The Rival Campers Ashore

he stream flowing by at a little distance moved as though its waters were lazy. The birds and the cattle kept their respective places silently, in

lighted his after-dinner pipe and seated himself in a big wooden arm-chair. But the annoyance

ry wagon-wheel turning on it, to stir the dust to motion. In the distance, the mill droned like a big beehive. Near at hand only the fish moved

f dust, amid which there shone and glittered flashes of steel. Then a line of bicyc

e. The line of glistening, flying wheels aimed itself fair at Colonel Witham's dog, who r

at the very edge of Colonel Witham's porch. The colonel, startled from sweet repose by the combined noise of whistles, buzzing of machines, shouts of the five r

f voices. "Looks like old times to see you ag

mopping the perspiration from his brow with an enormous

go for you. He'll take a piece out of some of you one of these days." (Colonel Witham did not observe that the dog, at this moment, tail bet

a tone that would seem to indicate that the colonel was

m, arising slowly from his chair. "I wish it would choke that

and served their order; sco

you doing?

had previously spoken. "Tom and Bob-you remember them-are setting the pace on their tandem for Arthur and Joe and me. Whew, but

with a shout and

e dog on Tim Reardon if he comes up the

gave a sha

ion might have seen this canine terror to evildoers poke a shrinking muzzle a

red from her attack of rheumatism, appeared at a window and shook a table-cloth therefrom; nor when Bess

ran out from the dooryard as it approached. Tim Reardon, an undersized, sharp-eyed youngster, rather poorly dressed and barefoot,

the boy. "What

ted at the sl

. "They woke him up. My! wasn't he mad? Here," she added, handing a small box to the boy, "Geor

k to Benton. But I was going to have a swim first. Guess I

hat tree way up along shore there, the one that hangs out over the water?

incredulous glance, wi

the girl. "But I'll show you some time. Can't now. Got

ur he returned, took from his pocket the box the girl had given to him, got therefrom an awl, a bottle of cement and some thin strips of rubber, and b

, who had reappeared and was interestedly watching the operation. "He's goi

tack in the road?" as

nned. "Not for

ad with those boys about? Why did he se

ort, and he was always against the boys, and now and then somebody played a joke on him. Then, when his hotel burned, he tho

ated that Colonel Witham was rousing from his nap. He stretched

eh? Wonder you didn't come in like a

ture," said

of his sleep, was in a better humour. He

hey get," he said. "That's not

looked up

se to ride a wh

touch of pride in his voice. "Well, now I reckon you wouldn't believ

nd and fat, puffy cheeks, betrayed his skepticism in

any of these wire whirligigs, either, that we used to ride. Old bone-shakers, they were; wooden wheels and a solid wrought iron backbone. You had to have the strength to m

," said Bess Thornt

Colonel Witham, staring a

own hill, though. It's too hard to p

Witham, as the girl started for

ng," called a child

ent, holding to the side of the doorway; then pushed herself away from it, came down the plank incline, and thence on to the path leading from the elevation on which the shed stood, at full speed. Her legs, too short for her feet to

d she, rolling it back to where h

of the handle-bars, eyed th

ow. Guess my riding days are over. But

an ride it," urged Tim R

l Witham. "We didn't have any busted tires in ou

little way," sa

ride that had won med

as rapidly getting the b

kind of hot to try it. Makes me feel sort of

put a ponderous foot on one pedal, while the drops

uted. "I'll just show you ho

d actually got

led up with mirth, and

he elephant at the

ear you," whispe

an unfortunate recollection, for it instilled new ambitions within him. He had ridden up the road a few rods, had made a wide turn and sta

ther sharp yank upon the handle-bars-and lost control of the wheel. A most unfortunate moment for such a mishap; for now, as

the level of the ground, so that a fall from it would mean serious injury. There was naught fo

of the wheels above his head, drove forth his dog from his hiding-place. C?sar, espying this new and extraordinary object rattling down the board walk,

water with a mighty splash. Colonel Witham, clinging in desperation to the handle bars, sank with the wheel in some seven feet of water. Then, amid a w

oared. "I'm drowni

ed Little Tim, who was darti

ce more at the surface, it seemed really impossible for hi

nely, there appeared up the road

White, George, Arthur and Joe Warren-just as Littl

fast to the colonel." The next moment, he was

you and drown you both

part of Colonel Witham to make fast to, as he floated at length, was his nearest foot. Ti

inasmuch as he continued to bellow helplessly-came slowly in, a

ag me down the road?" The colonel struggle

ere's always trouble when you're around. Tim Rear

thes; and then added, with a twinkle in his eyes, "but a

lonel made a rush at him, but Tim was off down the road, leapi

e, so you can ride some more?" called you

answer was a wrathf

ered the hotel, a few minutes later, "here's a note for you,

on. He's a smart one, he is," he added musingly, as he waddled away to his bed-room to change his dripping garments; then, spying his own fac

, walking slowly, and thinking deeply as he went along. He was so engrossed in his reflections that he failed to notice

n, Colonel Wit

appeased the wrath of her husband against Bess Thornton. She leaned

smile with a frown. He passed along without further notice of her gre

head and gaze back at the disappeari

tered. "You were too good for me once. Just keep

looked up at his entrance. One might see at a glance that here was a man who looked upon the world with a calculating eye. No fat and genial miller w

ight and cheery as ever, I see. I thought I'd like to have you

entials for loading it, sat back in a chair, and puffed away

ontinued figuri

minutes had passed, "Suppose you didn't get

rection of the town of Benton. "You know 'em, Dan Witham," he said, "as well as I do. Though you didn't get skinned as I did. You didn't go down to town, as I did twenty odd years ago, with eight thousand dolla

mentally, "Yes, and I know you, too. B

ell, here's some more of the papers. The mill and a good part of the farm and some more land 'round here go to you this time. All righ

odigious wink at his

Your deeds from me are all recorded, eh? People look at the record, and what do they see? All this stuff in your name. Well, what do I get out of that? You know. There a

same property which you give back to me. Only I don't have them put o

olonel Witham; and made a mental observation that he'

more of the same game. The property's all yours-and it is

ed assent, and the

p the road again, he uttered audibly the wish he

ide. The weeds withholding whatever information they may have had on the question, Colonel Witham snipped their heads off with a vicious s

and confidential way in which he drew an eye-lid down now and again, as he passed here and there, that the wink was directed at the mill

tting down to his supper table t

is wife, "I saw an old beau of yours to-day-Dan

seriously, "and he has no love for you, either. I

er husband. "He's gruff, but he's not such a ba

n of that, James,"