Raftmates

boy's mother that Major Caspar decided to take Win

that he should have a chance to see and learn something of the world first. After all, there is nothing equal to travel as an educator. I honestly believe that the war did mor

o to college, of course?" said

oughly interested in what he is doing and has an ambition to excel. I believe Winn to be both ambitious and persevering; but he is impulsive, easily influenced, and impatient of control. He has no idea of that implicit obedience to orders th

you realize that you are saying these h

love better than myself, that I am analyzing his character so carefully. He has the making

ne with you for a while. It is very hard to realize, though, that my little Winn is sixteen years o

. But he smiled as he thought how impossible it was to keep boys f

mind that it was a positive trial to have him about the house. For this reason he was encouraged to spend much of his time aboard the raft, and was even allowed to eat and sleep there whenever he chose. At length he reached the point of almost quarrelling with his sister, whom he loved so dearly; but he had hardly plunged into the woods, after leaving her on the raft, before he regretted his unkind words and h

ing stillness. The boy sat on a pile of slabs for a few minutes, resting, and watching the glowing splendor of sunset as reflected in the waters of the stream at his feet. At length he started up and was about to go to the house, where, as he had decided, his very first act would be to ask Elta's

?" he said, half aloud. "Why, there's anot

. The end thus loosened had swung down-stream a little way, and there caught on a snag formed of a huge, half-submerged root. It might hold on there indefinitely, or it might get loose at any moment, swing wide open, and set

to mend the broken boom and capture the truant logs himself. "There is no need of troubling father, and I can do it alone better than any number of tho

tree. "The very thing!" he exclaimed. "While it's aground here the raft doesn't need a cable any more than I need a check-rein, and I told father so. He said there wasn't any harm in taki

ng deep strokes he paddled swiftly upstream towards the broken boom. After fifteen minutes of hard work he had secured one end of the cable to that part of the boom resting against the snag, carried the ot

Winn secured one

he boom resting a

rked to himself, regarding his work through the gathering gloo

and allowed the three logs to escape. But Winn Caspar was not inclined to give up anything he had once undertaken. Having determined to do a certain thing, he would stick to it "like a dog to a root," as one of the mill-hands had said of him. So t

d of his accomplished task. He was shivering too, now that his violent exertions were en

y, that's a fact, and they must have had supper up at the house long ago." Entering the "

nd saucer, knife, fork, and napkin, all neatly arranged as though he were expected. "What does it mean?" thoug

ht on the raft, and so brought yours down here. You can heat the tea on the stove. I'm awfully sorr

I see her; for I shall never be happy until we have kissed and made up, as we used to say when we were young ones. I guess, though, I'll eat the supper she has brought me first. And that's

may bring forth, and that if we put off for a single hour doing that which ought to