Dangerous Hilarity: The Great Adventures of the Jackson Twins, Their Family and the Dogs in Their Lives, A Novel for Teens and Young Adults and All Those Who are Young at Heart. Sioux Dallas

whining. Do you understand?”

      “Yes, sir,” Tom answered softly.

      Tim was sorry for his twin and tried to lighten the air. “Hey, Dad. Did we tell you how much we enjoyed the day in D.C.? We really do appreciate you taking the time to come all the way back and give us such a neat surprise. You spent a lot of money and we appreciate it.”

      “Tim, you may be excused. Go straight to your room and don’t try to stand in the hall and listen. Anna, you may be excused, also.” Herb spoke quietly.

      Anna looked as if she would like to say something, but she went with an arm around Tim. In the hall Anna shook Tim’s shoulder. “When are you going to learn that flattery doesn’t get you everything?” She looked sympathetically at Tim.

      Tom wriggled in his chair and looked anxiously from Irene to Herb. Galena put her head on Tom’s lap as if she, too, sympathized with him.

      Herb sat a few minutes looking down in his cup. He slowly raised his head and looked at Tom. “Son, you know how much I love you -- we love you. What you did was not only dangerous but unnecessary. And you disturbed the family’s rest. How would you have felt if a neighbor happened to look out to see a figure in our tree, jumped to the conclusion that someone was breaking in and called the police? They certainly would not have thought it was funny. You must learn to analyze situations, think before you act and accept responsibility for your actions.” He drew a long, slow breath.

      “Responsible parents give their children guidance while allowing them to grow and learn through personal experiences. Sometimes an experience is not a wise choice. I hope you learn from it, to think before you act, and to consider the feelings of others.”

      “Yes, sir. I sure have. May I be excused?”

      “Not yet, dear,” Irene said. “We haven’t discussed what you are to do.” She patted Tom’s back and reached to hug Galena who pushed her head between Irene and Tom.

      “Now then,” Herb continued, “you will go to Sunday School and church tomorrow as usual. But you’ll spend the afternoon in your room while Tim goes skating and eating out with your friends. You need to think about what you’ve done and be able, later today, to tell me what you’ve learned from this.”

      As Tom got up, Irene took his hand, “Don’t forget to change the sheets on your bed and bring all dirty clothes to the laundry room. That includes towels and wash cloths as well as linens and clothes. Remind Tim to do the same. Here’s the furniture polish and a rag. While you’re doing the polishing, Tim can run the vacuum in your room. Anna will vacuum the hall after she has finished her room. I could use some help in the rose garden for a little while after you boys finish. Dad’s going to be cleaning out the basement and packing some things he wants.”

      Tom hung his head and nodded. He drug out of the room and slapped up the stairs. He stumbled to his bed and fell across it. “Parents. Who need ‘em?” he muttered.

      “Gosh. Was it that bad?” Tim asked in a soft, sympathetic voice.

      Tom thought a minute them rolled to his side, propping an elbow on his thigh and cupping his face in his hand. “Truthfully? No, not that bad, and I shouldn’t feel badly toward our parents. I did bring this on myself and they do love us or they wouldn’t get upset and worry so much. But I’m still mad at the whole situation.” He sighed and rolled on his back with his hands clasped behind his head.

      “Well for gosh sakes, if you don’t tell me quick what they said, I’ll --I’ll”

      “All right. Keep your britches on. It truly isn’t all that bad except you have to promise me one thing.”

      “Sure. What?”

      Tom told Tim what his punishment would be. “Promise me you’ll not breathe a word of this to the guys. I would just die if they knew how stupid I’ve been.”

      “I promise. I won’t talk about it. But what’ll I tell them when you don’t go with us tomorrow?”

      “I don’t know. Tell them I got sick and had to stay in bed.”

      “You want me to deliberately lie?”

      “Nah. I won’t ask you to lie.”

      “I know. I’ll stay home tomorrow, too,” Tim said gleefully.

      “Uh uh. Mom and dad won’t let you,” Tom said sadly. “Unless you can convince them you’re really sick.”

      “Now you want me to lie to our parents.”

       “Shoot,” Tom said with disgust, “I guess you’ll have to tell the truth. It’ll come out anyway. Stuff always does.”

      I won’t tell everything. I’ll just tell them about you climbing out the window. I won’t tell what time it was. Don’t worry. I won’t tell them anything that’ll make them tease you.”

      “Thanks, Tim. You’re the best brother in the world. I guess we’d better get busy cleaning our room. We have to do the usual Saturday things. Go get the clean sheets while I take the dirty ones off our beds. Dad’s cleaning out the basement and packing. Oooooh!” He fell back on the bed.

      “What’s wrong? Do you hurt?” Tim asked worriedly.

      “Alaska,” Tom spat out bitterly. “Every time I think of it, I get sick to my stomach.”

      “I know. Me, too. When our friends talk about it I think it might not be so bad after all. Then I’m alone thinking and I ---” Tim looked with sympathy at a mirror image of himself. Light brown hair, bright green eyes, lightly tanned face with a few freckles across the nose, a cleft in the chin and full lips that were now turned down. Both boys were tall for their age. At five feet eight inches and well muscled bodies from loads of athletic activities, they could have passed for a couple of years older.

      Both boys sank down on their beds with elbows on knees and chin in hands. With a sigh they finally got up to do what they did every Saturday.

       Chapter Five

      Tim had made arrangements to meet some of the boys at the city library on Monday after school. He and Tom walked in to find several boys at a table with numerous books on Alaska in front of them. The twins sat and whispered greetings.

      “Hey! Here’s some interesting stuff.” Pat spoke loudly in excitement.

      “Shh. Keep your voice down or we’ll be kicked out,” Tom poked him.

      Pat continued to read in a lower voice. “Since 1867 the stars and stripes have flown over Alaska, but it wasn’t until 1958 that U. S. Congress approved Alaska being admitted as our 49^th state. On January 3, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the papers. The name Alaska comes from an Aleut Indian word meaning Great Land. Wow! Russia is only one hundred ninety miles from Nome.”

      “Great. I hope we get a chance to visit Russia,” Tim whispered. “I’m looking forward to meeting some real Eskimo and Indians and now some Russians.”

      Pat looking puzzled said, “I thought Russia was only fifty-three miles from Alaska.”

      “Well it is at farther northern points where people don’t live, but Nome is south of there.” John Trivet explained.

      Perry Morton struggled to talk quietly, “This is from the material you guys got from the Nome Convention and Visitors Bureau. It says three lucky Swedens, Jafet Lindberg, Erik Lindbloom and John Brynteson, discovered gold on Anvil Creek in 1898. When the news reached Klondike, thousands came and built a camp called Anvil City. No trees to build with so they had to set up tents that covered the thirty miles between Cape Rodney and Cape Nome. From about one hundred people, it grew to over ten thousand. Huge storms and fires left little in that first camp.”

      “Now me,” Benji took the paper. “During World War II, Nome was the last stop for planes flying to Russia. U. S. troops were stationed in