United States or Sri Lanka ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
When the barrel starts to rolling that cord will be snapped, causing a weight to fall on the floor close to his bed, and bound to waken anybody but the dead." "Say, that Johnny's a sure-enough wonder!" declared Toby; "he's got the inventive genius developed to beat the band. I'd like to see more of Johnny Spreen. Who knows but that we might hitch together and make a team.
The leader of the Wolf Patrol laughed when he heard Lil Artha make this remark. "Every word that you are saying, Lil Artha, is the truth," he announced. "I've been watching those ragged edges of bushes myself. You see, the time might come after a while when I'd get mixed on the directions given by Johnny Spreen. Then I'd want to have some other scheme so as to find my way."
"Well, my name's Johnny Spreen, ain't it?" demanded the other, grimly; "I'm workin' out my time with Mister Trotter hyar, ain't I? Then I still got two eyes, and I ain't turned loony yit by a long shot. I tell yuh, Elmer, I handled three skiffs yist'day seen as they was tied securely. And now yuh tells me they be but two." "Yes, that's a fact," the patrol leader assured him.
"You know Johnny Spreen is really a bound boy, and he has to work for the farmer until he gets a certain age, when he is supposed to be given a sum of money, and be his own boss. That's the law." "Well, all I hope is that we pick up some decent clue around here," said Lil Artha; "Yes, and a bully supper in the bargain, that'll fill a horrible vacuum, and put us all in fighting condition."
I've done a few little wrinkles along the line of invention myself, you remember. Jones and Spreen wouldn't sound bad." Of course, that brought about a stirring up of old history, for many and humorous had been Toby's attempt to construct a flying machine, and also a parachute that would save the lives of daring aeronauts when their engines gave out a mile or two up in the air.
Lil Artha managed to stop the moving skiff in time to save himself; even then he might have been pulled overboard only that watchful Mark, anticipating something of the sort, threw his arms around the long legs of the pusher, and held on grimly until the pole could be extricated. An hour, two of them had slipped by since parting from Johnny Spreen. They were now in the heart of the swamp.
It was here that Johnny made a sudden discovery that gave them all a little thrill. "Well, I swan!" was the sudden exclamation that broke from the lips of Johnny Spreen, the farmer's bound boy, as he came to a halt. Elmer, glancing hastily at him, saw the boy rubbing his eyes in a somewhat dazed fashion.
He acted for all the world like a fellow who did not feel sure that his sight was as good as usual. Something evidently was amiss. "What is it?" demanded Lil Artha, in his usual impetuous way. "The boats!" muttered Johnny Spreen. "Sure thing, we see 'em!" declared the tall scout.
Johnny Spreen gurgled over with laughter. "Say, d'ye reckon so?" he exclaimed; "well, by hokey! now, that's part of the game, sure it be." "Oh! then you really want them to climb up on that big box when trying to grab one of the young turkeys?" asked Lil Artha. "Jes' so," chuckled the bound boy. "Is she loaded, then?" continued Lil Artha, as all of them gravely examined the innocent-looking box.
First, there was Johnny Spreen, the bound boy at the Trotter farm, and who had given them so many points concerning the swamp he knew so well. Just behind Johnny walked a consequential looking personage dressed in a blue uniform, and, with a glittering shield fastened on his left breast. Well did the Hickory Ridge boys know the Chief of Police in their own town.
Word Of The Day