Bobby Blake on a Plantation; Or, Lost in the Great Swamp

there was also a note of awe that was balm to Billy's soul. Any one who was so familiar with the supernatural w

" asked Skeets, looking about

lared Shiner, stoutly. "I

ing," affirmed Fred, although his eager e

storm of protest an

e affirmed. "Cross my heart

e doubters, especially as there was nothin

urged Mouser, who was anxious to ob

Billy, amid a silence in which one could have heard a pin drop.

ed for

ets excitedly. "Was it then th

"It was then that I

s the idea filtered into the minds of

counseled. "They'll

him was safely out of reach. Then he danced a jig and went through various gestures expres

sportsmanlike to take advantage of such innoce

ared Bobby. "Billy

"I was watching his face too, but he was so sober that I fell for it and fell

proached, and the boys subsided. The doctor smil

ew minutes, Blake," he said, "and you also Mar

sir," the bo

an invitation to the doctor's office portended something unplea

ng to catch it,

been up to now?" demanded

ld you for falling for my

when such an invitation would have made them decidedly uneasy. But just at the moment their consciences were clear

fairs. There was an air of natural dignity about him that warned any one that he would be an unsafe man to trifle with. But although he was a strict disciplinarian and the boys stood in wholesome awe of him, he was yet tolerant and br

standing on the shores of Monatook Lake, a beautiful body of water, which afforded facilities for bathing, boating and fishing in Summer and for skating and other ice sports in Winter. In addition to these natural advantages, the school had a well-equipped gymnasium and excellently laid out fie

u on behalf of myself and the school for the gallant thing you did to-day in saving those b

looked em

Bobby eagerly, glad to change the subject. "Mr. Carrier

face took on

severe shock to his system. He comes from the South, you know, and hasn't been up here long enough to get hardened to our climate. There is a possibility that he may be in for a serious illness.

elves out and closed

n't he?" remarked Fred, a

greed Sparrow. "He

de," was Bobby's tribute to

eginning to freeze over. At first, the ice looked like a gigantic spider's web shooting out in shimmering threads until the entire surface was covered with a crystal coating. Then

t the expenditure of any effort of their own, save what was required to hold the sails. This contrivance had a special appeal to Pee Wee, who was a profound believer in any device that would save labor. He was far too

ng but a few flurries that did scarcely more than whiten the ground. But one afternoon, as the boys came out

e boys had their minds set on skating, so that the sight

looked on the ground on which there was already an inch of s

ready to melt, the ice wil

ress company this morning that my ice

o anything. In the second place, if it does, we can get busy and sweep off enough of the ice on the

th while is the

ing's going

means Bobby," he added, giving

e are well and strong and able to put away three square meals a day"-here Pee Wee pricked up his

lucky of course that he didn't get pneumonia. But it's no joke to be kept in hi

Fred and Sparrow, who had e