it. He gains space, though, because the place he +peels in the yard will do for flower-beds, and the roof and sides of his +house are excellent places to grow radishes, beets, and similar +vegetables." + +"Why not other things besides radishes and beets?" asked Ollie. + +"Oh, other things would grow all right, but radishes and beets seem to +be the natural things for sod-house growing. You can take hold of the +lower end and pull 'em from the inside, you know, Ollie." + +"I don't believe it, Uncle Jack," said Ollie, stoutly. + +"Ask the rancher," answered Jack. "If you're ever at dinner in a sod +house, and want another radish, just reach up and pull one down through +the roof, tops and all. Then you're sure they're fresh. I'd like to keep +a summer boarding-house in a sod house. I'd advertise 'fresh vegetables +pulled at the table.'" + +"I'm going to ask the man about sod houses," returned Ollie. He went up +to where the owner of the house was sitting outside, and said, + +"Will you please tell me how you make a sod house?" + +"Yes," said the man, smiling. "Thinking of making one?" + +"Well, not just now," replied Ollie. "But I'd like to know about them. I +might want to build one--sometime," he added, doubtfully. + +"Well," said the man, "it's this way: First we plough up a lot of the +tough prairie sod with a large plough called a breaking-plough, intended +especially for ploughing the prairie the first time. This turns it over +in a long, even, unbroken strip, some fourteen or sixteen inches wide +and three or four inches thick. We cut this up into pieces two or three +feet long, take them to the place where we are building the house, on a +stone-boat or a sled, and use them in laying up the walls in just about +the same way that bricks are used in making a brick house. Openings are +left for the doors and windows, and either a shingle or a sod roof put +on. If it's sod, rough boards are first laid on poles, and then sods put +on them like shingles. I've got a sod roof on mine, you see." + +Ollie was looking at the grass and weeds growing on the top and sides of +the house. They must have made a pretty sight when they were green and +thrifty earlier in the season, but they were dry and withered now. + +"Do you ever have prairie fires on your roofs?" asked Ollie, with a +smile. + +"Oh, they do burn off sometimes," answered the man. "Catch from the +chimney, you know. Did you ever see a hay fire?" + +"No." + +"Come inside and I'll show you one." + +In the house, which consisted of one large room divided across one end +by a curtain, Ollie noticed a few chairs and a table, and opposite the +door a stove which looked very much like an ordinary cook-stove, except +that the place for the fire was rather larger. Back of it stood a box +full of what seemed to be big hay rope. The man's wife was cooking +dinner on the stove. + +"Here's a young tenderfoot," said the man, "who's never seen a hay +fire." + +"Wish I never had," answered the woman. + +[Illustration: "I'LL SHOW YOU HOW TO TWIST IT."] + +The man laughed. "They're hardly as good as a wood fire or a coal fire," +he said to Ollie, "but when you're five hundred miles, more or less, +from either wood or coal they do very well." The man took off one of the +griddles and put in another "stick" of hay. Then he handed one to Ollie, +who was surprised to find it almost as heavy as a stick of wood. "It +makes a fairly good fire," said the man. "Come outside and I'll show you +how to twist it." + +They went out to a haystack near by, and the man twisted a rope three or +four inches in diameter, and about four feet long. He kept hold of both +ends till it was wound up tight, then he brought the ends together, and +it twisted itself into a hard two-strand rope in the same way that a bit +of string will do when similarly treated. There was quite a pile of such +twisted sticks on the ground. "You see," said the man, "in this country, +instead of splitting up a pile of fuel we just twist up one." Ollie bade +the man good-by, took another look at the queer house, and came down to +the wagon. + +"So you saw a hay-stove, did you?" said Jack. "I could have told you all +about 'em. I once staid all night with a man who depended on a hay-stove +for warmth. It was in the winter. Talk about appetites! I never saw such +an appetite as that stove had for hay. Why, that stove had a worse +appetite than Old Blacky. It devoured hay all the time, just as Old +Blacky would if he could; and even then its stomach always seemed empty. +The man twisted all of the time, and I fed it constantly, and still it +was never satisfied." + +"How did you sleep?" asked Ollie. + +"Worked right along in our sleep--like Old Browny," answered Jack. + +The last day before reaching Yankton was hot and sultry. The best place +we could find to camp that night was beside a deserted sod house on the +prairie. There was a well and a tumble-down sod stable. There were dark +bands of clouds low down on the southeastern horizon, and faint flashes +of lightning. + +"It's going to rain before morning," I said. "Wonder if it wouldn't be +better in the sod house?" + +We examined it, but found it in poor condition, so decided not to give +up the wagon. "The man that lived there pulled too many radishes and +parsnips and carrots and such things into it, and then neglected to hoe +his roof and fill up the holes," said Jack. "Besides, Old Blacky will +have it rubbed down before morning. When I sleep in anything that Old +Blacky can get at, I want it to be on wheels so it can roll out of the +way." + +We went to bed as usual, but at about one o'clock we were awakened by a +long rolling peal of thunder. Already big drops of rain were beginning +to fall. Ollie and I looked out, and found Jack creeping from under the +wagon. + +"That's a dry-weather bedroom of mine," he observed, "and I think I'll +come upstairs." + +The flashes of lightning followed each other rapidly, and by them we +could see the horses. Old Browny was sleeping, and Old Blacky eating, +but the pony stood with head erect, very much interested in the storm. +Jack helped Snoozer into the wagon, and came in himself. We drew both +ends of the cover as close as possible, lit the lantern, and made +ourselves comfortable, while Jack took down his banjo and tried to play. +Jack always tried to play, but never quite succeeded. But he made a +considerable noise, and that was better than nothing. + +The wind soon began to blow pretty fresh, and shake the cover rather +more than was pleasant. But nothing gave way, and after, as it seemed, +fifty of the loudest claps of thunder we had ever heard, the rain began +to fall in torrents. + +"That is what I've been waiting for," said Jack. "Now we'll see if +there's a good cover on this wagon, or if we've got to put a sod roof on +it, like that man's house." + +The rain kept coming down harder and harder, but though there seemed to +be a sort of a light spray in the air of the wagon, the water did not +beat through. In some places along the bows it ran down on the inside of +the cover in little clinging streams, but as a household we remained +dry. Jack was still experimenting on the banjo and the dog had gone to +sleep. Suddenly a flash of lightning dazzled our eyes as if there were +no cover at all over and around us, with a crash of thunder which struck +our ears like a blow from a fist. Jack dropped the banjo, and the dog +shook his head as if his ears tingled. We all felt dizzy, and the wagon +seemed to be swaying around. + +"That struck pretty close," I said. "I hope it didn't hit one of the +horses." + +"If it hit Old Blacky, I'll bet a cooky it got the worst of it," +answered Jack, taking up his banjo again. "Look out, Ollie, and maybe +you'll see the lightning going off limping." + +It was still raining, though not so hard. Soon we began to hear a +peculiar noise, which seemed to come from behind the wagon. It was a +breaking, splintering sort of noise, as if a board was being smashed and +split up very gradually. + +"Sounds as if a slow and lazy kind of lightning was striking our wagon," +said Jack. + +Ollie's face was still white from the scare at the stroke of lightning, +and his eyes now opened very wide as he listened to the mysterious +noise. Jack pulled open the back cover an inch and peeped out. Then he +said, + +"I guess Old Blacky's tussle with the lightning left him hungry; he's +eating up one side of the feed-box." + +Then we laughed at the strange noise, and in a few minutes, the rain +having almost ceased, we put on our rubber boots and went out to look +after the other horses. Old Browny we found in the lee of the sod house, +not exactly asleep, but evidently about to take a nap. The pony had +pulled up her picket-pin and retreated to a little hollow a hundred +yards away. We caught her and brought her back. By the light of the +lantern we found that the great stroke of lightning had struck the curb +of the well, shattering it, and making a hole in the ground beside it. +The storm had gone muttering off to the north, and the stars were again +shining overhead. + +"What a stroke of lightning that must have been to do that!" said Ollie, +as he looked at the curb with some awe. + +[Illustration: "THAT'S WHERE OLD BLACKY KICKED AT THE LIGHTNING AND +MISSED IT."] + +"It wasn't the lightning that did that," returned his truthful Uncle +Jack. "That's where Old Blacky kicked at the lightning and missed it." + +Then we returned to the wagon and went to bed. The next morning at ten +o'clock we drove into Yankton. We found the ferry-boat disabled, and +that we would have to go forty miles up the river to Running Water +before we could cross. We drove a mile out of town, and went into camp +on a high bank overlooking the milky, eddying current of the Missouri. + +[TO BE CONTINUED.] + + + + +A VIRGINIA CAVALIER. + +BY MOLLY ELLIOT SEAWELL. + +CHAPTER XI. + + +One night, some days after this, George was awakened in the middle of +the night by hearing persons stirring in the house. He rose, and +slipping on his clothes, softly opened his door. Laurence Washington, +fully dressed, was standing in the hall. + +"What is the matter, brother?" asked George. + +"The child Mildred is ill," answered Laurence, in much agitation. "It +seems to be written that no child of mine shall live. Dr. Craik has been +sent for, but he is so long in coming that I am afraid she will die +before he reaches here." + +"I will fetch him, brother," said George, in a resolute manner. "I will +go for Dr. Craik, and if I cannot get him I will go to Alexandria for +another doctor." + +He ran down stairs and to the stable, and in five minutes he had saddled +the best horse in the stable and was off for Dr. Craik's, five miles +away. As he galloped on through the darkness, plunging through the snow, +and taking all the short-cuts he could find, his heart stood still for +fear the little girl might die. He loved her dearly--all her baby ways +and childish fondness for himself coming back to him with the sharpest +pain--and his brother and sister, whose hopes were bound up in her. +George thought, if the child's life could be spared, he would give more +than he could tell. + +He reached Dr. Craik's after a hard ride. The barking of the dogs, as he +rode into the yard, wakened the doctor, and he came to the door with a +candle in his hand, and in his dressing-gown. In a few words George told +his business, and begged the doctor to start at once for Mount Vernon. +No message had been received, and at that very time the negro messenger, +who had mistaken the road, was at least five miles off, going in the +opposite direction. + +"How am I to get to Mount Vernon?" asked the doctor. "As you know, I +keep only two horses. One I lent to a neighbor yesterday, and to-night, +when I got home from my round, my other horse was dead lame." + +"Ride this horse back!" cried George. "I can walk easily enough; but +there must be a doctor at Mount Vernon to-night. If you could have seen +my brother's face--I did not see my poor sister, but--" + +"Very well," answered the doctor, coolly. "I never delay a moment when +it is possible to get to a patient; and if you will trudge the five +miles home I will be at Mount Vernon as soon as this horse can take me +there." + +Dr. Craik went into the house to get his saddle-bags, and in a few +minutes he appeared, fully prepared, and mounting the horse, started for +Mount Vernon at a sharp canter. + +George set out on his long and disagreeable tramp. He was a good walker, +but the snow troubled him, and it was nearly daylight before he found +himself in sight of the house. Lights were moving about, and, with a +sinking heart, George felt a presentiment that his little playmate was +hovering between life and death. When he entered the hall he found a +fire burning, and William Fairfax standing by it. No one had slept at +Mount Vernon that night. George was weary, and wet up to his knees, but +his first thought was for little Mildred. + +"She is still very ill, I believe," said William. "Dr. Craik came, and +Cousin Anne met him at the door, and she burst into tears. The doctor +said you were walking back, and Cousin Anne said, 'I will always love +George the better for this night.'" + +George went softly up the stairs and listened at the nursery door. He +tapped, and Betty opened the door a little. He could see the child's +crib drawn up to the fire, the doctor hanging over it, while the poor +father and mother clung together a little way off. + +"She is no worse," whispered Betty. + +With this sorry comfort George went to his room and changed his clothes. +As he came down stairs he saw his brother and sister go down before him +for a little respite after their long watch; but on reaching the hall no +one was there but William Fairfax, standing in the same place before +the hearth. George went up and began to warm his chilled limbs. Then +William made the most indiscreet speech of his life--one of those things +which, uninspired by malice, and the mere outspoken word of a heedless +person, are yet capable of doing infinite harm and causing extreme pain. + +"George," said he, "you know if Mildred dies you will get Mount Vernon +and all your brother's fortune." + +George literally glared at William. His temper, naturally violent, +blazed within him, and his nerves, through fatigue and anxiety and his +long walk, not being under his usual control, he felt capable of +throttling William where he stood. + +"Do you mean to say--do you think that I want my brother's child to +die?--that I--" + +George spoke in a voice of concentrated rage that frightened William, +who could only stammer, "I thought--perhaps--I--I--" + +The next word was lost, for George, hitting out from the shoulder, +struck William full in the chest, who fell over as if he had been shot. + +The blow brought back George's reason. He stood amazed and ashamed at +his own violence and folly. William rose without a word, and looked him +squarely in the eye; he was conscious that his words, though foolish, +did not deserve a blow. He was no match physically for George, but he +was not in the least afraid of him. Some one else, however, besides the +two boys had witnessed the scene. Laurence Washington, quietly opening +wide a door that had been ajar, walked into the hall, followed by his +wife, and said, calmly: + +"George, did I not see you strike a most unmanly blow just now--a blow +upon a boy smaller than yourself, a guest in this house, and at a time +when such things are particularly shocking?" + +George, his face as pale as death, and unable to raise his eyes from the +floor, replied, in a low voice, "Yes, brother, and I think I was crazy +for a moment. I ask William's pardon, and yours, and my sister's--" + +Laurence continued to look at him with stern and, as George felt, just +displeasure; but Mrs. Washington came forward, and, laying her hand on +his shoulder, said, sweetly: + +"You were very wrong, George; but I heard it all, and I do not believe +that anything could make you wish our child to die. Your giving up your +horse to the doctor shows how much you love her, and I, for one, forgive +you for what you have done." + +"Thank you, sister," answered George; but he could not raise his eyes. +He had never in all his life felt so ashamed of himself. In a minute or +two he recovered himself, and held out his hand to William. + +"I was wrong too, George," said William; "I ought not to have said what +I did, and I am willing to be friends again." + +The two boys shook hands, and without one word each knew that he had a +friend forever in the other one. And presently Dr. Craik came down +stairs, saying cheerfully to Mrs. Washington, + +"Madam, your little one is asleep, and I think the worst is past." + +For some days the child continued ill, and George's anxiety about her, +his wish to do something for her in spite of his boyish incapacity to do +so, showed how fond he was of her. She began to mend, however, and +George was delighted to find that she was never better satisfied than +when carried about in his strong young arms. William Fairfax, who was +far from being a foolish fellow, in spite of his silly speech, grew to +be heartily ashamed of the suspicion that George would be glad to profit +by the little girl's death when he saw how patiently George would amuse +her hour after hour, and how willingly he would give up his beloved +hunting and shooting to stay with her. + +In the early part of January the time came when George and Betty must +return to Ferry Farm. George went the more cheerfully, as he imagined it +would be his last visit to his mother before joining his ship. Laurence +was also of this opinion, and George's warrant as midshipman had been +duly received. He had written to Madam Washington of Admiral Vernon's +offer, but he had received no letter from her in reply. This, however, +he supposed was due to Madam Washington's expectation of soon seeing +George, and he thought her consent absolutely certain. + +On a mild January morning George and Betty left Mount Vernon for home in +a two-wheeled chaise, which Laurence Washington sent as a present to his +step-mother. In the box under the seat were packed Betty's white +sarcenet silk and George's clothes, including three smart uniforms. The +possession of these made George feel several years older than William +Fairfax, who started for school the same day. The rapier which Lord +Fairfax had given him, and his midshipman's dirk, which he considered +his most valuable belongings, were rather conspicuously displayed +against the side of the chaise; for George was but a boy, after all, and +delighted in these evidences of his approaching manhood. His precious +commission was in his breast pocket. Billy was to travel on the +trunk-rack behind the chaise, and was quite content to dangle his legs +from Mount Vernon to Ferry Farm, while Rattler trotted along beside +them. Usually it was a good day's journey, but in winter, when the roads +were bad, it was necessary to stop over a night on the way. It had been +determined to make this stop at the home of Colonel Fielding Lewis, an +old friend of both Madam Washington and Laurence Washington. + +All of the Mount Vernon family, white and black, were assembled on the +porch, directly after breakfast, to say good-by to the young travellers. +William Fairfax, on horseback, was to start in another direction. Little +Mildred, in her black mammy's arms, was kept in the hall, away from the +raw winter air. Betty kissed her a dozen times, and cried a little; but +when George took her in his arms, and, after holding her silently to his +breast, handed her back to her mammy, the little girl clung to him and +cried so piteously, that George had to unlock her baby arms from around +his neck and run away. + +On the porch his brother and sister waited for him, and Laurence said: + +"I desire you, George, to deliver the chaise to your mother, from me, +with my respectful compliments, and to hope that she will soon make use +of it to visit us at Mount Vernon. For yourself, let me hear from you by +the first hand. The _Bellona_ will be in the Chesapeake within a month, +and probably up this river, and you are now prepared to join at a +moment's notice." + +George's heart was too full for many words, but his flushed and beaming +face showed how pleased he was at the prospect. Laurence, however, could +read George's boyish heart very well, and smiled at the boy's delight. +Both Betty and himself kissed and thanked their sister for her kindness, +and, after they had said good-by to William, and shook hands with all +the house-servants, the chaise rattled off. + +Betty had by nature one of the sunniest tempers in the world, and, +instead of going back glumly and unwillingly to her modest home after +the gayeties and splendors of Mount Vernon, congratulated herself on +having had so merry a time, and was full of gratitude to her mother for +allowing her to come. And then she was alone with George, and had a +chance to ask him dozens of things that she had not thought of in the +bustle at Mount Vernon; so the two drove along merrily. Betty chattering +a good deal, and George talking much more than he usually did. + +They reached Barn Elms before sunset, and met with a cordial welcome +from Colonel Lewis and the large family of children and guests that +could always be found in the Virginia country-houses of those days. At +supper a long table was filled, mostly with merry young people. Among +them was young Fielding Lewis, a handsome fellow a little older than +George, and there was also Miss Martha Dandridge, the handsome young +lady with whom George had danced Sir Roger de Coverley on Christmas +night at Mount Vernon. In the evening the drawing-room floor was +cleared, and everybody danced, Colonel Lewis himself, a portly gentleman +of sixty, leading off the rigadoon with Betty, which George again danced +with Martha Dandridge. They had so merry a time that they were sorry to +leave next morning. Colonel Lewis urged them to stay, but George felt +they must return home, more particularly as it was the first time that +he and Betty had been trusted to make a journey alone. + +All that day they travelled, and about sunset, when within five miles of +home, a tire came off one of the wheels of the new chaise, and they had +to stop at a blacksmith's shop on the road-side to have it mended. +Billy, however, was sent ahead to tell their mother that they were +coming, and George was in hopes that Billy's sins would be overlooked, +considering the news he brought, and the delightful excitement of the +meeting. + +The blacksmith was slow, and the wheel was in a bad condition, so it was +nearly eight o'clock of a January night before they were in the gate at +Ferry Farm. It was wide open, the house was lighted up, and in the +doorway stood Madam Washington and the three little boys. Every negro, +big and little, on the place was assembled, and shouts of "Howdy, Marse +George! Howdy, Miss Betty!" resounded. The dogs barked with pleasure at +recognizing George and Betty, and the commotion was great. + +As soon as they reached the door Betty jumped out, before the chaise +came to a standstill, and rushed into her mother's arms. She was quickly +followed by George, who, much taller than his mother, folded her in a +close embrace, and then the boys were hugged and kissed. Madam +Washington led him into the house, and looked him all over with pride +and delight, he was so grown, so manly; his very walk had acquired a new +grace, such as comes from association with graceful and polished +society. She was brimming with pride, but she only allowed herself to +say, + +"How much you have grown, my son!" + +"And the chaise is yours, mother," struck in Betty. "Brother Laurence +sent it to you--all lined inside with green damask, and a stuffed seat, +and room for a trunk behind, and a box under the seat." + +George rather resented this on Betty's part, as he thought he had the +first right to make so important an announcement as the gift of a +chaise, and said, with a severe look at Betty: + +"My brother sent it you, mother, with his respectful compliments, and +hopes that the first use you will make of it will be to visit him and my +sister at Mount Vernon." + +Betty, however, was in no mood to be set back by a trifling snub like +that, so she at once plunged into a description of the gayeties at Mount +Vernon. This was interrupted by supper, which had been kept for them, +and then it was nine o'clock, and Betty was nearly falling asleep, and +George, too, was tired, and it was the hour for family prayers. For the +first time in months George read prayers at his mother's request, and +she added a special thanksgiving for the return of her two children in +health and happiness, and then it was bedtime. Madam Washington had not +once mentioned his midshipman's warrant to George. This did not occur to +him until he was in bed, and then, with the light heart of youth, he +dismissed it as a mere accident. No doubt she was as proud as he, +although the parting would be hard on both, but it must come in some +form or other, and no matter how long or how far, they could never love +each other any less--and George fell asleep to dream that he was +carrying the _Bellona_ into action in the most gallant style possible. + +Next morning he was up and on horseback early, riding over the place, +and thinking with half regret and half joy that he would soon be far +away from the simple plantation life. At breakfast Betty talked so +incessantly and the little boys were so full of questions that Madam +Washington had no opportunity for serious talk, but as soon as it was +over she said, + +"Will you come to my room, George?" + +"In a minute, mother," answered George, rising and darting up stairs. + +He would show himself to her in his uniform. He had the natural pride in +it that might have been expected, and, as he slipped quickly into it, +and put the dashing cap on his fair hair, and stuck his dirk into his +belt, he could not help a thrill of boyish vanity. He went straight to +his mother's room, where she stood awaiting him. + +The first glance at her face struck a chill to his heart. There was a +look of pale and quiet determination upon it that was far from +encouraging. Nevertheless, George spoke up promptly. + +"My warrant, mother, is upstairs, sent me, as my brother wrote you, by +Admiral Vernon. And my brother, out of his kindness, had all my outfit +made for me in Alexandria. I am to join the _Bellona_ frigate within the +month." + +"Will you read this letter, my son?" was Madam Washington's answer, +handing him a letter. + +George took it from her. He recognized the handwriting of his uncle, +Joseph Ball, in England. It ran, after the beginning: "'I understand you +are advised and have some thoughts of putting your son George to sea.'" +George stopped in surprise, and looked at his mother. + +"I suppose," she said, quietly, "that he has heard that your brother +Laurence mentioned to me months ago that you wished to join the King's +land or sea service, but my brother's words are singularly apt now." + +George continued to read. + +"'I think he had better be put apprentice to a tinker, for a common +sailor before the mast has by no means the common liberty of the +subject, for they will press him from ship to ship, where he has fifty +shillings a month, and make him take twenty-three, and cut and slash and +use him like a dog.'" + +George read this with amazement. + +"My uncle evidently does not understand that I never had any intention +of going to sea as a common sailor," he said, his face flushing, "and I +am astonished that he should think such a thing." + +"Read on," said his mother, quietly. + +"'And as to any considerable preferment in the navy, it is not to be +expected, as there are so many gaping for it here who have interest, and +he has none.'" + +George folded the letter, and handed it back to his mother respectfully. + +"Forgive me, mother," said he, "but I think my uncle Joseph a very +ignorant man, and especially ignorant of my prospects in life!" + +"George!" cried his mother, reproachfully. + +George remained silent. He saw coming an impending conflict, the first +of their lives, between his mother and himself. + +"My brother," said Madam Washington, after a pause, "is a man of the +world. He knows much more than I, a woman who has seen but little of it, +and much more than a youth like you, George." + +"He does not know better than my brother, who has been the best and +kindest of brothers, who thought he was doing me the greatest service in +getting me this warrant, and who, at his own expense, prepared me for +it." + +Both mother and son spoke calmly, and even quietly, but two red spots +burned in Madam Washington's face, while George felt himself growing +whiter every moment. + +"Your brother, doubtless, meant kindly towards you, and for that I shall +be ever grateful; but I never gave my consent--I shall never give it," +she said. + +"I am sorry to hear you say that, mother," answered George, +presently--"more sorry than I know how to say. For, although you are my +dear and honored mother, you cannot choose my life for me, provided the +life I choose is respectable, and I live honestly and like a gentleman, +as I always shall, I hope." + +The mother and son faced each other, pale and determined. It struck home +to Madam Washington that she could not now clip her eaglet's wings. She +asked, in a low voice, + +"Do you intend to disobey me, my son?" + +"Don't force me to do it, mother!" cried George, losing his calmness, +and becoming deeply agitated, "I think my honor is engaged to my brother +and Admiral Vernon, and I feel in my heart that I have a right to choose +my own future course. I promise you that I will never discredit you; but +I cannot--I cannot obey you in this." + +"You do refuse, then, my son?" said Madam Washington. She spoke in a low +voice, and her beautiful eyes looked straight into George's as if +challenging him to resist her influence; but George, although his own +eyes filled with tears, yet answered her gently, + +"Mother, I must." + +Madam Washington said no more, but turned away from him. The boy's heart +and mind were in a whirl. Some involuntary power seemed compelling him +to act as he did, without any volition on his part. Suddenly his mother +turned, with tears streaming down her face, and, coming swiftly towards +him, clasped him in her arms. + +[Illustration: "MY SON, MY BEST-LOVED CHILD."] + +"My son, my best-loved child!" she cried, weeping. "Do not break my +heart by leaving me. I did not know until this moment how much I loved +you. It is hard for a parent to plead with a child, but I beg, I implore +you, if you have any regard for your mother's peace of mind, to give up +the sea." And with sobs and tears, such as George had never before seen +her shed, she clung to him, and covered his face and hair and even his +hands with kisses. + +The boy stood motionless, stunned by an outbreak of emotion so unlike +anything he had ever seen in his mother before. Calm, reticent, and +undemonstrative, she had showed a Spartan firmness in her treatment of +her children until this moment. In a flash like lightning George saw +that it was not that foolish letter which had influenced her, but there +was a fierceness of mother-love, all unsuspected in that deep and quiet +nature, for him, and for him alone. This trembling, sobbing woman, +calling him all fond names, and saying to him, "George, I would go upon +my knees if that would move you," his mother! And the appeal overpowered +him as much by its novelty as its power. Like her he began to tremble, +and when she saw this she held him closer to her, and cried, "Will you +abandon me, or will you abandon your own will this once?" + +There was a short pause, and then George spoke, in a voice he scarcely +knew, it was so strange, + +"Mother, I will give up my commission." + +[TO BE CONTINUED.] + + + + +THE POLO PONY. + +BY J. CONOVER. + + +The polo pony is becoming such an important and conspicuous feature in +modern life that a short article upon his nature, training, and habits +may be interesting to those who either hope to make his acquaintance on +his native range, or to import him for use in riding or driving, or in +playing that most exciting of all games. + +The bicycle is said to be driving horseflesh out of the market, that +good horses, even thoroughbreds, are being _canned_ by the thousand, and +sent to all parts of the world. This may be a necessary and practical +use to which to put that noble animal, the friend and companion of man +from all ages; but one cannot help being thankful that the pony has so +far escaped this fate, and that the demand for these singularly +intelligent, plucky little beasts is growing rather than diminishing. + +[Illustration: A COW PONY.] + +So long as there are cattle ranges the cow pony will be a necessity. One +could not "round up" or "cut out" or "rope" or "corral" on a bicycle or +from a self-propelling carriage of any kind, and even if this dreadful +day should come and the cow pony lose his prestige, the polo pony will +still have his place in the world of sport, from which the most modern +and improved wheel could never dispossess him. The cow pony or polo +pony, like the poet and the athlete, is born, not made. Out of a drove +of a hundred ponies there may be only twenty-five or less that are good +for anything, who have the instinct of sport, the quick eye, steady +foot, the grit and endurance of the true sportsman. + +A good cow pony is good from the start. He learns, of course, much by +experience, but he is not only first-class "material," as they say of +football candidates, but a star player from the very first. Running wild +with the mares, their mothers, on the big ranges of Texas, Mexico, +Montana, and Indian Territory, they grow marvellously fleet of foot, and +as hardy as mountain-goats. + +When about three years old the ponies--all these horses under fifteen +hands high--are taken out of the drove, and broken either for cattle or +polo. The process of breaking is not a difficult one, though sometimes +troublesome and tedious. The pony is first corralled--that is, driven +out of the bunch into a pen by himself--then roped, often thrown, and +saddled and bridled. As a rule they make a great show of resistance. +They buck, they kick, they rear, they lie down and roll, they run into +fences or trees--in short, there is nothing that the instinct of +self-defence can prompt that a spirited pony will not do, and persist in +doing, until he learns the futility of kicking against the pricks. His +spurred and booted rider is prepared for any exhibition of temper or +ingenuity that he can devise, and wrestles with him gently but firmly, +sticking to his seat until the frantic efforts of the rebellious pony +have exhausted themselves. Then, subdued, if not overcome, he is +unsaddled and staked out, or tied up for the night, only to go through +the same performance the next day. + +After several days' experience of the bit and bridle, and the singular +persistence of the load upon his back in staying there under all +provocation, the pony as a rule gives in--all the sensible ones, at +least; the bad-tempered broncos--the chronic buckers and kickers and +bolters--fight on spasmodically, and sometimes do not become thoroughly +broken, if ever, for weeks. When the pony has once recognized and +accepted you as his master, his future usefulness depends very largely +upon your treatment of him. If he is ridden hard and handled roughly he +will grow rough and unmanageable or mean and uncertain in temper; but if +treated gently and kindly he becomes docile and dependable, and as +faithful as a dog. He learns to know and love his master very soon, and +is as susceptible to flattery and petting as a dog or a woman. Some +ranchers, especially those with the reputation of being able to "make a +pretty good horse talk," will tell you that their favorite ponies, even +when in the pasture, come at their whistle like a dog; but it is not +very safe to trust to this devotion and obedience, for the majority are +as wild as hawks, and as difficult to catch, and unless one wishes the +exercise of a hard chase, it is better to hobble them when the saddle +and bridle are taken off and they are left to graze. + +In buying ponies, either for polo or cattle, it is well to know the +owner's reputation, and how he breaks and handles them, for a good +cow-puncher is sure to have good ponies, fast and bridle-wise--"mighty +handy," in the vernacular, and trained to stop quickly and hold hard. In +roping, a good pony is as strong as any steer, and ought to be able to +hold no matter how hard the steer may jerk or pull when the rope is +thrown. There are no particular breeds in this country; any small horse +on the range is called "bronco" or "pony" indifferently, and they are +taken from all classes indiscriminately, being picked out by their size +and build, and the polo pony only differs from others by his superior +speed and agility, and his record as a cow pony. + +The small fleet Arab horses which are sold so much in England for polo +have had no early training in cow-practice, but as a breed are very +intelligent, very quick, and yet extremely docile. + +The Shetland-pony, which is such a favorite with children, is not agile +enough for either polo or cattle, and there are all sorts and conditions +of ponies that are useful in other respects, but absolutely useless in +rounding up or cutting out, or on the polo-grounds. + +[Illustration: POLO PONIES.] + +In advertising for polo ponies one usually sends out a circular stating +the necessary requisites: the size--fourteen hands one inch--and the +temper and disposition; and it takes a trained eye to pick out the most +promising from all those brought for inspection. + +A good cutting pony is always safe, and the prices range according to +their value in cutting and penning cattle. They can be bought from +thirty-five to a hundred and fifty or two hundred dollars, and even up +to such fancy prices as five hundred. Some first-class cutting ponies +cannot be purchased at any price, for love or money, a cow-puncher or +ranch-owner being just as willing to part with his wife and children, +his house and land, as with his prize cow pony. + +This cutting cattle is a wonderful thing, and a fruitful theme for the +tall stories with which the cowboy enlivens the tedium of the many idle +hours of his varied and precarious life. "Stuffing the tenderfoot" with +Munchausen tales of the marvellous performances of these remarkably +clever little animals, or swapping yarns with other gifted companions +whose imaginations have never been broken in by the strong hand of +truth. But even the stories which are strictly and literally true sound +almost incredible to the uninitiated, for the cutting pony shows not +only the sagacity and resources of the Scotch collie, but the quickness +and agility of the cat, in separating or cutting out the particular cow +or steer from the herd which his master indicates, sometimes by riding +the pony at her, or by following for a few yards. + +The cattle may stampede, the steer or cow may run, double, stick like a +burr to the herd, but the clever little pony, cool and keen, heads her +off, turns her round, cuts her out, and finally drives her triumphantly +into the open, where she can be roped, or into a pen. He separates a cow +from her calf, cuts out a steer without even disturbing the others, and +uses as much judgment as an experienced man. The cow-puncher gives him +his head after the steer has once been selected, and only holds his +lasso in readiness to rope him when he has been successfully cut out +from the bunch. + +A Texas cow-puncher offered once to bet a hundred dollars that his cow +pony could, _without a bridle_, cut any steer from the herd of cattle +after he had once understood which one he was to separate. The bet was +taken by a tenderfoot, who had sporting spirit enough not even to +grudge the money when he saw how cleverly it was done, the little pony +going to work, on his own account, with the same skill and judgment the +keenest cow-puncher in the country might have shown. + +They get to be so fast and sharp, to turn and stop, and head off so +quickly, that it is almost bewildering to ride them in a difficult case. +Another Texas ranchman, a famous cow-puncher in his day, sold his +celebrated cutting pony because it was too fast for him; he was growing +too old for the pace. + +This cutting-out work shows a pony to better advantage even than the +polo game. In heading off he acts more quickly than a man can think, +playing the game himself, which in polo is a very undesirable thing. + +It is most amusing to watch the businesslike air with which a cutting +pony starts in to put a calf, one who is particularly fresh and +obstreperous, through a fence or into a pen, or to simply corner him. +There is nothing so exasperating as a calf, except, perhaps, a sheep. +Was it not John Randolph of Roanoke who maintained that he would _walk_ +twenty miles to kick a sheep? Just so cowboys feel about a "fool calf." + +A pony, however, when he chooses, can be equally aggravating. As in polo +he is sometimes too knowing, so in cutting cattle the very best ones use +their superior knowledge to be most exasperating. + +They learn to gauge the distance and length of the rope with such +certainty that they know just when to stop for the throw; and when they +feel lazy and disinclined for the hard work of holding a steer, they +fool their master by coming to a stand a yard or two from the cow, and +the rope falls that much short. + +One first-rate but obstinate cutting pony worked this trick so often +that his master was only saved from selling him by the humor of the +situation--his appreciation of the joke on himself. + +It would be hard to choose from the stories current among cattle-men of +their cutting ponies--stories proving how "powerful smart," "plumb +human," etc., they are, for they all swear to the same class of what the +ignorant might call fiction, but which, in their opinion, does not even +come under the head of "tall horse talk." + +Perhaps the --Z (bar Z) brand story is a fair example. The cow-puncher +assures you seriously that the cutting pony always knows his master's +brand, and can pick out a cow with this brand from a mixed herd of any +size, and they cite the following anecdote in illustration of this fact: + +A certain --Z-brand cutting pony, who was sold after years of +experience, continued, in spite of all that his new master could do, to +cut out every cow or calf with the --Z brand that he could find in any +bunch. His owner was finally indicted for stealing cattle, but pleaded +his pony's record in self-defense. The court, sympathising in his +peculiar and delicate position, released him with a small fine; but the +pony, like Werther's Charlotte, went on cutting --Z cattle to the end of +his days, which might mean fifteen, sixteen, or even twenty years, for, +if well cared for, they often live that long. Both the cattle and polo +ponies are shod, even on the range, and if used hard are generally fed +in winter, though grazing all summer. They are ungroomed, and their +tails left flowing freely; and their first sensations, after a transfer +from their native heath to the luxurious and well-ordered stables of the +East, where they are docked, clipped, curried, rubbed down, and +blanketed, must be somewhat like those experienced by the tramp who is +forcibly bathed and groomed in a model lodging-house, though the polo +pony yields to the civilizing influence more readily than does the +tramp. + +But the comforts of life and even the excitement of polo may seem to the +cutting pony a poor exchange for the lost delights of rounding up and +penning steers, and what is a Rockaway Cup to the glory of winning the +prize in a roping contest at a county fair? These roping contests are +the pride of the cattle-men, and the great feature of the Texan county +fairs. + +[Illustration: STEER THROWN AND TIED IN FORTY-EIGHT SECONDS.] + +The steer is put in a pen, and a man with a flag placed about fifty feet +from him. The man on the cutting pony stands near the pen, with the rope +ready. And at a given signal the steer is let out, and as he passes the +flag it is dropped, the pony dashes after him, and the man who can rope, +throw, and tie the steer in the shortest time wins the prize. It has +been done in twenty seconds, but the average time is about a minute; any +duffer, they say, can do it inside of five minutes. It is a dangerous +method of roping, and is only used in contests, never on the range, for +the pony is going at full speed, and the rope is thrown as he shoots by +the steer, the rider giving it a little fling and jerk on the off side, +and it is a close call whether the steer throws the pony or the pony the +steer. + +The prize cow ponies are the ones most sought after for polo. They make +by far the best and most steady and reliable playing ponies. The +training for polo is of course different from that employed in roping +cattle, but a good cow pony has all the necessary qualifications, and +learns the game very quickly. + +In order to accustom them to the mallet, one rides for several days +simply carrying it and waving it about, but not attempting to hit the +ball. The pony jumps at first, and is very nervous, but gradually grows +used to it, and after about ten days of flourishing the mallet round the +head and tapping the ball gently he is ready for the game with its +fierce scrimmage. As the warrior in olden times donned his armor--his +helmet, breastplate, greaves, and shield--before going to war, and as +his modern prototype, the football-player, prepares for battle with +shoulder and thigh pads, head and ear bandages, elastic knee and +ankle-bands, nose and teeth guards, so the polo pony is made ready for +his part in the great contest, being booted to the knees in heavy +leather leggings, which protect him from the blows of the mallet. A few +ponies, the very nervous or stupid ones, wear blinders, but as a general +rule they are played without them, and being able to see on either side +gives them a decided advantage. + +With the light English saddle instead of the heavy Mexican monstrosity +which is universally used in roping cattle, the pony is led out, +blanketed by the groom, who is as careful of the condition of his polo +ponies as a jockey is of his race-horse. They are exercised regularly +when not playing, and given as much food as they will eat, and the +knowing little ponies are well aware of their true value, as one learns +in hearing polo men talk, or in reading Mr. Kipling's story of the +_Maltese Cat_. + +As is the case in all fields of sport, the pony who plays for the +gallery is not nearly so useful in the long-run as the quiet, sensible, +steady ones who do not try to show off or play the whole game +themselves. Sometimes the high-strung, nervous ponies are the very best, +the quickest, and brightest, but they require most careful handling, and +are apt to get flighty, to have "wheels in their heads," and to want to +run, or they show every sign of equine nervous prostration. The +dispositions of the ponies are as varied as those of the superior +animal, man. They can be stubborn or yielding, uncertain or +even-tempered, tricky or steady, plucky or cowardly, nervous or +phlegmatic. They are ambitious, conceited, lazy, timid--in short, there +is no human trait of character that they do not at times exhibit. + +Some ponies play very well at first, and then seem to lose their nerve, +and are never good for anything again. + +When you know your pony's temper to be uncertain, the most cautious +handling is necessary. At the first symptom of becoming wicked it is +better to give in and get off. + +A very fine polo pony belonging to Mr. Keene was entered in a contest in +one of the horse shows. The ponies had to go in and out between posts in +order to show how quickly they turned, and how well they minded the +rein. After three rounds, and before the final one, Mr. Keene quietly +jumped off and led his pony out of the ring. In explanation, he said +that his pony had made up his mind to be nasty, and simply wouldn't go; +he might spur or whip him till he was tired, but it would be of no use +when he had once become exasperated and stopped short. + +The same sort of temper was shown in a match at Newport. It was very +close and exciting, when suddenly one of the best ponies on the ground +balked. His rider could not make him budge. Time was finally called, and +it took _eight men five minutes_ to get that stubborn little beast off +the field. + +Outside of this uncertain temper, the most incurable faults in a polo +pony are shying, and stopping on the ball instead of following, and not +turning quickly enough. + +They are plucky as a rule, but some ponies will play very well alone, be +sharp, and turn and stop in splendid form, but will not go into a game +with other ponies; the crowd seems to frighten and distress them. + +Others will play a fine open game, but refuse a scrimmage, while a +scrimmage is to some the cream of the whole game, and they will never +give way, no matter how hard others bear against them, but stand like a +Yale or Princeton line in the teeth of an onslaught. + +In a hard match ponies are only played for about seven minutes, they get +so winded; but often they go off the field most reluctantly, and chafe +to get back into the game. + +The majority of polo ponies really seem to enjoy it, and in spite of +injuries and bad accidents, to enter into it with the zest of a true +sportsman; and the stories of their grit and endurance ought to go down +in history side by side with the tales of old war-horses and famous +cavalry chargers. + +A game little pony named Ink was struck by a mallet in a scrimmage, and +though his master knew that he had been hit, the pony showed no signs of +being badly hurt, until the _goal they were trying for was made_, and +then he stood still, refusing to move. Two men and a boy tried to make +him walk, but could not, and they found that his leg was broken just +below the knee, and he was suffering so that they were obliged to shoot +him on the spot. + +Another pony fell only the other day, and broke his neck without +uttering a sound, only beseeching them with his eyes to put an end to +his pain. + +One could multiply examples of their heroism indefinitely, if it did not +seem to imply that the game was brutal. That is emphatically not the +case, though, as in all branches of athletics there are possibilities of +accidents more or less serious. + +The object of this article, however, has been not the glorification, +justification, or explanation of the game of polo, but to give a brief +history of the noble little pony who plays it, and so long as he +thoroughly enjoys the excitement of the sport one cannot feel that he is +to be pitied, and one may wish him a long and prosperous career, and a +future even greater than his past. + + + + +ODD VESSELS DESIGNED FOR SPEED. + + +In a few days a very curious vessel, named _Ernest Bazin_, will be +finished at the Cail Dock-yards, at St. Denis, France. At first glance +it looks like a large broad platform, pointed at one end and round at +the other. There are three huge hollow disks, or wheels, on each side of +the platform, that rest in the water. These wheels support the vessel, +and when it is propelled by the use of a screw, the wheels revolve, and +the whole structure simply rolls over the surface of the water. + +On the platform will be the usual cabins, saloons, etc., and in a +boxlike structure that sinks below the platform will be placed the +engines. It is claimed by the designers that the motion of the ship will +be very slight, thus doing away with seasickness, and the consumption of +coal will be considerably less than in ordinary steamships. As the +wheels roll over the water, the friction will be lessened, and with this +advantage it is expected that the vessel will do some astonishingly +quick travelling. + +Another curious vessel was finished last June, and lay at a private +wharf in Virginia for some time. She was named the _Howard Cassard_ and +nicknamed the "Razor-back." With a length of 222 feet, she had only 16 +feet beam. Her equilibrium was maintained by an extremely heavy keel and +some 50,000 pounds of machinery below the water-line. + +The razorlike sharpness of the boat gave it a curious look, and it was +expected that when moving through the water the sharp prow would cut it +like a knife, thus reducing the resistance to a minimum. The narrowness +of her beam necessitated some economy in her interior arrangements, but +this was successfully overcome by adopting somewhat the idea of a +sleeping-car. But the _Howard Cassard_ was an experiment that evidently +has not been successful, as the claim of the designer to cross the ocean +in three-fifths of the time now required has as yet not been fulfilled +by his odd craft. + +Probably one of the strangest ideas in marine construction was that of +the man who proposed placing in the stern of a vessel a number of +compressed-air cannons. These were to be fired one after the other, the +force of the air striking the water and driving the vessel forward. +Somewhat similar is the idea of another engineer and inventor. It is to +run a series of hollow pipes through the entire length of the keel. The +pipes are to receive the water at the bow and carry it to the centre of +the vessel, where it is shut off. Then a powerful pressure of compressed +air is brought into play, and the separated body of water is shot out of +the pipe in the stern, the power of the contact driving the vessel +forward. As the water is to be received and discharged alternately, +there would be no jerking motion. + + + + +OUR ROMAN TWINS. + +BY OLIVE MAY EAGER. + + +[Illustration: THE ROMAN TWINS.] + +When the twins were born in Rome, all of our friends exclaimed at once, +"Oh, Romulus and Remus!" but we did not name them for the city's twin +founders. One reason was that one of our babies was a girl, and although +we might have called her Romola, we could not make up our minds to name +the dear little brother in honor of that ill-natured Remus. So +notwithstanding their classic birthplace, our twins answer to common, +every-day names. + +We lived at the foot of the Capitol, within a stone's-throw of the Roman +Forum, around which clusters so much of legend and history. The nursery +window overlooked the Capitol garden, where two wolves were always +stalking restlessly about in their cages. Before our twins knew a word +of English, and almost as soon as they could lisp in sweet Italian +accents, they heard the tale of Romulus and Remus, and knew that the +great city of Rome honored this legend by keeping two live wolves at the +Capitol. + +When they grew older and walked through the ancient streets, they became +familiar with the picture of the babes and the wolf as seen on +sign-boards and placards, as well as in marble and bronze reliefs. Thus +the old legend grew into their lives, and they talked it over in wise +baby fashion. Whenever they went to play hide-and-seek around the statue +of Marcus Aurelius, in the Capitol square, they stopped long before the +poor old caged wolves, and wondered why two wolves were kept, if Remus +had to be killed for his bad behavior. Once they suggested to nurse that +one wolf and two babies would seem more true to history; but when she +replied that they would do splendidly for the babies, they dropped the +subject, lest the city fathers hear of it in some way, and feel inclined +to carry out so brilliant an idea. + +In their own logical way, they were quite decided as to the place where +Remus, in derision, jumped over the city wall, for it would be very easy +to leap a certain low point up near the Macao, where they once went to +see King Humbert review his troops in honor of the German Emperor's +visit to Rome. + +Of course mother wrote to America about the twins' sayings and doings, +and one day they received a letter from the auntie whom they had never +seen. She wrote that she had a globe of goldfish, and each fish had a +name, except two tiny ones, which she would leave for them to name and +to own when they came to see her in the spring. + +The twins were very sober over this serious matter, though they did not +even discuss the names, but from the start called their fish Romulus and +Remus. When spring came, mother left for America with her +five-year-olds, who stood the travelling well, and were made much of in +the old home where mother spent her girlhood. + +True to her promise, auntie gave them the fish in a tiny globe, and +they would sit on the floor watching the goldies by the hour. It was a +source of regret that they had no means of telling which was which, but +one day they came pitching up stairs, too excited to speak plainly, "Oh, +mother! we've 'scovered Remus, 'cause he jumped over." Sure enough, +there lay the poor fish gasping on the floor, and although we put him +back in the water immediately, he hobbled around for days with a broken +fin, and moved stiffly ever afterwards. + +With the autumn we prepared to journey Romeward, and sad good-byes were +said. Everybody was in tears except the twins, and as we started for the +train they appeared with the precious goldfish. Here was a dilemma! +Mother said firmly that she could not possibly go all the way to Rome +with more than one pair of twins. Grief and dismay made their eyes brim +over, and uncle said: "Let's keep some dry eyes in this party. I'll +bring the fish to the station." He brought them in a little tin pail +with holes in the cover for air, and in this style Romulus and Remus set +forth on their wanderings. The sleeping-car porter looked on them with a +friendly eye, and thus we arrived safely in New York, where we went +aboard a Mediterranean steamer bound for Naples. Mother left the twins +with their pail in a safe place on deck, while she looked after the +baggage. They were gone when she returned, and rather frightened, she +rushed to her state-room, where she was still more startled to find the +Captain stooping over something on the floor. He rose and spoke +courteously, "I beg your pardon, madam, but I found the children and +their Romans on deck. I am a Roman myself, and I will give orders that +no one of this quartette lack for anything on my ship." Thanks to the +Captain's patriotism, we had a most comfortable voyage as we steamed +across the Atlantic and past Gibraltar, through the beautiful +Mediterranean. The eyes of the twins opened wide when they reached +Naples and saw the fires of Vesuvius, but in the hurry to reach Rome we +drove straight to the railway station. As we stood in the long line of +people who were pushing and crowding to the train, some impatient +traveller jostled the pail so that poor Romulus and Remus wriggled on +the stone floor. Mother almost abandoned them to their fate, but a +porter was quick-witted enough to clap them into the pail and rush off +for fresh water. He returned in time to hand them through the train +window to their beaming owners, and with an eye to further reward he +brought a bottle of water also. There is no water on Italian trains, and +but for this happy thought the fish would have perished during the seven +hours by rail to Rome. The swaying motion of the train was far worse +than that of the steamer, and mother and twins were kept busy filling +the pail as fast as the water splashed out. By-and-by we rolled into the +Roman station, and father was so glad to see his loved ones that he +declared he felt like eating the whole party, fish included. + +Thus the little American goldfish came to live in the shadow of the +Roman Capitol, in sight of their wolfish namesakes. Every visitor heard +the story of their adventures, and one sympathetic listener brought them +a new globe with two dear little bronze wolves in the bottom; but, alas! +their stay on classic soil was brief. During the long sea-voyage they +had lost their bright golden hue, and wore rather a pale, silvery look, +so that the twins became anxious about the health of their pets. A +fish-dealer said that goldfish thrive best when fed with the wafers used +for taking medicine. Half a wafer was dropped in for their supper, but +next morning poor Romulus and the wafer floated on the water together. +The twins were inconsolable, till mother organized a grand funeral +procession to the flat house-top, where Romulus was buried in state +under a peach-tree which mother had grown in a packing-box from a seed +brought from her American home. + +Remus lived on alone without the luxury of wafers, for the fishman, when +interviewed by the tearful twins, said that Romulus died of over-eating, +since wafers are mince pie and plum-pudding to goldfish, who are such +gluttons that they can be trusted with but a pin-point of their favorite +dish. The tragic end of Romulus was forgotten in the joys of +Christmas-time, when the twins showed some little Italian friends their +first Christmas tree, for they know nothing of Santa Claus in Rome, but +receive gifts from an old woman called Befana. She comes at Epiphany, +when there is also a procession up the 124 marble steps that lead to the +Ara Coeli Church, in which there is a "presepio," or representation of +the infant Christ in the manger. The nursery window overlooked these +steps, and just underneath was a fine array of toys and sweets to tempt +the Roman children, who go every year to recite poetry before the +"presepio." The twins spent the morning watching the crowd and driving +an occasional bargain with the toy-seller beneath their window. They +borrowed the servant's basket, which she lets down with a string, Roman +fashion, when she hears the postman's knock and does not want to go down +the long stairway to the _portone_, or big street door, to receive +letters. They sent down pennies in the basket, and drew it up with the +desired plaything, until lunch called them from their fascinating +employment. Poor lonely Remus was set in the window to enjoy the fun, +but on their return the globe was tenantless. The toy-woman below saw +the dismayed little faces peeping over the window sill, and called up to +say that she had picked up a dead fish on the cold marble step. The +basket went down once more, and was drawn up slowly and sadly with poor +Remus's body. + +We buried him, too, under the peach-tree on the house-top, and set up +the little bronze wolves for a double monument; but the twins have never +wanted any more goldfish. They write their own letters now, and seal +them with a tiny stamp of the Roman wolves; but to this day they bemoan +the fact that while Remus met rather a historic fate, their favorite +Romulus died a glutton. But father comforts them by saying that those +"noble Romans" were very fond of good things, and their fish no doubt +followed the example of many another Roman citizen. + + + + +[Illustration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT] + + +To continue the subject of aquatics, which the Department took up last +week, let us turn to the art of diving. Before learning to dive, the +beginner should accustom himself to keep his head under water as long as +he can hold his breath, and he should practise opening the eyes under +water in order to become used to the appearance of things below the +surface. Diving, even more than swimming, demands that a boy or man +should have confidence in himself. Nobody should attempt to learn how to +dive when alone; even more than when learning to swim, he should have +some one near at hand in case help is needed. + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + +[Illustration] + +To learn how to dive, the beginner should first squat down on the edge +of the float or spring-board from which he is to plunge into the water, +holding his hands out before him just as he does in the breast stroke in +swimming (described in this Department last week)--that is, with the +arms extended, the hands horizontal, and the fingers close together, the +thumb tips and the forefinger tips touching one another. Then he should +allow himself to tumble forward into the water, striking with his hands +first. The eyes must be kept closed when plunging into the water, and +should not be opened until after the head is immersed. + +It is very dangerous to plunge into the water with the eyes open, and a +number of people have been blinded by so doing. Always duck the chin a +little in toward the breast just before the head strikes the water. As +soon as the body has entered the water the hands should be bent back and +the head raised to an upright position. The bending back of the hands +sends the body upward toward the surface again. As I have said, the +first trials at diving should be mere drops into the water off the edge +of the float from a sitting position. + +[Illustration: FIG. 6.--THE DETAIL OF DIVING.] + +After the beginner has learned to do this he should lean from the waist +over (as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 6), and likewise fall +forward. When he has mastered this method he may stand upright, as shown +by the figure drawn in heavy lines in Fig. 6, and as also shown in the +photographic illustration No. 1. + +The accompanying series of pictures illustrating the dive in detail are +made from instantaneous photographs of Professor Gus Sundstrom. They +show, in No. 1, the upright pose of the body just before taking the +plunge. The diver stands upright on a spring-board or on the edge of a +float, with the arms held stiff to the sides, the chest well filled with +air so as to give buoyancy to the body, and the eyes resting on about +that spot in the water where he expects to plunge below the surface. + +The diver then raises his arms before him, the palms downward, not held +closely together like an arrow-point--a position assumed by many divers +who do not know the correct way. He then allows his body to fall +forward, bending his knees and giving a slight spring with his legs. As +the body rises in the air the arms are gradually lifted, until, when the +body is about to enter the water, it lies practically in a straight line +from toes to fingers. Fig. 6 shows very clearly what happens as soon as +a man plunges into the water and turns his palms upward. The body +describes a sort of arc under water, and the head comes to the surface +about six feet from the point where it entered. + +The whole science of diving depends upon the spring taken before leaping +into the water--that is, the diver should be careful to give enough +spring to throw his body sufficiently forward to give the legs time to +follow a curve, otherwise the body will fall flat on the water, and this +might result in serious injury to the performer. + +The high dive is different from the low dive only in that a run is +taken, instead of plunging into the water from a standstill. Of course +in this case the spring is greater, the body goes higher into the air, +describing a greater arc, and dives deeper under the water, unless some +effort is made to prevent. This effort is very simple, and consists of +bending the hands back as aforesaid, in throwing the chest back, and in +bending the legs back. + +If the intention of the diver is to sink to the bottom of the stream or +pool, to pick up something, for instance, he should not perform any of +these motions, but allow his body to go unrestrained. To rise again +from the bottom, keep the hands well below the shoulders, and work the +feet as when treading water. The body will thus come to the surface very +quickly. + +As was said last week, the fastest way to swim on the breast is to use +the over-hand stroke. It is the most common stroke in racing, both for +long distances and short distances. But in order to acquire speed in +swimming, one must practise considerably and maintain a certain kind of +more or less strict training. The swimmer needs plenty of sleep. He +should go to bed not later than 10.30 every night, and should rise +early. He should then take a very light breakfast--a glass of milk and a +piece of toast, for instance--and take a walk of a mile or so. + +When he comes home he should exercise with light dumbbells and rub down +with a coarse towel. Then he should take a more solid breakfast, +consisting of coffee, eggs, and steak. An hour or so afterwards he +should go for another walk, this time of from five to ten miles, and +every now and then during this promenade he should sprint from 50 to 100 +yards. This sprinting limbers the legs, which is necessary for the +swimmer. + +Punching the bag is another good exercise, and of course a certain +amount of swimming should be done, though it is not necessary by any +means to swim every day. Mr. Arthur T. Kenney, the champion amateur +swimmer of America, swims only three times a week, and manages, in that +way, to keep himself in first-rate condition. He believes in keeping the +muscles pliant and in preventing them from becoming hard. Therefore it +is well for the swimmer not to indulge in much rowing, for that is the +exercise which hardens the muscles of the arms. + +It goes without saying that when training for a race the swimming should +be done in a stream or lake, and not in a tank in-doors, for the open +air is much better to exercise in than the close air of the tank or +gymnasium. Young swimmers should practise short swims in order to +develop a speedy stroke, and not attempt long distances until they have +acquired the leg action necessary for racing. Short swims of 50 or 100 +yards are the best distances. + +Furthermore, it should be remembered that fast and hard work should not +be attempted before the body has been gotten into perfect condition, +otherwise the swimmer becomes overwearied, and is unable to perform the +work which he otherwise could. + +It is only natural to suppose that any one who expects to enter a +swimming race has been swimming enough during the summer to be in fair +condition. Therefore if he follows the course of training briefly +described above for about a week--which is Mr. Kenney's method, and has +made him the champion of American amateurs--he will then be in condition +to work systematically in the water. + +As in every other kind of athletic sport, a swimmer must give the +greatest attention to form. Do not allow yourself to be carried away by +the desire to acquire speed, but try so to master the action of the arms +and legs that presently they will work almost automatically, and perform +to the best advantage for the expenditure of energy. It is well to swim +half the distance of the race about three times a week, but no more, and +after this has been done for about two weeks it will be noticed that the +action of the body has become much easier, and that speed has increased. +Then a certain amount of time should be devoted to the practice of +starting. + +A start in a swimming race is very much like the action of a standing +broad jump; it is a spring from a mark. The proper attitude to assume at +the starting-line is to have the legs bent, the arms held back, the body +leaning forward just as far as equilibrium will allow. As soon as the +pistol is fired, or the word to start is given, swing the arms forward, +and spring with all the strength of your legs as far out into the water +as possible. Pay no attention to the other competitors, and do not look +forward into the course, but give all your thoughts to making a long +leap. This start should be a low dive (what swimmers call a +"skip-jack"), and the head should be brought to the surface as quickly +as possible by taking a stroke under water. + +An important thing to remember is to have the arms in position to take a +strong, steady stroke as soon as the head comes above the surface. It +will require a great deal of practice to master all these details of the +start, and therefore it is advisable to practise these things on the +intermediate days of swimming. For instance, swim half your distance one +day, practise starting the next, and then swim half your distance the +next day, and so on. + +After coming out of the water the swimmer should be well rubbed down +with a coarse towel, and he should, if possible, have somebody to knead +his muscles, for this sort of massage helps greatly to limber the +tissues. + +The football season will open in the colleges in a very few weeks, and +the schools will follow their elders shortly afterwards. The question of +summer training for football-players has been more or less mooted for +the past few years. I believe that the best opinion among athletes is +that for young players it is not advisable to try to get into training +much before September. The summer is intended for recreation and not for +work, and sport is a pastime, not a business. + +Those college-men who set to work in August, gathering at the +training-table a month before the term opens, are making a business of +football. They are devoting their energies to the sport for the sake of +winning, and not for the pleasure they get from playing. And this sort +of thing is bad for athletics, and bad for that particular branch of +athletics which becomes the victim of summer training. Nevertheless, +there are cases where a little preliminary thought and work may be of +service--I mean especially with captains of teams, or with half-backs +and quarter-backs, who have the ambition to make their school or college +teams, but who feel that they have not had enough experience as yet to +feel sure that their work in the fall will assure them of the place. + +It is a very different thing if an individual, or two individuals, at +their homes in the country, choose to kick a football over an improvised +goal-post, or choose, two or three times a week, to go out on the grass +and fall on the ball, or to go out in the road and run a few miles to +improve their wind. It is a different thing from getting eleven men +together for concerted work. In fact, it is well for the amateur +sportsmen who recognize their own weaknesses to try to remedy them at +home in the early fall. This is not making a business of sport--it is +rather developing a healthy interest and ambition. + +Captains of teams, as I have said before, can spend several weeks prior +to the opening of the school term in reading and learning the rules of +the game, and in planning out plays and tricks which they think can be +effective against their opponents. The captain of a school team has +usually played one year or more on his school's eleven, and is +consequently more or less familiar with the style of play of the other +schools in his league; and by giving thought to the work as he has seen +it performed by each one of his rivals, he may very well be able to +develop some sort of counter-strategy which shall prove most effective +later in the season. + +Recognizing the fact that the school captains all over the country will +probably wish to be giving some consideration to the new season from now +on, this Department will shortly begin a series of four papers on the +science of football, and on this game as it is to be played this year, +illustrating the text with photographs and diagrams. But before we begin +with the theory of the game, it will probably be well to touch lightly +upon training and practice. + +Let us assume that the majority of school teams will be getting together +toward the end of September. At that season of the year, especially +after a long summer vacation, in which, if there has been any exercise +taken at all, it has been exercise of an entirely different kind from +football, most of the players will be soft, and their muscles will need +hardening. During the first few days practice should not exceed more +than twenty-five minutes at a stretch. It should consist of dropping on +the ball, and of snapping the ball back from the centre to the quarter, +and of passes from the half-backs to the full-back and to one another. A +little running, for wind, is also advisable. + +The running should not be of the long-distance kind to begin with, but +sprinting, and very short sprints at that. A good way is to line the +whole team up across the field, and to have them sprint to the 25-yard +line. This might be done twice a day--once at the beginning of the +practice, and once at the end. As the days go by, the second sprint can +be lengthened, until the men are required to run as far as the 50-yard +line, and a week or so later they should be made to run the entire +length of the field. + +Where it is possible, the players should return home from the field on +which they have been practising at a swinging trot, and upon reaching +their various rooms they should bathe and rub down so as to avoid +stiffness resulting from the new exercise. It ought not to be necessary +for me to say that football-players, and especially young +football-players, should make a point of getting to bed early--before +ten o'clock, if possible--and of rising regularly in the morning. + +After this preliminary work has been going on for a week or two, more +serious practice can be undertaken. The candidates should be divided +into squads, the centres and quarter-backs, the half-backs and the +line-men working together. Practice may now be kept up for +three-quarters of an hour each afternoon, the backs, of course, devoting +themselves to punting and catching, whereas the line-men work at +breaking through, and at tackling, and at falling on the ball. Not more +than half of the time devoted to practice should be spent in playing the +game itself; but in that time, when the two teams, the first and the +scrub, are opposed to one another in regular football array, they should +play as hard and as carefully as if they were indulging in a contest +with some strong rival. + +On alternate days the scrub team should keep the ball in its possession +constantly, in order that the first team may get practice in defensive +play. On the other days the first team should hold the ball, in order to +develop the strategy of offensive work. It is also well, as the season +grows older, to have the regular half-backs play on the scrub team, in +order that the rush-line players of the first team may have the +advantage of playing against the best backs their schools can turn out. + + H. P. BOARDMAN, BURLINGTON, VT.--You can get the information you + ask for in Zimmerman's book on bicycling. Any dealer in sporting + goods can secure the book for you. + +"TRACK ATHLETICS IN DETAIL."--ILLUSTRATED.--8VO, CLOTH, ORNAMENTAL, +$1.25. + + THE GRADUATE. + + + + +[Illustration: THE CAMERA CLUB] + + Any questions in regard to photograph matters will be willingly + answered by the Editor of this column, and we should be glad to + hear from any of our club who can make helpful suggestions. + + +COLORING PHOTOGRAPHS. + +A very simple and easy way to color photographs, and one by which a +person with little or no knowledge of painting can produce quite +pleasing effects, is called the "Hallotype," from the name of the +inventor, Mr. J. B. Hall. + +The process consists in printing two paper positives from the same +negative, rendering one transparent by the use of dammar varnish, and +painting the other, and placing the transparent print over the painted +one, and fastening them securely between two plates of glass. + +To render the print transparent, after it has been toned and dried, lay +it face down on a sheet of glass, and varnish with dammar varnish. This +varnish can be bought ready prepared, or may be made of one ounce of +dammar-gum dissolved in two ounces of spirits of turpentine. If one coat +does not make the print transparent enough, apply a second when the +first is dry. Be careful that the print, when drying, does not stick to +the glass. + +Another way to make the print transparent is to apply the print to +glass, and remove the paper, leaving the film on the glass. To do this +take a spoiled negative or piece of clear glass, clean it thoroughly, +and polish it with French chalk to remove all trace of grease. Varnish +the glass with varnish made of one ounce of balsam of fir and two ounces +of spirits of turpentine. As soon as the varnish begins to set, take the +print, which must be thoroughly wet, blot off the moisture from the face +with clean blotting-paper, and place the print face down on the glass. +Roll down smoothly with a squeegee, taking care that no air-blisters +remain between the print and the glass. The paper can now be removed by +rubbing it gently with the fingers, moistening it with a wet sponge as +it dries. When the paper is removed, varnish the film and set it away to +dry. + +The other print is now to be colored. For this one may use either oil or +water-colors. If water-colors are used, they should be mixed with +Chinese white to give them body. The paints are applied roughly, the +only care being necessary is to follow the outlines of the objects, and +to use appropriate colors. The result will be a daub without any special +form. + +When the colors are dry place the print under the transparent picture, +matching the outlines of the two pictures perfectly. If the print has +been rendered transparent by varnishing, it is best to attach it to a +glass by pasting it at the corners before fitting the colored print over +it. Back the two prints with a piece of thin white card-board, and place +another glass back of the paste-board. Bind the glasses with a strip of +adhesive paper, such as is used for binding lantern slides, and then +frame or finish in any way desired. + +If the film has been transferred to glass, a pretty way to finish the +picture after the painted print has been fitted to it, and the glasses +bound together, is to take gilt paper and cut an opening of a size to +correspond with the picture, and place it over the face of the picture +like a mat. Put another piece of plain paper over this and fasten to the +picture. The picture may either be framed or bound with ribbon. + +This is a good way to use up spoiled plates, and after a little practice +one can make very good colored pictures. + + * * * * * + +FALSE ECONOMY + +is practised by people who buy inferior articles of food. The Gail +Borden Eagle Brand Condensed Milk is the best infant food. _Infant +Health_ is the title of a valuable pamphlet for mothers. Sent free by +New York Condensed Milk Co., New York--[_Adv._] + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS. + + + + +[Illustration: ROYAL BAKING POWDER] + +A cream-of-tartar baking powder. Highest of all in leavening +strength.--_Latest United States Government Food Report._ + +ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO., NEW YORK. + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + + + +[Illustration: BICYCLING] + + This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the + Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our + maps and tours contain many valuable data kindly supplied from the + official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen. + Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L.A.W., the + Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership + blanks and information so far as possible. + + +[Illustration: Copyright, 1896, by Harper & Brothers.] + +Last week we followed the route from Chicago to Waukesha as far as +Lippencott's, on Fox Lake, advising the rider to make the distance from +Chicago to Lippencott's in one day, running as far as Wheeling in the +morning, stopping there for dinner, and continuing to Lippencott's in +the afternoon. It is possible to make the rest of the journey to +Waukesha on the second day, and by referring to the map in the last +issue of the ROUND TABLE the reader can follow the route from Fox Lake +to Salem--the rest of the distance to Waukesha being shown on the map +given this week. + +The distance from Lippencott's is about fifty miles. Leaving +Lippencott's, ride to the south about three-fourths of a mile, then turn +sharp to the left instead of continuing back towards Wheeling. Hold this +road for about two miles as it turns northward, and then run straight +along on or near the shore of Fox Lake out to Antioch, the only turn +being about half a mile before entering the town of Antioch itself, +which is evidently enough to the right, as the town is in sight. + +From Antioch, after crossing the track, proceed northward along the main +road direct to Salem, a little over five miles from Antioch; thence run +on out of Salem in the same direction about a mile; take the left turn +at a junction of five roads, and ride out toward Fox River by Silver +Lake, which will be on the left. Cross the river a good five miles from +the fork beyond Salem. After crossing the river keep to the right, and +follow the river itself all the way into Burlington, along an easily +found road. At Burlington recross the river again, and follow a somewhat +winding road to Rochester. Burlington is about eight miles from the +bridge over Fox River, and Rochester is five miles from Burlington. +Keeping on through Rochester, continue two miles to Waterford, and there +turn northwestward and run a good eight miles to Mukwonago. The road is +not especially good here, and there are some opportunities for losing +the way, unless the map is followed carefully. It will pay to make +inquiries occasionally. On leaving Mukwonago run on about five miles to +the north, and at a fork, which is evident on the map and will be easily +found on the road, turn to the right, and run to Saylesville. Thence +proceed direct to Waukesha, seven miles away. + +Burlington is the place to stop for lunch; that gives a ride of about +twenty-five miles or more after lunch and twenty-six or twenty-seven +miles before, thus dividing the journey in halves, and making a pleasant +two days' run from Chicago to Waukesha. That is, leaving Chicago, stop +for the noon rest the first day at Wheeling, and spend the night at +Lippencott's; on the second day stop at Burlington for the noon rest, +and reach Waukesha in the late afternoon. + +From this point the rides about Waukesha, which have already been +described in the recent numbers of the ROUND TABLE, can be taken, and a +good fortnight's bicycling trip can be spent to great advantage in this +one district alone. All the country along the route is made attractive +by the conspicuous absence of bad hills and by the constant appearance +of water, either in the form of ponds or lakes or rivers. + +During the next weeks we shall give some especially interesting trips in +Illinois, in the vicinity of Chicago, such as trips about Ottowa and +trips to St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Michigan. All of these are +carefully chosen trips, adapted to the average bicycle-rider--not the +long-distance century-runner--and it will well repay any wheelman to +study these maps in and around Chicago. + + + + +[Illustration: STAMPS] + + This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin + collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question + on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address + Editor Stamp Department. + + +The American Philatelic Association has just held its annual meeting at +Lake Minnetonka, Minn. The membership is 1046, and the treasurer reports +a surplus on hand of about $1300. The annual dues have been raised to +$1.08, being exactly nine cents per month. The following were elected +officers for the ensuing year: Messrs. Olney, president; Vanderlip, +Toppan, and Kilborn, vice-presidents; Chandler, treasurer; Beard, +Phillips, and Doeblin, secretaries; Mekeel, superintendent of sales. + +Plate Nos. and U.S. Revenues continue to increase in value, and now a +long-neglected department of philately is exciting widespread interest, +viz., U.S. entire envelopes. I have always advocated collecting entire +envelopes, showing the different dies and colors of papers, leaving to +specialists the different varieties in shapes, sizes, water-marks, gums, +etc. The only objection has been the necessity of having separate albums +for the envelopes. One of the curious facts connected with auction sales +is that frequently a perfectly clean entire envelope could be bought +cheaper than a cut square envelope of the same die, and on the same +paper. A few collectors have availed themselves of these opportunities +to their own profit. + +The issue of the Columbian series of U.S. stamps seems to have led large +numbers of persons who know nothing of stamps, except that some rare +ones bring big prices, to buy quantities of all the Columbians and lay +them aside as a speculation. These hoards are now coming into the +market, and every week quantities are purchased by the dealers at a +discount on the face value. This is especially true of the denominations +50c., $2, $3, $4, $5. Very few of the $1 stamps are offered, thus their +price is fairly well maintained. But the others are bought at a discount +of ten or fifteen per cent., thereby breaking the speculative prices. +Still, every lot that comes into the market reduces the quantity held in +reserve, and prices may advance materially at any time. + + A. CAREY.--M. stands for German marks, worth 25c. each; F. for + French francs, worth 20c. each; £ for English pound sterling, worth + $4.88; also for Italian liras, worth 20c. each. + + A. B. HERVEY.--It is impossible to say which of the Plate Nos. are + rarest. One dealer may have a large quantity of certain Nos., and + lack those of which another dealer has a superfluity, and _vice + versa_. A priced catalogue of Plate Nos. can be bought of any + dealer for 25c. The prices are a fair indication of present values, + which, however, are fluctuating. The following list of Nos. wanted + has been advertised by one of the largest dealers. They must be in + strips of three, with full Imprint and Plate Nos. attached, either + tops, bottoms, or sides. + + UNWATER-MARKED. + + Nos. 2, 6, 7, 10, 15, 17, 18, 21, 22, 23, 25, 31, 34, 49, 50, 53, + 54, 56, 59, 61, 62, 63, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, + 78, 80, 84, 85, 88, 89 (will pay $25 for this), 90, 92, 93, 94, 97, + 100, 104, 105, 106, 109, 110, 111, 123, 125, 135, 136, 137, 138, + 139, 140, 141, 146, 151. + + WATER-MARKED. + + Nos. 24, 29, 33, 35, 60, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, + 82, 84, 90, 93, 100, 102, 105, 109, 110, 116, 123, 126, 131, 132, + 133, 135, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 159, 258, 259, 260, 261, 265, + 266, 267, 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273, 284, 285, 286, 287, 288, + 289. Nos. 24, 29, 33, and 35 on water-marked paper are worth $5 + each and upward. + + There must be thousands of these sheets in the smaller + post-offices. + + R. B. B.--The U.S. coins mentioned are all current, and turn up + constantly in the ordinary course of trade. The foreign coins are + no longer current, and are worth bullion only. The red Centennial + is listed at 50c., the green at 25c. I would advise you to buy a + 25c. catalogue, as it will give you full information on values. + + D. H. WILSON.--Foreign copper money has no value in this country. + + J. M. S. CARTER.--To see water-marks, dip the stamp in water, and + try it in various positions and in various lights. The letters on + English stamps are control Nos. (see ROUND TABLE for October 8, + 1895). Rare stamps are more valuable on letters. Common stamps are + common in any way. + + A. SACHS.--Certainly. Buy a catalogue. If you intend to collect + stamps systematically, you must have a catalogue. + + E. T. SYMS.--Spanish stamps cancelled by heavy lines straight + across, and those having holes punched in them, are both + remainders. They are genuine stamps which could have been used for + postage before they were "barred" or "punched." + + A. CHAMBERS.--O.S. on British Colonial stamps means "Official + Service." The New South Wales stamps with different initials were + used in the different public offices. For instance, those with the + surcharge L.C. stand for Land Commissioner, etc. Some of these + stamps are very scarce, and all are worth more than the same stamps + without the initials. + + H. D. JACKSON.--There were so many varieties of Revenue stamps that + it would be impossible to answer your question accurately. In + general the imperforated stamps ate worth much more than the + perforated. The average perforated Revenues can be bought at from + 1c to 25c. each in all values up to $10. + + M. SHRENE.--A complete set of Columbian stamps, from 1c. to $5, is + worth $25, either used or unused. + + LURA E. COSLEY.--All the U.S. stamps are now water-marked. A + portion of a letter is to be found on every one. The letters are + U.S.P.S. (see ROUND TABLE, August 6, 1895). + + S. ISABEL CARTER.--They are not coins, but are "war tokens," which + are extremely interesting, but at present have no monetary value. + They were collected from 1862 to 1864, but the dies were in the + hands of the manufacturers, who immediately struck a quantity + whenever there was a premium. This discouraged the collectors. Some + day they will doubtless be much sought after, and will then become + valuable. + + HONESDALE.--V nickels without the word "cents" can be bought of + dealers for 10c. each. Your dime and copper are still current and + quite common. The "Exigency" is a "war token." Letters on U.S. + coins show the mint at which they were coined. The Philadelphia + mint, however, does not show any special letter. + + PHILATUS. + + * * * * * + +OLD TREES. + +On the slope of the Sierra Nevada, five thousand feet above the +sea-level, there are a number of trees varying from 250 to 320 feet in +height and from 10 to 20 feet in diameter. The bark of these trees is +from 12 to 15 inches in thickness. In 1853 one of them was cut down and +21 feet of the bark from the lower part of the trunk was used to make a +room, and when completed it was large enough to contain a piano and seat +forty persons. + +On one occasion it held 150 children. The tree from which this bark was +taken was reputed to have been three thousand years old. There are many +old trees in the world standing to-day, of which we name the following: + +The camphor-tree of Sorrogi, in Japan, is hollow, and will hold fifteen +persons. Superstition relates that it grew from the staff of the +philosopher Kobodarsi, and Siebold thinks the tree may have existed +since the time of that sage at the close of the eighth century. The +cypress of Soma, in Lombardy, is perhaps the oldest tree of which there +is any record in the world. It is generally supposed to have been +planted in the year of the birth of Christ, but the Abbé of Beliz states +that there is extant at Milan a chronicle which proves that it was in +existence in the time of Julius Cæsar, B.C. 42. It is 121 feet high. The +olive-tree at Pessio is probably the most ancient in Italy, and is +stated to be 700 years old. The dragon tree of Orotava, in the island of +Teneriffe, is considered to be one thousand years old. It is stated to +have been as large and as hollow in the fourteenth century as it was +when found by Humboldt, late in the last century. There is an +extraordinary tree in the neighborhood of Finale which bears something +like 8000 oranges in one year. + + + + +ADVERTISEMENTS. + + + + +It's all right to smile and show pretty teeth; it's all wrong for the +gown to gap at the fastenings and show glimpses of embarrassing, though +exquisite white. + +The DeLong Hook and Eye never unfastens except at the will of the +wearer. + +[Illustration] + +See that + +hump? + +Richardson & DeLong Bros., Philadelphia. + +Also makers of the + +CUPID Hairpin. + + + + +[Illustration] + +BALTIMOREAN PRINTING-PRESS + +has earned more money for boys than all other presses in the market. +Boys, don't idle away your time when you can buy a self-inking +printing-press, type, and complete outfit for $5.00. Write for +particulars, there is money in it for you. + +THE J. F. W. DORMAN CO., + +Baltimore, Md., U.S.A. + + + + +Postage Stamps, &c. + + + + +$117.50 WORTH OF STAMPS FREE + +to agents selling stamps from my 50% approval sheets. Send at once for +circular and price-list giving full information. + +C. W. Grevning, Morristown, N. J. + + + + +[Illustration: STAMPS] + +100 all dif. Venezuela, Bolivia, etc., only 10c., 200 all dif. Hayti, +Hawaii, etc., only 50c. Ag'ts w't'd at 50% com. List FREE! =C. A. +Stegmann=, 5941 Cote Brilliante Ave., St. Louis, Mo + + + + +STAMPS + +=10= stamps and large list =FREE!= + +L. DOVER & CO., 1469 Hodiamont, St. Louis, Mo. + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + * * * * * + +The New Way of Extracting Gold. + + In these days, when so much is heard about gold and silver, I + thought the Table might like to know something about gold-mining at + Cripple Creek. Well, everything here is new--the buildings, the + shops, the whole town; but more remarkable than that fact is the + one that the method of getting gold out of the earth is new too. + + It is estimated that not fewer than 2500 men are at this moment + walking over the rocks of Colorado, Idaho, Utah, and California + looking for gold. Nobody prospects for silver nowadays. It is all + gold. The reason for this is that gold is so valuable, and silver + so cheap. But there is another reason, and that is that gold is + found everywhere, and a new way has just been discovered for + getting it out of the rock or sand in paying quantities. Hence + gold-fields that once were not worth working are now rich in + promise. Gold is one of the most plentiful of metals, but we have + just found out how to get it. + + Near Cripple Creek is the largest reduction-mill in the world. Into + it are poured vast quantities of what look like cobble-stones, and + out of it come fortunes every month. The way this is accomplished + is by putting into the mill, with the cobble-stones--which + cobble-stones have the gold in them--cyanide of potassium. This + stuff looks just like common alum, but it is not alum by a good + deal, for it is deadly poison. It is made from the hoofs, horns, + and refuse of cattle. It has a wonderful way of taking hold of the + particles of gold after the rock has been ground to a powder, and + of letting the gold go again when it is wanted to do so. The effect + is that rock that under the old processes was not worth handling + is, under the new cyanide process, a "gold-mine" in reality. + + This method of gold extraction was invented by two Scotchmen, and + came here from Australia. Now there are a score of cyanide-mills in + Colorado, and it is predicted that the next twenty years will see + gold far more plentiful than the world ever dreamed possible for it + to be. + + WALTER C. NEWPORT, R.T.K. + CRIPPLE CREEK, COL. + + * * * * * + +Another Word from Distant South Africa. + + I live in Africa. I am thirteen years old. My sister wrote you, and + a great many American children have answered her letter. One little + girl named Xena gave a description of herself which was so like me + that when Bertha read the letter they all looked at me and laughed. + So Bertha thought I'd be the best one to answer her. I wrote, but + after five months of anxious waiting, my letter was returned to me. + If Xena sees this I hope she will write again, and send her proper + address in print writing. + + Can you tell us what has become of the "Author of the clever + contrivance"? He was among the first who wrote to Bertha. We are + most interested in him, because he was an invalid. Bertha answered + him, but he has not written again. Father gave us leave to + subscribe to the ROUND TABLE, but there are so many troubles lately + that we have been obliged to put it off--war, drought, and locusts. + Besides eating the grass, beans, potatoes, and pumpkins, they have + eaten the leaves off the fruit trees. The latter all look as if + winter had come--all except the orange-trees. Father kept them off + these trees with flags on long bamboos. + + FLORENCE MARIA. + KOONAH, VIA GRAHAMSTOWN, SOUTH AFRICA, FEBRUARY. + + * * * * * + +Playing at Newspaper-Making. + +When amateur papers attain the excellence of those made by professional +journalists it is time for the latter fellows to bestir themselves. _Ye +Round-Table Jester_ comes to us from Brooklyn--the Avalonia Chapter, No. +792, No. 369 Lewis Avenue. The publishing committee consists of Sir +Knights William Hathaway, Beverly Sedgwick, Frederic Cook, and Russell +Molyneux. It is mimeograph print, type-writer text, in two colors, and +profusely illustrated by "Bev"--Mr. Beverly S. King, who has won several +ROUND TABLE illustration prizes. The prospectus says the artistic +abilities of the Chapter "had to find vent somewhere." Genius always +"gets there," you remember. + +The front-page illustration shows two Knights, one of 1396, the other of +1896. One is in armor on a horse, the other in knickerbockers on a +bicycle. Here are some _Jester_ jokes: + +BUT IT WOULDN'T WORK. + +MOMMER. "Johnny, what's Willy crying about? And why have you got that +baby sitting out there in the sun?" + +JOHNNY. "Why, Popper told me that if I left his tools out in the sun it +would take all the temper out, so I thought I'd see if I couldn't get a +little temper out of the baby." + +ONE KIND OF A SCORCHER. + +TOMMY. "Say, Pop, I saw Bridget scorching this morning." + +POP. "What's that? Bridget on a wheel? I'll give her notice at once!" + +TOMMY. "Oh, that's all right, Pop. She was only scorching your shirt +when she ironed it." + + * * * * * + +Kinks. + +No. 23.--AN ANAGRAMMATICAL ACROSTIC. + +If the cross-words--of equal length--are rightly guessed, one of the +vertical columns will spell the name of an English scientist and +astronomer of world-wide fame. The name is also concealed in the +anagram. + +A TOCSIN ANEW. + +Cross-words.--1, To fawn. 2, A pendent ornament. 3, To spring, 4, A part +of a flower. 5, A public alarm-bell. 6, To cogitate. 7, To hold fast. 8, +An Indian dance. 9, To reel. 10, A boaster. 11, A showy but worthless +ornament. + + * * * * * + +No. 24.--RHYMED WORD-SQUARE. + + First is a Spanish steed, of stature very small; + Next, a Roman magistrate, with power over all; + My third is some strong savor--perhaps of frankincense; + My fourth implies "to banish"--if found in use at all; + And, last of all, aquatic birds, with breadth of wings immense. + + * * * * * + +No. 25.--CROSS-WORD ENIGMA. + + My first is in club, but not in mace; + My second in lineage, but not in race; + My third is in spruce, but not in larch; + My fourth is in journey, but not in march; + My fifth is in Odin, but not in Lok: + My sixth is in herd, but not in flock; + My seventh in park, but not in lawn; + My eighth is in bishop, but not in pawn; + My ninth is in gun, but not in yak; + My tenth is in russet, but not in black; + My eleventh in sack, but not in cape; + My whole was a fire-arm of ludicrous shape. + + VINCENT V. M. BEEDE, R.T.F. + + * * * * * + +No. 26.--A RIDDLE. + +I am sometimes a _quadruped_; still, like a fish, I have _scales_ +running all over me. Some say I am foolish and put on airs, but I guess +my argument is pretty sound. As an instance, though I own my own home, I +live in board. Furthermore, I have the reputation of being square and +upright; perhaps too much so, for I am often played upon. My name +contradicts itself, and when I am largest I am called a "baby." I am a +thing of note, and though extremely bulky, am always peddled. What am I? + + SIMON THEODORE STERN. + + * * * * * + +No. 27.--A DAY OUT. + +The name of the author of the work mentioned completes the sense. + +A Beggar's Opera, Night Thoughts, Ivanhoe set out one day for a Fancy +and Imagination. He was thoughtful enough, Alma to starting, to Uncle +Tom's Cabin away a lunch of Essays of Elia and Novum Organum and some +Scottish Chiefs bought from a The Country Girl. Being a Handy Andy of +fishing, he carried also a The Christian Hero, The Soldier's Return tied +to a The Cloister and the Hearth. He wore a Rab and his Friends The +Faerie Queene and a Elegy in a Country Church-yard Song of a Shirt. + +As he was a Hiawatha, he made Tale of a Tub progress, till he stumbled +over some Queen Mab The Hunchback, and so got an Pleasures of the +Imagination. "Land of Labor and of Gold Cotter's Saturday Night!" he +exclaimed, in a Tristram Shandy, Sir Thomas Overbury voice. "It is +enough to anger a Rape of the Lock or a The Circassian Bride. But what +are The Excursion in curing a Age of Reason?" he asked, with a Deutsche +Mythologie smile. + +He made a fire to The Free his fish, and while they were The Ring and +the Book he went to a Christabel to dig for ore, with the intention of +showing it to a Vicar of Wakefield to see if Velasquez and his Works The +Phrenologist could be made of it. He dug until the sound of a The +Adventures of a London Doll and a Hohenlinden recalled him Douglas. + + * * * * * + +Answers to Kinks. + +No. 19. + +1, Union-Jack. 2, Jack-o'-lantern. 3, Jack-oak (American black-oak). 4, +Jack Sprat. 5, Apple-jack. 6, Jellow Jack. + + * * * * * + +No. 20. + +1, Iowa (I-owe-a). 2, Agate (a gate). 3, Cat's eye. 4, Jade. + + * * * * * + +No. 21. + +1, Garnet (gar-net). 2, Quartz (quarts). 3, Opal (O pal!). 4, Hyacinth. +5, Jasper. 6, Jet. + + * * * * * + +No. 22. + +Minerva, Eros, Atlas, Hecate, Achilles, Venus, Mars, Chiron, Pan, Janus, +Io, Hebe, Ge, Midas, Ganymede, Ceres, Hera, Castor, Vesta, Hymen, Leto, +Hermes, Orion. + + * * * * * + +Questions and Answers. + +Frank T. Jones is wrong in his controversy with his friend. There are +many higher spires in Europe than St. Paul's, London, which is 404 feet. +The cathedral at Cologne, Germany, is 507 feet. "Ramie" is a Javanese +word, adopted in the United States as the name of a kind of grass +growing in China, Borneo, and Java. It is of the _Urticaceæ_, or nettle, +order of plant, and its fibre can be made into a cloth resembling silk. +It is grown to some extent in our Southern States, and its culture is +likely to increase. + +D. A. Bowman, 4412 Delmar Avenue, St. Louis, Mo., says, "I would like to +hear from amateur papers wanting stamp departments, also would like to +receive copies of papers devoted to Round Table Chapters." Edward C. +Wood asks if any one can tell him on what nights in August and November +meteor showers come. A shower was expected on the night after the total +eclipse of the sun during the second week in August, but so far as the +Table has heard, no shower came. There is no particular date in August, +November, or any other month when showers can be predicted with +certainty. + +Mary M. Hardy, aged fourteen, who may be addressed, College Campus, +Easton, Pa., wants to hear from Marion M. Clute, whose morsel about that +unreliable Florida lake interested her greatly. She asks Miss Marion to +write her, and promises to respond at once. Leo Heileman, Box 823, +Phoenix, Ariz., has Aztec relics, and is interested in mound-builders' +relics and similar curios. He wants correspondents. A. Haven Smith, +Orangeville, Pa., has seeds of Pennsylvania wild flowers, labelled with +both common and scientific names, and is interested in Indian, Aztec, +mound-builders, and all similar relics. Floyd Pennoyer, Schaghticoke, +N. Y., asks Latin students to give him a literal translation of the +following: + + "Sunt hic etiam sua præmia laudi, + Sunt lacrimæ verum." + +Mail answers to him direct. + + * * * * * + +Why Boers Fight Well. + +Having many chances at success proves often a disadvantage. General +W. F. Molyneux, a fighter in the Transvaal, tells in _Campaigning in +South Africa and Egypt_ about going to the house of a Boer, upon the +latter's invitation to become his guest on a deer-hunt. The General +arrived on horseback, accompanied by one servant. Dismounting, he +carried into the house a bag containing what would measure a peck or so +of common cartridges. The Boer looked at the bag in astonishment, and +exclaimed: + +"You Englishmen must be very rich. Cartridges cost sixpence each here." + +Rather mystified, and declaring that there are poor Englishmen, General +Molyneux asked, "Where are your cartridges?" + +"In this," replied the Boer, tapping his double-barrel. + +"Then you don't intend to do much shooting?" + +"Well, two spring-buck are as much as I can carry." + +"Suppose you miss?" + +"Nobody misses when a cartridge costs sixpence." + +The sequel was that the Boer got his two deer, one for each cartridge, +while the General fired five shots and got one. + + * * * * * + +Anachronisms In Art. + + Tintoretto's painting representing the children of Israel gathering + manna in the desert shows the Hebrews armed with guns; while + Brenghall, a Dutch artist, in a picture of the Wise Men of the + East, placed in the hand of an Indian prince, as an offering to the + Holy Child, _the model of a seventy-four_. + + JOHN COBBE. + + * * * * * + +A Day at an Arapahoe School. + + Perhaps the Round Table would like to hear of a visit I made to an + Arapahoe Indian school here. My sister and I started with our host + from his home, in El Reno, about nine o'clock. We rode until two + that afternoon. There was a river to ford, and some steep hills to + climb. In about fifteen minutes after our arrival the exercises + began. It was the time of breaking up for the summer. A chorus of + Indian children sang a queer little song, of which I could not + understand a word. Then followed recitations, addresses by the + directors of the school, and songs by the children. All the Indian + girls wore purple calico dresses, with white cotton stockings and + heavy shoes, and the boys wore dark jackets and trousers, with + white shirts, and the same kind of foot-wear. They speak and recite + in a very singsong, monotonous manner. + + After the exercises were over, the guests were asked to go through + the school. The school-rooms were large and airy, and there were + some good specimens of sewing, clay-modelling, etc. Some of the + Indian children have curious names. Hilda Two Babies, Myra Long + Neck, and Charlie Good Bear were some I heard. After a while we + went out into the grounds. All around on the grass chairs were set, + and these were occupied by "braves." One brave was standing in the + centre of a large circle, talking and gesticulating most + energetically. On the grass the squaws had ensconced themselves. + Not one of them would sit on a chair. They thought it was too + civilized. + + The children had scattered, and were sitting with their parents, or + hanging round the white people, watching. In about an hour men came + around and distributed boiled rice, potatoes, and meat. Each family + was provided with a tin dish or old coffee-pot, and each held the + receptacle out for a share of the repast. The Indian babies, I + think, are very cunning little brown things. The braves of the + Arapahoe tribe have long tassels of leather, and sometimes + fox-tails, fastened to the ends of their moccasins, at the back. + They scarcely lift their heels in walking, and so they have a + shuffling gait. + + RUTH S. BROOKE, R.T.L. + THE BISHOP'S HOUSE, GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA. + + + + +[Illustration: Ivory Soap] + +"Though lost to sight, to memory dear" is the motto for ordinary soaps. + +Ivory Soap is always in sight and is not wasting at the bottom of the +tub. + +THE PROCTER & GAMBLE CO., CIN'TI. + + + + +JOSEPH GILLOTT'S + +STEEL PENS + +Nos. 303, 404, 170, 604 E.F., 601 E.F. + +And other styles to suit all hands. + +THE MOST PERFECT OF PENS. + + + + +[Illustration] + +EARN A GOLD WATCH! + +We wish to introduce our =Teas and Baking Powder=. Sell 50 lbs. to earn a +=Waltham Gold Watch and Chain=; 25 lbs. for a =Silver Watch and Chain=; 10 +lbs. for a =Gold Ring=; 50 lbs. for a =Decorated Dinner Set=; 75 lbs. for +a =Bicycle=. Write for a Catalog and order Blank to Dept. I + +W. G. BAKER, + +Springfield Mass. + + + + +[Illustration: THOMPSON'S EYE WATER] + + + + +VERY GOOD READING + +FOR YOUNG PEOPLE + + * * * * * + +By HOWARD PYLE + +=THE WONDER CLOCK.= Large 8vo, Cloth, $3.00. + +=PEPPER AND SALT.= 4to, Cloth, $2.00. + +=THE ROSE OF PARADISE.= Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25. + +=TWILIGHT LAND.= 8vo, Half Leather. Ornamental, $2.50. + +=MEN OF IRON.= 8vo, Cloth, $2.00. + +=A MODERN ALADDIN.= Post 8vo, Cloth, $1.25. + + * * * * * + +By THOMAS W. KNOX + +=THE "BOY TRAVELLERS" SERIES:= ADVENTURES OF TWO YOUTHS--IN THE LEVANT. IN +SOUTHERN EUROPE. IN CENTRAL EUROPE. IN NORTHERN EUROPE. IN GREAT BRITAIN +AND IRELAND. IN MEXICO. IN AUSTRALASIA. ON THE CONGO. IN THE RUSSIAN +EMPIRE. IN SOUTH AMERICA. IN CENTRAL AFRICA. IN EGYPT AND PALESTINE. IN +CEYLON AND INDIA. IN SIAM AND JAVA. IN JAPAN AND CHINA. Copiously +Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth. Ornamental, $3.00 per vol. + +_OTHER BOOKS BY COLONEL KNOX:_ + +THE YOUNG NIMRODS IN NORTH AMERICA. THE YOUNG NIMRODS AROUND THE WORLD. +2 vols., Copiously Illustrated. Square 8vo, Cloth, Ornamental, $2.50 +each. + + * * * * * + +HARPER & BROTHERS, Publishers, New York + + * * * * * + +[Illustration: JOHNNIE. "PA, IS THAT THE CAMEL THEY PUT THE LAST STRAW +ON?"] + + * * * * * + +BEAUTIFUL. + +"It must be lovely up here in winter," said Pollie to the farmer's wife. + +"Why do you think that?" asked the good old lady. + +"Oh, because--you have so many cows, I should think you'd have all the +ice-cream you want." + + * * * * * + +A FATIGUING DAY. + +"I'm very tired to-night," said Howard. + +"What have you been doing?" + +"Oh, I've been helping mow the hay," said Howard. "Why, I sat on Mr. +Hayseed's lap and drove the horses that pulled the mower for two hours." + + * * * * * + +A LITTLE GIRL'S TRIBUTE. + +"Mollie," said Mr. Hicks to his little daughter, as he sat down in the +farm-house, "whom do you love best in all the world?" + +"Mrs. Farmer," said Mollie. "Because, you know, at home, papa, I love +mamma very much and cook very much, and here Mrs. Farmer is sort of +both." + + * * * * * + +A WINDY-DAY THOUGHT. + + "The wind's a fast reader," + Said Tommy; "just look + How the breeze turns over + The leaves of my book!" + + * * * * * + +BOBBIE MAKES A SUGGESTION. + +"I say, Poppy, why do they call mucilage mucilage?" + +"What would you have them call it?" + +"Gluecilage." + + * * * * * + +A CHANGE OF VIEW. + +"Want to go home, Charlie? Why, my dear little boy, I thought you told +me yesterday that you thought the farm was the only place to live?" + +"W-well, I dud-did," sobbed Charlie. "But to-to-day I--" + +"Well, go on, little man. What did you do?" + +"To-to-to-day I sus-sat dud-d-d-down on a pup-pitchfork!" + + * * * * * + +A GREAT GAME. + +"Why, Jacky, open the door and let Katie in. Don't you see it's +raining?" cried Jacky's mother. + +"I can't, mamma," said Jacky. "We are playing Noah's Ark. I'm Noah, and +Katie is the sinners, and she must stay out in the wet." + + * * * * * + +A NATURAL REQUEST. + +Jimmie had been told that his father went to town every day to make +bread for the family. One day he was allowed to go to his father's +office for him. + +"Now, Poppie," he said, as soon, as they arrived, "bring out the dough." + + * * * * * + +JUST LIKE ME. + +"You ought to come up and see our new baby," said Mattie. "He's +perfectly beautiful." + +"What does he look like?" asked Harry. + +"Just like me," said Mattie. + + * * * * * + +One of our American line steamers landed its passengers in New York the +other day after dusk. Among them was a son of Ireland, who, after hearty +greetings from his friends, started to walk up one of the thoroughfares +to see the great city of New York. His friends lost no opportunity to +point out the wonders of the metropolitan city, and in a short time they +had the poor fellow simply dazed with admiration and wonder, and willing +to believe anything they told him. Suddenly he caught sight of a street +arc light on its pole, and pulling up short, he grasped the arms of his +friends nearest him, and exclaimed, "Faith, it's wonders and wonders, +shure; if my eyes don't decave me yez have the moon stuck on a stick +beyant there." + + * * * * * + +PERCY AT CAPE COD. + + "This bluefish yawning on the beach, + And jumping round head first, + Is either very sleepy, or + He's dying of his thirst." + + * * * * * + +THE RECEIPT. + +"My Papa makes lots of money," said Wallie. + +"What out of?" asked Johnnie. + +"Soap," said Wallie. + +"Pooh!" said Johnnie. "You can't make money out o' soap. Money's made o' +gold and paper and silver." + + * * * * * + +THE LUMPS. + +Helen had the mumps, of which she seemed very proud, but she didn't +quite get the name right. + +"I can't come over and play with you," she called out of the window to +Jimmieboy, "because I've got the lumps." + +And it seemed all right, because she really had lumps on her cheeks. + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Harper's Round Table, August 25, 1896, by Various + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 59065 *** |