Page 7 - Adventures of Peterkin Paul

an titrlipse of the sun was. The moon now and then, He made no especial preparations for his voyage ex
he said,got between the earth and the sun; and then cept to put on his rubber boots, in case he should
we could see its round shape shutting off so much of have to cross any rivers or other bodies of water, and
the S till's light from us. to put ill his pocket a small blank hook which had
“ I should like to see an ecEipse of the sun," ex­ been given him. There was nothing written in this
claimed Miltiades when his brother hud finished, boak as yet for the simple reason ihat our hero did
“ Will there be one again, do you suppose ? ” not know how to write. He took it with him now for
11 Not right away,” was the answer. “ But dicie the purpose of keeping a record of his voyage.
will be an eclipse of the moon next month. You can “ A lt men who have travelled round the world
see that. That is somewhat different, though. The have kept a journal," he said Lo himself. And, of
earth, then, gets between the sun and the moon and, course, so must 1. And if 1 cannot write 1 can at
hy shutting off part of the sun's light from the moon least draw some pictures of what happens to me.
tlirows its own shadow upon it. if you look a) the That wifi do }«st as well,"
moon then you will see a dark round shadow on it. The .111(1 was just rising above die woods over aL
That will he the shadow of the earth. And dtat ii the right of Tiptop H ill as he turned down the road.
one of the ways in which we know that the earth is H e set his face resolutely toward it,
round, because it throws a round shadow." “ Of course that is fast," said he, “ where the sun
'* fs the earth round? ” Enquired Miltiades. rises. And I am to go straight toward the east all
w Yes; it is round just like a ball, although it looks day and thaL will bring me way around the world and
to us as if it were flat. Ships, you know, start in one home again. Won't they lie surprised when they see
direction and sail on and on until by and by they me coming back to-night and I tell them I have been
come back Inomi an opposite direction to the point way around ' 1 must be careful and always keep
from which they started, having sailed way around going straight toward the sun."
ihe world, Indeed, if a man were to start from here Miltiades travelled on along die road for quite a
and go directly east and keep straight on he would by while; blit when he came to the turn down by the
and by come back to this very spot again, only he mill be found that the sun now lay over across the
would come from the west." fields instead of down the road. So he had lo climb
“ Is that s o !” said Miltiades in great wonder. Lhe wall and start off “ cross lots.’' However, he had
And he sal there on the chopping block a long while of course expected this, and he had made up his
after his brother had left him, nibbing his head and mind that he would let nothing of any sort keep him
thinking deeply upon what lie bad heard. from going slraiglit forward toward ihcsun, He fell
Especially did those last words that John Henry a little tired already however, so be presently sat
Jack had Spoken impress themselves upon Miltiades
mind. Me kept repeating them over to himself:
u // a man should start from here and go straight
east fit wottli! by and by tonic bath to this very spot"
He could think of nothing but this alt day long; and
gradually there found its way into his mind a plan
which by nigiit-fall had taken the form of a definite
resolve.
" I f a man could do that,” he said to himself, at
length, “ then 1 guess a boy can do it. And !'m going
M ILm nFS SETTlffr. OUT UTOS HIS JOURNEY.
to try it! I will set out early tomorrow morn­
ing." down on a rock to rest. And thinking it a good time
So early the next morning — two hours at least be­ to make the first entry in Ills journal, he took out the
fore the usual time — Miltiades arose and dressed book and d-: vt a picture of himself setting out upon
himself, aiid then, without saying anything of the mat- his journey.
Ler to anybody, (for he expected lo complete the About eight o'Uock, it must have been, Miltiades.
whole circuit of (lie earth and get home again before continuing bis way, fell in'with a boy of about his
night) he stole down the front stairs and out the door own age whose name was Ad-oniram. Adortiram had