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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 11, 1909)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, ARftlL- 11, 1909 1 1 : . , THROWING FOR A LIFE BY DAVID KER. ( Copyright. 1J09. by the Associated Lit erary Fress.) SMALL round clearing in the black ehadowy depths of a Norwegian pine forest; a circle of gigantic Mones more than twice the height of the tallest man. fixed upright in the earth and overgrown with moss; a group of mighty figures In battered armor and dinted helmets, from beneath which their Khaifgy. red hair tossed loosely over their shoulders like a lion'a mane, as they cir cled around a broad flat stone in the cen ter of the ring, flourishing their spears vnd battleaxes such was the scene upon which the rising sun looked down on a bright Summer morning In Western Nor way many hundreds of years ago. Higher by a head than the tallest of that stalwart band towered their grim leader. "Tied Rolf." the most terrible and merciless warrior of the whole region, whose fierce eyes were turned hungrily toward a spot on the other side of the clearing, where, bound hand and foot with thongs of bearskin to the stem of a mighty plue, stood a boy of 12. upon whose long golden hair and fresh, bright, blue-eyed face the first glow of sunrise howred like a. crown of glory. Young as he was, the scars upon his bare arms showed that he had already faced death In battle; and. In truth, he was no ordinary prisoner. His father was th. chief of the Romsdal tribe, with which Red Rolf and his Sneef jelders were t war. In the last battle between them the Komsdalers' chief had been sorely wounded, and young BJorn (Bear), his only son, taken prisoner; and as It was the custom of the heathen warriors of tlva North to slaughter all thrir prison ers as a sacrifice to the cruel gods whom they worshipped, this boy had been brought to the Circle of Odin (aa these curious rings of stone were called) to be put to death by Rolf hllrwwlf. The hour of sunrise had been fixed for the sacrifice, and now, as Its first rays Htrea-tucd through the gloomy depths of the forest. Red Rolf hade two of his men unbind the lad find lay him upon the brOHd flat Mone w hich served as the altar of this grim church,, while he sharpened the point of his terrible spear against one of tlie Krnnlio blocks in readiness for the iloatli stroke. Put r.Jorn was a true Northern boy, niul. fn-p to face though he was with a ruel dciitli. he never flinched one whtt. As he Fiiw the snvage messengers coming titwjird him he ilrcw himself up proudly jmd looked Ht them so fearlessly with his hi !!; bright eyes that these fierce men (who cmihl admire even in an enemy the i niiriice which was the only thing upon rart'i that they reverenced) eyed him witli glance of stern approval, and one i'f tlirni whisiercd to the other: " 'Tin pity that such a brave lad does not lielong to our tribe instead of those sneaking Romsiiaiers. He would have inntle a nnhle warrior." tint liefore either of them could lay a hand upon the thongs that bound the boy voice behind them was heard shouting, "Stop, stop!" and a tall figure, breaking suddenly from the shadow of the wood. came rusunig headlong Into the very midst of the murderous gang, who stared at him In open-mouthed amazement. And well they might. Not only had this stranger come among them quite aone which was what very few men would nave oarea to ao out he' wore no armor snd seemed to carry no weapons an al most unhrard-of thing In Norway at that time. no art tnou who oom'st here so boldly?" growled Red Rolf, advancing threateningly upon the newcomer. Ask me rather who I was," replied the stranger. "Once I was your enemy, and ye called me 'Ivo the spear-hurler." " Thou!" cried Rolf, who knew to his cost the name of the bravest champion among Ms enemies. "Thou to call thyself Jarl (cJiien Ivo of Itomsdal! Dost thou take is for fools? Tvo would never come among us In the garb of peace, without spear or ax : and. besides, we have heard tnat he Is dead. " onnded. but not dead." said Ivo for It was Indeed he. "He lives, and has be come a Christian." "A Christian!" echoed Rolf, with a sav- 8 stress upon the hated name. "There is an end of his spear-hurling, then!" "Vhy so?" asked ivo, simply. 'Thtnk'st thou that man's arm is weakened be cause he trusts In UodT Behold!" He seized Rolfs spear and flung It with such force that It flow whizzing cross the whole breadth of the clearing snd crashed Into a young pine on the fanner sjde with such a shock that the stem waa split as if a wcuge had been (lnvn Into tt. "'Well done!" crtd Rolf. 'Thou art In deed Ivo. for no other could hnve made such a cast. But what wanfst thou here?" The life of this boy," answered Tvo, pointing to Kiorn. "for whom our tribe will pay a rich ransom." 'No. no: shouted the Sneefjelders wttii one voice; "no ransom fur him! He Is a chief's son. and will be a worthy sacrifice to our g.-Ms. eu, men. crtei! ivo. "it ye mus havo a sacrifice, take mo Instead. I hav slain m.iny of you; ye have jnxd cause t hate mo-. Tint what h.i.s this hov done His life is but beginning, while my years Hiv already ripe. Take my life, then and lei 11 im go free." "Wilt IhtMi indeed pive thy life for th lad?" nske.1 the glc.nt leader, starln hhtnUIv itt liini: for although he had see many strange, things In his time, this was s.tmetl.ing unite new to him. "Aye. that 1 will." snM Ivo. "He whom we worship gave his life for men. and il? should not his followers do the same! Strike 1 a:u ready!" ' Marl lvo. thou are a brave man, and , T will do for thro what 1 never did for niovi.il in. m before. 1 will give thee a obaTu-e- for thy life. Fling thy spear and cut wiili ii. if thou canst, the thongs that hind yon !ov to the tree. If thou suc- e.-d. ve "-. h II both go free: if thou fall, yr si-.;:',; ,!( together. Art thou willing?" "1 am wininc. ;od helping me." said lo "A ".'I lie will help nie in my need. Pvioi n. rtUt thou stand firm?" 'Throw boM:y." answered the gallant bow "linn; yh:i;l not see me tremble." olanl.i himself at the spot fixed fo. him and lifted Ms arm. while the w hole band bent forward in silence to w.itch the throw. Whiz! went the spear, and the tough thong that confined the i'ov's Hiiis snapped within a few inches of tits bnre shoulder. Riorn laughed Kierfi;ilv. Hint even the savnge spectators applsuiletl witli a lusty cheer the boy's wonderful coiuuge and the man's match less ski'!. Again the weapon whized forth, cut ting the band that pinioned Bjorn's limbs. Put now came ihe hardest trial of all. The thirds band was drawn so closely round Ills body that it seemed Impos sible for the spear to cut It without pierc ing htm: and as Ivo leveled ths weapon again, his hand was seen to tremble. Then his lips moved silently for a mo ment, and instantly the trembling band grew steady as a rock. "The 'Vod of the Christians is strength ening him!" whispered the wild men to each other: and they held their breath as ths spear flew for the last time. Then a thundering shout, swelled by Rod Rolf not only, helpe'd him to get an educa tion and come up a useful member of society and industry, but the srood doc tor who stood at his back as guardian was as good as a father to him. It may look like a long- road to you from the paper boy In the poorhouse up the hill to the spot where Tommy has reached, but things like that are happening; all the time. Most of our rich men and great men started out in life as poor boys, and the road is open to you the same as It was to them. Tou may meet with many . discourage ments on the way, but pluck, honesty and industry are the three great things that lead on to place and fortune. They will always bring: you friends, and friends will push you along; Until you can stand alone. The End.) AN AWKWARD NEIGHBO 3, Ifthousucceedye shall.both free. himself, with the full power of his mighty voice, told that the work was done. Take the boy; thou hast won him fair ly." said Rolf, grasping Ivo's hand. "Were there 10 other Christians like thee, I'd turn Christian myself!" And not many years later, on an Easter time, he actually did so. OLD MB. JACKSON'S MONEY CHAPTER X. ! HAT changes two or three days may bring about In our lives. Tommy Clark left Glenwood In irons and' looked upon as a murderer, and he returned a free lad and with people ready to welcome him as a young- hero. Tou and I won't blame Mm If he lost his head over it a. bit ana had a good opinion of himself. One of -the friends that returned with hlra was the prison detective. He had sent tele graph and telephone messages an over the state in regard to the red-whisk ered man. and he went back to make Glenwood his headquarters for a few days. 4 Reiner a. minor. Tommy musL nave a guardian appointed to hold his prop erty for him. Every house in Glen wood was open to him, and every man was willing to take the guardianship. Under the advice of the detective, he petitioned that the doctor who had been a witness for him should be ap pointed; in time this came about, ana I may say now that he waa honest and faithful to his trust. The boy could not go back to the Old house with its memories and its hor rors, and so the place was not only closed up, but pulled down. The vil lage has grown a good deal since tnose days, and a fine brick schoolhouse now stands on the site. Tt was our boy who donated the site to the town as free gift. For three days after returning from the county seat the prison detective ex pected almost hourly to hear that the convict had been arrested, but there was even no news of him. He seemed to have disappeared a completely as if the ground had swallowed hlra up. "I think he must be lurking in this neighborhood somewhere," said the de tective, as he and Tom talked the mat ter over. "If he had had money he would not have come here to his brother. He got none here, and he can't make his way very far as a pen niless man. I think I shall make a search of the barns and haystacks for two or three miles around. The fel low must be half-starved by this time and lost his desperation. With the assistance of a dozen men such a search was made, but It was without avail. It was left to Tommy Chirk to solve the mystery. He had taken no part in the search, but in go ing Into the woods In the rear of the old house to cut a pole he wanted he came across a sight that made him cry out and set him to running away. He had come across the body of Henry Jackson hanging to a limb, and the man had been dead several days. After choking his old brother to death that night he had made a hur ried search of the premises for money. Perhaps he was still searching when he heard the footsteps of the boy re turning. At any rate, he found no money and left the house in a hurry In such a hurry that when his false beard fell off he did not stop to pick it up. He may have taken shelter in a farmer's barn that night, and he may have returned t6 the old house next day to see if his brother wa really alive, and to make a new search for the money. If so, he found a dead man and no cash. Then, penniless and discouraged. and feeling that the chances were all against him. he picked up an old rope and went to the woods and hanged himself. As soon as Tommy had given the alarm the suicide was cut down, and the detective fully Identified him as the escaped convict, and he was buried at the expense of the village. It was just the end that a bad man might have ex pected to come to, and there was no one to" grieve over it. No headstone has ever been placed at his grave, but after Tommy Clark got his money he saw to It that the old man Jackson had the finest monument in the cemetery. Well, I have only a little more to tell you. Last Summer I went camping with five or six persons I had long known, and among them was Tommy Clark- Perhaps I should not speak of him by that name, but as Mr. Thomas Clark, for he's a young nan of 23 now, his college education finished, and new sign hung out over the door of new law office. Old Jackson's money Father Likened to a Baby. Atchison Globe. A good many years ago when a daughter showed a preference for a man of whom her parents disapproved. she was locked In the woodshed, and red on bread and water. . But a baby with a giant standing over It Isn't more helpless these days than the father whose daughter is throwing tier self away. Should he lock her in the wood shed to keep her from going to the devil, the neighbors would release her In the name "romance." The Calf-Path. Bam Walter Foaa. One dav throiisrh tht nrimval wonit A calf walked home as good calves' should; xui mnue a irau au oent aexew, A crooked trail as all calves do. Bines then three hundred years have fled. And I infer th calf Is dead. But still lie left behind his trail. And thereby hangs my moral tale. The trail wae taken up next day By a lone dog- that pased that way; And then a wise bell-wether sheen Pursued the trail o'er vals and steep. And drew the flock behind him. too. As rood (bell-wethers always-do. And fro n that day. o'er hill and triads. Through those old woods a path, -was mads. jina many men wouna in ana out. And dodged and turned and bent about. And uttered words of righteous wrath .Because 'twas sucn a crooked path; But still they followed do not lauah The first migration of that calf. Ana tnrousQ this winding wood-way stalked .Because n waoDiea when & waived. .t This forest path became, a Jane That bent and turned and turned again; This crooked lane became a road, Where many a poor horse, with hia toat Toiled on beneath the burning mm. Ana traveiea som three muss in one. And thus a century and a hstf They trod, the footsteps of that calf. The years pawed on In swiftness, fleet. The road 'became a village street; And thl, before men were aware, A city's crowded thoroughfare. And soon the central street was this . Of a renowned metropolis; And men two centuries and a half Trod in the footsteps of that calf. Kach day a hundred thousand rout Followed this stgaag calf about. And o'er his crooked journey went i ne tranio or a continent. hundred thousand men were led one calf near three centurie dead. They followed still his crooked way. And lost one hunrjred years a day; For thiw such reverence Is lent A well-established precedent. A moral lesson this might teach Were I ordained and called to preach; For men are prone to go it blind Aloes; the calf-paths of the mind. And . work away from sun to Run To do wtiat other men have done. They follow In the beaten track And out and in, and forth and back. And still their devious course pursue. To keep the path that othens do. They keep the path a sacred groove. Along which all their liven they move; But how the wise old wood-gods leach Wiho saw the first primeval calf. Ah, many t hinge this tale might teach But I am not ordained to preach. ones he brought home n animal which he said was a skunk. X, believe It was, but we buried him, nevertheless. But one day It was cetttnic on Into Spring, and thawing hard he cam-boundlng- up to the house with his face literally beaming with excitement. "Uus I was baptised Ausustus. which I hold to be a singularly choice name for a backwoodsman "Gus. Tve shot a deer!"' A dead one!" quoth I. slightingly. "No; it's the square-toed truth!" I went, doubting somewhat, tor Jack lacks that respect which their seniors always like to see in the young; and he continually sharpening his small wit at the expense of any one unfortunate enough to encounter him. However, this time it was a '"true bill." About half a mile off we came upon th animal lying stretched on the ground Cold doe venison, sure enough, artd mougn mm from scarcity of food duri tne nuer, there was weight enough maxe us giaa the return Journey was longer. Xtow. to eviscerate a deer or any othe animal, for the matter of that and t peel off its natural covering, is doubtlett-A very easy lasK when you know how tvl ttuuui ii wnicn neitner or us dip Thereiw&s -wisrh.,sl2.r agonized howl. BOUT a quarter of a century ago my brother and I came to the con clusion that the British Isles were too small to exercise our talents in. Ex perience, bitter experience, had taught us this: for though we both had received a good education, try how we would, lit tle more than a bare- livelihood seemed attainable. set re- THE ADVENT BILLY POSSUM OF IRENE BY ELLIOTT BEN rOW, children, stop and listen, pay heed to What I say. A change is surely coming' in fact, it s on the way. The little Dolls axe crying: as hard as they can cry. Each Teddy Bear is growling, with fir in his eye. . For as the spring advances, with budding tree and blossom, Behold I there comes another pet, whose name is "Billy Possum." HE Doll and all the Teddies his advent will oppose This funny little Possum with sharply pointed nose. And eyes as keen as ferrets', a long and curling tail But, Teddy Bears, your protests will be of no avaiL You'll hav to keep him, children, for four long years. Make ready To take him out and tic his bows, as once you did for Teddy. jOW this is confidential : Upon the lawn last night I saw a Bear and Possum a-starting in to fight. When lo 1 appeared the Dollies in time to interfere. Sobbed they, "Oh. please remember that there are ladies here I" Fair Dollies, pray excuse us, do," squeaked Billy P. politely, 'I've lost my Southern chivalry.jand you've reproved us rightly. 11 5"! s - i f m v t HE Teddies growled Then spake the Dolls: "Were we a Bar wcdlhake J A trip to Africa, and all this 'simple life forsake. Stay not to take a back seat, like Dollies meek and mild. But .live the life of other beasts and roam the forests wild" "Agreed !" they said. "You've made us wise; this life our nerves has shaken. When we reach Africa you'll get our pictures if they're taken." So watch for Billy Possum now he'll stay four years at least. Perhaps in.time you'll learn to love the cunning little beast What rendered this doubly Irritatln was the roseate view we had each, of us formed of our future careers how we were t'o rise rapidly, and by the middle age attain high positions in our respect ive professions, so as to pass a green old age, surrounded by every luxury and con venience the arts of the nineteenth cen tury could suggest. But every week this Ideal elysiura seemed farther off than be fore. Somewhat naturally, then, we resolved to emigrate, and having made this deter mination, sought means to carry, it out. Kach colony had Its merits and demerits fully discussed, and finally Canada, it waa decided, should have the honor of doing what an ungrateful mother country refused of making us millionaires. Having thus briefly sketched our rea sons for seeking "fresh fields and pas tures new," let me skip over the hack neyed details of an uneventful passage to the Far West, and tha purchase at a nominal cost of a. considerable estate in close contiguity with the Rocky Moun- ains, and pass to a time when we had comfortably settled in our new residence. Perhaps it were better to alter that lightly, and say "when we were settled on our new estate." "Comfortably" is ftn adverb which ill describes residence in a wretched lean-to. The property, which had looked rather a grand thing 6n paper, fell off terribly on close inspection. There was a large proportion of swamp, and the balance was timber, which, however useful in its way, was eminently out of place in projected maiz field. But if was no use grumbling. If we did not set to and work with a win, there was every pos sibility of starving, as almost every penny of capital had been sunk in land and farm implements. There wasn't enough hard cash to see us back to the settlements, even had we been inclined to go. . And work we did. By almost superhu man exertions the swamp was drained, and its stagnant waters turned into the stream that flowed through it. Then we nt arted on the timber. Chips flew in all directions from axes wielded by willing arms: and, if they were not very artis tically -cut. the result was pleasing- the trees came to the ground. But Winter was coming on apace, as the colder nights and shortening days significantly warned us: and the wretched hovel we perforce called home" imperatively demanded recon struction. Wood we had in plenty, but In the rought, and with no visible means of shaping it down, save laboriously with the ax. Stay, though, yes. there was. The xealous storekeeper from whom mosL of the outfit wan purchased had over-persuaded us to buy a circular saw, which he had long in stock, and doubtless wished to be rid of. He said it was In dispensable all settlers in the back woods had one. It represented a fortune In potential. My brother. Jack, seemed to take to the idea, so we purchased; but that saw occasioned him a goodly deal of chaff when it reached Its destination. Naturally, the laugh was on the other side, now that It was wanted. With a terrible amount of labor, a water wheel the like of which we'll hope has never been seen before or since was rigged in the stream, which, by good luck, ran swiftly enough for the purpose, and the saw waa geared on to it. A won derful piece of engineering the whole presented, but It answered Its purpose grandly, and afforded us an endless source of merriment besides. A mov able bed drew the timber automatically on to the saw. and In a very short time we had planks enough for our purpose. These were quickly knocked in their places round a rude framework, and be fore the first fall of snow we had a sub stantial. If rude. house, which could easily be added to at a future time The Winter came and passed. During the severe part of if we were perforce kept indoors, occupying our time, for the most part, making furniture. When the weather began to clear again Jack took the gun an antiquated single-barreled muscle-loader that persistently "missed fire" and went out shooting. He blazed away a great deal of powder and ex nended enough shot to make surface lead mining profitable In that district, but I cannot credit him with much other re suit. Occasionally, to be sure, he would exultingly hold out a small bird that had 1 fallen victim to his unerring aim, and otherwise it takes both time and conaidVl f ra t Inn Tlito will naiiu o,.,, , v still bpfntr butchers when night xiooessl- w:ea in dmination. A fire of pine knots gave this, and we had hardly finished when Jack gripped my shoulder and pointed out into the darkness. There. lumbering along, scarce 20 yards distant; was a huge animal, annarentlv almost large as a budl. and I somehow gathered that its Intentions were not amiable. Jack said: "There's something I've fprr gotten in the house." Having delivered himself of this apient remark, he set off as fast as he could run. I, being slightly corpulent, followe at a more sedate pace, though no sensn of delicacy at leaving our visitor caused me to lag. We both went In. shut th door, and placed a bar across It by way or laatening. This done, Jack remarked. "Its a rriz- riy. Not wishing to commit myself, I plied, "Maybe." "He's eating the deer." "Hope it will choke him." I "He's left off eating. He's looking this way." "No, put that gun down. Jack. I sav, leave it alone. You might as well try fo hurt the moon." "He's lugging the deer this way. He's taken it on to the caw-bod." "Don't laugh and jump about like a maniac," said 1. severely, as Jack ih.-i dulled in sundry noises and contortion expressive of delight. "Set your kiiihII brain to work, and find a way out ofC mess. He'll eat us next." Whereupon my brother gave vent to expressions that I was bound to warn him might be used to his dlsudvantrts on a future occasion. He seemed quite mad. Ho pulled the shutter out of a win dow (it waa innocent of glaes), and. de spite my warning, disappeared outnldr. Waa he nobly going to offer himself propitiatory eaenflce to aave his brother from danger? No auch thing. He came back again; he replaced the shiut ter and opened one opposite. He s!gvd me to keep silent, and beckoned me to him. Then I shared his joy. He had lifted the sluice, which was close to the window, and the movable bed was car rying it living burden along toward the saw, which boomed round at top speed. Breathlessly we watched, scarce daring to hope that the bear would allow him self to be caught: but hunger masters prudence, and cold deer tasted too good to permit of a change of seat. Nearer and nearer still. It .Is but ' an Inch off. Inevitable Nemesis, grand daughter of Chaos, will overtake thee, thou, robber of poor men's venison! Tt swishes through his shaggy coat and scratches him. XTrsus ferox thinks a fly has bitten him, and shifts uneasily six Inches or so. The saw, remorseless, as fate, catches him axain. This time, the bed gives a jerk I said it wan crudely made and "Old Eph" -.eceives a tidy gash. Such treatment is beyond endurance. With a savage growl he turns round to cope with the enemy that has to auda ciously disturbed his supper, and lor a moment appears disconcerted. There is nothing at all suspicious, save a runt colored disk, that, though quite still, emits a cua-ious booming. He gives It a blow with his paw. on the edge. ' This warms him up to hia work, and he sets to with a will. Now. of all animals on the globe which excel in that species of combat vuJgariy known as rough-and-tumble, the grizzly bear of North America stand. pre-wn-. nent: wounds appear only to nerve him for fresh efforts, and opposition to still further enkindle his natural ferocity Moreover, he is a fond of a row as ; college undergraduate. But I dare waeer a goodlv sum that neither that particular bear, nor any of his immediate circle of acquaintances, ever before indulged th passion for pugnacity against a circular saw. The one in question was not re markably sharp, and, as I have said, it was very .rusty, but the handicapping was not .sufficient to make victory doubtful. There was a s-wis-h. an agonized howl. and a sorely dilapidated grizzly hear rolled to the ground, literally snouting with blood. Jack, true to his sportsman's instincts. raised his gun and pulled the trigger, but the faithful weapon, seeing the futility of such puny efforts, sensibly "missed fire. and another charge of buckshot was saved, for despite his 19 lives, Ephralm' struggles soon ended. We left him alone for that night, and went to bed, to dream of terrible combats with gigantic 12-foot bears, and prospected him next morning, gory, torn and thin utterly useless. However, although the adventure was one of little profit, still the way we (Jack cays "I") got rid of an awkward neighbor was unique, if not ingenious. (Copyright, 1909, by the Associated Liter ary fress.) The Barefoot Girt. (With ApolORies. Ietrott Free Press. Blessing on thee, little girl. Barefoot in the mazy whirl. Dancing, prancing on th tac?. All your toe ar now the rage; Nazlmova or Maude Adams. Or the other headline madams. Olpa Nethersole or Carter Have emotiona that they barter For our Bhekels. But you visit U. displaying feet exquisite, innocent of shoe or stocking. Some have termed you bold and shockin But there's no denying, honey. Art may starve, you get the money. " "What care we for acting tragic. Vaudeville, now. or fata of magic? Who would give a fig for oiara. - i Davenport or Madame Sarah , I Bernhardt, with her art uplifting? Fashions change and art in shifting; No on now would give a filbert To ee operas by Gilbert; Shakespeare plays are dull and &rary And pinero makes us weary. We want things risque and shady. Plays about some painted, lady. Who, through' three acts, slips and factors. Something red-hot by 'Gene Waltsrs. Hut me real aramanc treat. Is to see a dancer's feet. There- were times whsn 'aetoss : Studied hard for their successes; But today to bo an artist. Vp-to-date, one of the smartest. All you need, 1 now tnntst. Is some good chiropodist.