Read Online The Adventures of Jack and Billy Joe by A. Jeff Tisdale - Free Book Online

I do that neither your momma nor my momma are gonna let us do that after what happened last time,” Jack said.
    “Now we couldn’t help it if the river rose and Mr. Ezell’s boat got away. We had plenty of food and a good fire on that sandbar. The only danger was in our mommas’ minds,” Billy Joe pointed out.
    “Yeah, but it’s still in their minds and they ain’t gonna let us go,” Jack rightly stated.
    “Okay, I’ll go, but only ’cause my momma will let me go with the Methodist Youth Fellowship but she wouldn’t let us go by ourselves,” Billy Joe agreed.
    The boys rode their bicycles up to the Methodist Church, where church ladies were signing up boys to go on the weeklong campout.
    Mrs. Nelson gave each boy a paper and said, “Give this to your momma. It tells them what we are doing to make sure you are safe and tells them that we will have a car out there to bring anyone back to town if need be. On the back, there’s a list of the things you will need to bring. All the food will be furnished by George Moyers’ grocery store and on Jamboree night, Mr. Moyers and Mr. Dick Mills will come out and fry chicken for everybody. Just give this paper to your mommas and tell them they can call me if they have any questions.” She paused then added, “Oh yes, each of you must have a bicycle in good shape with a basket on it. The campers will leave from right here at the church at seven AM the morning of June fifteenth.”
    “Yes, ma’am, thank you,” both boys said and left, each with his sheet of paper.
    “That fried chicken by Mr. Moyers and Mr. Mills does sound good,” Billy Joe said.
    “Yeah, and I like hearing that we are gonna ride our bikes and not have to walk. Walkin’ on a gravel road is not good,” Jack said. “On a bike, I can ride the hard ruts or the shoulder and make good time.”
    “They’re not gonna let you ‘make good time,’” Billy Joe said. “You’re gonna have to wait for the slowest ones.”
    “At least I can pump on up ahead a bit and then wait for the slow ones.”
    “Yeah, I guess,” Billy Joe agreed.
    The boys easily got their parents’ blessing to go on the campout, and their mothers made sure they had everything called for on the list, including soap, a toothbrush with toothpaste and a towel. The mothers also added essentials of their own conception, such as a small first aid kit, a flashlight, an extra cap and pencil and paper to write what happened every day. The boys called this their “daily report.”
    On June 15th, Jack and Billy Joe were at the door of the church recreation center at six thirty, the first ones there.
    Louis Jackson came at about a quarter to seven. He made all the boys lay out the items in their packs for his inspection and yelled at them if he didn’t like what he saw.
    In the end, none of the boys were not allowed to go, but he seemed to think this little bit of marine boot camp was necessary before they departed.
    “Okay, men,” Mr. Jackson bellowed, “we’ll ride single file on the left shoulder facing the traffic. I don’t want to see anybody wandering off. I’ll be riding in the back and if I see you horsin’ around, I’ll make you wish you hadn’t. Do you understand me?”
    There was a half-hearted chorus of “Yes, sir” from the boys.
    They started off down the road with Jack and Billy Joe making sure they were in the lead. Mr. Ward was driving to the camp in his car so they would have an emergency way back to town if anyone needed it. Mr. Jackson was the only adult riding a bicycle and, the boys reckoned, he would be in the rear and out of their sight.
    Jack led the string of about twenty-five bicycles through town at a leisurely pace. This gave the boys and Mr. Jackson a chance to get used to that pace and to settle in.
    Jack had to stop for the red light at US11, the only traffic light in town. He glanced at the service station across the highway and saw Lige Garner standing there watching him. Jack could swear it