THE YOUNG FOLKS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 728, 29 January 1910, Page 11

THE YOUNG FOLKS.

PEOVING HIS PLUCK. "You're not: much ..of a fighter, boy, ore you?" the mate teasngly quizzed, as Watson, the now teamster, passed on the. way to his horses. "The fellow that runs away," he added, significantly, "lives to fight another day. You've got.a dangerous gift in these long legs of yours; but one .good, square: stand will be necessary to.give you a status along the front here.": . : 'He. spoke "in. a, friendly tone. Watson had ' just' feigned defeat in a wrestling bout with:.'Cowiey,;a young..mischief-lov-ing deckhand, who had managed to get possession of a horse cloth from liini, and had hidden it .in the boat: They/ had got into grips, Cowley,..who was. the less powerful -of _ the :'two, was showing signs of losing his temper, and so, to avoid incurring the enmity of his Mlowworker, Watson had taken to his heels, and led .Cowley a lively dance among the bales of. goods, piled lip on thejetty.-' Tied up next to the river steamer "unda,' which lay across the foot of the street, was a bargeloan .of cobblestones. Watson made- no reply to: the' mate's, playful ...remark; but set to work loading the stones on his dray;- Two of .the'crew of the boat loitered at her stern,-within-speaking tance.'"-' ,'■'■ •'■.- ''■' .-■ '> ■■" "He hasn't much spunk,"' one of them 'audibly.commented, with-a' jerk'of his thumb towards Watson. "I guess all the fire escapes but of the top of his head." Watson nad a crop of strong, red-hair. . "Don't be hard on him, mate," > the other gently chided, with: mock. sym-< pathy. ■ "He's. ashamod. of running. away. Don't you:see he is blushing to the.roots of-his hair?" '.':'.,".' -~..->..;.. .;,.' ; Watson smiled, and continued' to toss in the-cobblestones 'with an. ease that indi-. cated: ability .to . stand, .up for. himself when .necessary. . .. : ;'•'.-■';-. . With a,heaped load,; Watson mounted the wagon,..'and' turned his. horses' heads up...'tlic-steep',street''-'leading' from the river. The heavy load and tired tho splendid horses. The worst place in the short pull was at: the factory gates, .where "a hew boiler, eight feet high and thirty in length, blocked :'half: the stree.t In the narrow, furrowed lane, past that and a pilo'of building-materials, Watsno was"obliged to haul his'load .-straight. But he observed now, with much satisfaction, that v a'.': crew of labourers • was getting ready to shift- the boiler through the'mill-yard into a new engine-house. .On the return journey he was delayed a.fow'-''minutes,- where the chattering labourers wero. making ready with planks' to turn the boiler ; endwise - through ■ the gates'.-' '• ;■•"' "■' '■;■■ ;■'.■-■'■: ■'"■'- -.-■■ ,',■.-• ' Watson could>sco .down' the few .hundred . intervening, 'yards to .'.the Uhda nestling .in' the, freight piles'; at the foot'of the street.; A clear;passage showed, to the."little.craft;.and as Watson- recognised'Cowley, his'recent antagonist, in olue. shirt and rakish cap.boarding the vessel,.a humorous i notion' popped into his head. ,->..' .-■■■ ■ -..'. "I'd like to give that .boiler a little push while Cowley's in line," the-, teamster mused., "He'd be, so everlastingly scared■'■ when : that -, big,' ;racketty thing came' loping after him that ho'd : run -right out from under nis;hat.".' ; "Watch out for Cowley-there, Eeddy!" a voice suddenly shouted.' -.;. '■'■' The warning sounded, so genuine that, somewhat startled; Watson turned quickly 'about.'- A'.laugh':of appreciation;-for-.the success of .the. .ruse greeted, him;'■'. One ,of .tho'e'rew was' passing' by; on ;an errand. ' "'Fraid of our. man, aren't'you?";, the deck - hand queried, with teasing- good humour. "To-morrow', noon you ve'got to stand up to him, or-else wo are going to- chip in '■ and -hire you' to' got a. job somewhere; else'.'. We're pretty sensitive about the 'kind of. people we ;havo;around." Watson: fully...intended to. gef his':own back; but if possible he .-wanted'to do it without.shaming:the redoubtable Cowley, who' .had a'reputation ,■ to v. maintain in; 'wrestling.''-'■!■■•.■■■'■ :, ''.-'--V '''''- ;; . '.-'"■'>' '.-■ Another }oad' was ( on -before, startingtiine for the Unda. In a ..straggling lino; passengers'-,-were.still wending, their, way toward,.the' steamer;' , and •-the;. .freight trucks rattled more quickly and; merrily on'and :'-off the plank. : <- -•■-. ,-'v As -was.'his' custom, .Watson- mounted the seat to'. threvl his way,: diagonally across, the: river street .to the'eorrier where he mounted the grade. His eyes'were arrested momentarily, by 'a: gay young party bound for. tHe steamer. 'A /charming .couple of laughing girls we're-in the.lead; and., behind,ithem,,„,woighted,,,dow I n.:. with baggage) a" young man gallantly .'^escorted' a stout old lady.'The party joined a ..waiting, crowd -at the gangway,.iwhere-the; breaking of. an • overloaded truck. ; had caused.-a.blockade. . v. Wats6n':was just starting his horses,off agaih.'when'. a', booming clang .struck his iear. .He heard'-it again, a fierce, exultant clingy-clang! ... .'/..:-',-. •!'; With a startled.: glance .towards -the. ; hillside .street' lie .understood.' 'In-Vthe process'of being turned, end on towards •the factory gates; the monster.boiler had broken loose! Now it was hurtling noisily- down the street,:,, banging the' cobbles furiously,'- while.ihe J voices of the workmen wereVraised. in. frantic warnings.' ;■' Instinctively-Watson turned'lris eye to-, wards the'-Undal The steanier'lay at.the end of a. street built .-high on both, sides w-ltli '.boxes;-'and;bales—a'; 'street. : 'd"6wh which, iii a moment more, would come bounding, that .terrible mass of'charging steel."And the .two .hundred, feet were thronged with 'workmen and passengers. .' In imagination Watson saw the freightlined'alley swept clear; the deck-house of. the .Unda -torn 'away, ;•■ and the i. boiler.plunging'overboard. -He gasped 1 as- he pictured the trapped people. crushed beneath -the..-rolling cylinder,-'or--tossed against'.the side of the'steamer. . -.' 'For the most-part :the v throng v seemed paralysed- by the imminence of the. danger, knowledge that'.they were liommed 'in directly in its- course. Spring-: ing'erect on top .of his waggon,'-. Watson snatched up his-whip. He. had never yet struck his'-horse with; it; but how, with . the reins firmly grasped" in one strong hand, he swung it savagely. .'■'■ ' - It. whistled' through '. the air ' and struck hard on the flanks of • the: horses. - 'There was asnort of pain from the. astonished creatures. The' Boiler clanged-once more with the. noise of. a thousand'"fire-bells; and'the terrihed horses gave .a. mighty leap 'forward;.. "'■.•■"" •Instantly di'opping the ' \vhip, he caught the reins in both hands. Witii; eyes . flashing, muscles corded; and-, his teeth .clenched, ho poised himself like, a charioteer-behind his galloping horses. He was headed diagonally from'' the water to strike', the ..car: tracks,-which the 'boiler must cross before it" uounded between the piles: of freight. A hundred pairs of eyes turned and .watched him. thundering on, to what seemed like,instant annihilation.'■!'-,.,,.' ■;'•".• ■• . A : second later he saw.lhe boiler'loom him. .His heart swelled into his throat .when,--hei found, how' close the thing was. .' "": i- . -Another leap of the-horses; and then Watson- suddenly, threw back his wholoweight. • The tossing. heads; of.- the horses jerked up'cruelly. ~-Their-,jaws opened wide, their -lips, curling ( back, showed white teeth; and frantic; futile hoofbeats struck • fire from the pavement as Watson' brought the -waggon ...to, a.- standstill exactly, in; the path of'. the bellowing cylinder. - ' - .With'the crash'.of a falling house the plunging boiler struck; ; 'broadside on. To Watson it seemed as if .the. universe' wero smashing beneath, him. ■; The impact' hurled him. into the air. The waggon collapsed, :'■ the ibulk- of steel recoiled. Then the boiler; I sprang forward again; dealt the heap of wheels and cobbles -a final twanging■' blow; and settled into stillness.: fell into a pile, of ; paving .sand. ~ ; ... , While the'trembling horses were, being soothed, tho mate of the ,Unda pushed through the crowd 'to shake Watson's hand.. Cowley, -following for the same prapose, found a chance.to whisper, "I'll bring your blanket up to the stable first chance -I.geti": : ''.' ':' ' "J)oes' thatVgiri.next door' to'you still play the'.melodeon?": "No;, she': favours .the cornet', now, I'm glad' to say." "But, gracious,, if she plays tho cornet,' that's worse, isn't it? .. "Not lit all; She; can't sing while she's, playing the' cornet." ..--.'.''■