THE MYSTIC YEARS

The Mystic Years are those indefinable moments at the end of childhood when every day brings fresh adventure--especially to boys living in the rugged land of western Canada. Chad Streeter and his friend Jinx perform appealingly all the predictable pranks and discover that boyhood is not bliss. Alert adults inevitably discover Chad's ""crimes"" and usually pronounce punishment despite his attempts to outwit them. Even good deeds turn into disasters. All these troubles make a fellow think about life. The mystic years end when boys become men; Chad's initiation into the adult world is accomplished in a superimposed adventure: when the Lucky Jim Mine is robbed, Chad overhears the thieves making plans to ship their booty out of the country and informs the authorities who make the arrest. Personable characters and plenty of action, but the forced denouement and the many cliches weaken the tale.