The Launch Boys' Cruise in the Deerfoot

en Tw

for a person to boast that he did not know the meaning of fear. "Such a man is eithe

n his situation. He was walking homeward and had come to a stretch of pine forest that was no more than an eighth of a mile in length. The road was so direct that when you entered the wood you could see the opening at the farther side, where you came again upon mea

ways the deep gloom on the right and left, into which the keenest eye could not penetrate. A boy's imagination

intment had been guaranteed his father, a wealthy capitalist, by one of the Congressmen of his district, but nearly two years had to pass before the lad would be ol

helter of the craft, so that it was always under his eye, when not dashing up the Kennebec or some of its tributaries, or cruising over the broad waters of Casco Bay. On their return from an all-day excursion, they r

of firearms by boys and insisted that when a lad found it necessary to carry a pisto

ame to him when he stepped into the pulseless gloom and saw far

mer visitors. There used to be bears and panthers and wolves and deer in Maine, but most of them are in the upper part. I shouldn't dare to shoot a buck or moose if he came plunging at me with a

ve been through these woods so often without a thought of anything wrong.

t-tu-wh

ure he felt his cap rise several inches above his crown

say like the thrush or nightingale. Then it would be pleasant to listen to his music after dark. I remember when I was a little codger and was coming home late one night, near Crow

ne of obscurity on his right that only a flitting glimpse of him was caught. Few situations are more nerve-racking than the discovery at night of a

and he resumed his course, still holding

of the country is a neighbor of the others. I shall be glad to hav

hey seemed to be in a hurry and acted as if they wished to escape observation-though why they sh

broad to-night, though they have as much

he had no cause for misgiving, he still felt uneasy as he moved stealthily forward. He gave no thought to the one behind, for it was easy to avoid him. His interest centered upon the two in front, with who

hich remained silent. The straining ear failed to catch the slightest footfall. Recalling th

moving into the darkness on his left. There he could be in

ce until he stood still. Then with all his senses keyed to a high tension he did some hard thinking. Despite his ridicule of his own fears, he c

," muttered Alvin, c

s had a generous amount of money with him. Many a youth in his situation would have meekly surrendered his property upon the demand of a company of criminals against whom it was impossible to prevail, bu

o was to step noiselessly in among the pines at his side, pick his way for a few rods, and then wait for the danger to pass; or he could

ll you why Alvin Landon

od to catch me as I come out. Then I'll have to run for it, and I'l

fancied he heard a faint rustling a little way behind him, but it might ha

ting for me.

elf. All at once he began whistling that popular college air, "When I saw Sweet Nellie Home." He would not admit to himself that it was because he felt the slightest fear, but somehow or other, the m

where I am, for all of them alre