There was a flagpole that stood in the front yard of the Lubec High School, and with great pride it proudly displayed an American flag. The flag had thirteen stripes, seven red alternating with six white, and a canton of blue holding forty eight white stars.

Barbara Sable, the daughter of John and Jean Sable and the brother of Tom Sable, was a senior in Lubec High and wanted to write a story about the flag and the flagpole. It was one of our local landmarks. If any Lubecer was giving directions to a stranger in town they would never say, �Go straight ahead until you see the Lubec High School,� but would always say, �go straight ahead until you see the Lubec High School flagpole and go left or right from there.�

   Barbara wanted to be exact in her telling of the story of the flagpole but was having a slight problem. A few years before there had been a fire in the principal�s office and the measurements of the flagpole had been destroyed. It�s hard to write a thirty page essay on a flagpole if you don�t know the measurements. She mentioned her dilemma at the supper table one night and her father told her not to worry.

   �Tom and I will measure the height of the flagpole for you. Won�t we Tom?�

   �If you say so, Pa,� Tom answered as he stuffed another piece of finnan haddie into his mouth.

   The next day was Saturday, so bright and early Mr. Sable and Tom went to the schoolhouse and prepared to measure the height of the pole. The senior Mr. Sable stood at the bottom of the pole and looked up.

   �I didn�t have any idea it was that tall,� he said as he removed his hat and held it in the same hand while he scratched his head.

   �Me neither, Pa,� Tom piped in agreeing with his father.

   �That really isn�t a problem though, Tom. I brought a long piece of string with me so you just take one end and shinny up the pole. When you reach the top I�ll hold the string next to the pole and tie a knot where the string touches the ground. Then we can use the yardstick to measure the string.�

   �That�s a good idea, Pa, except for one thing. You�re as crazy as a loon if you think I�m going up that flagpole. I get dizzy just standing up on a chair.�

   �You know for sure I can�t get up there, Tom. My lumbago, bursitis, and arthritis won�t allow it. We�ve got to do something, son."

  About that time two visitors from Massachusetts (there seemed to be a lot of them around when I was growing up) walked up to John and Tom.

   �Do you have a problem that we can help with?� one of the men asked.

   �I don�t know how you can help us,� Mr. Sable said. �We�ve got to measure the height of the flagpole and we don�t how.�

   One of the foreigners (that�s anybody that doesn�t live within the boarders of Maine) took a quick glance at the pole and noticed a swivel unit at the pole�s bottom. He took his friend by the arm and walked off a few feet so John and Tom couldn�t hear him say, �There�s a swivel at the bottom of the pole and it shouldn�t take us a minute to lay the pole on the ground, let them measure it, and stand it up again, but for our trouble we should ask for five bucks.�

   As they walked back toward John and Tom the other visitor looked at the bottom of the pole and mentally agreed with his friend.

   �I�ll tell you what we�ll do for you,� one of the men said. �For five dollars we�ll give you

   Once the bill was safely stowed in the stranger�s pocket, he and his friend walked over to the flagpole. As he reached down and removed the bolt that held the swivel straight, his partner slowly walked backwards as the flagpole rested against his hands that he was holding above his head. In less than a minute the flagpole was resting comfortably on the ground.

   �Take your yardstick and measure the pole,� one of the men commanded the Sable duo. Doing as they were told they got the measurement and as soon as they were done the man with Mr. Sable�s fiver in his pocket easily returned the flagpole to an upright position. His friend restored the bolt to its original position and they walked off and waved at John and Tom as they disappeared around a corner.

   Both father and son stood there scratching their heads not quite sure what had happened. Then Tom spoke. �We�ve been had, Pa. Those two city slickers sure stuck it to us.�

   �How do you figure that, Tom?� Mr. Sable asked his son.

   �It didn�t take them long to lay that flagpole on the ground and as I see it, it sure didn�t require a whole lot of strength,� Tom said showing how well he had been paying attention.

   �That�s true but how have we been had, son?� Mr. Sable inquired of his son.

   �Don�t you see it yet, Pa. Those two city slickers pulled a good one on us. We don�t know the height of the flagpole we only know its length."