Le Roy Central School - O At Kan Yearbook (Le Roy, NY)

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Commencement Number T H E R E D .4 N D B L A C K Page Seventeen You know. Dick. that was sure a successful attack for someone. No Indian either! remarked Jack. Beats me. I'll bet a cookie it was a put up job. 0mens and those things died with Columbus. Some- boy knew those flames were coming, don't kid yourself. lVell. Jack. since we can't solve the problem, let's go for a sandwich. In they went to a light lunch room. Jack greeted the clerk and said. Give me a couple: hamburgs. Joe. Can't do it. West. No gas to' cook with. No what? Gas in this weather? You're dippy! The clerk turned the jet on. Look! There hasn't been any for two hours. V 1 ' The boys gulped a cheese sandwich down. then parted for the night. Around ten: o'clock the next morning, Jack headed for the swamp. The tire was gone but two men stood on tl1e edge of the mire. He recognized one as the chief of police who, seeing him. yelled. Here he is now! Hey, West. Jack walked over and was introduced to the stranger who happened to be a detective from the New York Pro- tective Agency. The chief related to the detective. Mr. Thomas, This is tl1e lad who discovered tl1e 'tongues of flames' He can probably tell you more about it than I H know. Uverwhehned. the lad complied. relating the discovery again. Thomas. pondering deeply. murmured to himself, A iire. that means fuel. Coal-wood-no l . .lack jumped! Gas. gas, could it be gas? The very thing. why do you ask that, young man? Jack continued, explaining the lack of gas the night before. The detective looked interested. It could hardly be a big concern like a gas company yet maybe a dishonest employee! Rig money at stake. Then he hurried to explain that the fire was probably a method of enticing the townspeople from their homes. See here. boy. do you think we can get out there? Jack pondered a minute. Some guys and I went over half way last night. Then we had to come back because we hadgood clothes on. Maybe in old togs and with a lot of planks. we could make it. The detective approved. They hurried back to town to dress. Several hours later. muddy and dirty, they stoo-d in the midst of the mud hole. Nothing but a spot, d1'ier and blacker than the nest greeted them. Jack and Thomas both inhaled deeply. then' simultaneously cried, Gas The detective, kicking the ground. addressed his com- panion. I'll guarantee. if we dug down, we would find a series of pipes which caused the mysterious 'tongues of iiames.' Then. turning about he began the laborious jour- yn ney back. He went directly to the gas otlice a11d ordered a survey of the pipes. Then he went to the depot to meet a scientist he had telegraphed. The latter could give no explanation of the flames. In a larger swamp. enough, marsh gas might acculnmulate but not in that tiny one. Jack. mindful of the legend, looked up. If it were three or four timesins big? Possibly! Why? Jar-k retold once more the tale. The scientist looked interested and said. Probably once marsh gas caught on lire. giving rise to the Indians' tale. Remember. my boy, they are a superstitious and imaginative race. His services no longer needed. he took the next train home. Meanwhile. the gas company reported an immense pipe leading off the main line into the marsh. Its con- struction thru' the mud was unexplainable to them. A great shut oif near the main line regulated the pressure. And who might have done this? questioned Mr. Thomas. Jim Arnold. acting manager in the prolonged absence of the real otlicial. a Mr. Jones. finally answered, I am sure I do not know. All of our men are trustworthy and have been in our employment for a long time. But I tired a couple of men last winter because I found they had tam- pered with the lines. Securing their names. the detective went to examine thd pipes. He took several linger prints from the shut-off. ordering those of the two fired men and all the gas em- ployees. A The report came back the next day, none conforming to the blurred ones on the shut-off. He took Jack with him the next morning. They were gone several hours but finally returned in the lad's cab, hearing the lost booty with them. The townspeople gasped. as did the local police. Since Mr. Thomas offered no ex- planation. they waited eagerly for developments. Say. Dick. I bet you can lnever guess where we found the booty? Jack questioned. 'No-. where? I'm burning with curiosity. Sh-sh. Mr. Arnold's house. Ml: Arnold! Bewilderment spread over his face. He never originated that clever scheme. All he knows is - .197 gas. I know it! But we found it there. Mr. Thomas is baffled, too. They parted. Mr. Thomas. cabling the absent gas manager. Mr. Jones. waited quietly. Mr. Arnold was ar- rested in spite of his protest. He refused to speak and declared all ignorance of the gas pipe. Finallyjthe answer came to the cablegram. The detective immediately sent a group of diggers to the heart of the swamp. A broken gas lihe was found. The pipe was blow11 to pieces, indicating an explosion. but there was no gas leaking at the time. Aw, Mr. Thomas, tell 1119 what you know, beggfd Jack. The man smiled a11d began his tale. The pipe has been laid for years. Blakesville once supplied the old factory beyond the swamp with gas. The pipe, placed in dry weather thru' the marsh. were iitted with a shut-otf when the plant closed. Then it was forgotten. The ac- cummulated gas i11 pipes. after a dozen years. exploded, producing your mysterious 'tongues of flames' Arnold. evidently as much amazed as you. sensed the signal of Il 'successful attack' and acted. There it is all solved. He will be convicted?

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Page Sixteen T H E R E D A N D B L A C K Commencement Number 33333333333 ooooo' 333333 0 O 333335 0 H LITERARY , 6300033300 The Tongues of'Flames ffnrst prize, And thus the strength of the Great One follows us tomorrow. Old Crow finished the legend. Not a sound came from the silent group of Indians, gazing into the distant marsh. Full well they knew the significance of the omen. Ages ago the G-reat Une had promised that this would be his sign of a successful attack. Tl1e tale. handed down thru' hundreds off years ran thus: Many, many moons ago, their ancestors, an insignificant tribe, were de- liberating concerning an attack 011 a neighboring race. According to their religion, supplications and prayers were ohiered. A terrilic storm ensued. Above the confusion, a calm, clear voice. commanding attention, was heard, Lol Behold my omen in yonder swamp. Go forth to battle when you perceive it. You will become a tribe mighty in war and peace. This is the reward of faith. I am the mighty. the benevolent, the God of Fire. With a great flash of lightening. all was still. The Indians. awed by the words, gazed into the swamp. Joyous, they beheld shooting tongues of flames. springing from the marsh. The following day, a successful attack was waged. Guided by the Great One, they made attacks. only after seeing the omen. Truly the prophecy was fulfilled for tl1e tiny group of Indians grew into a powerful tribe. Tonight, sitting around the campfire. they beheld the sign of their God. As the flames shot from the ground, the prophet retold the legend. Tomorrow. they would attack their enemy. A week later, confident. of success and trust- ing the God of Fire, a weary band, with hundreds of scalps dangling from their belts, returned. The Great One had not failed them. I wonder where they ever dug up that fairy tale. Such bunk! scornfully spoke Jack NVE-st. He was the center of a group of youths around eighteen. He was hold- ing a crumpled newspaper under the streetlight to read it more clearly. Bunk is right! Just as if flames could shoot up from a mudhole. Ye gods Z ejaculated Dick Wilson. his chum. I wonder why they ever printed it in the Sun. I dunno! Let's go down town. Nothing doing here, suggested another boy. The old legend forgotten, they moved 011. 1 They were all residents of the city of Blakesvllle. Centuries had passed since the redman had inhabited the place. The white man in his avarice for wealth and land had driven l1im into reservations. The city with a popu- 333333333 lation of twenty-five thousand had sprung up a mile from the remains of the swamp. The Sun , the Blakesville daily paper, had recently reprinted the old legend. It in- cited considerable comment at the time,4then was for- gotten. One night early in June. Jack a11d Dick started for a ride. Excitedly the former yelled, Dick, the swamp! Quick! Ye gods. a tire. Ag tire like that. You're crazy. It looks like tongues of Haines. Tongues of what? Oh the legend. the old Indian omen ! ,Dick looked bewildered. Are we dreaming or what? Jack rubbed his eyes and looked again. Sure enough the Hames were still there. Stepping on the starter. he headed for town. Ten minutes late1'. they had spread the news to the incredulous towns- people. A quarter of an hour later, the entire population was on the edge of the swamp. 'tl don't blame those Indians for being superstitious. It,'s ghostly, spoke Dick. Spooky? Say there is something fishy here, do you know it? Let's try to go out, responded'Jack. In spite of the protests of their elders. they started, followed by a band of the other fellows. Heavens it's muddy, Jack. Dtll1,t I know it? My poor shoes! Think we'll ever make it? Naw, do you? 'tJack, we will have to go back. I suppose so. regretfully. They look the same as they do from the edge. This su1'e is fishy. You mean muddy, don't you '? Q But Jack, pondering, was in no mood for jokes. On their reaching shore. the people gave a sigh of relief. No o11e could explain the phenomenon but all connected it with the legend. Slowly they sauntered, gossiping. back to town. The flames still darted high into the night but the air was damp a11d it was useless to stand and talk. I11 a few minutes. a general cry was heard. All parts of the city re- sounded with police alarms. It was discovered that the bank had been robbed. Shortly, similar reports from half the stores and scores of homes were sent to police head- quarters. The loss was up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. The force, vainly hunting for clues, was bailed.

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Page Eighteen T H E R E D A N D B L A C K Commencement Number Yes, he is guilty. The linger prints alone and the booty will convict him. Jack bade him good-night and rushed to his chum's home. Excited. he told the whole story. They spent the whole evening discussing tl1e discoveries and Arn0ld's prob- able sentence. 'Then at length. J ack picked up his cap to go. At the steps he turnedl to Dick, smiled. and said, The sign of attack was given. but, because the man was not of true faith. the Great One failed. Then he hurried down the street. Viola Barker '26 The Annual Meet fseconcl Prize, The students of Beverly and Logan High Schools were keyed to tl1e highest pitch of enthusiasm. It was the day before their annual baseball game. Everywhere, posters and banners blazed with the magic words. Baseball Game at the Beverly Athletic Field. That afternoon. a great mass meeting was held in the auditorium. Everything was carried out with the greatest school spi1'it. Songs were sung. speeches given, the stage- struck players were brought before the audience, and last but not least, the building shook with the thunderous yells. In Logan. a similar attitude prevailed. The assembly was carried on with even greater vigor. From the con- clusion of the cheer leader's speech, it was impossible for them to lose. They had been defeated the previous year. so the school was thirsting for revenge. Early 011 the bright sunshiny afternoon. an unusual weather condition for such an important event, a huge throng began to assemble on tl1e field. For a half hour. the student body changed yells. Then. a thunderous l'02ll'. more tumultuous than ever. went up as eighteen warriors ran to the diamond. Logan took the field Zlllfi began a snappy practice. The pep the boys put into it promised an exceptional game. From a checkup on the teams, they were both about equal. The Beverly fellows were a heavier bunch. but Logan made up its lack of weight by teamwork. They were one of the finest teams ever on a diamond. Beverly had the reputa- tion of being the best team in the section. Although Wash- ington was called the world's champions. that meant noth- ing to the Pirates. SVould Beverly fail to perform that day? Probably not. was the decision of her fans. The pitchers were the two outstanding figures of the day. Sherman for the Blue and White, Barber for the Red and Black . or Logan, were the aces. Sherman was an embryo Babe Ruth. so some of his admirers said. He had several home runs to his record, and a high average. On the other hand, Barber was a future Christy Mathewson. He had the gift of striking out some of those high school Ty Cobbs. Sherman had a' lot of steam and consequently curves. Barber didn't have so much speed but he had more dope and control, It was certainly going to be a pitcher's battle. After the usual formalities of the two captains, the umpire yelled the old and alluring formula, The batteries for to-day are Sherman and Tucker, Barber and Scott for Logan. Play ball! The Blue and White trotted into the field and Sullivan advanced to the bat. He was a trifle nervous and fell a victim to Sherman's curves. The next fellow drove a neat by to center field and then the next man struck out. The Red and Black took the field with no hits, no runs, no errors to their credit.f The first H1311 connected with the ball. but Sherman, at short. made a neat stop. and sent him to the bench. Bar- ber seemed rather nervous and walked the ensuing batter. The coach was rather disturbed for his pitcher was not showing true to form. After a quick delivery the batter drove the hall like a bullet into his hands again. A costly fumble and two men were on and. only' one out. The next 1115111 sent a grounder to dependable Sullivan: who touched second and with a quick relay to first completed a double play. It was certainly going to be a game of spectacular plays. What's the matter with you? You're rotten to-day said the coach as Barber ambled ups to the be11ch. I dunno. mumbled the red headed pitcher. Well, you'd better cut out 'those Friday night dates if you intend to play ball retorted his superior. lu the meantime, one of the fellows had managed to get to first. Scott connected with a fast one and sent it out into the garden. But by a long run, and a one hand catch. the fielder pulled it down. 'Urn this. the runner ad- vanced to second. U11 the next play. Wilson laid down a neat sacrifice. Sherman again rose to the situation and fanned the next man. As soon a sthe Red and Black fellows took the field. they began their incessant chatter. What ever was the matter with Barber. he knew that there was still a stone 'wall behind him. Barber pulled thru' that frame fairly well. He allowed but one hit. It was only snappy fielding that saved hilll though. Something rather drastic had to be done and done soon. You're geting worse and worse. l'll have to take you out if you don't perk up, growled the coach. I'll try, answered Barber. The first two men fell victims to Sherman's speed but the redhead sent a nice double into centerfield. It was the first clean hit of the day. Didn't the crowd surge them though! They complimented Barber. razzed,Sherman, and hurled encouragement and taunts at everyone in general The Blue and White 'ace continued sizzling thru white streaks. They looked like peas, said the disgusted Sulli- van. Sherman took his stand at the plate. Barber had been so rotten that there was little doubt but that he would hit And shades of Babe Ruth, what a clout he gave the pill. When last seen, it was disappearing over the fence, still going strong. Bedlam broke out when the slugger crossed home. He received an ovation worthy of any player con- nected with the pill. Beverly simply went wild. If Barber had gone up ill the air, he would have had good, reason. Hoots, razz, peanuts and pop bottles were thro-wn at him. The Red and Black hurler kept calm, struck out the next man, and retired to the side, by an assistant.