12 Bosh-Bosh Oil.

was stopped by a very strong wire, which was
stretched directly across the path. He got down
on his knees and tried to crawl under it, but
lo and behold, down came the wire and he could
not pass it! “I will then jump over it,’’ he
said. But when he got up, up it flew, for it
was a magic wire, and was there to prevent
people going any farther. Gardner looked to the
tight and left, but found that it stretched way
off in the distance, on either side, which made
it impossible for him to go round it. He sat
down for a moment, discouraged, but not for
long. That very morning he had exchanged with
a boy friend a fine three-bladed knife for a big red
marble and a wonderfully powerful magnet. This
magnet he now took from his pocket, and held
toward the wire.

‘““Ah, ha!’ he shouted, for the wire, though
evidently with the utmost reluctance, bent to
meet it. Magic though it was, it had to obey
the magnet. Gardner held the magnet lower
and lower, finally laying it on the ground, and,
sadly obeying it, down, down, down came the