Grants Pass High School - Toka Yearbook (Grants Pass, OR)

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THE TOKA 5 afforded, Wayne saw fit to relax dignities, and began to tease his class-mate. Who’s the pretty little Junior you’re so fond of, Gray?” aBked that important young personage, nonchalantly, turning from his discussion of a pear. Oh, she’s the sister of that Junior kid who plays left end on the team.” “Junior! careful here, don’t get us into trouble.” Oh, no. Say, I left that key of my locker lying on the shelf this noon, but 1 went down first period and got it. It’s a wonder the pennant was left.” “Yes. it Is. I wonder if we’re safe in leaving now. They won’t be apt to come back this early In the morning, and the pennant is safely up, I guess,” said Wayne, stretching. We’ll get out some way and leave no way for them to get in.” So the boys went out of the building, leaving no traces behind them, save the plundered kitchen. The clouds had cleared away, and the wind was blowing, and through the starlight the boys could see a dark shape floating from the staff. Satisfied with their night’s work, the two retired to disturbed sleep, for pickles and fruit, at two o’clock in the morning are conducive to nothing but night-mares. Next morning when Edward Perclval Gray awoke, it was fifteen minutes till nine. He raced up to the school house, merely satisfied himself with a hasty glance to be sure that something was still fast to the flagstaff and dashed upstairs. To his surprise he was greeted with roars of laughter. He was bewildered until Wayne Allen thrust a note into his hand. He read it as he passed to a class; and as he did so, he gave a howl of anguish. “Perhaps next time you’ll be a little bit careful about what class the girl s brother belongs to, and a little more careful to see that your locker key’s in your pocket so no substituting can be done.” “Stub” paused, still unenlightened, and to satisfy himself, went outside to see if the pennant were still up. To his horror he now understood. Some one had skillfully substituted the green and orange for the blue and gold, and all his intriguing was to protect—the Junior pennant! —R. C. ’14.

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4 THE TOKA more.” ‘‘Oh, well, Sophomores are sometimes very nice,” said the girl. Edward Percival Gray was highly flattered and his embarassment caused him to blush to the tips of his ears. This girl was a mystery, and wasn’t she nice? He had seen her every day, and she was— “I thought you boys on the team all had complete suits at the b 'ild-ing!” “Stub’s” divinity said inquiringly, and he stammered: “O—er— these are just some little things that I forgot to bring to school.” (Gracious—what was he going to do if she kept asking such questions. He wished he had left the old pennant at home anyway. What if she should And out that he had it? Edward Percival’s ears fairly tingled at the thought of his punishment, if the Juniors found out the plan. “Stub” entered the building and made a quick dive for the dressing room. He found Wayne sitting on a box, mending his headgear, and that worthy merely looked up as his classmate came in. “Be careful,” he said, Clifford Seawell’s been hanging around, and it makes a noise like Junior to me.” “Stub” very quietly deposited his blue and gold burden in his locker, and that done, sat down to discuss alternately football and pennant, according to the audience he had. The bell’s ringing Anally put an end to conversation and with a few hurried directions as to Are escapes and unlocked windows. Wayne left Edward Percival Gray trying to catch the attention of the pretty Junior. In the middle of the afternoon Stub” was gazing around the room, and as his eye rested on a miniature Junior pennant of green and orange, he inwardly chuckled over the fact that instead of it, the blue and gold would float from the flag staff, or, if the weather were contrary, it would at least be attached to the staff. That night just after dark, Wayne met Stub” on an unfrequented street, and the two hurried to the school house, to find that they were, fortunately, the first there. Stub” went down to the dressing room, while Wayne kept watch, and after fumbling for some time in the dark, drew out a bundle of felt. Not daring to light a match, for he did not know where a Junior might be peering in upon him, he stuffed the pen- nant in his coat and raced up the stairs to Wayne, who reported that he saw three or four shadows on the hill. “We weren’t much too soon,” he said, hurry up, we’ll have to do it alone. Tracy’s out of commission, and we’ll have to make a good long fight, to keep this thing up there. I’ll go and put it up, if you make sure that all the doors and windows are fast—they can hardly get up any other way. Oh, if we only had a few more. I tell you; when you’ve fastened everything, go to the office and telephone some of the other kids, if the door isn’t locked.” Wayne hurried up to the roof and Stub” was soon certain of the fact that everything was safely shut, but found the office door locked. How Wayne fastened the pennant of the Sophomores 1914, he never knew’, but after three hours vigil and occasional fright, he and his companion decided to watch quietly from the inside, and for several hours longer they kept It up. after raiding the kitchen” (which had happily been left unlocked! for something to keep them from threatened starvation. While they were consuming the scant supply of edibles the place

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6 THE TOKA (Umiqueat nf ifextrn. Wherever Spanish arms went In the New World a trail of blood, hate and a desire on the part of the natives for revenge was left. And of all the nations carrying on explorations in the New World Spain was the least scrupulous, the most cruel. In the southern part of what is now the United States, extensive explorations were carried on. These were originated by a desire for the precious metals only, no thought of colonization ever coming to the adventurous Spaniards. In Peru, too, the same greedy, cruel spirit was shown. The natives were first conquered, then robbed and at last reduced to slavery, working their own mines and fields for their Spanish conquerors. It was In Mexico, however, that the most cruel spirit was shown and the highest form of civilization reduced by the Spaniards. The conquering was carried on here by the most gifted and daring Spaniard of his time. Hernando Cortes, a man trained both at court and In the battlefields of the Old World, with enough service in the New to make him thoroughly acquainted with the people he was to conquer. Cortes was perhaps the only man at that time who could have reduced the Mexican people with the small force at his command. In 1519, Cortes landed at the bay of Champeachy with a force of veteran soldiers trained in the New World warfare and well fitted for the work before them. He was at once attacked by the “half-wild people” of that region, but he of course defeated them very easily. Soon after this battle, Cortes was met by embassadors from Montezuma, the powerful Mexican king. These ambassadors gave Cortes presents of gold and silver and requested him to go no farther inland. Cortes with his characteristic decision burned his ships and started at once for the capital of Mexico. Several times during the march of Cortes toward the capital he was met by embassadors from Montezuma, who requested him to turn back. At last when the king saw that it was impossible to persuade Cortes to turn back he sent him an invitation to visit the capitol so as to raise an open war with the Spaniards. Never during their adventurous lives had the Spanish soldiers seen anything that would equal this city in splendor or beauty. The beauty, however, was lost upon Cortes. Those wide streets, paved and dustless, were merely looked upon with an eye that saw only their value to the heavily armed cavalry. The large temples were ideal places in which to barricade his army. That beautiful lake, a place to float small armed vessels which would aid in the reduction of the city and the gold which he saw on all sides was a means of buying favors with the King of Spain. Soon after his entrance to the city, Cortes persuaded the Mexican King to accompany him to the place where his soldiers were housed.