Rollo at Play; Or, Safe Amusements Part 3

"O, Rollo," said he, "one of our half dollars is gone."

They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They looked around, but it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor with one another, are never at a loss for subjects of dispute; and Rollo said he believed James had taken it, and James charged it upon Rollo. Then there was a dispute who should have the one that was left. James knew it was his; he said he remembered _exactly_ how his looked; and Rollo knew it was his, for the head and the stars were very bright on his, and they were very bright on this. James, however, had the half dollar, and would not give it up; and so Rollo went to Jonas, and told him that James had got his half dollar.

Jonas came, and heard the whole story from both of the boys. James said he _knew_ the one that was left was his, for he remembered exactly how it looked, and he also remembered exactly the very spot on the stone where he put it down.

James did not mean to tell a lie, but he was a little angry and excited, and when boys are in that state of mind, they are very apt to say they know not what.

Jonas looked at both sides of the half dollar very attentively.

"Which half dollar was it," said he, "that you tried to get the eagle off of?"

"Mine," said Rollo; "let me see."

Jonas held down the half dollar, and showed to Rollo and James the marks and scratches made by the pin; proving that this was Rollo's half dollar. James looked ashamed and confounded; Jonas just waited to hear what he would say.

HEARTS RIGHT AGAIN.

James stood still a minute, thinking presently he said,

"Well, Rollo, I suppose my half dollar is lost, but I am glad yours is safe, at any rate."

"I am sorry yours is lost," said Rollo, "but then I can give you half of what I buy with mine."

"Where did you put the half dollars?" said Jonas.

"On that rock," said Rollo.

They walked along towards the rock. It was by the edge of the water; Jonas thought that as they had been dragging boughs of trees along near the rock, some little branch might have reached over and brushed off one of the pieces of money into the water. So he walked up to it and looked over.

In a minute or two, he pointed down, and the boys looked and saw something bright and glittering on the bottom.

"Is that it?" said James.

"I believe it is," said Jonas.

Jonas then took off his jacket, rolled up his s.h.i.+rt sleeve, lay down on the rock, and reached his arm down into the water, but it was a little too deep. He could not reach it.

"I cannot get it so," said he.

"What shall we do?" said James. "How foolish I was to put it so near the water!"

"I think we shall contrive some way to get it," said Jonas.

He then sat down on the rock and looked into the water. "We can go home and get a long pair of tongs, and get it with them at any rate," said he.

"O, yes," said Rollo, "I will go and get them;" and he ran off towards the bridge.

"No," said Jonas, "stop; I will try one plan more."

So he went and cut a long straight stem of a bush, and trimmed it up smooth, and cut the largest end off exactly square. Then he went to a hemlock tree near, and took off some of the gum, which was very "sticky." He pressed some of this with his knife on the end of the stick. Then he reached it very carefully down, and pressed it hard against the half dollar; it crowded the half dollar down into the sand, out of sight.

"There, you have lost it," said James.

"I don't know," said Jonas; and he began slowly and carefully to draw it up.

When the end of the stick came up out of the sand, the boys saw, to their great delight, that the half dollar was sticking fast on. They clapped their hands, and capered about on the stone, while Jonas gently drew up the half dollar, and put it, all wet and dripping, into James's hand.

The boys thanked Jonas for getting up the money, and then they asked him to keep both pieces for them until they went home. Then they began to think of the wigwam again.

"We will make the window as you want it, James," said Rollo; "I am willing."

"No," said James, "I was just going to say we would make it your way. I rather think it would be better to make it towards the land."

"Why can you not have two windows?" said Jonas.

"So we can," said both of the boys; and they immediately went to work collecting branches and weaving them in, leaving a s.p.a.ce for a window both sides. Their quarrelsome feelings were all gone, and they talked very pleasantly at their work until it was time for them to go home to dinner.

THE STEEPLE TRAP

[Ill.u.s.tration: "An escape."]

THE STEEPLE TRAP

THE WAY TO CATCH A SQUIRREL

The afternoon of the day when Rollo and his cousin James made their wigwam in the woods by the brook, they were at work there again, employed very harmoniously together, in finis.h.i.+ng their edifice, when suddenly Jonas, who was at work in the woods at a little distance, heard them both calling to him, in tones of surprise and pleasure--

"O, Jonas, Jonas, come here quick--quick."

Jonas dropped his axe and ran.

When he got near them, they pointed to a log.

"See there;--see;--see there."

"What is it?" said Jonas. "O, I see it," said he.