Sheridan High School - Bronc Yearbook (Sheridan, WY)

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4 THE OCKSHEPERIDA don’t want to leave school in the middle of our last year. If we could only borrow a little to put us through, we could pay it back with interest in the summer, but we can’t borrow of anyone else if you won’t trust us.” “There is no need of borrowing,” said Mr. Stone. “I have made a comfortable, honest living without any book learning outside of what I got in the grammar school, and I reckon you can, too.” And with that, he strode out of the room. Is'nt he the tightest, meanest old skinflint you ever saw? exclaimed Ben. Now, don’t call me down for saying such things, but I really don’t see how you can take it so calmly.” There's no use raving about it,” said Arthur. We've got to do something immediately or give up school for this year. We may as well say no more about it tonight, but in the morning we’ll go and have a look at that disreputable pasture.” Well,” said Ben, I suppose we will have to give up and go to clearing the old field, but I can’t say that 1 relish finishing with next year's class.” He wandered restlessly around the room for a minute or two and then settled down to read the papers with his cousin. Well, well, listen here,” he exclaimed suddenly, “in this advertisement, a Boston merchant says he wants all the Christmas trees he can get from any part of the country. I wish he had some of those from Uncle Harvey’s back pasture; there are thousands of them there that would make beautiful Christmas trees.” I have it, cried Arthur, springing up, “lets cut a lot of them and ship them to him. It would be a splendid wav to get the money we want so badly.” But it seems like such a long way to ship them—all the way from Maine to Boston.” That isn't far,” said Arthur. and now that I think of it. Mr. Gleason shipped some three years ago and said it paid him better than anything he had ever tried. We have a week to work and still have time for them to reach Boston before Christmas. Oh. I think it is tne finest plan ” During the remainder of the evening the boys were busily occupied in planning ways and means for the enterprise, and calculating profits. Early next morning they shouldered their axe3 and started off to the pasture with revived spirits and soaring hopes. All week long they labored early and late. Although by the end of the week they had ceased to count the blisters on their hands, they were still counting and glorying in their anticipated wealth; and it was with happy hearts that they drove homeward after loading the last shapely little evergreen in the car. On Christmas day they received the payment for the shipment and found that after they had paid their uncle for his share, they would have more than enough to meet their expenses for the rest of the school year. “I certainly feel like I’m saying Merrie Christmas' in all sincerity today,” said Ben. as he waved the precious slip of paper over his head, but one thing I regret, and that is, that I won’t be here to see Uncle Harvey when he hears about it.” + + + THE LONE ROBBER. + + ---------------------- ♦ •b By Clifford Goodnight, 11. + + + ❖ ❖ ❖ A few of the old railroaders were lined up around the stove in the car-tink's shanty, telling stories of their experiences in earlier days. Finally Slim Perkins, one of the favorites among the men. spoke up, and said, “I believe I have one that will beat all the rest of yours by a mile. They all sat up and listened, for Slim usually told a fairly good story, if ha once got started. “It was on the N. P., in the spring of 1900,” he began. I was holding down the right hand side of the cab of old 244, and was pulling one of the road’s crack fliers through the Rockies. We had just started out of the station when a young fellow came running up, with a suitcase in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. He threw his suitcase through the express door which McCrag had not yet closed, and then jumped in himself, which is quite a stunt when the train is in motion. “McCrag was small, but rather muscular and was one of the best men in the employ of the road. He was always careful

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Bhe OCK SHETE'RI'DA Vrol. 2 Sheridan, Wyoming, January, 1910 JVo. 4- + + + + + + + •$• + • • + + + + ❖ + + + + + THE WILL AND THE WAY. + + ---------------------- + ♦ By Amy Jackins, 10. 4 4 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + This education is all nonsense, anyhow. Now. what good it does anyone to spend all his time, money and energy in getting a lot of useless facts into his head is more than I can see. It's just a fad, a newfangled notion that's getting into all the boys’ heads nowadays, and I for one will never in any way encourage it,” and Harvey Stone brought his huge fist down upon the table with a violence which made the dishes clater, while his sharp eyes gleamed fiercely. He was a stern, fiery old gentleman, small in stature, but mighty in argument, styled by the boys as a “first-class bluffer.” leaning forward in his chair, his glasses set far out on his nose, he was emphatically delivering sweeping denunciations of higher education in general. and the Belden school in particular. His remarks seemed to be especially addressed to a tall, serious-looking boy who was standing by the window, but they were equally intended for another boy of about the same age, who sat near by saying nothing, but occasionally tossing his head indignantly. For the next few minutes, Harvey Stone's face beamed triumphantly, while the boys shifted their feet uncomfortably in embarrassed silence, at loss for an adequate reply. The boys, Ben West and Arthur Garrow, were cousins who, for several years, had been orphans, and had lived with their Uncle Harvey on his Maine farm. All had gone well until, having completed their education in the country school, they had expressed a desire to enter the High School at Belden, the nearest city. Their uncle, however, not only considered higher education folly, but was unwilling to part with the boys; so he objected to the plan and refused his aid. But they were fully determined, so this did not prevent their going. However it hindered them greatly for they had to work their own way entirely. They had succeeded nicely by working on the farm through vacations and saving their money until this last year when sickness and other unexpected incidents made such inroads upon their meager savings that December found them lacking funds with which to meet the expenses- of the rest of the term. About a week before the date of this story, at the request of their uncle, they had come home from school to help with some important work on the farm, and, as Christmas was scarcely two weeks away, they had postponed their return to school until after the holidays. But about this time, Mr. Stone announced that he was going away the next day, to be gone three weeks, so they had taken advantage of this, their last opportunity to ask him for the loan of the required sum of money which they reasoned, would be nothing more than payment in advance for part of their next summer’s work. This request however, was not favorably received and resulted in a spirited discussion concluded by these radical remarks on the part of Mr. Stone. The irrepressible Ben soon broke out in protest, but Mr. Stone checked him as he rose to leave the room. Now, boys,” he said, speaking more calmly than before, “I will give you an offer that is fair enough for anyone. I will give you a good share of all the timber you take off that back pasture of mine during the next six months. It will pay you better wages than you can get in the woods and other work is hard to get at this time of year. You may work at it so long as you like, and in any way you choose. Now, you can’t say that is not a square deal.” “Yes. uncle,” said Ben, “that would be perfectly square, and under different circumstances, we would gladly do it, but we

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THE OCKSHKPERIDA 5 f t the road's property which was put in his care; so now he watched this intruder rather doubtfully. Hut the young fellow immediately handed him the piece of paper which he had in his hand when he boarded the train. He explained that he had been sent to help McCrag out a little; also that he had made a mistake in the schedule and had nearly been left behind. McCrag looked over the slip of paper and seeing that it was duly signed by 'T. B.,’ the general manager, said that he was glad he had made connections all right, and showed him where to begin work. The stranger set to work with so much care and accuracy that McCrag thought he had a fine fellow to help him; but he could not help turning every few minutes to see what the fellow was doing. The stranger apparently did not notice this, but went on with his work as if nothing had happened. Occasionally, he would cast sly glances at te safe, the door of which stood ajar; and once, while piling a couple of trunks near the safe, he noticed several canvas bags with government reals on them. Evidently there was a shipment of gold going to the Denver mint. Just then the train stopped, or merely hesitated long enough to dump off a trunk and let a passenger fall ofT the best way he could. After we had got pretty well underway aagin. McCrag felt a vice-like grip on each of his aims and in another second he was lying flat cn his back on the car floor and his helper was neatly tying him hand and foot. This done, he proceeded as calmly as ever to gag him and secure him to a large trunk. When he thought he had him tied securely, be went through his pockets for safety and removed all of his weapons. Then he opened the empty siit-case and fllljd it with the canvas bags out of the safe. When he hda put in all that his suitcase would hold without looking too heavy, he went out at the end door and rode the blind until the train started to slow up, going up a real steep grade, and then he jumped and disappeared among the shadows. Just at that m ment a whistle was heard and Slim started for his engine to prepare to pull the passenger out. “Well, they never caught their man. he shouted, as he passed the shanty on his way to the depot. + + + THE VILLAGE CRIMINAL. + ------------------------ • + By a Sophomore. 4 + + + + + + {- + + + + + + The old milk wag n rattled down the hill and struck the bridge with a vicious bump, then stopped with a suddenness that threw Uncle Jake, the driver, forward upon his knees. Uncle Jake had fit in the war from beginnin' to end” and four years of camp life had not softened his temper or reduced his supply of profane words. Now he saw no reason for restraining himself, and so the fresh morning air was treated to a perfect stream of vile words. Through it all, the old horse, who by some freak of the imagination had been named Glory, stood unmoved with ears pricked forward knowingly. So the old man got down stiffly and went arcund to his horse’s head, grumbling irritably to himself all the while. One plank of the bridge was torn up and displaced. As he was dragging it back, he saw an open knife lying just beyond the broken place. When he stooped to pick ft up, he noticed that the blade was covered with blood, and cn the bridge there was more blood and signs of a struggle. Old Jake's imagination, which had had dull fond since he had begun to drive the milk wagon, was at once filled with an hundred dire possibilities, and he decided that there had been a fight—perhaps a murder! He examined the knife more closely and on the handle found the initials, A. B.” “Why, that must be Abe Benton, thought Uncle Jake, and he suddenly remembered several things which Abe had said to him in the last week, which would lead one to suppose that he had terrible plans in his mind. True, Uncle Jake had looked upon them as jokes at the time: but now they had a new and terrible meaning. It aroused his fighting blood to think about it, and he decided instantly what he must do—arouse the village, and get the constable on the murderer’s track. A moment later, everyone in the village was awakened by the sound of rattling milk cans and the inartic date, b’ood-curd-ling yells of someone who was driving down the street at full speed. Those who