THE COUNTRY BOY 169 



away that yelled and asked us how Ben's lunch 

 was. Some of the blood by that time had got 

 back to our brains, and we were able to under- 

 stand why the horse pulled so heavily on the 

 way to Marquam. When we got into town 

 we heard wild stories over the abduction of 

 Ben Davenport's lunch, and that Ben had been 

 on the warpath, and that it was a good thing 

 for us he had gone home, as he had invited the 

 orator of the day, the chief marshal, and a man 

 that was running for Congress, to dine with 

 him, and they had accepted. 



All hands had proceeded to our barnyard, 

 where they expected to spread this great lunch 

 underneath a pear-tree in the back yard; but, 

 to their astonishment, they found the buggy 

 wherein he had carefully concealed his treasure 

 gone, no one knew where. Ben had gone to 

 my father and threatened to divide the family, 

 but father knew nothing of it. He thought 

 possibly I had discovered the lunch under the 

 buggy seat, and had taken that as an excuse 

 to leave the country, and in his own heart felt 

 much relieved ; but Ben was furious. When 

 I met father he wanted me to explain at once, 

 and I did, as I have in this story, and I think 



