Chums of the Camp Fire

spring, boys, and l

little rest before we tackle the last three

son since early morning, fully fifteen miles along the road; and the animal between the shafts was beginning to puff, as though well tired out. But often some of the boys had

tting the doors for a full week at this time of year, so as to give teachers and scholars a breathing spell before th

ng themselves to their full bent. Others might find pleasure in starting to play ball, and kindred sports that the coming of a fe

nk of other things, though there were some of the more timid who continued to see terrible wild beasts in every animal

r the time being, because every one was talking about how queer it was all those animals should pick out the J

ch of five ten-dollar bills, which the grateful circus proprietor had placed in his hand a

e fairly bubbled over with an excess of spirits, and even when B

that had been so useful on other similar ex

k, but was now guaranteed wholly waterproof. Then they had various guns, from the reliable rifle Max owned to the newer

ven four hearty boys with good appetites, an abundance of money in the treasury of the club, and with a whole week a

as real hunger being known in that camp. If they wanted fresh eggs, milk and butter, Max knew of a farmer within tw

heir journey's end; and hence were not in any great hurry to push along. So a little rest at the cool sp

rous matters; and it was only natural that in due time the talk should

fer to anything that happened in the past, it's going to be something like this: 'the year the circus broke

em yet every little while,

, and money is always a good thing to have around; "didn't the C-c-chief tell me only y-y-yesterday that old Miss Moffat she c-c-called him up and demanded that he c-c-come and arrest a hyena that was run

at this juncture, which of c

s you there?"

as you'd think, when we're bound on such a

bled the one who was

ould fail to be bubbling over with joy when off on such a vacation as they had ahead of the

Bandy-legs shot back at him; "i

-c-cute little rasca

saw she was goin' to make trouble first chance she got, and so I've been mighty careful to keep the cub from slippin' loose from h

bed in through some open window, and got in your house; is that it, Toby?" cried

ht, when she went up to her room, you'd athought it worth while mentioning,"

ose you tell us more about it, Bandy-legs,"

el her way in. She had some clean clothes in one arm that she wanted to lay on her bed while she lighted her candle again. But when she touched a hairy object that moved a

up by this vivid description, and it was a full mi

the bottom of the upper flight. My dad ain't afraid of anything, so me and him both armed ourselves, and we snuck up to find out what had scared the hired g

ppealed to their love for the ridiculous; and they d

hoose between that bear cub and a good cook; and well, you know how it's always bound to

o press against his pocket, as though he fancied he had the where

you do with hi

art with my pet as soon as I came home again. So Toby, some time we'll talk it over, and you make me a good offer. He ought

constituting one of the attractions in his new collection, to be kept out on the farm his folks owned some miles aw

keeps alookin' under tables all the while like she expected to see tigers and lions acrouchin' there, ready to take a bite out of her. And she's even got to callin' my little Nicodemus bad

uess he is all of that. I never heard of a pet as full of pranks as that cub is; and ch

all about wild animals, and how best to take care of them; having heard the owner mention the sum of ten dollars h

o pull through the last stage of the journey. After that Ebenezer would have a long rest

l be starting ahead, and do some of the resting at the place they

ry. Here an occasional farm might be run across but as a rule there were woods, and then some more woods, until on

been through all this section, and only in patches was it possible to find any of the original great trees that wer

I can see why Max chose to bring us up here to do our camping. We'll hardly run across a living soul, unless we go over to tha

up the trunks of trees, and hiding on the

quota of evidence in support of Steve's declaration with regard to their finding all the game th

Steve continued; "and where you find that smart animal depen

Toby, suddenly as he thrust out a

nd looked inquiringly at each other. Steve even leaned back and hastily secured his gun, into which with

a glimpse of it as it disappeared in the brush, and if you gave me a d

way we all feel

rom the menagerie still being at large. Indeed, who could blame them, when there was a prospect of running across a hungr