The Pony Rider Boys on the Blue Ridge

those cry-baby son

ssi

on," urge

oll in an' de

ars git sprink

my honey an' ah cal

ndy, Lindy,

y, com

ten at

'd is singin'

mme sing

you, tell

u mo' dan heaps

singer entirely. In their merriment they forgot all about the breakfast, all about the thi

e voice of Professor Zepplin. "Singing

to the Professor's face and i

mme sing

you, tell

u mo' dan heaps

r. It was too much for the Professor's gravity, too. The latter let out his own voice in a roar of laughter that,

ou will be good enough to rescue the ham from beneath the feet of our guide, we will

ssi

d to have you si

't speak above a whisper," added Stacy Brown,

ured them was a right smart distance straight ahead. This proved to be true. It was four hours later when the outfit drew up at a log building, one-storied, the low por

r of the store, came out to see what the commotion was about. He recognized Billy at once, but glanced suspiciously from one to the

store building. Professor Zepplin stepped up, followed by the crowd of loungers, and introduce

odate ye," nodded Abs.

the Professor

ere's the Corner

," grinned th

ners except the corn

r if you were to meet it i

nging there look pretty real to me," answered Stacy, hel

a hand. Stacy regarded him solemnly. The fat boy's mouth

as to pay for the fruit. Stacy was too busy to waste ti

now, Chunky. If you keep on at this

five cents for his whol

e you haven't sixty-fiv

got several times

feit, then,"

ng to the door of the store, "did

fice?" cri

ps you might wish to

e do," cried Ned and T

't any letters ready. Can we get paper her

here, provided you have the money to

ose I shall have to pay for Chunky. H

nishes this nice peaceful trip. Do

grinned

te letters, too, Bi

ir, n

he doesn't,

nodded Rector. "If we are going to do b

ls, for they had lost their own supply. They also bought stamps, peanuts and vario

ees began to write, while the loungers gathered about, eyeing the lads curiously. Others were out at the side of the store

uestioned Chunky after a few moments of silence, d

size of the torren

single or a double r'd on

ghed Butler. "You are safe in usi

cle for the paper," sugge

oing and that's where I get even with

newspaper notoriety you would be likely to give a fellow. You tell th

red the fat boy

something is the matter with me, for I've already written 'torrent' twice where it didn't belong and next thing I kn

but his desire to tell the folks at home, through the medium of the weekly paper, throug

hwest. The lads glanced up inquiringly. At first they saw nothing of interest. Then a horseman swung

!" he

rs. It was plain that they knew the

! Higher up the creek you go, the bigger t

bang,

I'm out fer blood and a gen

bang,

occurring, though Stacy gave the bad man a glance out of the corners of his eyes now and then. Stacy was ready to run if, perchance, the fellow should turn a gun in his direction.

he first sound of the uproar, but they beat a quick retreat

ger to the boys?" st

n the whole Blue Ridge. Everybody's afraid of him and I reckon they've got good

inst such a ruffian as that," answered the Professor, proudly. "I hope he will l

s such a new experience to Smoky that it fairly hurt him. The ruffian had been a neighborhood bully for years, and was wholly accustomed to seeing men flee when

mptied them, driving all of the bullets into t

h it must be confessed that they were maki

and made his animal fast to the hitching-bar. Then Griffin strolled up to

one of those Germans we licked in France. Say, why don't you go get a job washing dishes in a lu

had started as had never befo