Cloverdale Union High School - Spectator Yearbook (Cloverdale, CA)

Page 27 text:

Stitprary A lariug ISjnl up G. P. ’15. l ELL, the cup is ours!” said John, “and we certainly U worked hard enough to get it.” “Yes, I’m proud of you boys and Nettie, too,” I answered. After much talking and hurrahing over our debate we fin¬ ally left St. Helena on our homeward journey, making as lit¬ tle (?) noise as possible, for fear of waking the snoozing farmers. We reached “Knight’s Canyon,” and, just as we were rounding a bend in the road, three rough looking fel¬ lows jumped from the side of the road directly in front of the fast moving automobile. “Hold up here, we want that ere cup, you fellows won in St. Helena.” We did not have the heart to run the men down, so the only course left open for us was to stop the machine. “John, slip me that box of tires under the seat and I’ll slam them one,” whispered Charlie. “Oh, oh,” screamed Nettie, “They’re really going to take our cup, Mr. White, do something quick.” I, thinking it was only some of the boys playing a joke on us, was not in the least alarmed, so I reach¬ ed over to the place where I had put the cup and was about to pick it up when one of the fellows covered me with a gun and said, “None of that! Give up that cup or it will be the worse for all of you.” Well, what could I do? There was not one of us that had any sort of weapon and, besides, we had three women to de¬ fend. This situation did not strike me as humorous. 25

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if he knew anything of the other schoolmates, he told me that Norma Hurlbert was teaching music in San Francisco and that he received letters from her every now and then. He also said that Willie Cooper owned a large stock ranch out in Arizona. Marvin Read was a famous lawyer in New York. As we were talking, in walked what seemed to be a society belle and, upon registering her, Philipp found that it was Gertrude Ludwig. She told us her voice seemed to be giv¬ ing out and, as she was tired of grandeur and traveling, she was going back to Cloverdale. I told her of Charlie’s great discovery and, as I was going to start home soon, she decided to go with me. She said Genevieve, like Cyril, had never married and was soon to become a Ph. D. Marie Grant had lately settled down. Her husband, an elderly philosopher, had built a little home in the air and both were as happy as birds. Lucile owned a confectionery store in the city of Fulton but she expected soon to change her name and adopt that of one of her old friends who had lately retired from business, having made his fortune in vegetables in our old home town. Nine p. m., we are taking an aeroplane for home as I have left mine to be fixed. Who do you suppose is the driver? Why, Ruth Belcher. She is now ex-Governor of California and, seeking a higher position, has taken to the air. We are fly¬ ing slowly and talking over old friends and the days we spent in Cloverdale. Eleven p. m., Home, sweet home, we have reached it again. The midnight sun is casting its soft light upon the mountains of ice and fields of snow. As the changing colors shift and gleam, we see before us the sublime work of the Master artist whose canvas is the universe and whose colors are living light. But who shall say that the picture that lives again, as the light of the friendships of the old school days glows in our hearts, is not even more beautiful than that which covers earth and sky? 24

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“Ouch,-it! the fool girl stuck a hat pin in me. Come here, Jim, it’s clean through my arm, help me get it out,” shrieked one of the ruffians. “You fool, I told you not to try any monkey tricks, why did’nt you keep away from the car, as I told you?” Now all this happened in a much smaller portion of time than it takes to tell it. “Sit still,” commanded the leader of the gang, “and I’ll relieve you of the cup. We want it; it rightly belongs to us, so we’re goin’ to have it,” Covering us with his gun, he walked slowly forward and from the cor¬ ner of my eye I could see John rise and make ready to jump over the side of the machine. “Git back there,” cried one of the fellows. “Hey, Jim, this kid’s out of the machine, shall I fix him?” “Yes, go ahead.” The fellow hit John a clip between the eyes, knocking him senseless. “Just a minute boys, I should like to say a few words be¬ fore we deliver over the cup to you, ” said Charlie, and he began repeating his speech for the debate in a low monoto- uous voice. “Well, of all things!” The men stood speech¬ less with amazement. One of the women of our party began to laugh and cry hysterically. Something must be done im¬ mediately, so, opening the door of the car, I stepped out and confronted one of the men. He rushed up and attempted to strike me, but I tripped him and he fell, hitting his head upon a jagged rock, which knocked him unconscious. Before I could turn around another fellow was at me from behind showering blows upon my back. Suddenly a shrill whistle was blown by the leader of the crowd and immediately five men rushed from the side of the road where they had been hidden. By this time John had recovered and Charlie, the chauffeur and another fellow who was with us jumped from the machine and started to fight. That made four of us against seven. Well, I knocked two out right away and a third was struck down by John. “Hey,” cried Charlie, “there isn’t one of these fellows that’s armed, this guy here, has only a stick and we thought it was a gun.” 26