The Sunday Oregonian., April 06, 1902, PART FOUR, Page 28, Image 28

2S
THE SUNDAY OREGCOTAN, PORTLAND, APRIL 6, 1902.
ANDIRON TALES BY J. K.
61
ELL," said the Polar Bear, as
the Oscycle started on Its
downward course, "I'm
mighty glad we're off, and away from
those other creatures on that Trolley.
They were a dishonest lot."
"So am I," came a voice from behind
him, that made the Dear jump nervous
ly, for It was none other than tho Fla
mingo. "So are the rest of us," added a lot of
voices In chorus, and Tom. turning to see
who beside himself and his companions
liad got aboard, was hugely amused to
see the Kangaroo, the Monkey, the Hip
popotamus and all the other creatures
from the Trolley, save only the conduc
tor and motorman, seated there behind,
as happy as you please.
"It doesn't pay to associate wlthtcon
ductors," said the Flamingo. "They don't
think of anything but money all the time,
and they're awfully rude about It some
times. "Why, I knew a conductor once
who refused to change a 1100 bill for
me."
"I don't believe you ever had a $100
bill," growled the Hippopotamus.
"I've got one I wouldn't sell for 11000,"
said the Flamingo. "It's the one I eat
with." he added.
"That's not legal tender," said the
Polar Bear. c
"You couldn't change It if It was,"
sneered the Flamingo.
"I could chango it In a minute. If I
"wanted to," said the Polar Bear with a
chuckle.
"What- with, cash?" demanded the
Flamingo scornfully.
"No with one whack of my paw,"
said the Bear, shaking his flat menacingly
at the Flamingo. "I could change your
whole face, for that matter," he added
with a frown.
"I was only fooling, Poley, old man,"
Bald the Flamingo, a trifle worried. "Of
co-arse you could, but you wouldn't, would
you?"
"Not unless I had to," replied the Bear,
"but, gee! aren't we just wrizzling along.
Are you cold, Tom?"
"Yes," said Tom. with a shiver, "Just a
little."
"Well, come sit next to me and I'll let
you use my furs. I don't need 'em my
self, I'm a pretty warm Bear, consider
ing where I come from."
"Sit close, gentlemen," cried the man In
charge of the Oscycle. "We're coming to
a thank-you-marm. Look out! Look out!
Hang together. By Jove, there goes the
monkey."
And sure enough, off the Monkey flew
as the Oscycle crossed the hump at an
enormous rate of speed.
"HI, there, you fellows," the Monkey
shrieked as he landed In the soft snow,
"wait a minute. HI, you! Stop! Walt
for me!"
"Can't do It," roared the man in
charge. "Can't stop going too fast."
"But what am I going to doo-oo-oo?"
ehrieked the Monkey, excitedly.
"Get inside of a snowball and roll down.
We'll catch you on the way back," the
Kangaroo yelled, and "as they now passed
out of hearing of the monkey's voice, no
one knew how the little creature took the
suggestion.
"I'm glad he's gone," said the Hippo
potamus. "He was a nuisance and I tell
you I had a narrow escape. He had his
tall wound round my neck a minute be
fore. He might have yanked me off with
him."
"Yanked you!" said the Old Gentleman
from Saturn, gazing contemptuously at
the Hippopotamus. "Bosh! The idea of
a seven-pound monkey yanking a three
ton Hippopotamus!"
"What?" roared the man In charge. "A
what how much which?"
"Three-ton," said the Old Gentleman
from Saturn. "That's what he weighs.
I know, because he stepped on my toe
getting off the trolley."
"But It's against the law!" cried the man
in charge. "We're not allowed to carry
more than 1000 pounds on these ma
chines." "Humph!" laughed the Kangaroo, "It's
very evident, Hippy, that you'll have to
go way back and lose some weight."
"I can't help weighing three tons," said
The Eippopclamus. "I'm built tnat way."
"That's all right." said the man In
charge," wringing his hands in despair;
"but you'Jl have to get off. If you don't
we'll go over the edge." His voice rose
to a shriek.
Tom's heart sank and he half rose up.
"Sit still," said the two andirons, grab
bing him by the arms. "We're In for it.
"We've got to tako what comes." ""
"Right you are," said the Bellows.
"Don't you bother. Tom. We'll come out
all right in tho end."
"But what's the trouble, Mr. Man?"
asked the Poker. "What's tho Hippo's
LOTTERY PARTY
A NEW GAME THAT
AMUSEMENT, w. r
A LOTTERY evening can be gotten up
In half an hour. The only requisites
are a pasteboard box and a nice prize. In
the box put slips of paper containing all
the figures from 1 to 100. Cut a hole in
ithe bottom of the box large enough to ad
'mlt of one slip of paper coming out at a
time, and you are ready to receive your
guests.
When the company have arrived seat
them in a circle and give the box into
the hands of some member. Explain
that each person In turn will shake tho
box and receive a number. Within three
minutes' time after receiving the number
he will be obliged to name something
for which that number is remarkable or
famous. This allusion may be historic,
mythical or literary, etc Thus, if a player
receive the number 2 he can mention
"The Two Gentlemen of Verona." If the
number 10 falls to his lot he suggests the
"Council of Ten." If the number which
falls to him be 30 he recalls "The Thirty
Years War."
This answer to the number received
must In every case be mentioned before
two minutes are up. If any player can
not discover an allusion within that time
he gains nothing; for answering within
that time, and correctly, he is awarded a
point toward the game. If any player has
failed to answer within the prescribed
time he has still a chance to win back
half a point for himself. This Is won by
challenging other members of the com
pany to answer the question. If no one
present can give a suitable allusion the
drawer of the unlucky number redeems
half a point.
As It is to every one's interest to keep
others from winning points, this way of
redeeming mistakes is sure to keep the
entire circle on the qui vlve with excitement-Each
person In turn shakes the box
and decides his fate. The rounds con
tinue until all numbers have been ex
hausted. Here Is a partial list, recalled at ran
dom, of the famous things which can be
applied to the numbers from 1 to 25. The
list Is sufficiently complete to show the
possibilities of the plan, but any bright
young person with wits keyed up to the
proper pitch could name off-hand as many
mere:
No. 1 The man who escaped death, Eli
jah. The once false disciple. Judas. The
one touch of nature which makes the
world all kin. The one tree which was
forbidden in the Garden of Eden.
No. 2--"Two Gentlemen of Verona' the
Shakespearean drama. The two strings to
MEMORABLE RIDE ON THE
NARROW ESCAPE
weight got to do with our going over the
edge?"
"Why, can't you see," exclaimed the
Man in Charge. "His C000 pounds push
ing the machine along from behind there
gives us Just so much extra speed, and all
the brakes In the world won't stop us now
we've got golns, unless he gets off."
The announcement caused an immediate
panic, and the Polar Bear began to cry
like a baby.
"Oh, why did I ever come?" he moaned
aa the tears trickled down his nose and
froze Into a great Icicle at the end of it.
"When I might have staid home riding
around on my own private iceberg."
"Stop your whimpering," said the Kan
garoo, "Brace up and be a man."
"I don't want to be a man," blubbered
the bear. "I'm satisfied to be a poor,
miserable little Polar Bear."
"You've got to jump. Hippy," said the
OX THE OSCYCLE.
Flamingo. "That's all there Is about it"
"Sir." replied the Hippopotamus, sol
emnly. I shall not jump. It would 111
comport with my dignity for me to try
to jump as if I were merely a Kangaroo.
No, sir. Here I sit, firm as a rock. You
might as well ask an elephant to dance
a jig."
"We'll put you off If you don't get off
of your own accord," roared the Polar
Bear, bracing up, and removing the icicle
from his nose he shook it angrily at the
Hippopotamus.
"All right," said the Hippopotamus with
a pleasant smile. "All right. Has any
gentleman brought a derrick along with
him to assist In the operation. You don't
happen to have a freight elevator in your
pocket, do you, Mr. Kangaroo?"
"Pry him off. Poker," cried tho Kan
garoo. "I would If I could," answered the
Poker mournfully, "but I'm not -a crow
bar." "Well, then all together here," shouted
the Man from Saturn. "Line up and we'll
shove him off."
There was a frantic rush at the stolid
WILL FURNISH AN EVENING'S
r
the proverbial bow. Two faces of the god
Janus.
No. 3 Three Graces. Three Fates. Three
Furies. Three Cardinal Virtues. Three
Harpies. Three Hesperldes.
No. 4 Fourth of July. "Four rogues In
buckram." Four seasons. Fourth of
March, inaugural day.
No. 6 The five wise and five foolish
virgins of the parable.
No. 6 The proverbial "sixes and sevens"
of disorder.
No. 7 The Seven-Hilled City, Rome. The
The Seven Sages. Seven Wonders of the
World. Soven Sleepers. The Seventh Son.
Seven Ages of Man.
No. S-The Eight Beatitudes. The eight
King Henrys of England. The eight peo
ple saved by Noah In his ark.
No. 9 Nine Muses. Nine Worthies.
No. 10 The Ten Commandments. Tho
Council of Ten. The Retreat of the Ten
Thousand. The Ten Lost Tribes.
No. 11 The 11th, or new commandment
of love. The 11th hour of salvation. The
11.000 virgins.
No. 12 The 12 Caesars. Twelve disci
ples. Twelve men In the Jury box. Twelve
labors of Hercules.
No. 13 The 13 original states. The 13
guests at the last supper. The 13 Ptole
mys of Egyjt
No. 14 Destruction of the Bastlle, July
14. The discovery of America, 1492.
No. 15 The edict of Nantes, 1598.
No. 16 1620, the landing of the Pilgrims.
No. 171776, the Revolutionary War In
America.
No. IS The ISth King Louis of France.
No. 19 The century Just finished. The
19 Kings of Israel.
No. 20-The 20 Kings of Judah.
No. 21 The age of majority.
No. 22 22d of February, Washington's
birthday.
No. 23-FoundIng of Babylon, about 2300.
No. 24 The 24 hours. The 24 blackbirds
baked in the pie.
No. 25 The silver wedding anniversary.
Prizes might be chosen to suggest the
numerical character of the evening For
example, there might be interesting books
containing biographies of "Twenty-five
Great Generals," or "A Dozen Beauties of
European Courts," or "One Thousand
Wonderful Things."
Then, too, the dishes on the supper table
could be surmounted by arithmetical plac
ards. Thus, sandwiches can be described
as "two divided by on," referring, of
course, to the two pieces of bread and
one of meat or other filling. The players
who fall to win any point should receive
primary arithmetics, or boxes of the nu
merical blocks with which children learn
to county ol boobia i
BANGS
OSCYCLE AND A
Hippopotamus In response to this sug
gestion, but they might as well have tried
to batter down tho rock of Gibraltar by
hurling feathers against it, so firmly fixed
in his seat was this passenger of out
rageous weight.
"Come again, gentlemen," said the
Hippopotamus, sauvely, "There's nothing
better for the rnmnlprlon than n vc-nnrt
rub, and I assure you you have placed me J
under an obligation to you."
"Prod him with the icicle," said the
Kangaroo to the Polar Bear.
"I am not to be moved by tears, even
if they are frozen and sharpened to a
point," laughed the Hippopotamus, as the
Polar Bear did as he was told, smashing
tho Icicle without so much as denting the
Hippo's flesh.
"Well, if you won't jump, I will," said
the Man from Saturn, angrily. "If I'm
f
hurt I'll take It out of your hide when
we meet again."
"All right," retorted the Hippopotamus,
"You'll have to get a steam drill and blast
It out. By-by."
The Man from Saturn Jumped and landed
head first in the snow; but whether be
was hurt or not the party never knew, for
their speed waa now so terrific that he had
barely landed before they whizzed past the
bottom of the hill and up the other Incline.
It became clear, too, as they sped on that
at such a fearful rate of progress nothing
could now keep tho oscycle from going
ever the edge, and the others began to
lay plans forNsafety.
"I'm going to Jump for a passing trolley
cloud the minute we get to the edge,"
said the Kangaroo.
"I don't know what I shall do," sobbed
the Polar Bear. "If I land on my feet
I'll be all right, for they're big and soft,
like sofa cushions, but If I land on my
head"
"That's softer yet, Poley," laughed the
Flamingo, who appeared to be less con
cerned than anybody. "If you land on
your head It will be Just as If you fell into-
BOBS INVENTED A GAME
IT WAS RATTLING GOOD, BUT IT SCARED THE
FAMILY TO DEATH.
OBS was a little roly-poly boy. All
the neighborhood loved him and
watched with a ready greeting for the
happy-go-lucky 7-year-old, who was al
ways smiling and always up to some gay
prank.
A rainy day seemed to be a signal for
Bobs to come to grief, so when the drops
came down pllsh-plash on a Saturday,
Saturday of all days, when a email boy
wanted to tag after tho big fellows In a
good game of "fox and hounds" or "pom,
pom, peel away," why Boba felt' forlorn
and cross, very cross.
"Go up In the attic, Bobsy," said nurse,
"and have a romp with Jack."
Jack was only the baby of 5 years, but
a first-rate playfellow and a devoted fol
lower. Just the thing, so up the attic
stairs they tumbled, and nurse settled
down to her darning, satisfied that they
were safe and happy. She forgot Bobs'
talent for mischief, forgot that the rain
was keeping him a prisoner, and forgot
the attic window.
The attic was a perfect playground. It
was a great big room, covering the en
tire house, lighted by email windows all
the way round, cleared of all furnishings
or attic rubbish, and turned over to the
children it had become a kingdom where
Bobs was king.
A few turns on the velocipedes, old ones
kept in the attic for just such rainy days,
worked up enthusiasm, and while they
were whirling around as steam cars, Bobs
had his Inspiration.
"Let's play I, am a gentleman riding
my automobile in a wild country, Jack,
and you are a band of robbers after me
to capture and seize my treasure. My
machine must strike a stone and turn
overr pitching me to the edge of the cliff.
I'll have to climb over or fall In your
clutcries."
Jack, all admiration, fell in with the
plan, and -came whooping and yelling
down the highway on a prancing steed,
In fair Imitation of a fierce gang of high
waymen. On went the automobile with
the Christian gentleman and his treasure,
his face drawn, his teeth set, the rob
bers not far behind, and he was gaining
yard by yard, when crack, crack, crack,
went the automobile, and the obliging ve
locipede turned over, spilling out tho noble
youth. He stumbled to his feet. The
robbers were on him. There was nothing
for It but to climb down over the cliff.
"Now what shall we do for a cliff,
Jack? The whole thing will bo spoiled
If wo don't have the real thing."
"Would the window do?" ventured
Jack.
v The very thing, so up went the win
a great bowl of oatmeal, so you're all
right."
"I'm not afraid for jnyself," said the
Poker. "I can drop any distance without
serious Injury, being made of iron, and
my friends, the Andirons, are equally for
tunate. The Bellows, too. Is compara
tively safe. The worst that can happen
to him Is to have the wind knocked out of
him. But"
"It's Tom we're bothered about," eald
the Right Handlron, with an anxious
glance at Lefty. "You see, we invited
him to come off here with us, and"
"Who Is he, anyhow?" demanded the
Flamingo, glancing at Tom in such a way
that the youngster began to feel very un
comfortable. "I'm a Dormouse," said Tom, remember
ing the agreement.
"Not for this occasion," put in the
Poker. "This time you're a boy, and
wo've got to save you somehow or other,
and wa'll do it. Tom, so don't be frald."
"What kind of a boy Is he?" demanded
the Flamingo. "One of these bean-snap-plng
boys that go around shooting robins
and hooking birds' eggs when they haven't
anything else to do?"
"Not a bit of It," said Rlghty. "He
never snapped a bean at a bird In all his
life."
"Humphr!" said the Flamingo. "I sup
pose he's been top busy pulling feathers
out of peacocks tails to decorate bis room
with to be bothering with robins and
eggs."
"Never did such a thing In all my born
days," retorted Tom, indignantly.
"Probably not," sneered the Flamingo.
"And why? Because you were eo well
satisfied keeping a canary locked up In a
cage for your own pleasure that you
hadn't any time to chase peacocks."
"I've lived in the family 40 years," said
the Rlghtandlron, "and to my knowledge
there was never a caged bird In the
house."
"Really?'' said the Flamingo, looking at
Tom with Interest. "Rather a new kind
of a boy this. Veryfew boys have a good
record where birds are cqneerned."
"Tom's no enemy to bird?," observed tbe
Bellows. "I know that because I've been
In bto family longer than he has, and I've
watched him."
"Well," said the Flamingo, "If that's
the case, maybe I can help him. One good
turn deserves another. If he is good to
birds I may be able at thl3 time to be
good to him. This trouble ahead of us
doesn't bother me, because I have wings
and can fly" Here the Flamingo flapped
his wings proudly. "And I could take
Tom on my back and fly anywhere with
him, for I am an extremely powerful bird.
But I want to know one more thing about
him before I undertake to save him. We
birds must stand together, you know, and
I'm not going to befriend a foe to my -kind
under any circumstance?. Thomas!"
"Yes, sir," replied Tom. all of a tremble,
for he hadn't the slightest Idea what was
coming, and as a trtithful boy he knew
that whatever the consequences to him
self might be, ho must give the correct
answer.
"Do you have Sunday breakfast at
home?" asked the Flamingo.
"Yes, sir," Tom replied, respectfully.
"You have coffee and hominy, and toart
and fried potatoes, and all that?" queried
tho bird.
"Yes, air," Tom answered, turning very
pale, however, for he was In great dread
of what he now saw was likely to come.
"And ah fruit?" said the Flamingo.
"Oh, yes, plenty of fruit," replied Tom,
very nervously.
"And now, sir." said the Flamingo, se
verely, ruffling his feathers like an angry
turkey, "now for the main point, Thomas
and, mind you, I want a truthful an
swer. Did you ever eat a broiled Flamln-
.go for your Sunday morning breakfast?"
Tom breathed a sigh of relief as the
Flamingo blurted out the last part of his
question.
"No, sir, never!" he replied.
"Then hurry up and climb up on my
shoulders here," the Flamingo cried.
"You're a boy after my own heart. I
believe you'd be kind to a stuffed parrot.
But hurry there's the edge right ahead
of us. Jump"
Tom Jumped, and In a moment was sit
ting astride of the great bird's neck. In
his right hand he grasped the claw of
Rlghty, In his left that of Lefty, while
theso two clutched tightly hold of the Bel
lows and the Poker, respectively. A mo
ment later the Oscycle reached the edge
and dashed wildly over It, the Kangaroo
following out his plan of jumping higher
still, and, fortunately for himself, catch
ing a passing trolley cloud, by which he
was borne back to the starting point.
As for the Polar Bear and the Hippo
potamus, they plunged out Into space,
while the group comprising our little
party from home and the Flamingo soared
gracefully back to earth again, where the
generous-hearted bird deposited them
safely on top of the most convenient Alp.
"Thanks very much," said Tom, as he
clambered down from the blrd'a neck and
stood upon solid ground again.
"Don't mention It," said the Flamingo.
"It's a pleasure to serve a bird-defender
and his friends," and with this he soared
away.
"I'm glad he didn't ask me If I ever ate
broiled chicken for Sunday breakfast,"
said Tom.
"Why?" asked the Poker. "Do you?"
"Do I?" cried Tom. "Well, I guess I
don't do anything else."
Copyright 1902.
dow, out scrambled Bobs and ina jiffy
the poor, hunted gentleman hung by his
hands out of tho attic window of the
family mansion, while the robber band,
gayly represented by Jack, clutched his
jacket. It wa3 glorious.
Just aa luck would havo It a neighbor,
one of those try friendly neighbors, who
chanced to bo passing, attracted by the
frantic jerk of a pair of stockings, peered
up from under her dripping umbrella and
almost dropped 1, In- her fright Stumb
ling and trembling sho got up the steps
and grasped the bell.
Would ho drop at her feet before she
could warm the household?
A passer-by stopped. He stood as If
turned to stone, and then ran to join the
neighbor at the doorbell, which was ring
ing frantically.
Master Bobs, all unconscious, began to
weary of cliff climbing and decided to fall
Into the hands of tho gang or be a pris
oner In a robber's cave, so with much
hitching and a deal of tugging by the rob
ber band he was hauled up the cliff and
had just thumped safely on the attic
floor, when a rush of footsteps on the
stairs brought tho household, mother, sis
ters and maids, "the friendly neighbor and
the passing stranger, a white-faced
throng, to welcome him back to everyday
life and escort him to bed for the rest
of a fellow's one holiday to think over
his sins.
"What was the use of thinking up a
good game, anyhow," said the poor
little attlo king, tucked sadly away un
der the bed clothes.
EDITH FOSTER.
Woman's "Worlc.
"Please tell the court what you did be
tween 8 and 9 o'clock on that morning."
"I gave tho two children their break
fast, dressed them for school, made up
their lunches, washed the dishes, 'mado
the beds, sorted the soiled linen and put
It In the tubs, swept and dusted the par
lor, sewed a button or two on the chil
dren's clothes. Interviewed the gas man,
grocer and butcher, put off the landlord,
sat down to glance over the morning
paper, and then "
"That , will do, madam." New York
Herald.
The Gravrtb. of Jjanguagt:,
New York Tribune.
When one of the boodle Aldermen coined
tho word "combine, did anybody Imagine
that within a few years a Justice of the
Supreme Court of the United States would
use It In a solemn opinion, with no appar.
ent doubt of Its p'crfeot validity and pro
fllljBKfc. by Dan Beard-
PaDDY the pack rat and all of his
little pink brothers and sisters
were born as blind as art critics
and as bald as college professors, but,
unlike the latter individuals, young pack
rats learn to see. In time, and age cures
their baldness. Not far from the rats'
nest Is a steep bank of treacherous
slide rocks, where a rattlesnake was
accustomed to take his dally sun
bath. The almost white skin of this
snake Is decorated with dark stripes and
spots, and is a conspicuous object on
my study wall, but it approaches so
closely to- the color of the sun-baked
atones that a live rattler of this kind Is
scarcely distinguishable among the slide
rock.
How it happened that the snake ever
discovered the rats nest Is uncertain;
however, I am inclined to think that,
dog-like, It used Its nose to follow the
trail of the mother rat Even such de
voted little creatures as mother pack
rats often find it necessary to leave
their babies unprotected for short Inter
vals, and then accidents sometimes hap
pen to- their helpless offsprings. Old
time prospectors and trappers say that
pack rats in the gold mining districts
of Arizona protect their nests from
snakes by barricades built of prickly
cactus. That this plant does not grow
in tho Cascade Mountains near Paddy's
home may account for the ease with
which the slide rock rattler Inserted Its
body Into the cleft In the cliff where the
ne3t was located. By some unexplained
accident little Paddy's Hfo was spared,
but when the mother rat returned to
her home it was to find the graves, of all
her other children marked by an egg
shaped swelling In the living body of the
reptile.
The most relentless and bloodthirsty
foe of the wild creatures is man, and
such is the terror usually Inspired in
their hearts by the presence of a human
being," that It Is seldom we have an op
portunity to witness the real native
courage of our wild brothers In fur and
feathers. If the old mother rat's body
trembled violently and her chisel-like
teeth chattered at the sight of the ven
omous snake. It was not with fear, but
rather with righteous wrath. With her
eyes fixed upon the Intruder the old
pack rat's body seemed to swell to ab
normal proportions. She swayed slowly
from side to side and stamped tho earth
menacingly with her little hand-like feet
I have often witnessed a snake strike
with a rapidity beyond the power of
the human eye to follow; but quicker
than the movement of the snake was
BIRD LIFE IN
First the blue and then the shower.
Bursting bud and smiling flower.
Mary Mapea Dodge, i
APRIL Is tbe battle ground of the
seasons In our climate. Not so
much "Winter lingering In the lap
of Spring" as the poet has it as Summer
pushing forward. Impatient to get her
buds unfolded and her flowers out of the
ground. In this month she usually man
ages, In the words of the Immortal losea,
to "Toss the fields full of blossoms, leaves
and birds," her leaves half open and her
modest Spring bloom ready. Hepatlcs, the
pioneer, bloodroot lighting up the shad
owy corners, houstonla sprinkling the
fields and arbutus opening sweet eyes un
der last year's leaves.
About the third week in the fickle
month she generally succeeds In giving us
a foretaste of what wo may expect when
she gets complete control, and sets us
thinking of mountain and seashore. Tbe
bird wojrld shares the unrest of the sea
son. A few hardy warblers hurry past
us. full of business, the myrtle with his
four mystic badges, the pine, with breast
of gold and the fascinating black-throated
green, en route for the evergreen forests
he loves so well. Two or three linger and
finally stay; the modest-clad black and
white, the water thrush of flirting tail
SILLY- ffiLLY
SAT - FISHING -
ViHEW - A - COW -
AND-THE-PL
"1
fk --
J 'v C
sxl "
A " JTi
-PADDV'T'ACrtHATS TOEASVRE TROtfES
the spring which transferred the mother
rat to perch on the squirming body
of the rattler. All In vain did tho rasp
ing rattle sound its dry, vibrating threat
of death; such was the fury of the on
slaught that the rodent's teeth not only
severed the snake's backbone, but the
reptile's head was stricken from Its
writhing body with tho dispatch and
skill worthy of a professional heads
man. Tho Initial motive. Instinct or thought
still controlled the snake's body with
its dire purpose, and devoid of head,'!
brains or weapons, the thing coiled and
struck the rat again and again with the
bloody stump of It3 neck.
Such was the tragedy which left llttlfe
Paddy sole heir to the horded stores cf
its parents. When Paddy's eyes were
opened he viewed with satisfaction the
soft hair which had begun to grow
from the tip of his nose to the end of
his tall, pack rats have tails like chip
munks, a peculiarity observed by Lewis
and Clark's men on July 2, 1804. when
they found the first one Qf these ani
mals ever seen by civilized man. Com
paratively few civilized men have seen
any of these creatures since 1S04, for the
reason that only hunters and miners
frequent the haunts of the pack rat and
the rodents themselves seldom venture
out until after dark. The accompany
ing illustration, drawn from life, will
possibly give the reader a better Idea of
this animal's appearance than a printed
description.
It Is not its bushy tall alone which
makes the pack rat Interesting, for Its
quaint eccentricities of character over
shadow the peculiarity of Its appear
ance. No sooner does the camper, pros
pector or trapper erect his tent, shack
or cabin In the rat country than the
pack rats are on hand eager for a chance
to trade. Not only do they exchange
their bric-a-brac for food, but any port
able object has a value to them, nails,
pocket-knives, buttons, tobacco, revol
vers. Iron bolts, pocket compasses, cart
ridges and false teeth are a few of the
recorded objects appropriated by the
pack rats or left In exchange for some
object taken by them.
As the Summer advance Paddy moved
further up the mountain side, where he
began a famous collection of curios.
About this time It was noised about in
ratdom that a prospectors' cabin had been
erected near Paddy's new home. It Is not
safe to state Just how the rats passed
the word around, for It would be certain
to be contradicted, but It may be stated
that after sunset there was a great
rustling among the dry leaves and a
swaying ol the fringed gentians and In
dian paint brushes, showing that the lit
tle mountain folks were about that night.
APRIL
TIMELY NATURE STUDY, BY OLIVE THORNE MILLER,
AUTHOR OF "NESTING TIME," ETC.
and the over bird masquerading as a
thrush. But May is pre-eminently the
warbler's month.
Now comes the leader of our Summer
choir, the calm-eyed, silver-voiced wood
thrush, making- the mornings and even
ings glorious for us. But his next of kin, tne
hermit steals by In silence, his emotions
carefully repressed, his music sealed up
In his heart saving all his sweetness for
his wooing ground further north. Not so
chary of his charms Is the smallest singer
of all the kinglet with ruby crown. A
mere pinch of gray feathers he looks,
with a gorgeous crown of ruby when he
expands It to sing. He lingers for days
In country neighborhoods and even In city
parks, and pburs out his Joyous song for
our delight. He Is well worth many ex
cursions to hear. Especially so as other
famous singers are about as well; the
misnamed purple finch In all his glory of
crimson and snow-white; and the aristo
crat of the sparrows the white throat,
singing: as he goes, a song so distinctive
that he has a local name wherever he ia.
By the Anglo-Saxon of New England he
Is disrespectfully called "Peabody bird,"
but by an Indian tribe of the same sec
tionaccording to Mr. Long "Klllooleet"
or "Little Sweet Voice."
Perhaps the most wide-awake and
quick-witted bird to avail himself of Im
proved conditions Is the unwelcome alien,
the English or house sparow. However
we may deplore his presence, no one
can deny him the sharpness of the street
21
- SIMPLE -
BY - THE - BROOK
CAMG - UP'AKD - KiSyEO - HER -
AC R -SHE. SflDTJ. VOD ?nnTT.
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The next night It waa very evident that
the word had been passed. Scarce hid
the sun set behind the sndw-covcre.i
peaks before the little mountain folks
assembled to break the dull monotony of
the lonely prospector's life. There was
a rat from Lake Chelan, with the head
of a ling In Its mouth; there was a rat
from Railroad Creek, with a half a plug
of Battle Ax tobacco, another from tho
Indian settlement, with x bunch of blue
beads, a rat from the trappers cabin,
five miles over the mountains, with a
Canadian half-dollar, all eager for trade.
Rap, rap, rap! went their front feet
on the loose clapboard over ths pros
pector's bunk, but the tired man orly
mumbled In his sleep and turned over
In his bed. Rattle-tq-bang went a
powder can from the rafters to the floor,
awakening the sleeper, who reached for
his revolver, but seeing nothing, turned
to sleep again. Next morning there was
plenty to see fish heads, chips, bones
and pine cones, etc.. In place of his knife,
fork, spoon and tin cup wbich he had
left on his rude table; but worst of all
was the sight of tho battered oil can In
which he had packed his cartridges. No
ammunition was now visible, but in it3
place was a can of dirty-looking peb
bles. The angry man kicked over the can
and as he did so made use of very many
emphatic expressions which are better
left unpiinted. v
With petulant rage, he viciously struck
the offending objects with his prospec
tor's pick. As the pebbles flew from the
blow tho man's expression suddenly
changed; he dropped the pick and gath
ered up a handful of the dirty-looking
pebbles, which he examined attentively,
then he gave a wild warhoop and sprang
to the door to fire six shots at the unof
fending sky. Paddy witnessed these
antics with thet utmost Interest and as
tonishment and his curiosity was so
great that he crept from his hiding placo
to the unoccupied bank and was peering
cautiously over Its side, when he found
the man's eyes fixed upon him. The man
laughed a wild, naughty laugh, which
sent the chills clown Paddy's back and
took from him all power of flight.
When I last saw them, the miner and
the rat were Inseparable companions.
They no longer lived at the edge of the
snowfields In the Cascade Mountains' a
wonderful change had come about, for
foolish people had given the lonely
prospector houses, lands, cattle and
horses In exchange, for the dark-colored
pebbles wh'ich they called nuggets, but
Paddy Pack Rat had given these llttlo
lumps of gold In exchange for some
brass cartridges, and, strange to say,
neither Paddy nor the prospector ever
regretted the trade.
gamin, and the ability to know a good
thing when he sees It Not only does
he avail himself of all the erections of
man for his unsightly nests the niches
In the ornamental parts of our build
ings, our window-sills, over our doors,
behind our closed blinds, under our piazza
roofs. In our openwork trolley posts, un
der our elcctrlc-IIght caps, but he takes
advantage of the Industry of his neigh
bors. Ho seizes tbe woodpeckers' la
boriously excavated homes, he robs tho
eave swallows of their adobe houses, he
settles himself In every wren and blue
bird and martin house he can find never
hesitating to fight for one when he cannot
get It without He even goes so far some
times as to Insist on using the door
through which a woodpecker enters her
home between our walls, no doubt making
a separate nest inside.
Such evidences of progressive Ideas on
the part of birds are constantly coming
to notice. The Interest of bird-study Is
by no means exhausted. There Is much
to be found out. For what do wo really
know about the life habits of even the
birds wo call common? We know to a
fraction the size of the eggs, the length
of every feather, and the smallest detail
of anatomy because it Is easy enough
to study dead birds. But who shall tell
us of the life? Who has time and patience
and understanding and insight to enter
Into their little lives, to Interpret their
actions and understand their emotions?
Who even shall present the bare facts
while sternly repressing his own imagi
nation? Truly this shall require a moro
. profound student than has yet arisen.
He who would accomplish this must give
his days and nights to it Evidences of
a deeper life than we have given them
credit for are constantly appearing to
those who become really Intimate with
Individuals. Higginson in his " delghtful
"Outdoor Paper" says: "Tho dally ex
istence of every bird is a remote and be
witching mystery." If It has In these lat
ter days become a little less mysterious
it is not a shade less bewitching.
- The story of a nest and tho life about
It, faithfully and sympathetically studied,
is one of the most fascinating studies
I know. It Is full of vicissitudes, of joy
and happiness, as well as anxieties and
cares. Like our own home life. It de
velops character and brings Into view
qualities of mind and peculiarities of
manners seen at no other time. It In
spires the student with" Intense interest,
tLnd no leso with profound astonishment
at the resemblance of blrd'-llfe to the
human.
The student of bird-habits needs a good
manual to Identify, a good glass, a set
tled notebook habit; an unflinching love
of truth, and beyond these plenty of
time and patience. Enthusiasm and de
votion wIJL grow. With this equipment
he will find a whole new world open
before him.
OLIVE -THOP.NE MILLER.
Brooklyn, N. Y,
"Well-Bred Women.
The best-bred women do not fuss. They
take their gowns and their furniture,
their Jewels and their children as a mat
ter of course. They are unconscious of
their veils and their gloves, and they ex
pect every one else to be equally so. If
they see an Intimate wearing a hand
some gown they refer to It admiringly,
but they also preface their comment with
an apology. Their differences with their
husbands are not aired neither tho
domestic upheaval's caused by the deser
tion, of the cook on wash morning.
Tho reposo of the well-bred woman la
not the quiet of weakness. It Ig the calm
of trained faculties, balanced so nicely
that an earthquake may cause a changn
of color, but will not bring forth a loud
cry-
Well-bred women are a boon to the hu
man race. They help the social and pro
fessional world to mnlntnln n M-Vi cn
ard, both -of morals and behavior