Johnstown High School - Spectator Yearbook (Johnstown, PA)

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THE SPECTATOR ll it his wash-cloth, snatched from the stand close by. Then he lit the candle, muttering about lost matches. Ha-ha! Look, Brown, nothing but a chair and wash-cloth. Nly hand slipped thru the rungs of the chair when I fell and touched the cloth. Next time have your room in better order. You should raise your windows and get this peculiar musty odor out of here. lt truly was a scare. But I came here to see-ah-er, why did you slip to your room so suddenly a few minutes ago? said the master. Well, the fun was over. And l didn't want to get mixed up in this Ere affair. Then Puck is a good friend, you know, I didn't want him to see me laughing at him, he is bigger than l am, answered Whimp, truthfully enough. Ali, to be sure, I am only searching on the Doctor's orders, you know. .Sorry I broke into your room this way. Good-night. Good-night. Long drawn out sigh of relief, as the last of Dobson's footsteps sounded far down the corridor. A Page from My Summer Diary BY DONALD CUSTER '12 ET nine o'clock we took a train from Belfast for the Giant's Causeway, via Port Rusk, the Atlantic'City of Northern Ireland. This city is beautifully situated on the north coast of Ireland, Here we took an electric train for the Causeway. The ride provided many fine examples of coast scenery, the route lying along the high bluffs of the sea for almost the entire eight miles, and presenting far-reaching sea-views. On a clear day Scotland is visible in the distance. Chalk cliffs, covered with lava and basalt, have been worn into fantastic shapes by the waves, some resembling giants' heads, others elephants' legs, The invigorating atmosphere of the trip made us very hungry, and we were glad for a lunch before engaging one of the many available guides to conduct us over this won- derful formation. Before going to the Causeway, we were conducted by

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I0 THE SPECTATOR thru the building, the alarm clanged, Whimp rolled on the floor, convulsed with laughter. The Gila was worth the five dollars, after all. The Doctor soon quieted the boys, then ordered a search of the building. Dobson was sent to the second floor, while he imprisoned Puck in the inhrmary, or as Whimp called it, the medicine-factory. When that in- dividual saw Dobson coming, he slipped unseen to his room without waiting for further fun. The ever-watchful Dob- son, suspecting something, swiftly followed. Without ceremony he opened Whimp's door. As he entered he saw a boy in blue pajamas snuff a small candle, then dive head- long into bed. Dobson advanced three steps in the dark, stumbled, then fell over the Gila's box, knocking his shins smartly. As he arose his one hand slipped thru the crating, touching something rough, scaly, snake-like. With a loud exclama- tion, he jumped aside. Then a very tiny blue cloud en- shrouded him. Violent sneezing, coughing, and muttering followed. Whimp stuffed a good part of a pillow into his mouth. The master was thoroughly frightened, but he meant to stick to his duty, no matter what the cost might be. Brown, he shouted fall frightened people doj, light your candle quickly. There may be smoke or snakes or some such thing in your room. Quick! Yes-I-certainly-ha, ha-sure-just a minute, sir, answered Whimp as he jumped out of bed and seemingly proceeded to fumble for the candle with matches. In reality, he had made his way past the master and was pushing the box quietly along the floor towards his bed, a few feet away. Did you drop the candle on the floor? Hurry up, Brown, sure, came from the wondering Dobson. I have her now, answered Whimp just as he com- pleted the trip of the box under the bed. Luckily the animal did not again throw off smoke, Whimp was thanking his lucky stars that Puck's room was now vacated. Even while he thought of this he was act- ing, for it was no place nor time to be caught. lt was but the work of a second to overturn a chair and throw beneath

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I2 THE SPECTATOR our guide to a most interesting cave. Portcoon Cave can be approached by two entrances, one from the sea, the other from land if the tide is low. The sea was too rough for the oarsmen to venture to row us in, and so we climbed alonga very rough, narrow foot-path of smooth cobble- stones to the entrance. The cave was dark and damp. Our guide carried a lantern to give light. Along the roof is a Hne example of a slipping of layers of rocks, called a geological fault, The whole must have been produced by a tremendous upheaval. The roar of the waves inside is terrihc, and as we looked out thru the sea entrance, we could see the Irish Sea rolling its waves with much force along the cliffs. Leaving the cave we proceeded to the Causeway proper. From a distance it looked disappointing-more like a pile of cobble-stones than an elegant arrangement of verti- cal basaltic columns. More than forty thousand of these columns, composed of blocks which seem to be artificially placed one on top of the other, extend to an uncertain depth. Some of them are polygonal in shape, and range from three-sided formations to eight-sided ones. The key- stone is said to be the only octagonal stone in existence. The peculiar formations in various parts of the Cause- way have been given names suggested by their fantastic shapes. In one part is a depression, Hlled with water, called the Giant's Punchbowlg another, the Giant's Fan, formed by Hve pentagons surrounding a hexagon. In the Grand Causeway is Lord Antrim's Parlor, a number of large yellow stones which resembles a parlor in disorder the morning after a night of money-making. The entire Causeway is divided into three parts---the Little, Middle and Grand Causeway. The second is shaped like a honey-comb. One group of stones, the Wishing Chair, resembles a chair. We each sat in it and made three wishes, after which we proceeded to the Wishing Well, presided over by an old Irish peasant woman, who gave us each a drink of the sweet water with which to wash down our wishes, so that they may come to pass. Leaving the Causeway thru a gate-way of solid rock, known as the Giant's Gateway, we began a difhcult climb up the cliffs for several miles along the Irish Sea to the