Datasets:
Qilex
/
BabyLM_Small_Chunked

Dataset card Data Studio Files
xet
 Community
1
text
stringlengths
21
20.4k
"I didn't!" declared Bart, and the others asserted their innocence. "Well, somebody has it!" insisted Stumpy, earnestly. "The meat pie is gone, and it was a dandy, too!" His distress was evident. The other lads, likewise, felt the loss of their chief breakfast dish. Stumpy looked at them with an eye of suspicion, but t...
"Wait a minute," suggested Bart, who had finished dressing. "I'll take a look." He went carefully out to the cook tent, and made several observations. Then he stooped down and carefully brushed off the light layer of snow that had fallen during the night. When the undercrust was exposed he uttered an exclamation. "Ther...
"A fox," answered Bart. "He sneaked into the tent after we had gone to bed, and took the pie off the top of the box where Fenn had set it. Then he carried it off, and the snow obligingly came and covered up his tracks. I guess if we look far enough we can find the basin that held the pie, where the fox dropped it." The...
There was no help for it. The pie dish had been licked clean, though how the fox had managed to carry it from the tent was something of a mystery. However, Fenn soon stirred up a mess of cakes from self-raising flour, and a hot breakfast was partaken of, while hunting plans for that day were discussed. "I'm going to lo...
"Let's separate a bit," suggested Frank, after another mile or two had been covered. "I think there are too many of us here. Ned and I will go off together, and you and Stumpy do the same, Bart." "All right," agreed the stout lad, and Bart nodded assent. "Come on over this way, Stumpy," called Bart to his partner. "We'...
It was a noble buck, with wide, branching antlers, and he stood on the edge of the little glade, glaring, as if in defiance, at those who had invaded his home. As Bart looked he saw Fenn raise his rifle. "Don't! Don't shoot, Stumpy!" called Bart. "It's against the law. There's tracking snow!" But it was too late. The s...
"Jump, Fenn! Jump to one side!" shouted Bart, bringing his rifle around. There was no time to think of the game laws. His chum was in danger, and he would be justified in shooting. But before he could fire the buck was upon poor Fenn. With one sweep of his sharp horns the beast swept the lad aside, knocking him down. T...
CHAPTER XXV NED'S RABBIT TRAP Bart was using a new kind of powder, and there was no need to wait for the cloud of smoke to clear away to see the result of his shot. He beheld, an instant after the report of his rifle, the big buck swaying unsteadily. The lad was about to fire again, but there was no need, for the anima...
Bart rushed up, with rifle ready for another shot, but there was no need. His one bullet had struck a vital spot, and the big animal was breathing his last. Then Bart turned his attention to his chum. Fenn was lying curiously white and still upon the snow, and, as Bart looked, he saw a stream of blood coming from under...
Bart was glad to see that, as he wound the linen rags around Fenn's arm, the flow of blood ceased. Then, rubbing the unconscious lad's face with snow, Bart noted a wave of returning color, and, a moment later, Fenn opened his eyes. "Is anybody hurt?" he asked, slowly. "You're the only one--except the buck," answered Ba...
"There he is," replied Bart, pointing to the dead animal. "You certainly had nerve to tackle him by the horns, Stumpy." "No, I didn't," was the simple answer. "It was all I could do. It was either that or let him gouge me, and I didn't want to do that. Did you shoot him?" "Yes, and it was close work, too, for your head...
"Oh, it was easy once I made up my mind to fire," went on Bart. "I drew a bead on him, and I thought of the game laws, but I knew I was justified." "It was a corking good shot," exclaimed Fenn, admiringly. "You're a wonder with the rifle, Bart." "Oh, not so much, I guess. But how about you? Can you walk?" "Yes, I'm all...
"So did I. You shouldn't have fired at him." "I know it, but I let her go before I thought. I'm done with hunting for a while." "Nonsense, you'll be at it again in a few days. But, if you can walk, let's get back to camp, and get the other fellows. Then we'll come after our meat. We'll have enough venison for a month."...
The boys managed to get the buck on some tree branches, after Fenn and Bart had returned to camp, where they found Ned and Frank waiting for them, and they dragged the carcass over the snow to the tents. There it was cut up, and hung in trees, out of the way of foxes, or other prowling beasts. With enough food in camp ...
"You'll see," was the answer. "I don't know whether it will work or not, so I'm not going to say what it is." A little later Ned started off through the woods, carrying his contrivance. His chums were busy about camp, cleaning their guns, bringing in wood or water, and "slicking up" generally, and so paid little attent...
"What's the matter?" panted Bart. "Get me loose first, and I'll tell you," cried Ned. "Are you fast?" asked Frank. "Fast? Of course I am! Can't you see for yourself. I'm caught by my hands and feet in some rabbit traps I was setting."
"Serves you right," commented Bart, trying not to laugh. "You ought to be a sportsman, and shoot your game." "I didn't want to shoot 'em," explained Ned. "I wanted to catch 'em alive and tame 'em. Hurry up and get me out; will you, fellows?" They soon released him. His feet were caught under a box, which was weighted d...
A VISIT TO TOWN "Well," remarked Bart, as they walked back to camp with Ned, "there's no use setting any traps now, Ned. The rabbits were watching you, and they saw just how they worked, so you couldn't catch the simplest bunny in these woods." "I'll make another kind of trap," declared Ned. "I want a rabbit to keep Fe...
"Why not?" "Because my turtle got away in the night. He went back to the boiling spring, to join the others for a New Year's celebration, I guess." "That's so, to-morrow is the last day of this year," observed Frank. "We ought to celebrate it in some way." "We will," said Bart. "We'll sit up, and watch the old year out...
"It's been hurting considerable since morning," explained the stout youth. "Let me look at it," demanded Bart, and, when the bandages were taken off, there was disclosed a red and angry sore. The arm was much inflamed. "I was afraid of this," said Bart. "We've got to go to town and let a doctor look at this. You may ge...
"I'm afraid to take any chances. Besides, I don't think there is anything strong enough for blood poison in the box. No, fellows, we'll go to Cannistota. It's only ten miles. We can easily walk there and back in a day, and, if the doctor thinks it better for Stumpy to stay in town over night, so he can treat him, why w...
"Sure, that's right," agreed Bart. "It will do us good to make the trip. Game is getting rather scarce around here now, and we must begin to think of getting back. We certainly have had a swell time, and I don't want anything to happen to Fenn's arm. "So get ready, fellows, and we'll make a trip to town, and see what c...
"Unless it's that mysterious man," said Ned, significantly. "He may come snooping around." "Well, if he does we can't help it," replied Bart, "only I'd like to catch him." "And I'd like to get back Mrs. Long's diamond bracelet!" exclaimed Frank, with a flash of his dark eyes. "It's not pleasant to be considered a thief...
"Well, don't let's talk about it," declared Bart. "We will try to have a good time in town--that is, if Fenn's arm doesn't get any worse." "Oh, I don't believe it will," answered the injured lad, pluckily. But the sore was very painful. Preparations for leaving camp were soon under way. The chums had an early breakfast...
They saw no game, save some rabbits, and a few squirrels, but they would not shoot at these. They could not make very good time, and it was nearly noon when they came in sight of the town, which lay in a valley, surrounded on all sides by hills. "Now for the doctor," decided Bart, "and then we'll see what's going on." ...
As the lads entered the main street of the town they were struck by the festive appearances on every side. Stores and houses were draped with flags and bunting, while from several electric-light poles men were stringing long wires, with small incandescent bulbs of various colors fastened on at intervals. This was in th...
"There is nothing to be unduly alarmed about," he said, "but it is well that you came in time. It needs attention, and while fresh cool air, such as you get in camp, is good, I shall have to treat the wound with antiseptics. You must remain in town at least three days." The boys were a little dismayed to hear this, but...
"Well," remarked Fenn, as they came away from the office of the medical man, "it might be worse. What'll we do now?" "Let's eat," suggested Ned, and they all fell in with this proposal. CHAPTER XXVII THE MAN WITH THE TURTLE
The chums took their meal at one of the two hotels in Cannistota, and, liking the appearance of the place, which the doctor had recommended, they made arrangements to stay there for a few days, during which time Fenn's arm was to receive treatment. They had adjoining rooms, and, once they had visited them, and left the...
"Good!" exclaimed Fenn, "but don't say anything about my sore arm. My folks might worry." This was agreed to, and then each lad wrote his own telegram, explaining briefly why he was not in the woods, the carnival forming a good reason for the change. "This will be a good plan in case they have any word to send us," rem...
"I want to take it to a gunmaker's and get a screw set in a little deeper," referring to one on the lock mechanism. "It works loose every once in a while, and now's a good time to have it fixed, when I'm not likely to have a use for the rifle. I intend to do a lot of hunting when we get back to camp." As the chums stro...
"Got scratched by a buck; eh?" remarked the old gunsmith as he gazed from under his bushy white eyebrows at the lads. "That happened to me once. Their horns seem to sort of poison a wound. I guess it's because the critters rub their antlers up against all sorts of trees and bushes. They get poisonous juices on 'em." So...
"I wonder if it can be--yes, it's the same man--the mysterious man we've been after so long!" murmured Fenn. "He's going in that store! I hope he didn't see me." He got behind a couple of men who were close to the window, and watched until he had seen the person he had observed close the door, after entering the store....
"Hush! Not so loud," cautioned Fenn, for several persons were curiously observing the four lads. "He's in that store," went on the stout youth. They could hardly believe him, but Fenn soon told them the circumstances, and repeated his belief in the positiveness of his identification. "I'm sure it was the same man," he ...
"There he is!" exclaimed Fenn. "It's him, all right," assented Bart, in low tones. "Now what shall we do; follow him?" The man turned south on the main street, and began walking rapidly away. At that instant Fenn caught sight of a package in his hand. It was a paper bundle, but, as the stout lad looked, he saw projecti...
CHAPTER XXVIII THE PURSUIT Fenn darted forward, and would have taken after the man on the run, only Bart put forth a restraining hand. Fenn looked at his chum in surprise. "Easy, Stumpy," murmured the tall lad, as he drew his fleshier companion out of hearing of the crowd in front of the animal store. "Do you want to g...
"I'm sorry," faltered Fenn, "but I want to get at him, and have him explain." "So do we all," went on Bart, "but we can do it better by going slow and easy. He hasn't seen us, and we can trail him and see where he goes." "Did you notice what he had in the paper?" asked the fat lad excitedly. "What was it?" asked Frank,...
"A mud turtle. That's what he got in the store." "Say, you had better talk lower," cautioned Frank, for Fenn had spoken loudly. "People in the crowd are beginning to notice us." "Oh, I guess there's no danger," decided Bart. "There are lots of strangers in town to-day, and we won't attract much attention. But we must t...
The man seemed to be in no hurry to get anywhere. He strolled leisurely along, looking in store windows, or pausing to observe the linemen stringing the wires. The boys were after him, and their experience in the woods, trailing game, now served them in good stead. Though they looked carefully, they could not see any p...
While the lineman on the tall pole was waiting for some of his fellow workmen to change the switch, he looked down into the press of people. He seemed to recognize some one, and waved his hand. To the surprise of Bart and Fenn the mysterious man waved back to the man on the pole. "Did you see that?" exclaimed Fenn, and...
Suddenly, amid the stillness that seemed to settle over the crowd, as they watched the lineman reach far over to make a distant connection, there sounded a cry of fear and pain. High up in the air there was a flash of bluish fire, a sizzling, as of red-hot iron plunged into water, and then a shower of sparks. "The line...
"Are you shocked, George?" called one, anxiously. "No," came the faint reply, "not yet, but something has gone wrong. One of the wires has broken, and has charged all the others. I'm safe as long as I lean over this way, but I can't get back, and I can't get down." "Unhook your belt and slide down," suggested one. "I c...
The crowd was horror-struck. The man was in the midst of death. He could not move to come down, for fear of coming in contact with wires, which, though previously harmless, were now dangerous because the broken conductor, carrying a heavy charge, had fallen over them, making them deadly. "Hold on, and I'll come up to y...
"Yes! That's the thing to do!" echoed a score of others. A man ran out of the crowd to the telephone--the same telephone over which word had been sent to the power station to turn the power on for the preliminary test. In a few seconds central had given the frantic man the main electrical station. "Cut off the power--c...
"Ring again, central!" he called frantically. Over the wire he heard the distant ringing of the bell in the power station. The delay seemed like an hour, though it was only a few seconds. "Why don't they answer? Why don't they answer?" cried the man desperately. "Ring 'em again, central. Ring hard!" "I am ringing hard,...
He waited, moving about nervously, while holding the receiver to his ear. Those near him could not imagine what was the trouble. Then came a click in the receiver that showed that some one was at the other end of the wire. "Hello! Hello!" cried the man who was trying to have the power cut off. "Why didn't you answer be...
He turned to those standing near him at the telephone. "The only electrician now at the power station stepped out after turning on the current," the man explained dully, as he hung up the receiver. "There was some mistake. He thought the wiring was finished, and that the power was to remain turned on. So he went out, a...
"Yes," replied Fenn, "he's hurrying down the street. We'd better take after him, if we want to catch him. He's getting to be very suspicious of us. We ought to catch him." "I know it. If we could only signal Ned or Frank we might run some chance----" At that moment another lineman, standing near Bart, turned to him, an...
"Pretty straight," answered Bart, wondering what was coming next. The lineman was excited, he approached nearer to Bart, and motioned to his friend high up on the pole--the man from whom death seemed but a short distance away. "Is your rifle loaded? Then, if it is, for mercy sakes fire and see if you can sever that mai...
CHAPTER XXIX BART'S BEST SHOT Bart turned to Fenn. He was just about to whisper to his chum to take up the pursuit of the mysterious man, leaving him to attempt a difficult shot to save the life of the lineman, but at that instant there was a swaying in the crowd, and a boy stumbled up against Fenn's sore arm. The inju...
Bart felt his brain reeling, but, by a strong effort he held himself together. There was now no chance of continuing the pursuit of the mysterious man. Fenn was being carried to a place where he could be cared for. It was impossible to communicate with Ned and Frank, who were on the other side of the street, and Bart c...
"Can you hold on a minute longer, George?" called a workman on the ground, up to the lineman on the pole. "Yes," came back the faint answer, "but it's hard work. Can't you shut off the current? If I make a move I'm a goner. Can't you turn off the current?" "We're going to try to cut the wire," went on the man who had t...
The crowd below was scarcely breathing. The man on the pole could be seen straining himself to maintain his perilous position. He looked down. Death was below him, and on every side, and none dare climb the pole to help him. The rifle seemed the only chance, unless some one could go five miles to the power house, and h...
He took his position under the wires, and close to the pole. The crowd was looking eagerly on, and the man on the pole was like a statue. Well he knew how much depended on his remaining motionless. Bart raised his rifle. A mist seemed to come before his eyes, but with a gritting of his teeth he got more control of hims...
An instant later there came tumbling from aloft a long wire, that writhed about like some snake, spitting blue flames and sparks. It wiggled about on the ground as a thing alive. "Keep back! Keep back from that wire!" shouted a lineman. "Good shot, my lad! Great! You cut the wire with one bullet!" Bart lowered his gun....
CHAPTER XXX THE DIAMOND BRACELET--CONCLUSION Bart turned to make his way out of the crowd, for he was anxious about Fenn. He had given up all hope of capturing the mysterious man, who had started to hasten away before the accident to the lineman on the pole, and who, doubtless, was far enough off by this time. But Bart...
Bart received modestly the almost extravagant praise accorded him, and once more began to make his way toward where Fenn had been carried. "Where is my chum?" he asked. "The lad who fainted." "Oh, he's coming around all right," answered a man. At that moment Fenn himself came through the press of people around Bart. He...
"Sure. How about you?" inquired Stumpy. "I hear you made a great shot." "Don't talk about it," pleaded Bart, who was now almost as nervous as a girl. "Where are Ned and Frank?" "Following that man, I suppose," began Fenn, and then he stopped suddenly, for people looked curiously at him. "Yes, we must look them up," wen...
"Say, you fellows aren't going to disappear until you do me a favor," began the rescued lineman, good naturedly. "I want you to come to my house, and meet my wife. She'll want to know the boy who saved me from a horrible death. It isn't far," he added, as he saw Bart was about to decline. "Please come. I'm not going to...
"I'm sorry it happened at all," declared Mr. Lang. "I never had an accident like that, and I don't want another. But what difference did the time make?" "Because we were on the trail of a thief," explained Bart, "and he skipped out just before you got caught on top of the pole. He was a chap who had stolen a diamond br...
"Him? Oh, you mean him--that--why----" the lineman seemed to be choking--"a thief--stole a diamond bracelet----" He had to stop to catch his breath, but whether it was from laughter, or because he choked, the lads could not decide. "Him a thief?" asked Mr. Lang. "Or, if he didn't take the bracelet, he took the professo...
"That's enough. I'll guarantee to introduce you to him, if he's at home," went on Mr. Lang. "He lives next door to me. I know him well. A diamond thief! Oh, dear! Mud turtles!" and again the lineman seemed overcome. "Don't say another word, but come on." Much mystified, Bart and Fenn followed their friend. He led them ...
The hearts of Fenn and Bart gave jumps! At last they were on the trail! Without a word the lineman led the way to the adjoining house. He seemed to be laboring under some emotion, as if he was trying hard not to laugh. He knocked at the door, and a man answered the summons. Bart and Fenn started back. There stood the m...
"Yes," answered the man whose life Bart had saved. "He is one of the greatest collectors of turtles in the world," and again he winked. "That's what I am!" exclaimed William Lang, proudly, and he seemed to lose some of his fear. Still Bart could not help thinking that his manner was very strange. "But I haven't any dia...
"Then _you_ were the man we saw enter the school that night!" exclaimed Bart. "Did you see me? Did you see me?" gasped the lineman's cousin, in great alarm. "Oh, yes, I remember now, I ran!" "Sure we saw you," answered Fenn. "We were----" Bart gave his chum a warning look.
"I didn't mean any harm," cried William Lang. "I only went in to see the turtles. I'm a great collector of them," he added. "I heard about Professor Long's collection, and once I called on him at the school. I wanted to see his reptiles, but for some reason he wouldn't let me. But I made up my mind I _would_ see 'em. I...
The lineman shook his head. "William would not do such a thing," he said. "There must be some other explanation. But humor him now by looking at his turtles. You may get a clew." The boys did so. The eccentric man, who was somewhat insane on the subject of turtles, had quite a collection of the queer reptiles--larger e...
He paused to replace in the cage a turtle that was crawling out, and the lineman took occasion to say in a whisper: "That's another of William's odd notions. He thinks he is a crack rifle shot." "Well, he did shoot pretty well," said Bart. "But I am wondering where on earth the bracelet can be. We are all at sea again,...
"Why, _I'm_ that Fenn Masterson!" exclaimed the owner of the name. "Are you?" demanded William Lang. "Will you sell me your turtles?" "Of course," replied Fenn, who had rather lost interest in his collection, of late. "You can have them. We hid and waited to see if you would call for an answer to your letter." "I guess...
"No, that part's true enough," declared Bart. "We waited for some time in a storm for him to show up, but he never did. Oh, it's true enough. I am beginning to understand some things now. The reason why your cousin ran away from us so often was because of the notion he had that we wanted to arrest him. We would never h...
It needed but a glance at the simple face of the turtle collector to show that he was not a thief, even if he was a decidedly peculiar individual. "Well," remarked Bart, after a pause, "I guess all Fenn and I can do is to go back to the hotel, and wait for Ned and Frank to show up." The two turned to leave the turtle c...
"How'd you find your way here?" called Bart. "People in the crowd told us you'd come here," replied Frank. "But have you heard the good news?" "What good news?" "The diamond bracelet wasn't stolen at all!" burst out Ned. "We just got telegrams from home. They were at the hotel waiting for us. We went there after missin...
"For gracious sake tell us the good news! What about the diamond bracelet?" yelled Bart. "It's been found!" exploded Ned. "It wasn't stolen at all. It had fallen down a crack in the cabinet, in Professor Long's room, and a snake was taking his winter sleep over the crack. Yesterday the snake died, Mr. Long took it out-...
Two days later the boys returned to their winter camp, and, after nearly a month spent in the forest, they packed up, walked in to Cannistota, sent a teamster back for their goods, and took a train for home. The lads arrived at their home-town at dusk. Jed Sneed was at the station to meet them. A little later the four ...
Transcriber's Notes: --Text in italics is enclosed by underscores (_italics_). --Printing, punctuation and spelling inaccuracies were silently corrected. --Archaic and variable spelling has been preserved.
--Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved. End of Project Gutenberg's Bart Keene's Hunting Days, by Allen Chapman = = = PG15903 = = =
BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS; OR, THE YOUNG EXPRESS AGENT Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Ed Casulli and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. [Illustration: A PIECE OF ROPE WAS LOOPED DEFTLY ABOUT BART'S ARMS. _Bart Stirling's Road to Success Page_ 217] BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS
Or The Young Express Agent BY ALLEN CHAPMAN AUTHOR OF "THE HEROES OF THE SCHOOL," "NED WILDING'S DISAPPEARANCE," "FRANK ROSCOE'S SECRET," "FENN MASTERSON'S DISCOVERY," "BART KEENE'S HUNTING DAYS," ETC., ETC.
NEW YORK CUPPLES & LEON COMPANY 1908 * * * * * THE BOYS' POCKET LIBRARY BY ALLEN CHAPMAN
Cloth. Illustrated. Price per volume, 35 cents, postpaid. THE HEROES OF THE SCHOOL NED WILDING'S DISAPPEARANCE FRANK ROSCOE'S SECRET FENN MASTERSON'S DISCOVERY BART KEENE'S HUNTING DAYS BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS WORKING HARD TO WIN BOUND TO SUCCEED THE YOUNG STOREKEEPER NED BORDEN'S FIND CUPPLES & LEON CO, Publis...
CONTENTS CHAPTER * * * * * BART STIRLING'S ROAD TO SUCCESS
CHAPTER I THE THIRD OF JULY "You can't go in that room." "Why can't I?"
"Because that's the orders; and you can't smoke in this room." Bart Stirling spoke in a definite, manly fashion. Lemuel Wacker dropped his hand from the door knob on which it rested, and put his pipe in his pocket, but his shoulders hunched up and his unpleasant face began to scowl. "Ho!" he snorted derisively, "offici...
"I am--for the time being," retorted Bart, cheerfully. "Well," said Wacker, with an ugly sidelong look, "I don't take insolence from anyone with the big head. I reckon ten year's service with the B. & M. entitles a man to know his rights." "Very active service just now, Mr. Wacker?" insinuated Bart pleasantly. Lem Wack...
"I don't want no mistering!" he growled. "Lem's good enough for me. And I don't take no call-down from any stuck-up kid, I want you to understand that." "You'd better get to the crossing if you're making any pretense of real work," suggested Bart just then. As he spoke Bart pointed through the open window across the tr...
Bart dismissed the man from his mind, and, whistling a cheery tune, bent over the book in which he had been writing for the past twenty minutes. This was the register of the local express office of the B. & M., and at present, as Bart had said, he was "running it." The express shed was a one-story, substantial frame bu...
Bart had spent all his young life here. He knew every nook and corner of the place, and nearly every man, woman and child in the village. Pleasantville did not belie its name to Bart's way of thinking. He voted its people, its surroundings, and life in general there, as pleasant as could well be. Here he was born, and ...
Mr. Stirling had been express agent for the B. & M. for eight years, and was counted a reliable, efficient employee of the company. For some months, however, his health had not been of the best, and Bart had been glad when he was impressed into service to relieve his father when laid up with his occasional foe, the rhe...
A little handcart was among the office equipment, and very often Bart did light delivering. On this especial day, however, in addition to the regular freight, Fourth of July and general picnic and celebration goods more than trebled the usual volume, and they had hired a local teamster to assist them. With the 4:20 tra...
Bart made the last entry in the register with a satisfied smile and strolled to the door stretching himself. "Everything in apple-pie order so far as the books go," he observed. "I expect it will be big hustle and bustle for an hour or two in the morning, though." Lem Wacker came slouching along. It was six o'clock, th...
"I am going home, if that's what you mean," replied Bart--"as soon as my father comes." "Not feeling very well lately, eh?" continued Lem, his eyes roving in a covetous way over the cozy office and the comfortable railroad armchair Mr. Stirling used. "No wonder, he takes it too hard." "Does he?" retorted Bart. "You bet...
"A man can't be too honest," asserted Bart. "Can't he? Say, I'm an old railroader, I am, and I know the ropes. Why, when I was running the express office at Corydon, we sampled everything that came in. Crate of bananas--we had many a lunch, apples, cigars, once in a while a live chicken, and always a couple of turkeys ...
"I am afraid your ideas will not make much impression on my father, if that is what you are getting at," observed Bart, turning unceremoniously from Wacker. "Humph! you fellows ought to run a backwoods post office," disgustedly grunted the latter, as he made off. Bart had only to wait ten minutes when his father appear...
Mr. Stirling took some money from his pocket. There was a silver dollar and some loose change. Bart looked pleased, then quite grave, and he put his hand resolutely behind him. "I can't take it, father," he said. "You have a hard enough time, and I ought to pay you for the experience I'm getting here instead of being p...
Then a dozen loud explosions over on the hill, followed by boyish shouts of enthusiasm, made Bart remember that he was a boy, with all a boy's lively interest in the Fourth of July foremost in his thoughts, and he bounded down the tracks like a whirlwind. CHAPTER II "WAKING THE NATIVES!" Turning the corner of the in-fr...
He had nearly run down a man who sat between the rails tying his shoe. The minute Bart set his eyes on the fellow he remembered having seen him twice before--both times in this vicinity, both times looking wretched, dejected and frightened. The man started up, frightened now. He was about forty years old, very shabby a...
"Oh, it's you, young Stirling," muttered the man, the haunted expression in his eyes giving way to one of relief. "Found a job yet?" asked Bart. "I--haven't exactly been looking for work," responded the man, in an embarrassed way. "I should think you would," suggested Bart.
"See here," spoke the man, livening up suddenly. "I'll talk with you, because you're the only friend I've found hereabouts. I'm in trouble, and you can call it hiding if you like. I'm grateful to you for the help you gave me the other night, for I was pretty nigh starved. But I don't think you'd better notice me much, ...
"I'll live there till I find what I came to Pleasantville to find!" cried the man in a sudden passion. Then his emotion died down suddenly and he fell to trembling all over, and cast hasty looks around as if frightened at his own words. "Don't mind me," he choked up, starting suddenly away. "I'm crazy, I guess! I know ...
"Bless her--and you, too!" murmured the man, with a hoarse catch in his throat. "I'll take the money, for I need it desperately bad, but don't you fret--it will come back. Yes! it will come back, double, the day I catch the man who squeezed all the comfort out of my life!" He dashed away with a strange cry. Bart, half ...