Chums of the Camp Fire

gh released its clutch upon the reins, and the girl, plying the whip on old Bill, swept past, giving him one last scornful look as she

their brave companion's efforts were wasted on the desert air; but did not say a single word as they wa

is elbow, where it may have been knocked by the shaft of

d to ask, but saw my duty and did it. Lots of thanks I got, didn't I? It'll likely be some time before Steve Dowdy bothers himself to stop horses again at

ourself with glory, and saved her life in the bargain. Who'd ever expect girls to be wagering candy pulls about an old nag making time? And anybody to

was in danger, why, I don't see how she can help but feel sorry for being so sharp with her tongue. But then all girls think of is candy-pul

t like Bandy-legs being agile enough to run alongside a racing horse; but he made such a mess of it, or else on sec

om getting into trouble and controversies, which

e glorious times they expected having in the following week, should the weathe

nsideration Bandy-legs concluded that it would be best for him not to bo

if they are cold. I don't dare upset our cook. She's the boss of the kitchen in our house, and if you rub her the right way you c'n get whatever you want; but she does everlastingly hate the looks of frogs'

g fellow. He even made Bandy-legs promise to eat dinner wit

f I have to c-c-cook 'em m-m-my

hat bank of dark clouds has climbed up a little now. Seems like it

und the house, or walk down to see how the old circus was co

say, in his optimistic way, for he was ever ready to see the bright side of things, and no tro

rticular home, for it was close on supper time; and Steve want

t them go hungry when it could be helped; and besides, his mother always insisted that if he must keep such a little menagerie in the back

k, although the boy could remember many occasions in the past when he had

hand, though Toby did not dare let him loose, even with a

and growled in a lower key than usual when Toby was pushing th

on might soon be added to by the coming of that partly grown bl

would have to construct for him; because he had never fully liked the one now being used as

hat Toby sat him down to supper that evening. He was unusually quiet, because he was think

especially Steve's getting such a monster hermit frog, his falling into the pond, their making a fire to dry his clothes, and finally ho

ree from stuttering Toby's language could be. He just gripped himself, and was careful to speak slo

e, he would have undoubtedly thrown the habit away long ago. But then there were plenty of causes for excitement in a warm baseball game, or wh

in the heart of the African forest. It was highly embellished with colored pictures, supposed to be produced from photographs which this daring explorer had taken whi

hy Toby must have dreamed that he too was a bold traveler in this forei

would come along during the night, swooped down upon Carson to blow a few trees over, and hit the t

is pets were snugly housed, he wondered whether the circus had arrived safely, and if the storm would keep them from erecting the big round-

all tower strike three. This told him that the time fixed for the coming of the circus trai

y go. Haven't I had one boy tell me he never knew when he was going to get his next meal, and how for a month he didn't have regular sleep, and then it was o

lephant trumpet, for that would have made his ambitious blood leap through his veins. But the noise of the storm prevented him from hearing any

ck again between the sheets, and snuggled down, glad that he had such a

le whipped the roof off the house he might have aroused sufficiently to ask if the danger were

Toby sat up in bed

everything the animals were adoing at that same waterhole where that man took his flashlight pictures; a

aring hard toward the nearer window, thro

his life; it was different from everything he had ever come ac

to the rescue? The thought flashed into his excited mind, causing Toby to spring from his b

was known to be one of the smartest players on the high school nine; though tongue-tied, he could equal the swiftest

g to throw the shutters wide open. As he was doing so he became aware of the fac

shake, as he again

to beat the band; yet I'm so filled chuck full of things, because of that book, and my dream, that I'm silly enough to think

transfixed, hardly even drawing in a single breath. All Toby could do was to remain as though changed into a statue, an

head. What he gazed upon might make the most sensible person believe he had been taken

agine would drop down from the clouds of a stormy night-two big elephants, and a cunning baby one in the bargain; three dromedaries, with their double humps all in place;

is own little second story room, and saw this wonderful array of wild beasts camped in the back y