Saltus Grammar School - Yearbook (Hamilton, Bermuda)

Text from Pages 1 - 24 of the 1937 volume:

GOVERNING BODY Hal Butterfield, Esq. Hereward Watlington, Esq. Hon. Eldon Trimingham, M.C.P. John W. Cox, Esq., M.C.P. N. Bayard Dill, Esq. Secretary-Treasurer John J. Bushell, Esq., M.B.E. Headmaster R. E. E. Booker, M.A., M.R.S.T. STAFF H. J. Hallett, M.A. H. Richardson, B.Sc. (Econ.), F.R.G.S. J. H. Kerry, M.A. R. T. Gorton, B.A,, B.Sc. P. B. Rogers, B.A. D. C. A. Goolden, B.A. R. E. Frewen Robin Tucker Miss M. Steacey School Bursar ., J. H. Kerry, Esq. SCHOOL APPOINTMENTS Prefects. House Captains Head of School N. H. Williams Butterfield 1 of Cricket T. M. Adams Darrell F. G. Lines Saltus W. R. Kempe O. H. Darrell Watlington H. C. E. Masters E. J. Moniz E. M. Smith Crisis Since our Christmas publication we have all been stirred by events of great moment taking place within the Empire. All that has happened I have tried to interpret to the boys in terms of sense and moderation; this, at times when my feelings have been deeply engaged, has been no easy matter; but it seems to me important that the young should store up not only memories but rational and intelligent memories of the great happenings of their youth. We, therefore, were fortunate in having the minor cere- mony of ' ' Beating the Retreat and the major parade of Coronation Day on the S. G. S. Field. All of us, I am certain, wull always feel that we were intimately connected with the great wave of patriotism which swept over the Empire at the Coronation of King George VI. REEB. School Notes. First of all, since our last issue, there have been gained a number of scholastic successes, to the winners of which we extend our hearty congratulations. W. R. Kempe has been awarded the Bermuda Scholarship, and he will be going to school in England next term. LI. Vorley has won the Ber- muda-Harvard Scholarship, and H. W. Murphie the Craddock Scholarship. In the Cambridge Locals held last December LI. Gibbons, N. H. Williams, W. R. Kempe and O. H. Darrell passed the senior, and Thompson, Trott, Burge and Gourlay the junior examination. This term we have had the privilege of seeing two im- pressive ceremonies on the School Field. First came the ceremony of Beating the Retreat, in which the precision of those taking part excited the admiration and applause of the large crowd which attended to watch. This was followed at a short interval by the still more spectacular display on Coronation Day. A Naval Contingent combined with the Sherwood Foresters in a parade which included an inspection 2 by H. E. The Governor and Admiral Sir Matthew Best, a march past and the firing of a Salute of twenty-one guns and a feu-de-joie. On the latter occasion the Headmaster enter- tained a large party of distinguished guests to lunch after the ceremony. We have recently been presented with the portraits of Mr. T. Waddington, the first headmaster of the S. G. S., the late Mr. H. D. Butterfield, formerly Chairman of the S. G. S. Trustees and a great benefactor of the School, and of Sir Henry Watlington, Chairman of the Board of Education and late of the S. G. S. Trustees. These, together with the two portraits already in the possession of the School, that of the Pounder and that of the late Mr. Henry Cox, form quite an impressive array. Now that the end of a school year is almost here, it is possible to judge the success of the Boarding School with some accuracy. During the year the number of the boarders has grown from three at the beginning to eight at the end. In view of all the circumstances this is a most satisfactory increase, the more so as it seems that we are going to start next year with at least five, and as those who have been here this year have derived all the benefit that was expected from their residence and have succeeded in enjoying life at the same time. Our thanks are due to the Rev. E. Strong, Rector of St. John ' s Church, Pembroke, for taking over the teaching of Scripture in the forms which take the Cambridge Exams, and giving us the advantage of his expert knowledge; to the Rev. R. H. Dawson-Walker, recently appointed curate of St. John ' s, for invigilating the entrance exam to the Andover Academy taken by Anderson i; and to Mr. Robin Tucker for his con- tinued interest in the School Choir which has made remark- able strides under his guidance. This year Founder ' s Day was celebrated with the usual ceremonies, including the Cricket Matches and Garden Party on Thursday, June 17th. 3 Oid Boys ' News. From Rossall, in addition to the news, mentioned else- where, that LI. Vorley has been awarded the Bermuda- Harvard Scholarship, we hear of Bill Hallett that he has been doing well in the world of sport. He has gained his First XV Colo ' urs, he is in the school Boxing VI, he has been hurdling for the school and he has been given his House Hockey Colours. S. M. Paschal, too, has achieved a number of successes; he has his 2nd XV Colours, he has been appointed a School Monitor, has passed both parts, theoretical and practical, of the Certificate A Examination, for which he has been ap- pointed a corporal in the 0. T. C., and won the final of his weight in the Boxing competition. Welch also took part in the Boxing Competition and reached the semi-final. Glyn Gilbert at Eastbourne College passed both parts of the Certificate A Exam, and played Rugger during the holi- days for a Sussex Public Schools XV. o Athletics The Annual Athletic Sports were held this year on March 23rd, by far the earliest date on which they have taken place for a good many years. This, however, is no drawback, but a decided advantage, as it leaves the Easter term entirely free for cricket, and also gives the School Athletic teams plenty of opportunities to train for the Inter-School Athletic Meet, which is usually held in May. The programme was a lengthy one, but as usual the Road Races and several other events had already been decided before Sports Day and all the necessary preliminaries had taken place. As to records, this yearns contestants have good reason to be proud, there being seven results better than the results of the past eight years, whilst two others were equalled. The House Competition produced plenty of keenness and was won by Watlington House after a very exciting contest. 4 In the B. S. S. A. Inter-School Athletic Sports Saltus boys again acquitted themselves well, winning all four age group cups as well as a considerable number of the indi- vidual event cups. Only one record was broken by the School and that was in the senior relay, but this they accomplished without the spurring on of any opponents. The Under 13 Relay team equalled the previous record for this meet. The excellent results of these two meets are a great credit to the School. 0 Library Steady progress has been made with the library during this year, thanks to the generosity of friends of the school. As a memorial to the late Colin Crawley a special book- case has been built and filled with books presented by Captain and Mrs. Crawley. In addition, the generosity of the Old Boys Association has resulted in the doubling of our ordin- ary shelf and cupboard space. Gifts of books from private donors have gone some little way towards filling the new space, but we still have many empty shelves and gifts of books will be welcomed. The Librarian this term is Trott i, with Jones, Ruther- ford and Outerbridge i as his assistants. — o Cadets The outstanding event for the Cadets this year was the field day which took place on March 2nd. We like to think that we were victorious in this notable battle, but perhaps it would be more accurate to call it indecisive , both forces, no doubt, being technically exterminated comparatively early in the proceedings. Trouble had been brewing for some time between the rival chiefs, Saltus and Whitney, and relations had been so strained of late that the former, no longer able to endure the unspeakable outrages to which he had been subjected, determined to settle matters between them once and for all, 5 and, mustering his forces, stormed out of his gates to over- come his rival. His advance on St. George ' s, however, was momentarily checked shortly after Devonshire Dock, when at 11 a.m., the enemy was sighted in small numbers. This did little to upset the grim determination of the Saltus men who deployed and continued in their ruthless advance. Whitney, fighting a staunch rearguard action in an endeavour to delay the Saltus Steam-roller until the arrival of their reinforce- ments, abandoned point after point and were driven back to- wards Devonshire Marshes. The action closed at about 12.30 when (with unaccountable heroism) the debilitated forces of Whitney decided that it would be base to retreat further and, holding their ground, succumbed to the final assault of Saltus, who sw ooped upon them with ferocity such as cannot have been seen since the Massacre of Glencoe. On the whole, the movements were carried out with efficiency, although there was at times a tendency to under- estimate the importance of presenting as small a target to the enemy as possible. The marching was good, and keenness was high throughout. Reward for exertion was found in the field cooker which arrived upon the scene at one o ' clock, a remarkable resuscitation rapidly being shown by all dead and v ounded. Drill has improved considerably this term, no doubt due to quite a large extent, to the opportunities that have been afforded for watching the precision of the Regulars on cere- monial parade. Saltus was well represented on the two occasions — the Coronation and the King ' s Birthday — when the Cadets were asked to turn out. Two parties of four went by invitation to visit the B. V. E. camp at St. David ' s earlier in the term, where their keenness was whetted by the inter- esting demonstrations and kind hospitality that were shown them. The Cadet Camp begins on July 1st. Many are looking forward to this and if it is as successful as it promises to be, we are justified in expecting an exceedingly good time. 6 Sea Scouts and Wolf Cubs Early in the year it almost seemed as though a cherished dream was about to be realised. We were told that some whalers had been bought for the Bermuda Sea Scouts, and were arriving here in June. On enquiry, however, we found that there were too few to allot one to each Sea Scout troop and that it was proposed to keep the boats as the property of the District, making two troops share the use of each. At the time of writing the boats are on the high seas, and it re- mains to be seen how far the plan will work. There are obvious difficulties and many inconveniences in the scheme. It is only too likely that a communal boat will be neglected, and that it will be nobody ' s business to give it the routine attention, while any damage done may be blamed on one ' s partner; and it is hard to see how these difficulties can be overcome while allowing each troop a fair share of the boat at a time of the year when good use can be made of it. Clearly we must spare no efforts to acquire a boat of our own. On the other hand, half a loaf is a great deal better than no bread to a starving man, and by taking all possible care of the boat while it is in our keeping and show- ing a sporting spirit in our dealings with our co-partners, we hope to show the authorities that we are fit persons to be trusted with a boat. We are doing our best to solve the difficulty for our- selves by holding a dance at the end of this term. If this is a success financially it mtay well be that we shall be in pos- session of sufficient funds to buy a boat. We are still restricted to Friday evenings for our meetings, but lately we have varied our indoor activities with a treasure hunt on the field at night with compass bearings for clues. If we are still meeting at night next year we may succeed in devising other similar diversions that will com- bine work and pleasure. For the rest, we have made two public appearances this term. The troop turned out a small but very smart contingent for the Empire Day Parade and for the parade 7 on the King ' s birthday, and now we have nothing else to look forward to this term except the summer camp The Wolf Cub Pack acquitted themselves well on tho several public parades which they attended this year, their turn-out on every occasion being smart and orderly. A flag presented to the Pack by Cub Sheppard was a welcome asset. Considerable activity in test-passing has taken place during the last two terms and Cubs Motyer IV, Covel, Cox, Tovey, Petty II, Tatem III, Gibbons II, have obtained their 2nd stars. The majority of 2nd Star Cubs have worked hard for and obtained at least one Proficiency Badge, and Sixers Motyer and Critchley in particular have kept the examiners busy. There was keen rivalry among Sixes during the Easter term in the construction of dens, and much ingenuity and hard work was shown. The Grey and White Sixes have held first places in the Efficiency Competition since its initiation, and it is hoped that next term other Sixes will successfully challenge their leadership. o Sport The past football season was on the whole quite suc- cessful, the lack of suitable opposition for the 1st XI being the chief obstacle. However, several enjoyable matches were played and the House Matches always created much interest. The House Shield was won by Butterfield House during the Christmas term and by Darrell House last term. During the Easter term, the B. S. S. A. inaugurated a football league for boys under 14 years. The School entered a team which was under 13 years of age and were success- ful in gaining the excellent trophy presented by Mr. Jas. W. Frith. This team made exceedingly good progress, and won all their matches with the exception of one, which was lost by one goal. Matches were also arranged for other XI ' s and even the 7th XI had some very keen games. 8 The cricket season opened at the beginning of this term, but the use of the field for the Coronation celebrations curtailed the programme slightly. However, the 1st XI have some good matches arranged and will bring their fixtures to a grand climax with the annual match against an Old Boy ' s XI on Founder ' s Day. The Colts are very keen and have had some good prac- tice games. It is unfortunate that these promising young cricketers cannot obtain more practice, but, owing to the bumpy nature of the pitch, of the several matches arranged only two could be played. In the interests of cricket, it was decided that the rest had better be cancelled. The only ap- parent solution to this regretable circumstance is the gift of a concrete pitch by some kind benefactors. o The Debating Society Inter-school debates provided the main feature of our Easter Term programme: In February our team visited Whitney Institute, and in March we entertained a visiting team from the Bermuda High School. Feb. II, Debate with Whitney Institute on the motion, ' That Democracy has failed. Proposer: R. D. Outerbridge (W.I.) Opposer: F. G. Lines (S.G.S.). Third: T. M. Adams (S.G.S.). Fourth: R. C. Lowe (W.L). There also spoke: Mr. J. M. Rosewarne, Mr. J. H. Kerry, and H. W. Murphie. The Motion was defeated by 17 votes to 13. March II. Debate with B. H. S. on the Motion, ' That the Edticational System of Todiay is a Failure. Proposer: F. G. Lines (S.G.S.). Opposer: Miss North (B.H.S.). Third: Miss Angier (B.H.S.) Fourth: T. M. Adams (S.G.S.). 9 There also spoke: Miss Motyer, Mr. P. B. Rogers, Mr. R. E. E. Booker, and J. Anderson. The Motion was defeated by an overwhelming ma- jority. In view of the lively interest which the educational question has aroused during the past few years, and con- tinues to arouse, in these islands, a debate among some of the victims themselves is of special interest. Among the chief points brought out in debate were: — For the Motion: (1) The system of working for some examinations on a narrow syllabus tends to confine and cramp the intellect, and the methods of preparation en- courage spoon-feeding. (2) Too much stress is laid on merely mental training, while the faculty for understanding one ' s fellows, so necessary in the modern world, is neglected. (3) The purely intellectual side is over-emphasized to the exclusion of manual interests, and the value of manual work tends to become depreciated in the estimation of the young. (4) The present system segregates the social classes, so that there is little opportunity for fostering sympa- thy and understanding among them. This segre- gation leads to class prejudice and class war, while the stress laid in each national system of education on exclusive national interests leads to war among the nations. Against the Motion: (1) The curriculum tries to provide for individual requirements, granting opportunities for specialisation in the later stages. (2) In so far as is possible within the limitations im- posed by numbers the present system is experimen- tal and tries to bring out individuality. (3) Cultural accomplishments are not neglected: music, art, literature, and in most schools manual train- ing find a place. (4) Games and other group activities foster the team spirit, invaluable later on in implementing inter- national obligations. (5) The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Look at 10 us, and can you for a moment doubt that edu- cation has been worth while? (This unanswerable argument was probably decisive). OFFICERS ELECTED FOR THE EASTER TERM President: Mr. J. H. Kerry. Secretary: T. M. Adams. Committee: P. G. Lines, W. R. Kempe, E. L. Gibbons, H. C. E. Masters and T. M. Adams (ex-officio. ) o Coronation Service The Coronation of H.M. King George VI was celebrated by a Service conducted by the Headmaster in the School Hall on Tuesday, May 11th. The Service opened with the singing of the Te Deum, which was followed hy the Special Prayer and Collects to be used at Westminster Abbey. The School joined in the Lord ' s Prayer, and the Lesson, taken from I Peter 2. i., was read by the Head of the School, N. H. Williams. The school sang the Hymn, 0 Worship the King , and the Service closed with the Grace. The Headmaster impressed upon us that His Majenty was the king of all his subjects irrespective of colour, race, creed— or politics. He was the live bond of Empire, and the focus of loyalty for the whole Empire. In conclusion, we sang the first and last verses of the National Anthem, and three cheers were accorded to His Majesty the King. As the boys dispersed each was given a copy of the Souvenir Book presented through the Board of Education, and a photographic button presented by the Headmaster. 11 Empire Day Address By Archdeacon Marriott Empire Day was celebrated at Saltus Grammar School by a service conducted by the Headmaster, Rev. R. E. E. Eooker, in the School Hall on Friday. Addresses were given by the visitors, Mrs. C. G. G. Gilbert, representing the I. O. D. E., and the Ven. Archdeacon Marriott. The service opened with the singing of the School hymn, and the Lesson, Let us now praise famous men . . was read by N. H. Williams. The School then joined in singing two verses of the song, ' Land of Hope and Glory. Introducing the speakers, the Headmaster said that it was especially gratifying to know that each had had a son at Saltus. Mrs. C. G. G. Gilbert said that she came as the bearer of Empire Day greetings from the I. O. D. E. She explained the aims and objects of the Order, and gave some account of the work which they had done, and were still doing in the educational sphere in Bermuda. Mrs. Gilbert then presented a small flag which was sent by the I. O. D. E., and with it a handsome cedarwood stand to receive it, given by her son Glyn, at one time a pupil of Saltus. Archdeacon Marriott said that in his boyhood Empire Day was not known, though the Queen ' s Birthday was kept on May 24. Empire Day was instituted in 19 02 as a day on which British boys and girls might be instructed in the meaning of Empire; and it was an impressive thoiiglit that at that moment thousands of schools all over the Empire were gathered together in the same celebration. Why? — Because it was so important that when young they should think of what the Empire was, and of what it stood for. The Empire consisted of hundreds of territories, small and large, supporting peoples of diverse races and creeds, scattered all over the globe, and held together by the Crown. The great Dominions were all equal partners in that great Commonwealth of Nations, and they were partners of their own free-will. They looked to the Old Country as a mother, and to the King as their King. It was said that the sun never 12 sets on the British Empire, and it might equally be said that wherever in the British Empire a man set foot he was free, and might expect to receive fair play. Not only was the Empire great, but also it had char- acter, so that they felt proud to belong to it; but let them beware of becoming boastful and conceited in their patriot- ism. Finally, everyone, small or big, young or old, had the opportunity to make his contribution. Their great men of the past had shown that they were disciplined and capable of self-sacrifice; it was up to them to show that they had that same capacity. They could show it in loyalty to their school, to their masters, to their side; they could practise self-dis- cipline, and try to play the game. To them, the young Britons of today, the Empire was entrusted: let them rise to show themselves worthy of the trust. Following the addresses the boys sang a verse of the National Anthem, and cheers were accorded to the speakers. o Visit of Mr. Patterson In the middle of February we enjoyed a most interest- ing talk by Mr. Patterson, H.M. Commissioner of Prisons. He started by saying that he would have liked to write up two sentences for all to see: first, If you are downhearted, remember Drummond, and, secondly. Noblesse oblige. Drummond had been weak and a chronic invalid as a boy, and, when the Great War came, he was rejected by the fighting services, but later his opportunity came and he fin- ally won the Victoria Cross for a courageous performance at Zeebrugge. Mr. Patterson then gave us from his own ex- perience several examples of consideration for others at the expense of one ' s own convenience. He pointed out that these two ideas of consideration for others and that you never can tell how a man will develop, even in the face of almost insuperable handicaps, had effected a great reform in the attitude of the community to its crim- inals, and that nowadays many a man who had spent years in gaol had found the opportunity to change his ways and lead a decent and useful life. 13 We were very grateful to Mr. Patterson for a talk that was not only instructive, but the most interesting that we had heard for a long time. — o The Fall of the Bastille By David S. NichoU The streets were quiet, The sky was clear. And then came a sound, A sound came near. A babble of voices, A rushing of feet, And a ruthless army Surged up the street. An army of ruffians Then came into sight. With all kinds of weapons, Prepared for a fight With the tyrants who ' d taken Their possessions away, This was their reckoning — This was the day! And yells of defiance Arosfe from the crowd. And the gendarmes who saw them Could not but be cowed. They wanted the King, And they wanted the Queen. Such a terrible sight Was ne ' er before seen. And before all those people The grim Bastille loomed, A yell of mock laughter came When their gun boomed. 14 And then there were turned The wheels of Fate, As that mass of humanity Rushed straight at the, gate. There were cries of horror As the gate burst in twain; There were cries for quarter But they were in vain. Pistol shot and swords clashed, Cries and shrieks sounded loud, As the guards of the Bastille, Went down ' fore that crowd. The prison doors clanged open, The prisoners poured out. All under that tri-colour flag, Acclaimed the Bastille rout, And on that seething aVmy marched. Fought through those horrid days, And far above that roar of strife. Rose high the Marseillaise. o My Exciting Adventure In this story I shall endeavour to tell you of one of my most exciting adventures in the back-woods of Canada. We started out from C . at about six o ' clock in the morning and trekked all day to the westward. We pitched camp that night about thirty miles from the city. Early the next morn- ing my two companions went off into the undergrowth to study the trees and vegetation thereabouts, as they were both interested in botany. I was left alone to clean up the camp, and, as I went about this task, I heard a grunt, and looking up I beheld three huge bears advancing slowly to- wards me. I was at first rather frightened, but I almost immediately recovered my composure and looked about for some weapons. My .410 calibre rifle lay several yards away end one of the beasts was almost upon me, so, snatching up 15 my sheath knife, I threw it with all my strength at his head. The knife struck him squarely between the eyes and he in- stantly fell dead. Then, turning round, I reached for the rifle and seizing it I thumbed a couple of quick shots over my shoulder at ' Aw, tell us another. ' (ANONYMOUS). — o — A Night in Camp I was in camp with the Boy Scouts at St, George ' s. We were nearing the end of our siay which had been so plea- sant. I shared a tent with a boy about my own size. One night after supper, we went to bed, feeling very happy. The other boy was contented to do some woodcarv- ing, but I did not know what to do, and at length I reached for my torch to read. Soon after that I heard movements in the front of the camp. I flashed the torch in that direc- tion and somebody jumped out of the ray of light. I im- mediately jumped out of bed and went to catch the burglar. But I could not catch him, and I went and told the Scout Master about it. We both went out and caught the intruder, and, when we looked at him closely, we found that he was none other than a Boy Scout. The Scout Master told us to get into bed, and went away grumbling. I soon found out that the supposed burglar was on his way to a feast, so I gladly joined him. A. G. ANDERSON. o Youth When one is young he is always looking forward to the time when he will become a man and can be independent and do more or less what he likes. Perhaps when he reaches an older age he will look ' back on his younger days with regrets and wish he were young again, and free from worries and responsibilities. This shows how people ' s outlook on life changes as they become older. 16 To be young has many advantages and disadvantages. When one is young he has good health, and plenty of fresh air and exercise, as well as a large quantity of spare time on his hands. Although he seldom thinks he has a lot of spare time, as he often has, he can do hundreds of things from playing games to earning a little pocket money by doing odd jobs here and there. He has a number of holidays from school, during which he can pursue his pleasures to his heart ' s content. Then, also, the youngsters have lots of pleasures arranged for them by older people. One of the greatest disadvantages about being young is the fact that you have to take orders from grown-ups. Owing to lack of size one is often bullied by older boys, some of whom practically are men. The fact of being young deprives one of doing things that older people do, such as driving a car — nearly every boy would like to drive a car — but he can- not, because he is not permitted to obtain a licence because of his age. So youth and age will always rival one another, youth active, fearless, unthinking, and age, slow, less fearless and thoughtful. NOEL MEYER. 0 The Fur-Thief Dick Hartly, of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, stood in Inspector Morrison ' s office. ' ' There have been re- ports lately of fur-stealing in this vicinity. The Inspector tapped a spot on the map. I want you to go and investi- gate. Yes, sir, replied Hartly, and saluting, left the room. About an hour later, a man left the Alberta Headquar- ters of the Mounties. He was wearing the clothes of a trapper. After a few days ' journey by sledge, the man reached a trading station. ' ' Is there any place where I can eat and sleep here? he asked the proprietor of the station. Cer- tainly , was the reply, and in a few minutes, the stranger, who called himself John Bentley, was fitted in the most comfortable room his host could find, if you can call any trading station comfortable. The next day the stranger went 17 out trapping. He returned with quite a number of skins, and seemed very pleased with his haul, although his host looked very jeeringly at the skins and told him that the best he could expect for them was a rusty musket fifty years old! That night, the strange trapper, having counted his skins, flung himself on the mattress which served for a bed, as if to enjoy a good sleep. But the strange thing was that he did not try to go to sleep. He had taken off his trapping clothes and was at the moment wrapped in the folds of a cloak. Three hours passed. Twelve o ' clock. The stranger sat on the edge of his bed, fingering something. The door opened, and a man entered. The stranger sprung up and flung off his cloak, revealing himself as Dick Hartly, in the uniform of the ' ' Mounties , while the midnight wanderer found himself looking down the barrel of Dick ' s revolver. With his left hand, Dick drew an electric torch out of hi ' 4 pocket and shone it into the face of the intruder. My skins w ere only worth a rusty musket when you had to trade for them, but they were worth more when you had stolen them! said Dick with a laugh to the proprietor, for he it was, and don ' t start feeling for a gun either, or I ' ll blow your brains out. The rest is soon told. Dick took his prisoner back to Calgary, where he was soon convicted of about fifty fur- robberies. Indeed, Dick had upheld the great tradition of the Mounties — They always get their man. B. TOVEY. ■ o (NOTE: — We have pleasure in including the following two compositions by members of the first form. Both the au- thors are nine years old. — Editor.) AN ADVENTURE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS In a little log cabin beneath the Rocky Mountains lived a hunter and his wife. One night they heard a bear growl outside the cabin, and the hunter decided to try and kill it. So he took aim and fired, but missed it. The next day the hunter said, Today we will climb the mountain and explore. In an hour ' s time they were all ready. With rope, food and guns they set off. As soon as they reached the foot of the mountain, the hunter made a 18 lasso and threw it onto a piece of rock which was jutting out. Then they began to climb. At noon they were half-way up. They sat down to eat their lunch, and, while they were sitting on the ledge, it started to rain. Quickly they gath- ered up their things, and made their way along the ledge. After walking for five minutes they came to a cave. They went inside. Suddenly the hunter whispered to his wife, ' ' Stand still; do not move. He crept forward and looked behind a rock. Bang! Bang! He had killed the bear: the first shot only wounded him, but the second killed him. With the rope they dragged him along the ledge away from the mouth of the cave. After dragging him a little way, they got tired and sat down to rest. The hunter lowered the bear down to the foot of the mountain and tied the end of the rope to a piece of rock. Then they slid down the rope, and got safely to the bottom. The hunter carried the bear to the cabin, skinned it and put it on the floor. They both agreed that they had had a most exciting adventure. HUGH SMITH. BETTY AND BOBBY One Christmas day Betty ' s and Bobby ' s father brought them a sleigh. That night it snowed, and in the morning all around the house the snow was two feet high. Betty and Bobby took their sleighs and went to the top of the hill. They got in and pushed off, and, when they reached the bot- tom they found a baby lamb. It was covered with snow. Oh, look what is here! cried Betty. ' ' What is it? said Bobby. A poor half-frozen lamb. ' What shall we do w ith it? asked Bobby. Let ' s take it home in the sleigh , said Betty. So they pulled the sleigh up the hill to their house and took the lamb indoors, and fed it and looked after it until it was well again. And since that day the lamb has followed them wherever they go. HARLEY GIBBONS. 19