Show LEIV LEI THE BOY BE A PIRATE GIVE HIM A KNIFE AND A PLUG OF TOBACCO AND LET HIM GO I 1 can look back down dowd the lane of tho past and see where my father failed jailed to nit the nail on the head bead in managing his boys albeit no one can doubt he be did what he thought for the best beat there comes a dabin day in every boys lif life when ewhen he wants to be a pirate it looks kaoka silly to us grown folks but that boy is in dead earnest it ii is no way to grab him by the collar and rush him to the woodshed and bang him around and growl want to be a pirate do you want to go around cutting throats and scuttling ships eh want to have hav e a r rendezvous up some lagoon and boss bes 8 a band of spanish cutthroats cut throats now buy boy im going to lick you yon within an inch of your life I 1 if my boy caught the pirate fever I 1 should in and kindly say now james I 1 did want to make a lawyer of you ou but pirating is the next cu thing to it t and I 1 am not going to BC lg id d lf if y you 0 u bend your energies to the task you yon will climb to the top and become a boss pirate I 1 should like to buy you a Cn Ca and start you yon off in first class shape but unfortunately for us both I 1 am poor the best I 1 can do is to give you a dollar I 1 in cash and you may take along the butcher knife my old pistol and most anything else you think will come handy write to us as often as you can boy letting us know how bow in many y treasure galleons gal leons you have captured to date and how the general crops promise in your section and aad when adversity overtakes you and when you want 6 or 7 to pay your our fare back to the old roof tree jont dont hesitate to telegraph to t me if the boy attempted to back out after this talk I 1 should rather insist upon his going if he could be induced to travel off about ten mile sand to put in a night in a fence corner or a haystack he be would return next day so changed that you would have to look at him twice to t know him hed find such sucha a difference between commanding a pirate ship in his mind and crowding up to a rail fence to keep the shivers off that a new page la in the book of life would be open to him if I 1 had a boy who bad read of green islands Island sand and wrecked sailors until he could shut his bis eyes and see parrots and monkeys and cocoanuts cocoa nuts and waving palms if he be had bad firmly made up his mind that he never could be hap happy py until cast away on an island and reduced to a goatskin overcoat I 1 should take him out behind the bara and say I 1 my son I 1 see you are not happy you evidently hunger for something which my limited means will not permit me to tote home I 1 think you want to be wrecked very well theres the river and an old skiff and you can find an island a few miles down gep ge two or three pieces of tarred rope a plug of navy tobacco and a flan hook book and go on with the wrecked end of be business it if you like it come ho bomier t the end of a week and pit ill send you ma U the pacific where the mosquitoes are i bigger and the cannibals more numerous nume numerous roud 11 if the boy went I 1 should expect him end of two days and when he be got back the subject should be tabooed forever no father should be surprised if his boy develops a yearning to become a mighty nimrod there is something highly fascinating in the idea of knock ing over buffaloes lions timers tigers ele uhan phan s and aad giraffes and of successful encounters with alligators ali gators and boa constrictors strict ors it makes ones mouth water wate to think of juicy antelope steaks and buffalo sirloin and the boy who want to be a hunter must be lame and blind when signs begin b to crop out the father should be ready y take the boy out and sit down on a log with him and say james its a burning shame for me to keep you around home here and spoil your whole future I 1 came across a bar of ef lead half a pound of salt and a loaf of bread which you secreted in the oat bin as aj starter for going west theres no need of any sl slyness ness my F son I 1 want you to go I 1 shall be proud af you if you become a great hunter ill lend you yoa the shotgun shot gur and two horse blankets and a frying pan and help vou carry lein em to the nearest piece of woods if stay there three thre p days and nights then ill fit at you out and send you to the black hills how long iong would he stay held hed be almost certain to come sneaking into the back door before b bed ed time but if he be put it off until morning so much the etter better held hed have bave the whole in which to turn pale look about with wild leyes eyes shiver at every sound hold his breath at the hoot of an owl and icy to aromise promise himself over and over again 6 baat J t let me live till morning and I 1 hope to die if I 1 ever leave home again |