Strong High School - Mussul Unsquit Yearbook (Strong, ME)

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22 THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT heard voices, there was Dixon talking, and there was Clover-Seed Bill, too. More swiftly now they went, stumbling over the darkness itself. Around a turn they came upon a crowd of men standing around a lantern, all talking at once. The sudden appearance of Meg and Milton startled them, and all stopped talking. Then Meg told how she had found Mil- ton, and how they had found the cave. Instantly, the town sheriff and his help- ers set out from the cave, the way Meg and Milton had come. Clover-Seed Bill was there in the cave, he had been there since the night before, when captured, safely guarded so there had been no hope of escape. He had overheard the outlaws talk- ing. They had planned to starve him to death or shoot him if he attempted escape. He had been deciding which would be the better way to die when Dixon had arrived, followed by the sheriff. The outlaws hav- ing fled around the turn, had escaped. Three days later the excitement had all calmed down to talk. Blaine's gang had been captured. Clover-Seed Bill and Meg were not bothered with them any more. Five years later Clover-Seed Bill told his little granddaughter, Margie Dixon, of how her mother's childhood outlaw dreams came true. M artha Richards, '25, HOW PATSEY FOUND HIS FORTUNE HERE was a great commotion in the Killikelly cabin that morning. There always was for that matter, for they made up the jolliest crowd of Irish children you ever saw, and the little cabin was much too small to accommodate either' crowd or noise. But the laughings and shoutings were so much louder than usual, that if you had been there you would surely have asked what it was all about. No one need to stay in doubt long upon any matter in Ternseag for news traveled quickly in this little village. It was just simply this. The Killikellys were going to America. Poor little Patsey was happier than all the rest of the family put together. But Patsey had reason to be glad, for as he was a cripple who had never been able to go far from home, the prospect of being carried more than two thousand miles in a big steamer was more than delight to him. Patsey had read more than the rest about that wonderful land, and the more he read about it the more curiosity and increasing joy came to him. Why Meriky was where they had Indians, and gave away land to poor people, and had paper money. CThey have only silver, gold, and copper money in Ireland.j This he had learned while studying about America. They were to sail in about a week, and the little Killikellys were the busiest little people you ever saw. They bade all their schoolmates good-bye, helped to carry the small furniture to the neighbors who had bought itg gave away their toys, Cthey were not much, but they were very dear to themj, that their playmates might have something to remember them by. As they were starting over the field to the sta- tion one bright morning, a lark high up in the sky sang them a cheery farewell song as they tramped away together. Patsey carried in one hand a little leather satchel which knocked against his crutch as he hobbled along. Little Mike offered to carry it for him, asking, with great wonder in his big blue eyes: Phwat's in it anyway? Oh! somethin' foine-yez'll be sure to lose it if I lets yez carry it. Oi can take it all roight. All their kindly entreaties were in vain. Patsey would neither allow it to be out of his sight one minute, or tell them what was in it. Even when the pangs of seasickness overtook him, on the third day out from Liverpool, the satchel lay beneath his pillow.

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 21 She moved the rock, under which the out- law box had been kept, wl1ich contained all of the stolen possessions, glass beads, shells, colored and odd shaped rocks. She opened the box, but instead of seeing those childish treasures she saw watches, beads, rings and many similiar things. VVhat did this mean? Vlfas sl1e dream- ing? She pinched herself to make sure she was not, then tried to think. Her father's story came back to her. VVas there a con- nection? There was. Probably Bob Blaine and his gang were at it again. She decided to replace everything, go back to the ranch and appear as if nothing had happened, un- til her father returned that night. It would be best to tell him about it for Blaine might be hatching mischief against her father. She replaced the box, returned to the open again and mounting Julius, started home. They were just eating dinner when she reached the ranch, so with an invitation she stayed. That afternoon Meg assisted Topsyls work about the cottage as well as the raneo. ller father did not return that night, but she decided that his business had delayed him and he would come the next day. The next day came but Clover-Seed Bill did not. Meg was not the only one that was worried, for Conrad Dixon, assistant boss of the ranch, sent two of the boys to the village to find out what they could. That night he had a long talk with Meg. He told her that Blaine and his gang were at work again. Detectives were on their track, un- successfully so far. Possibly l1er father was in their hands. Meg. thinking that some one ought to know, told Conrad of what she had found in Outlaw's Cave the day before. Conrad felt certain tl1is had something to do with it as there had recently been a train robbery in a neighboring town. The boys returned from town with the following news: Clover-Seed Bill after starting home the night before had been captured by Blaine's crew. No one knew where he had been taken. There had been another train robbery that night. Dixon, Meg and some others started for Outlaw's Cave, while Dixon sent one of the fellows to town to bring the detective along. Once on the woods road the trail of the Outlaw's was easily picked up. This they followed which led straight to the cave. Dixon and the boys went into the cave but Meg, seeing where someone had scrambled up the bank close by, followed these tracks, which led into thicker woods. She followed these tracks only a little way when she saw, stretched on the ground before her, a hn- man form. Instantly she recognized him as Pete Milton, one of the ranch boys. Quick- ly she ran to him. He was unconscious. She saw where he had been shot in the arm. VVhat could she do? As she was trying to think, his eyelids liickered and rose. He lay still a moment then seeing Meg, started to talk. Removing her bandanna from around her throat she tore it into strips and bound the wounded arm. He told her his story, how Clover-Seed ljill had been taken by the outlaws and he had tried to help him get away. ln the at- tempt he had been shot in the arm. He had followed them to the care and having seen them enter, had scrambled up the bank to await their return. during which tin1e he had sprained his ankle and could go no farther. He sat down to rest, which was the last he could remember. just as he finished Meg put her hnger to her lips to order silence. Together they looked in the direction she pointed. They saw coming from behind a large rock sever- al men, apparently the outlaws. XVith Megs assistance, Milton tried to walk. After some time they reached the rock, back of which was a second entrance to Outlaws Cave, forme1'ly unknown to Meg. They disappeared into the gloomy darkness. Feeling their way as best they could, they progressed, slow but sure. Then they

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THE MUSSUL UNSQUIT 23 All the Killikellys declared they had never seen Patsy so happy. He hobbled around the deck, and talked with the sailors, who had a cheery word for the lad. He amused the children and had a kindly word for all whom he met. It was because of his very kindness and good nature that his misfortune overtook him. His mother was ill nearly all the time, so Patsey took it upon himself to care for the baby, a blue-eyed midget of a boy about two years old. He was sitting witl1 the baby on his lap, and as the child threatened to cry, had given him a precious article, the little leather satchel, to play with. As he turned to answer a question of one of the older children, Baby took an opportunity to throw the little black bag over the railing of the deck, and Patseyls frightened eyes just caught a glimpse of it before it disap- peared. He made no outcry at first. He was too stunned and miserable. But when he did commence to weep, he cried as if his heart would break. Then he had to tell them all about it: how he had planned that they should all be rich in America, how he had cnt up all his precious books and pictures and packed them away in that leather bag, so as to have plenty of paper money in America, into that strange land to which they were going. They consoled him, sailors and all, as best they might, and then left him, for he just refused to be comforted. Mean- while Baby toddled about laughing at the crying boy. Bye and bye the story had reached every- one's ears about the ship. They told the cabin passengers about it, too, and everybody tried to give a little something. There were crisp paper live- dollar and ten-dollar bills, and even silver and copper were changed i11to paper money for poor Patsey. It was all packed in an- the other black leather satchel, one of ladies had given, because it resembled the the lost one, and then they all followed captain when he went to present the lost satchel's relative to the crying boy. Patsey was sitting upon a coil of ropes looking steadily over the water when they approached. His cheeks were 'wet with recent tears. The captain didn't make much of a speech or anything of the sort. He only told Patsey how sorry they were for him: how careless babies they didn't know any better, and that per- were because all, about the haps it didr1't matter after satchel falling overboard because the paper had to be stamped in a certain way, as postage stamps were in Ireland, before it could be used. He said that they had found some of that right kind of paper all stamped among the passengers of the ship and had packed it in a satchel like his former one, which they wanted him to keep with their best wishes. VVhen Patsey opened the bag with trem- bling hngers and saw all the curious green and brown money, he c0uldn't say one word, but although they told him not to mind about thanks, his eyes said, 'I Thank youf' much plainer than words could ever express it. So he was ricl1, after all, and when they got to New York there was enough money to set Patsey up in business, and now, over a little store, in a big thoroughfare, one may read the sign of Patrick Killikelly, Newspapers and Confectionery. Mary Dickey, '23, THE FALL OF THE MONARCH HE sun hung low on the horizon, and the tall pines of the forest cast long shadows on the snow. Slowly it disap- peared from view and drew with it the last rays of daylight, as though it were loath to leave them behind. The shadows of the giant trees took on more fantastic and weird shapes and, as the last rays of light faded away, they blended into a single mass of darkness, cold and quiet as death. Soon the round red moon transformed this chaos of darkness into a fairyland. Higher and higher it rose until its silvery light made the snow gleam and sparkle like