Produced by Eric Eldred, Susan Skinner and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER By MARGARET SIDNEY [Illustration: "'WHY, IT'S THE MAN WHO STOLE POLLY'S BREAD!' HE ALMOST SCREAMED."] CONTENTS I. JOEL AND THE SNAKE II. WHAT DAVE HEARD III. DEACON BROWN'S NAIL PILE IV. THE MUFFIN MAN AND THE TRAMP V. ON BANDY LEG MOUNTAIN VI. AB'M'S BIRTHDAY PARTY VII. JOEL GOES A-FISHING VIII. WHY THEY SAID NO IX. THE BAG OF RYE FLOUR X. MAMSIE'S SURPRISE XI. DR. FISHER'S VISIT XII. AT GRANDMA BASCOM'S XIII. PASSENGERS FOR THE BOXFORD STAGE XIV. DEACON BLODGETT'S BONFIRE XV. OLD MAN PETERS' CENT XVI. THE STAGE-COACH RIDE XVII. THE FIGHT AT STRAWBERRY HILL XVIII. IN THE LITTLE BROWN HOUSE XIX. CIRCUS PLANS XX. CIRCUS OR MENAGERIE? XXI. JOEL'S CIRCUS XXII. THE MINISTER'S CHICKENS XXIII. THE BLACKBERRIES AND THE BULL XXIV. HOW JOEL STARTED THE FIRE XXV. JOEL SELLS SHOES FOR MR. BEEBE XXVI. Miss PARROTT'S COACH AND THE COASTING XXVII. PRINCES AND PRINCESSES THE ADVENTURES OF JOEL PEPPER I JOEL AND THE SNAKE "Come on, Dave!" It was Joel's voice, and Polly pricked up her ears. "'Tisn't going to hurt you. Hoh! you're a 'fraid-cat--old 'fraid-cat!" "No, I'm not 'fraid-cat," declared little Davie, trying to speak stoutly; "I'm coming, Joel," and his little rusty shoes pattered unevenly down the rickety board walk. "Jo-_el_!" called Polly, thinking it quite time now to interfere. Joel scuttled behind the old woodshed, and several smothered grunts proclaimed his disapproval at the interruption. "Now I know you're up to some mischief," declared Polly, "so you just come into the house, Joel Pepper, and tell me what it is." "'Tisn't," said Joel, loudly insisting. "_Don't go, Dave_," in a loud whisper. Thereupon ensued a lively scuffle, evidently, by the noise they made. "I must," said little Davie; "Polly called us." "No, she didn't call _you_," declared Joel. "You stay here. She said 'Joel.'" "Bo-_oys_!" sang out Polly's voice, not to have any doubt in the matter. "There, she did call me," cried Davie, wriggling to get free from Joel's clutch; "she said 'boys!'" "She's always calling us," said Joel, in an injured voice, dragging himself away from the charms of the woodshed to straggle slowly back to the house. There sat Polly on the big stone that served as a step for the back door, with her hands folded in her lap. Little Davie skipped by Joel, and ran up to her, with a flushed face. "Now I should like to know what you've been up to, Joey Pepper?" said Polly, her brown eyes full on him. "Haven't been up to anything," mumbled Joel, hanging his chubby face. "Yes, you have, I know," declared Polly, in her most positive fashion; "now tell me what it is, and right straight off, Joel. Begin." She kept her hands still folded in her lap. "What were you going to do?"