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"He mM the beam ome clothe to wear; aft muij
THE ROOSEVELT BEARS
(Copyright, 1005, by Seymour Eaton. All rights- reserved.)
BY PAUL PIPER
II. THE RACE FOR THE TRAIN
With burdens light and spirits gay
The two bears journeyed on their way.
They followed a trail for miles alone; ,
There wasn't a tree, there wasn't a stone;
Simply a path over hill and plain
Which came from nowhere and went back again.
The sun was high in the Eastern sky,
And the bears were planning their lunch to try
When they came in sight of a ranchman's shack;
The man had left and hadn't come back;
1
No one was home but his chore-boy Jack. '
"Hello! Good-day!" said TEDDY-B,
"Where are the folks? We want to see
Inside your house. We're going to stay
An hour for lunch and perhaps we may
Sleep here tonight if you treat us right.
Come, Jack, don't scare! These bears don""t bite."
TEDDY-G said, ' Shake ! Your hand ! Put it there !
I love a brave boy, boys love a brave bear;
We like every boy from Denver to Borne."
And he gave. Jack a hand-shake like fellows from home.
t
Jack did as well as he could do
To make a lunch, the best he knew,
Of boiled potatoes and chicken stew.
He sold the bears some clothes to wear,
As many things as he could spare:
Trousers and coats, a vest and cap,
A leather belt, an- Indian's wrap,
A pair of gloves, a cattleman's whip,
A silver watch, a purse for sorip,
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, JANUARY 14, 1906.
"Ther aked a man how far they'd come; 'Ob hundred asd flftr Billet,' Ud he; Tvhen TEDDV-G called to TKDDY-IJ. 'Well. I Kue tliat'a coins: some."
pcyAX.
thlagft a he could pare."
Two pairs of shoes bare feet, to hide,
And leggings with strings right down the side.
They gave Jack gold, enough at least
To buy a ticket back to the East,
Where Jack had a mother and sister and chum
Who wrote him long letters and begged him to come.
In half an hour the bears were dressed,
Their hair was combed, they looked tlieir best.
TEDDY-B and Jack had a little chat
About forgetting friends and this and that,
And learning to write and read and spelL
And going back to his sister Nell
And his mother and chum whom he left behind .
When he ran away the West to find. :
"Good-bye, old fellow," said TEDDY-G, '
"My love to Nell when your folks you see,
Be square and white, don't do things wrong,
I'll see you East; good-bye, so long."
About three o'clock in the afternoon
They stopped to chat with a big raccoon
Who asked them questions and said that he
Had been to school and knew ABC,
And the football rules and some geography, -And
the best way yet to climb a tree,
And three Latin words anda little Greek,
And a place to fish in the mountain creek.
These things he had learned from books and men ;
Five years' hard work with teachers ten. :
The bears told him of their journey East,
And the night before and the farewell feast,
And of plans they had but didn't care
To tell to 'coons just then and. there.
Their feet were sore; the road was rough;
The bears had tramped about enough.
The raccoon advised them both to ride;
He said he could find two horses tied
In a little grove where cowboys keep - -
Some hammocks swung for their Bridday sleep.
If the bears would follow he'd find the place,'
Help them to mount and start the race.
The bears got up on saddles round ; .
The horses pranced and pawed the ground ;
"A king Til be," said TEDDY-G, ;
"I'll buy a bank and keep the key; . ' "
I'll gather together a soldier band,
And ride to the East and possess the land.1' 4 ' -
"Don't be too smart," said TEDDY-B, . ' ,
You have much to learn before you'll see
Yourself a king or a soldier bold; '
Take my advice and your pony hold
Or youH see a bear take a skyward sail,
Over a horse's head or a horse's tail."
The big raccoon admired the pair;
lie gave directions and told them wherq
To find the road to the nearest train,
And asked them to call when they came back again.
The-bears were off; the dust it flew;
The road was wide and the jockeys knew
That the time was short and the hours were few;
That the night express was always due
At five o'clock and never late:
If they missed the train they'd have to wait, .
So they told the horses to do or die;
If their legs gave out they'd" have to fly.
Of all the races that ever were run,
From Gilpin's sprint to Edmonton,
Or the ride that broke "the one-hoss shay,"
Or a chariot race on a circus day,
Or the midnight ride of Paul Revere, '
Or the cowboy's chase of a Texas steer,
To the quickest time that was ever done
For might or money, for fame or fun,
By racetrack mare, or by motor-car,
This ride that day was best by far.
No stop was made for drink or feed ;
They went by- camps at break-neck speed ;
They waved their hats as boys they passed; ' j
And the lads said, "Gee, but they're going fast. "J,
They asked a man how far they'd come, -1 ;
"One hundred and fifty miles," said. he;
When TEDDY-G called to TEDDY-B, f
4 "Well, I guess that's going some." --v
TEDDY-G was the bear to win,
But botli were there when the train pulled in.
To a colored porter in gray and gold,
TEDDY-G gave a tip and said, "You hold
These bags and sticks while we step aboard."
But TEDDY-B said, "We can't afford
To ride in a Pullman from West to East,
It will cost a dollar at day at least
To shine my shoes and brush, my hat."
But TEDDY-G didn't scare at that.
"We are in for fun, we have lots of stuff.
I'll pay the bills; if I haven't enough
I'll send for more. We'll let folks see
We can ride in style," said TEDDY-G.
From an open window as the train pulled out,
To the broncho racers folks heard them shout:
"Get back to your ranch, by tomorrow noon,
And give our love to the big raccoon,
And say to the cowbows up the state
That we made our train and the ride was great."
(Continued Next Sunday.)
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