Pennell Institute - Whirlpool Yearbook (Gray, ME)

Page 14 text:

paid no attention ‘til his big brother Bill walked in, home from the Navy. Maybe missing the fishing wasn't so bad after all. R After dinner that day, Tommy was again dressed in his old clothes, and walking down the road proudly looking at his brother. In one hand he carried a can of worms, in the other a new fishing rod. “Gosh! Bill, it’s a swell one,” Tommy said, as they rounded the bend in the road. Viora HATCH. A HUNTING TRIP It was on November 11, Armistice Dav. I arose early to do some hunting. The day was cold and bleak with rain drizzling down frem a dark and somber sky. Taking my 9 m.m. sports rifle. I started ovt into the woods. Each blade of grass and ezch overhanging limb was covered by great glistening drops of water which would fal. on you at the slightest touch. I had traveled about three miles into the weods when I heard someone shouting and whistling. I did not pay any attention to it. however, and kept on going. Suddenly. I stopped! That was a call for help! At once I started in the direction of the person who was calling. As I advanced nearer, I whistled a reply. I kept traveling. but the reply still seemed far away. Then I stopped whistling, but continued to go forward. I came to a small opening. There, going in the opposite direction, was a young hoy. Calling to him, I asked him what was wrong. He said that he was lost. He had heard me whistle but thought I was in the opposite direction. He was a dusty-haired, freckled faced boy, with clothes that matched. Ie told me he was thirteen years' old and came from Portland. He said that he was with his two brothers and his father : that his brother had left him on the top of a hill, but as he became restless he started to wander around and had become lost. Even after I had led him to a black road. he still did not know where he was. I met a friend of mine in his car who offered to help us hunt for the boy's car. We had gone only a short distance when we met one of the boy's brothers, who took him back to his car. Although I did not get a deer, I felt that the trip was worth while. ROBERT SLATER. Tuclre THE FIRST SIGNS OF SPRING The last of the winter's snow was melt- ing away, forming little rivers throughout the land. The sun was riding high. and there was an air of soft contentment everywhere. A robin, just back from the South was blithely singing a joyous spring song. The trees and the grass were becoming a beautiful shade of dull. moss-green. The buds on the trees were just beginning to ap- pear. filling the air with a sweet, flowery fragrance. The word Spring, in itself, leaves one feeling light-hearted and gay. and at peace with the world. JEATRICE COOPER. SLEIGH RIDE IN .DECEMBER The snow is falling earthward in large. white, star-shaped flakes. Tonight I am to go on my first sleigh ride! Cousin Danny has described to me, several times, the beauty of it all. First. we dash into the sleigh and tuck the warm. fleecy blankets around our small, shivering bodies. Then, as suddenly as a crash of thunder, we were on our way. The dappled-grey horses run briskly and their hoof prints leave a trail behind us in the soft sparkling snow. Everybody is happy and carefree and singing the songs of the Yule- tide. Cousin Dan adds that the horses like music because they seem almost to be dauc- ing in time to the singing. Sleigh rides should always be on starry nights when the heavens are crowded with twinkling stars and Mr. Moon seems to have a grin on his face which almost spells out “Have a good time! He helps add beauty to the night by his light reflected on the glittering snow. The time is short and I must get ready. Excited? I guess I am! Do you blame me? LonRAINE llorrT. FOREST FIRE Gee, I wish someone would come up on à tour, or report a fire, or something. It gets so darn lonely up here. I'll go crazy pretty soon.”

Page 13 text:

tiously easing himself over the sill. A dim light flashed nervously from one end of the gym to the other. Johnnie snuggled as far down in his chair as he could, wondering what this strange man could be doing here. The figure moved silently down the length of the floor, flashlight ever searching the shadows for something unknown. Suddenly, he stooped, glanced around, then knelt on the floor and began opening the small bag he carried. Soon sharp tools were biting into the wall. Distant footsteps sounded — the stranger stopped work. In his tension, Johnnie looked forward, trving to imagine what this night visitor was doing. and who had interrupted him. As the footsteps came closer. an accompanying whistle became audible. “It must be the jani- tor. thought Johnnie. He was probably looking after the fire. But what of the other man? lle was crouched in the shadows watch- ing, waiting. One of his tools clinked lightly as his foot brushed against it. The janitor paused, glanced nervously around and then, seeing something, cried out. The thief was instantly upon him. A fierce and furious battle followed. By this time, Johnnie was jumping up and down urging the janitor to Sock him! Sock him!” A flash of metal, a deafening roar—and then— Whom did the bullet hit? Was it the mysterious thief, or the poor old jani- tor? Be sure to listen to Murder in the Gymnasium tomorrow, and remember, “Crispy, Crunchy Cornflakes are— Johnnie disgustedly turned off the radio. He would have to wait until tomorrow night to find out what had happened. GERALDINE ACHORN. A STRANGE NOISE One day in the middle of the month of August, 1942, I thought I would go over in our back field to see if the cows had broken through the fence into a piece of corn I had. I knew they were grazing in the field next to it, and if they pushed against the fence hard enough it would give away. When I finally got there, they were still feeding in the field adjoining the corn piece. Instead of going back home after seeing they weren't in the corn, I decided to walk into the corn to see how it was growing. While I was looking it over, I heard some- thing snort several times in the edge of the woods. I couldn't think what it was. I didn't know whether to investigate or not. Although my heart was pounding and I was shaking like a leaf, I finally gained courage to go over to discover what it was. There was a stone wall at the edge of the woods and I walked up behind it just as quietly as I could, ready to run in the oppo- site direction at the slightest movement my way. I was really scared! I peeked down ‘over the wall and let out a yell. There was a doe and two fawns so near I could prac- tically touch them. Boy! Didn't they run when I velled! Thev surely set me back a step or two with their quick start, crashing through the brush. CrirTOoN Hate. A SWELL DAY FOR FISHING Little freckled face Tommy woke up ex- tra early that Saturday morning. It was a bright sunny day : there was no school, and he was going fishing. He quickly got out of bed. put on his blue denims, an old shirt, and rushed out through the door in one breath. He ran to the shed, grabbed the spade and headed toward the garden. As he dug for the worms, he would stop now and then to let the cool earth ooze up between his toes. Gee, it felt good! He finished his digging and proudly surveyed the can of worms, then started back to the house for his fishing pole. an old stick with a piece of line and hook. As he started down the road, whistling. he heard his mother call, Tommy! You come right back into this house and clean up; we are having company today. Tommy stopped dead in his tracks, as his whole dream disappeared before him. Get- ting cleaned up meant a bath. What could be worse! Aw, Maw, I’m going fishing. Not today, his mother said, and that ended it. A good while afterwards, Tommy sat on a chair shining like a new penny. his shoes polished, hair combed, but with a scowl on his face. A fine way to spend a good Satur- day! As he sat there muttering to himself, he heard a familiar voice in the hallway, but Eleven

Page 15 text:

This was said by Lee Rodnick, a forest ranger, stationed on top of a mountain in New Hampshire. No one had been near the place for weeks. The only time Lee saw people was when he went on his monthly trip to Cutler’s Village, which was thirty miles away, for grub. Jim Cranston, who was another forest ranger, was stationed on a peak about ten miles away. He had been a ranger for over twenty years, so he never got lonely, but to Lee, who was new in the game, time dragged very slowly. He would talk for hours on the telephone to Jim every day, but the wind- storm last night had blown down Lee's lines, so now he sat gazing at the blue sky and the silent, dark forest. Suddenly, he saw a small, gray cloud ris- ing slowly upward. Lee jumped up on his feet, and grabbed his binoculars. Yes, it was a fire. He could see no flames, but he knew that where there's smoke, there's fire. He located its position, then yanked down the ‘phone. Ranger Rodnick calling Headquarters, he yelled, but no one answered. There was only the silent blankness of a dead wire. Then he remembered the telephone was out. He stood up staring out of the win- dow at that gray cloud which was now stretching out in a long line. “Jim will see it, he thought. But then he realized that a large cliff would block it out of Jim’s range. It would be fully thirty minutes before he would be able to see it. Dy then, no one knew what damage it would do. “What can I do? he asked himself. What would Jim do if he were caught like this?” Then he thought of Cinder. He flung open the door, and practically slid down the ladder. Cinder heard him coming and whin- nied to him. Lee opened the door, grabbed the saddle, and flung it on her. She seemed to sense that they must hurry and opened her mouth readily for the bit when he strapped the bridle on her. He leaped on her back, and they galloped down the trail that led to Jim's. There was no wind. The only sound was Cinder's hoofs beating out a rhythmic tattoo on the hard-packed forest trail. She was a fast horse and knew the trail well. Lee placed all his faith in those slender, black legs. But what if Cinder should trip over a tree root and injure her leg? What if the wind had blown down Jim's line, too? Lee urged Cinder on faster and pushed these thoughts out of his mind. Cinder was sure-footed, he knew, and Jim's line couldn't have blown down. It just couldn't. They had been riding for almost twenty minutes. Lee could see Jim's tower in the distance. Cinder was flecked with foam and had slowed down some, but she was still do- ing her best. Suddenly, Lee saw someone riding swiftly down the trail towards him. He recognized the horse as one of Jim's long-legged speeders. “Hello, there, he called. Jim waved his hand and pulled up his horse when he came beside Lec. What are you doing over here? I saw vou from the tower and figured something was up. You sure figured right! There's a fire over at the foot of Heaven's Cliffs. It was only small when I left, but it has probably spread quite a bit by now. You'd better ride back to the tower and report it as quickly as possible. Cinder and I will come up behind. She is pretty well exhausted. Jim was already on his way. His horse seemed to fly over the ground. Cinder sud- denly found a new burst of speed and raced after him, but was soon left behind. Lee laughed and whacked her affection- ately. “Cindy, old girl, if you want to race, don't pick on Tony. He's too fast for you.” It seemed as if Jim had taken all of Lee's troubles away with him. He knew he could depend on him. Soon he reached Jim's tower. He turned Cinder loose to wander, though he hated to see so much fine timber destroyed. Jim was coming down the ladder, which rather surprised Lee, who thought he should stay up and watch the fire in case the wind arose. Then he realized Jim was laughing. Jim, what's the matter with you? Have you gone crazy ? Jim just stood there leaning against the ladder and laughing. At last, when he was able to talk, he looked at Lee. You and your fires, he said, trving to sound disgusted. “Why, what's wrong with them? re- turned Lee, rather peeved. Thirteen