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

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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

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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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I felt a reeling sensation, but determined to hold out. I hit at one fellow and, missing my footing, fell and began roil¬ ing down the hill. I could see that there was only one left of the opposing party and all our crowd were sitting in the automobile laughing at my predicament. Suddenly the re¬ maining enemy began running after me, but I kept rolling and rolling, always keeping about three feet ahead of him. “Well, I ' ll fix you,” he cried and, picking up an immence stone threw it at my head. “Well, oh ! what’s this?” I sat up on the floor, the bed clothes dragged from the bed and a pillow on my head. “Oh. a dream.” But we did win the cup even though we didn t get held up. Don ' t ever again tell me dreams aren’t true well, that’s so, this one was only half true. 31jr ®ari y Amtiurrsaru (Sift NORMA HURLBERT, ’13. H s twilight approached old John Cape feebly climbed the long flight of stairs to the top of the light-house. He seated himself on the low bench and began polishing the glass of the faithful old lamp. At last he had it lighted and a bright gleam fell on the water. Usually old John felt hap¬ py to see that gleam pierce the darkness, but to-night it seemed to reach out indefinitely and, as he stood there, he heaved a deep sigh. He turned around sharply and his eye fell on the calendar. To-day was the third day of March. Like a flash the old man’s face brightened. If we listen very closely we will hear him say, “March third, 1912. Just fifty year ago to-day, Marthy and me was married. I have done all I could for her and like’s all she has forgot ' bout this bein a day to celebrate. I ain’t got no gold to give her but we’ll do somethin ' in the line of celebratin’. At this the old man lighted the little lantern, gave a last look at the big light and started down stairs. 27