Boys' life by Boy Scouts of America

Author:Boy Scouts of America
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Boy Scouts
Publisher: [Irving, Tex. : Boy Scouts of America]
Published: 1911-03-25T05:00:00+00:00

I want to make a racket, too. But say— just wait until we trot out our old cannon. It'll make more noise than anything in this town." And with the red box of fire crackers under his arm he rushed down stairs to the dining-room.

BREAKFAST with the family was only a ceremony that morning so far as Jed was concerned. But even before he had left the table came a rippety-bang, bang, bang, bang of a blank cartridge revolver from the neighborhood of the front lawn, and a voice:

"Hi, Jed—Jed—come on! Here're t' fellers !"

It was the voice of happy, freckle-faced Reddy Stafford, Jed's chum and one of his co-workers in the construction of their big cannon. The "fellers" referred to were cannon builders, too.

With a hasty "May I be excused?" a peck at his mother's cheek and a "So-long, Dad," to his father, Jed bolted through the front hall and out the door to be greeted by the rattle of cartridge pistols and big fire crackers exploded in his honor.

Jed fired two or three "big 'uns" by way of retaliation and then a hasty conference ensued which ended with a rush down the graveled drive to the barn.

FIVE sturdy lads crawled into the dustiest and darkest corner of the building and from under grimy tarpaulins and hay covers hauled the biggest, ugliest-looking gas pipe cannon imaginable. With it came a can of big-grained blasting powder and a makeshift ramrod. This equipment was carried through the rear door of the barn, out through the apple orchard to the field beyond. Jed insisted on this precaution for he had a feeling that his folks would object mightily to the cannon and—well, the way to get away with it was not to let them know of its existence, then they could not raise any objections.

"Isn't she a corker?" asked Jed as he surveyed her.

"Biggest thing in this town," shouted Claud Einry.

"Wait till she goes off. She'll wake lh' dead," said Reddy as he produced a firecracker fuse from his trouser pocket and forced it into the priming-hole.

Jed was cannoneer and when the priming had been inserted he scooped a hand-(Continued on page 28.)

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