Rollo at Play | Page 6

by such a thing. But boys, when they are ill-humored, and
dispute, are always unreasonable and foolish. James determined not to
be outdone, so he took up a stick, and reached it up in the air as high as
he could, and said,
"I can reach up as high as that."
Then Rollo took up a stone, and tossed it up into the air, saying,
"And I can reach as high as that."
Now, when boys throw stones into the air, they ought to consider where
they will come down; but, unfortunately, Rollo did not in this case, and

the stone fell directly upon James's head. It was, however a small stone,
and his cap prevented it from hurting him much; but he was already
vexed and out of humor, and so he began to cry out aloud.
Rollo was frightened a little, for he was afraid he had hurt his cousin a
good deal, and then he expected too that Jonas would come. But Jonas
took no notice of the crying, but went on with his work. Now, Jonas
was very kind and careful, and always came quick when there was any
one hurt. But this time, he knew by the tone of James's crying, that it
was vexation rather than pain that caused it.
James, finding that his crying did no good, gradually became still; and
in a few minutes, as he happened to look round, his eye rested on the
stone where they had put their half dollars, and he saw that only one of
them was there.
"O, Rollo," said he, "one of our half dollars is gone."
They went to the stone, and, true enough, one was gone. They looked
around, but it was no where to be found. Boys that are out of humor
with one another, are never at a loss for subjects of dispute; and Rollo
said he believed James had taken it, and James charged it upon Rollo.
Then there was a dispute who should have the one that was left. James
knew it was his; he said he remembered exactly how his looked; and
Rollo knew it was his, for the head and the stars were very bright on his,
and they were very bright on this. James, however, had the half dollar,
and would not give it up; and so Rollo went to Jonas, and told him that
James had got his half dollar.
Jonas came, and heard the whole story from both of the boys. James
said he knew the one that was left was his, for he remembered exactly
how it looked, and he also remembered exactly the very spot on the
stone where he put it down.
James did not mean to tell a lie, but he was a little angry and excited,
and when boys are in that state of mind, they are very apt to say they
know not what.

Jonas looked at both sides of the half dollar very attentively.
"Which half dollar was it," said he, "that you tried to get the eagle off
of?"
"Mine," said Rollo; "let me see."
Jonas held down the half dollar, and showed to Rollo and James the
marks and scratches made by the pin; proving that this was Rollo's half
dollar. James looked ashamed and confounded; Jonas just waited to
hear what he would say.

HEARTS RIGHT AGAIN.
James stood still a minute, thinking presently he said,
"Well, Rollo, I suppose my half dollar is lost, but I am glad yours is
safe, at any rate."
"I am sorry yours is lost," said Rollo, "but then I can give you half of
what I buy with mine."
"Where did you put the half dollars?" said Jonas.
"On that rock," said Rollo.
They walked along towards the rock. It was by the edge of the water;
Jonas thought that as they had been dragging boughs of trees along near
the rock, some little branch might have reached over and brushed off
one of the pieces of money into the water. So he walked up to it and
looked over.
In a minute or two, he pointed down, and the boys looked and saw
something bright and glittering on the bottom.
"Is that it?" said James.

"I believe it is," said Jonas.
Jonas then took off his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeve, lay down on
the rock, and reached his arm down into the water, but it was a little too
deep. He could not reach it.
"I cannot get it so," said he.
"What shall we do?" said James. "How foolish I was to put it so near
the water!"
"I think we shall contrive some way to get it," said Jonas.
He then sat down on the rock and looked into the water. "We can go