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- few weels later it was
em,
. HAPPY
DAYS
Hissing From School.|=
By GASTON GARNE,
.
CHAPTER I.
HOW THE CANOE WENT OVER THE FALLS,
“Look out. for, Billy!
for Billy Bird
* Raymond W: hhitcomb gave a shout which
was heard all over Spy Pond and threw
the boys of Dr. Whiteside’ S Academy into a
state of excitement at one
“He'll upset!” shouted o)
“He’ a go over the falls, sure pop!” cried
anoth
“Head him off, boys! Head him off!” a
dozen yelled, but Joe Quigley, the school
bully, who always rejoiced in other people’s
misfortunes and made a joke of them, sat
back in his canoe and laughed.
4 mb, .commonly called
a in
Hey, boys, look out
the rear to help the boy, who, by bi
ment of his canoe, had got ete vinto
trouble and was now being blown peril-
ously near the falls, where the water of
Spy Pond went tumbling over the only bed
of rocks anywhere to be found in the vicin-
ity of Lyndon, Michigan, forming the Fox
River, a stream not more than a mile in
length, which in time Of ‘freshet went rush-
ing into Lake Michigan with an energy
to have entitled it to a longer
is ery of warning had been heard
and this saved the boy from an accident
which might have been serious, ,
were nearest to him
changed their course and ran thelr canoes
in front of Billy’s, which brought him toa
temporary standstill and enabled him to
again get control of his sail.
It was practice day for “he Canoe Club of
Dr. Whiteside’s Academy.
: A canoe regatta was Ta the wind and a
proposed to sail a
race with a Chicago club, which had chal.
lenged the schoo!
The race was to take place on the lake,
but as this was too distant from the acad-
emy to make it possible to practice aan
and often too dangerous—Spy Pond had
been chosen, being at the foot ot ine little
rise upon which the academy s'
“You better give it up, mall" shouted
Joe, Quigley, careastically, when the canoes
swung around an ood back up the pond.
“You can’t do anything with your old tub
and there’s no use trying. Better go back
to school and help the girls play croquet.’ "
Billy Bird made no answe:
rather a sensitive boy and, though full of
their sports, his lack of physical strength,
eee with a certain “backhandedness,”
Ray always called it, made it very hard
for fim to hold up his end.
up, Joe! You're always picking at
Buy called Ray, from his canoe, where
he was making some changes in his sail,
which was the reason he had not joined in
e run.
“That’s what he is,” cried Fred Fielding;
“there isn’t a cl ameter hand at canoe sail-
ing. than Joe him:
e@ bump ptlous “Master Quigley was “on
his. ear” in an
‘act was Joe was vilwass “rowing,” for-
ever kicking up a
Because his father was a rich contractor
and a prominent ward politician in Chi-
cago, Joe labored under the delusion that
“boss” the whole school.
It was true that he did succeed in bully-
ing the younger boys, but when it came to
Ray and Fred and the older ones they sim-
ply would not stand it, which fact Ray had
taken occasion to impress upon the bully’s
rather limited understanding more than
once,
“Bet you I can sail-close to the falls and
not go over!” cried Joe, boasting, “I done
it twict last week when I was practicing
here alone.”
“You had better go and practice gram-
man’ a sneered Fred, “ ‘Done it twict.’ Ha!
Ta!
“Shut up there, Fielding, or I'll break
your head,” cried Quigley, but say, put a
stop to the quarrel by calling
‘his meant to get in Tine oo nother
oal was a certain big tree about a
hundred. feet from the falls.
The object of this exercise was to deter-
mine which were actually the best canoes
in the fleet, as the selection at the coming
race was to be limited to fou
Incidentally, also, was to be “demonstrated
which of the boys were the most expert.
Il hands were ambitious to figure in the
race, but as only four could have that
honor the competition was naturally keen.
1t was a beautiful afternoon in the latter
part of April, perhaps a little too windy,
but otherwise a perfect day for this sort
work.
Over on the shore near the tree the girls
of Professor Whiteside’s Academy «were
gathered, watching the movements of the
canoes,
Carrie James was there; so was Olive
Moore and Mamie Sheldon and a dozen more
or less popular with the boys, who, under
the circumstances, naturally wanted to
make the best display of their skill pos
v And while they are getting in line let
us pause to say a word abo’ Dr. White
side’s famous academy for boys and girls,
which was and still is one of the most thor
U as well as popular, educational In-
stitiutions in the neighborhood of Chicago.
Situated just aroun be
Jake, near the Michigan shore, its location
made it doubly attractive on account of its
nearness to the metropolis of the West.
ence the school was well patronized
and at the time of which we write there
were over seventy five boys in attendance
and fully fifty
Besides the canoe club there were many
other clubs in connection with the school,
but as our story principally concerns the
boys who were gathered on Spy Pond that
April aay we will return to them at once
wmRead her go!” shouted Ray, and
this time the start was made in good shape.
y and Fred kept pretty close together
and had the lead from the start.
Joe Quigley was third at aitst and then
dropped back to the fifth p'
Poor Billy Bird, who tele, himself thor-
oughly called down by what had occurred,
made the start with the rest, but immedi-
ately pulled out and sailed his canoe to the
‘oot of the school grounds. .
“There they go! They are off!” cried the
girls from the shore.
“Oh, look at Ray! Isn't he just splen-
did!* exclaimed Carrie James. “Doesn't
he handle his canoe well?”,
“Not half as well as Fred,” replied Olive
. “Fred is the handsomest fellow in
the school.”+
Although these remarks did not reach t the
ears of the young canoelsts, they all knew
that the eyes of the girls were upon them
and naturally let themselves out to do
their best.
Ray passed the tree half a length in
advauce of Fred, who certainly made a
good. second. others came trailing
after them, Joe Quizley coming up sixth.
e girls screamed with excitement, as
eiris wn and applauded Ray and Fred.
move now was to make a aireult and
beat back against the wind.
Ray started to do so, when all at once
Joe Quigley, instead of keeping his place,
shot right across the course toward the
alls.
“Get back out of that, Joe! ‘Are you
crazy?” shouted Ray, who had all he could
do, to brevent a collision, +
d I won't!” cried Joe,
you fellers how near I can run to the
falls. Tm out of the race anyhow and
I'll go where I please.”
“You'll go to pot if you keep on that way
and take your canoe with you,” cried Fred.
Now this had a double meaning.
“ ot” is a favorite saying among
boys, of course, but below the falls was a
hole filled with jagged rocks, where the
water was always foaming and boiling, as
it tried to force its way into Ee River.
his was called the “Pot” by the boys
and: while a canoe might shoot the falls in
safety—they were only twelve feet high—
it could never hope-to survive the Pot and
to avoid being dashed to pieces on the
rocks,
Ray knew the danger and he knew only
too well that Joe was but a clumsy hand
at, canoeing.
“He'll go over as sure as fate!” he
shouted. “Some one must look after bim or
he’ll be drowned.”
He swung around and drove his cance
over to the shore, where the girls stood;
the work of a moment only,
“Oh, look at him! Joe all go over the
falls!” screamed Mamie Sheldon, and a
dozen other girls added their cries to hers,
but instead of acting as a warning to the
stupid braggart in the. canoe, they only
served to make him more determined to try
his risky experiment and make the turn
at the very edge of the falls.
3 for Ray, he never doubted from the
first what the result would be.
“He's in for it, girls,” he cried, and ran
along the bank to the edge of the falls.
He had scarcely reached it when Joe
started to make his turn,
Instantly the wind swept the canoe broad-
side on toward the falls and Joe ran up
his true colors at last.
“Oh, save me! Save me!” he yelled, and
thene ike the fool that he was, stood up in
ie can
“Tl show
“Sit t down!” cred Fred.
idiot! Sit dow
The girls on ‘the shore screamed. Carrie
James covere er face with, er hands,
calling out, “Oh, don't, Ray! n't go!
Ray had thrown off his hat Ba coat and
kicked the shoes from his feet.
“H on, Quigley! Don’t let go of the
canoe!” he shouted.
d had come. The canoe toppled
over the falls and was swept out of sight.
wick as a flash Ray threw out his arms
and took a header down into the Pot.
“Sit down, you
CHAPTER II.
THE GIANT WIIO STOOD ON THE WITARF.
w Ray Whitcomb had done a much
braver thing than one might naturally sup
pose.
of course any good swimmer can jump
jn and save life if he knows how to handle
himself and Ray was ee good a swimmer
Ss there was in the schoo
. uble was, if you once got into the Pot
it es no easy job to get-out of it again,
creek, which
Crhgut the least risk of getting wet feet,
put in April after one break up of t
it became a deep, swift stream, which ran
its short course between two of those im-
mense sand hills which are of frequent oc
curenee ‘on the Michigan shore of the lake.
These hills were forty teet high and no
man Siving could Possibly climb them, as
the shifting sand of which they were com-
get into Fox River the only thing to do was
to swim on until you came to its end and
take big chances of being able to land on
the iake 5!
Tay knew, ‘all this nee be bojdly jumped
to the rescue of Joe Qu
Joe knew it, too, and a ‘yell of despair
as he went over the falls might have been
heard half 4 mile awa;
e passage of the falls was made suc-
coastal enough, so far as Joo was con
cerned, but the canoe was oroken to splin-
ter:
Wi hen Ray came up to the surface of the
Pot there was Joe clinging to one of the
sharp rocks, yelling for help like a good
fellow, while Carrie James, Olive Moore
and the other girls had run cown the bank
20 the edge of the Pot and were screaming,
oeold on, Quigley! Don’t make such a
row!” cried Itay, balancing himself in the
water. “I’ll get you all right enought"
“Help! Help! .Save me! I can’t swim
but a little! I'll be swept into Fox River!
hold on here!” Joe yelled, fill of
words, as usual, but with Tew ideas,
Ray swam to his Dy ng
arm. about him, just as he slipped his hola
on t! Toc!
“Stop that yelling!
save you!” he shouted,
grab me; if you do T° Il let you go!
will, will you! Take that, you foo
Ray just had to haul off and hit him or
Joe would have dragged them both down,
is Joe never forgave him, though
it brought the foolish fellow to his senses at
e.
Meanwhile the boys were running their
canoes ashore with the intention of coming
down the bank to see what was going on
below the falls.
3 they came Gown the hill they saw Ray
treading water in the Pot, holding Joe by
the legs, while Carrie James was bending
down over e water pans to seize the
hands of the frightened b
“Catch him, Carrie!” cried Ray. “ll
hold him up! Be careful now, Joe, that
you don’t pull Carrie in and on your. life
don’t you e.”
t was the biggest risk Ray had taken
yet, for Joe was a chump if ever there was
Be a.man and I'll
“No, don’t try to
Ah, you
1”
“The instant he got hold of Carrie’s hand,
instead of waiting a second for Ray to
push him forward, he kicked back violently
and the young lifesaver got it in the head.
Oh! Oh!” screamed the girls in
horus,
“Save Ray!” shouted Fred Fielding.
“You idiot, I wish 1 had let you drown!”
cried. Carrie, as she dragged Joe upon the
But it was entirely too late to do any-
thing for Ray now. Everything depended
upon himself.
harp ery of pain the brave boy
slipped back into the Pot and disappeared
under the water,
When the boys and girls next saw him
an ‘netant later he was lying on his back
un the river, being whirled toward the sand
Tike a flash he passed between them and
disappea Te
If Ray Whitcomb had been one of the
nervous, scary sort he would have seen his
finish in short order, but as a matter of fact
he was nothing of the ki
Joe's heel had bruised “his forehead, but
had not seriously hurt him. His danger
was now in drowning himself by his own
struggles or in being swept out into the
lake. :
Ray realized all this fully.
He and the other boys of Dr. Whiteside’s
Academy had shot down Fox River in their
canoes many a ti
“If I can ‘ceep my head above water T'm
in no real danger.” thought Ray. “Only
thing is to keep from getting swamped in
the rush
. ost way to accomplish this was to
lie on his back, that was certain, and Ray
got into that position as quick as possible.
He tried to go down feet first, but found
it impossible to keep himself in ean
for the force of the current would swin:
him around, so he just let himself go and
went fying head first down the stream.
houset 1 ion’t want to be swept out.
I ought to be able to get ashore at the old
fountry. will only be a moment now.”
And ‘tthe the river is carrying Ray
along at fearful speed let us pause f for a
eee Se
“HAPPY DAYS”
WATCH COUPON
Send us 5 of theso Coupons cut
from any numbers of “IIAPPY
DAYS,” with 75 cents in money
or postage stamps, and we will
end you the watch by return
registered mail.
——
moment more and explain about that same
“old foundry,” on account of the bearing
it has upon what happened later on.
Many years before the mouth of Fox
River was a scene of activity.
A locomotive works had been ‘established
there, a large iron foundry was built and
a machine shop and wharf, besides a large
house for the superintendent and a number
of mall ones for the operatives in the
oe ‘a long time business flourished there,
but at last the concern failed and for som
reason the expensive plant was never again
opera
The ‘onger it lay idle the worse it grew.
e machinery rusted, became antiquated
and.behind the times, the buildings besan
falling into a ruinous condition, until a
last everything worth removing was taken
away by.a Chicago junk dealer and the
plant entirely abandon
‘The deserted aoa Dr. Whiteside’s
pulls called it, and it certainly could not
e had a better name,
nate ght alongside these ruined buildings
Fox River emptied into the lake and it was
at the old wharf on the riverside that Ray
meant to’make his landing an
He was all prepared for business when
he shot out from between the sand hills.
Turning over on his stomach, he struck
out for the wharf and managed to catch
hold of one of the piles which held it up,
where he clung on desperately, for the cur-
t was running like a mill race and his
strength was almost gone.
was not saved yet by any means,
To climb upon the wharf was impossible,
for the piles were fearfully slippery.
On either side there was a wall of planks,
which supported the bank. This wall was
six feet high and as slippery as glass,
could no more climb it than he cou
let myself go and take my chances dn the
jake.
He was just about to give up when sud
enly the last thing that Ray expected to
happen there in the deserted village ow
curred,
A man suddenly looked down upon him
from the wharf.
“Helio, boy! hat in thunder are yca
doing there?” he exclaimed, and Ray als
gave an exclamation of astonishment, for
never in his life outside of a dime museum
had he seen anything like-this before.
The man who stood looking down at hiu
was seven feet tall at the very least.
CHAPTER III.
THE STRANGE CONDUCT OF BILLY BIRD,
“Boy, do you want to get up out of that!”
asked the giant, twisting his face up into
the most horrible knots, a cross between a
scowl and a smile,
“Well, naturally,” replied Ray. “I dont
want to stay here. Can’t you raise a@ rope
or something and give me a lift.”
“I can do it without a rope,” replied the
giant. “I'll give you a hand.”
Probably there was not another man {0
the State of Michigan who could have dout
x but the giant on the wharf could and
He lay down, and, bracing his feet, bent
over so far that Ray fully expected to eve
him topple over and come tumbling dowa
on_top of him.
But the glant knew his business better.
He put out his long right arm and called
to Ray to take hold.
trength hardly expressed the power lit
exerted then, for he just drew Ray right up
out of the water without any apparent ct
ertion, until the boy was abi to get hold
of the string piece with the other hand;
then one quick jerk and Ray stood all drip
ping facing the giant on the wharf.
e was certainly a queer lookiig cus
tomer, being not only very tall, but very
thin and very old, Ray thought, for his face
was terribly wrinkled and his bair quite
ay.