SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, 3IAKCII 2S. 1913
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Two Boys and a Wildcat
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THERE WAS NO TIME TO FIRE AGAIN THE EflBAGED CAT
LEAFED THROUGH THE AIR, LANDING ON THE BOY BEFORE
HE GOULD SPRING ASIDE.
JOE MEADOWS, aged 14, and his lit
tle brother, Tim, aged 10, had been
allowed, after much begging, to ac
company a hunting party to one of the
more accessible Islands of the great
Okefinokee Swamp in Southern Geor-.
da. It was understood that they were
to remain at the camp with July. the Joe was tired, too, but he admitted oniy
negro cook, and never venture far that he was disgusted, having seen no
away while the men went bear hunting deer and having missed when he shot
In the jungles or duck shooting on the at a wild turkey.
marshes. Urged by Tim, he consented to stop
But this arrangement did not alto- and resti although it was late, feeling
arether please the boys. After Joe, sare enough with the camp so near,
with Tim trotting behind him, had gone They threw themselves down on the
Quail shooting several times In the sof billowy wire-grass in a high, dry
camp's neighborhood, and had heard Bpot hemmed In by tall clumps of pal
most of the tales the good-natured July mettos.
bad to tell, the time hung rather beav- They had rested only a few minutes
lly on their hands. when they heard a rustling in the grass
So on the fourth day Joe told Tim to tne jeft, and then the hearts of both
that he intended to walk all the way boys began to beat rapidly as their
around the island and see If he could eyes fell upon a large wildcat crouched
not get a shot at a deer, and after only a few feet away.
July had given them an early dinner They had no eooner leaped to their
the boys started off. feet than the cat's hair stood on end.
- The plan of following the rim of the jts eyes flashed with rage, and it
'island was easier to make than to carry showed its teeth, uttering a low, gut;
out. The path chosen was difficult, teral growl. The animal, which must
Often a detour higher up on the island have been surprised close to Its lair,
cr deeper in the swamp was necessary as otherwise it would have retreated,
In order to avoid bogs, marshes, im- was a powerful one, some three feet in
pregnable clumps of fan-palmettos and length, with hair of a dark brownish
tangled masses of brambles. And often gray mottled with black,
the way was made hard by aged fallen Joe snatched up his gun and fired,
trees thrown criss-cross or piled high but owing to his haste and excitement
by wind storms, and by the crowding without effect. There was no time
swamp undergrowth and the thickly to fire again, for a moment later the
standing trees. Once they labored enraged cat leaped through the air,
through a canebrake in which the tall landing upon the boy before he could
strong reeds stood as straight as ar- spring aside. The shock carried him to
rows and were rarely more than three his knees, the now useless gun slipping
inches apart. from his grasp.
Even along the borders of the com- As the great cat came down It clawed
pa-.atively open pine land which form the boy s left shoulder and the left side
the islands, they were forcibly re- of his head, snarling furiously and
minded of what a wild, pathless wilder- blowing Its hot breath into his face,
ness the great Okefinokee really was. Joe beheld Its fiery eyes only a few
The island was about two miles long inches from his own. and his hands
bv one mile wide making the distance flew to its throat. Employing all his
ail the way around It about six miles, strength, he protected himself from the
A Cat -
Twas the first day of April, and little
gray mouse
For pussy was setting a trap
She had quietly slipped from the shed
to the house
While Tabby was taking a nap.
A little toy rat which was tied to a
string
She carefully stood on the floor.
Then back to her hole with a bound
and a spring
For she heard Tabby's step at the
door.
But owing- to the difficulties mentioned
the distance to be covered was nearer
ten miles.
So when they had gone down one
side and come up the other, arriving
within a mile of camp, it was near sun
down and little Tim was very tired.
astrophe
Not a second too soon, for "Ha! ha!"
hissed the cat,
"This sweet little creature for me!"
And with these scornful words, he
ran toward the rat
To grasp it with gluttonous glee.
All in vain were his efforts for
mouse in delight
Has pulled back the string Oh,
'twas cruel
To see the poor puss but it just
served him right;
And besides it was all APRIL
FOOL!
creature's sharp teeth, but could not
prevent his clothes from being torn to
shreds, and painful wounds being in
flicted upon his arms and body.
After a few moments of terrified in
action Tim caught the animal by the
tail and tried to pull it off his brother.
Failing completely in this he took out
his pocketknife as Quickly as possible
and stabbed the creature twice in the
back. Then, with a maddened snarl, the
cat let go one enemy and turned upon
the other. With a cry of -fear little Tim
went down beneath the shock.
"Grab him by the throat!" cried Joe,
staggering to his feet, half blinded by
the blood streaming down his face.
Not daring to use his gun now, Joe
plunged forward empty-handed, stum
bling over an impediment, and, as he
fell, luckily espying within reach the
pocketknife just dropped by Tim. A
moment later the wildcat was stabbed
in the side then again and yet again.
But poor little Tim was still exposed
to the wounded animal's cruel claws,
and so Joe seized its left fore leg and
pulled with all his might. The snarling
beast, having thus been partly drawn
away from its victim. Joe saw his
chance and plunged the knife to the
hilt into its throat.
It was all over after that Both the
windpipe and the Jugular vein were
probably cut, for in a few moments the
cat ceased to struggle. The battle had
been won, but not without its cost.
Both boys were bleeding from many
painful though not serious wounds,
and their clothing was badly torn. Tim
sat down abruptly and burst out
crying.
"I d-don't want to cry, Joe," he
apologized between sobs, "but I c-can't
help it."
"Cry just as much as you want to,"
said the elder boy, rather unsteadily,
and then little Tim no longer felt
ashamed.
Having wiped the blood from his
face, Joe cut a long green stick, fished
some twine out of his pocket, and tied
the dead cat's feet together. Thrust
ing the stick between its legs, he took
one end of It and Tim the other, and
thus they returned in triumph, bear
ing their dearly bought prize between
them.
July was cooking supper in the gath
ering dusk when he saw the boys en
tering the camp clearing. A few leaps,
and he was beside them; & few words,
and he knew the outline of their story.
"You, Joe!" he cried, laughing and
gesticulating in an ecstacy, "you don"
aim to tell me you an' Tim kill dat
wile-cat wid des yo' pocketknife?"
"Yes, we did," little Tim declared,
proudly.
"Oh, go 'way! Well, well, ef dat
don't beat all! W'y, you two boys,"
the negro cried greefully, patting them
on the back "you two boys is the.bes"
hunters we got."
The men of the hunting party, when
they came into camp shortly after,
were equally admiring, and the boys
became the heroes of the evening.
Their wounds were dressed with ex
perienced hands, and even little Tim
never groaned. They were so proud
of their exploit that the pain itself
was a kind of joy.
April
AMONG the Romans April was sacred
to Venus, the goddess of beauty
and love. This is a pretty thought, for
Spring and love seem naturally to go
hand in hand. While we are told that
Spring begins on the 21st of March,
yet we consider the first of April a sig
nal for God's work to begin on nature.
Just why the first of April is called
"Fools' day" is not definitely known.
There are all sorts of wild ideas as to
its origin, and one theorist goes so far
as to trace the custom to Noah, who,
it is supposed, sent out the dove on
April 1 to find out whether the 40
days' rain had ceased. It was a fool's
errand, as the flood had not yet sub
sided; hence the thought. If we had a
theory, it might be to attribute the
origin to the foolish state of the weath
er during the month of April. The
showers between the sunshine certain
ly place us very frequently in a foolish
position, especially when he have neg
lected to carry our umbrellas..
Be that sis it may, the quaint custom
of playing pranks on one another and
on our unsuspecting friends on the
fjrst day of April is very old, and each
country has its own methods of play
ing these April fool games, and our
country Is perhaps the simplest in Its
methods.
April gets its name from a Latin
word which means "to open."
The birthstone for April is the dia
mond, and the flower is the daisy.
Establishment of U. S. Mint. in Phila
delphia April 2, 1702.
Birth of Thomas Jefferson (Presi
dent) April 2, 1743.
Birth of Washington Irving (author)
April 3, 1793.
Robert E. Peary discovered the North
Pole April 6, 1909.
Birth of Wordsworth (poet) April
7. 1T70.
Louisiana admitted to the Union
April 8, 1812.
General Lee surrendered to General
Grant April 8, 1865.
American Revolution ended April
11. 1783.
Birth of Henry Clay (statesman)
April 12. 1777.
Fort Sumpter fired on April 12.
1861.
Civil War began April 13, 1861.
Abraham Lincoln shot April 14,
1865.
Death of Benjamin Franklin April
17. 1790.
San Francisco earthquake April 18.
1906.
American ' Revolution began April
19. 1775.
Death of Lord Beaconsfield April
19. 1881.
Birth of Napoleon III. April 20. 1808.
Birth of Friedrich Frobel (educator)
April 21. 1782.
Spanish-American War April 21,
1898.
Birth of William Shakespeare April
23, 1564.
Birth of President Buchanan April
22, 1791.
War with Mexico April 24, 1846.
Birth of President Grant April 27.
1822.
Maryland admitted to the Union
April 28, 1788.
Birth of President Monroe April 28,
1758.
April Fool
"Do You Think We Ought to Keep Itf"
Asked Mary.
JOHN and his cousin Jake were great
at playing tricks on each other.
Neither left an opportunity go by,
and since one was as bad as the other
neither could get angry.
April 1 was a great day for them.
They played every known and every
new joke they could think' of on each
other, so that when afternoon came
the words "April fool" had been re
peated so often that they ceased to be
a joke.
"I say," said John to Jake, "let's
fool someone else for a change."
"The idea is good, but how?" an
swered Jake, "let's think."
John jingled some coins in 'his
pocket, then he gave a whistle of sat
isfaction. "What's up now?" said Jake.
"Here's a Canadian dime. I'll use
that to April fool them. It's in my
way, anyhow, as every conductor and
tradesman refuses to take it. I'll be
well rid of it if I should lose it."
"What will you do with it?"
"I'll stick it on the ground and from
behind the front door we can shout
'April fool at the jays who try to pick
it up."
In a few seconds the coin was glued
to the sidewalk, and then the boys'
watch began. Tho first passerby
chuckled when he saw it and clasped
his hands tighter behind him. He was
on for he had a boy as roguish" as
John at home. A good-natured woman
stooped to pick it up and when Jake
called "April fool" at her she gravely
shook her finger at the laughing faces
peeping from behind the door and
walked on. Then came a shabbily
dressed girl, about 10 years old. She
was hungry, and when her eyes caught
sight of the shining coin she trembled
with delight. Cautiously gazing around
to see that no one was looking, she
stooped to pick it up.
"April fool!" and "April fool!" shout
ed John and Jake. The little girl be
gan to cry and ran.
"Whatcher cryin' fer?" asked her big
brother when she reached her poor
home.
Mary sobbed her story into sympa
thetic ears.
"The mean things; I'll make It hot
for them," said big brother. "Come
along, Sis, and point out the coin."
Then, after April fooling a great
many persons John and Jake saw the
same poor little girl come up with a
big boy, and they saw the big boy
use the worn toe of his shoe to kirk
the coin. It flew into the gutter,
where it was soon picked up by Many.
"Oh," she said, ready to cry again,
"it isn't even real."
"You silly, it's a Canadian, but it
will do."
"Do you think we ought to keep it?"
asked Mary, eyeing it greedily.
"Sure thing. Them that's had it
1 JT. V u "" JIT
Solution to April Fool Puule.
threw it on the ground for smarties
such as us to pick up."
Say, whatcher goin' ter do with it?"
asked Mary. "Today's Iom's birthday;
let's buy her a party."
Big brother was game, and together
they entered a nearby bakery.
"Is this any good ter yer?" he asked,
handing the coin across the counter.
The woman looked at the date. "In
shuran 'it 'tis. It's the year I waz born
in. Whatcher want fer 1t? I'll keep
it fer my luck piece."
"Cakes, and plenty of them fer Mom's
birthday's today!"
The woman gave them a dozen as
sorted. "I say, Phil, April fool's day ain't
so bad after all. is it?" asked Mary
gaily running home beside him with
her found prize. "But I hopes as how
the kids what stuck it on the pave
ment won't mind."
"If they do it serves them right for
getting stung. It's a poor rule what
won't Work both ways."
Only a Rope
A DIRT wagon was bouncing over
a rough cross street.
Down from the back of the
wagon trailed a long rope frayed at
one end and knotted and twisted at the
other. The driver paid no attention to
the rope and didn't even notice when
at an extra hard bump It dragged off
lazily Into the dusty road. There It
lay unnoticed driven over and crushed
till a little black and yellow dog the
kind that belongs nobody knows where
happened by
He saw the rope in the road and
sniffed at It inquiringly. To him it
didn't look like a dusty rope at all
but like a very interesting something
that might mean a good time.
It all depends upon the point of view
you see. '
He sniffed and sniffed, then a bright
thought occurred to him may be if ue
pulled hard he could pull the rope off
the street.
So he caught hold of one of the firm
est knots, set his teeth firm and tight
and pulled for dear life.
Well, you should have seen what
happened.
Of course, the rope wasn't fastened
to the street at all (as the dog had
thought) an(J poor Mr. Doggie turned
the quickest, hardest backward somer
sault you ever saw.
Heels over head he landed in the gut
ter with the rope still firmly in his
teeth.
He got up quickly and glanced
around slyly to see if anybody was
watching apparently not that was
good. It's so much less painful if bide
and not pride is hurt, you know.
He shook himself free of the dust,
licked oft his worst bruises, picked up
the rope again and started down the
street.
"Row, row," growled a savage-looking
bull terrier who ran by just then,
"watcher doing with that rope,- give it
here."
The little black and yellow dog
ducked his tail and his whole attitude
said, "Excuse me, please, but I don't
care to stop and talk."
The bulldog growled. "Nothing doing
stop and talk." in such a forceful
way that Mr. Black and Yellow decided
to stop and be friendly.
So he dropped the rope long enough
to explain how he got it. then they each
took an end and started running down
the middle of the street.
All went well till an automobile ap
proached. Both dogs dodged for the
same side of the street (which was
lucky), but they didn't notice a tree.
One went on the right side, the other
on the left and at such speed that their
heads bumped, crack, together.
When they picked themselves up
each seemed to have a feeling the rope
was to blame for the bump. So they
To Him It JJidn't Look Like a Dusty
Rope at All.
spit and they growled, they bit and
they tore, till there wasn't enough of
that lazy rope left to be worth looking
for.
And then the dogs trotted peacefully
home to supper.
LITTLE STORIES OF GREAT WAR
"The Day of the Young."
(tJS their old age what stories these
1 fine young fellows will have to
tell to their grandchildren," says a
writer. Ho calls the times In which
we live . "The Day of the Young." A
youthful cavalry officer wrote from the
front. "It's a great war, whatever!
Isn't it luck that I was born so as I'd
be just the right age and just in the
right place!" And here is a letter from
a "middy" writing to his parents:
"It is awful for Reg. being kept at
Harrow while this is going on, but I
have written to try and cheer him up
by saying the war is certain to last
two years, by which time he will be
able to join us. I do hope you and
father will tell him this, too, whatever
you may think." Another middy writes:
"Just think, if I had been three
months younger I should have been
still at Dartmouth. Tell Dad there was
never such a chance. I am the young
est server in the British navy."
And the great English paper, the
Times, sums the matter up like this:
"Young men who were students, or
clerks or ploughboys or middies a few
months ago are now making history.
Those to whom the world was a charm
ing, if bewildering, place have sud
denly become men with a plain and
glorious duty before them men like
those Greeks who fought at Marathon
and Salamis."
I
Th. two children are planning to
M OUR PUZZLE CORNER M
AN APRIL FOOL DISH.
empty covered dish on the breakfast table.
See if you can find the dish by cut ting out the black spots and fitting
them together.
WORD SQ.UARE.
1. Uppermost portion of a person.
2 To alleviate.
3. A word which means requests.
4. A piece of furniture.
TRAVEL PUZZLE.
Three brothers set out from a cer
tain point of travel, each going in a
different direction.
Number One went to del. new, il, ton,
ph, yo, a, bos, ia, rk, ph.
Number Two went to son, lan, ch, ck,
at, mo, vi, ri, ta, ja, nd, lie.
An April Fool Boomerang
"I UlESS I K.OW WHAT YOU
IT was the evening of April Fool's
day and Buddy and Bob were out
on the street ready for any prank
that might suggest itself. April Fool's
day was always an enjoyable occasion
io them. Indeed, they even preferred
it to Halloween. And. as you may Im
agine, they were not exactly careful
as to what kind of April Fool "Jokes"
they played upon people.
A prank had to be really exciting
to Interest them at all. Such a tamo
thing as stopping a passerby and say
ing "Mister, you dropped something"
was to them entirely childish and un
interesting. From all of which, you
may safely infer that Buddy and Cob
were really bad boys.
They knew it, too, for they heard it
often enough from fathers and mothers
In their neighborhood. And they didn't
mind It. either. But they did not know
that In the end every bad deed is fol
lowed at some time by Its punishment,
and that bad boys often receive more
than they have bargained for and are
punished.
But to return to Buddy and Bub
when they set out that evening to
search for victims. You may be sure
they were in high spirits, for they felt
certain an evening of fun was before
them. Whistling and scuffling along,
they reached the corner of the street
where they prepared to play their first
"joke." Buddy pulled out an old foil
hat from under his coat and placed ii
on the pavement, where It could b
plainly seen in the light of the lamp
post, but not before Bob had placed
something under It. Then both boys
concealed themselves in the border of
bushes that marked the lawn of the
adjacent dwelling.
Presently they heard footsteps ap
proaching and Buddy peered out
"It's a man!" he whispered to Bob,
and drew back in his hiding place.
"Wherever you are, you young rap
scallions, you don't fool me!" It was
Jolly old Squire Tlbbets, who was fond
of boys and was a friend of nearly
every one of them in town. "Ha! ha!
Such an old one! Maybe you think I
didn't put bricks under hats when I
was a ad and let people kick them!
Come out here, I say. that's an old one!
Why don't you get something new?"
The old Squire looked around fur
tively, peered into the thick dark
bushes and then tip-toed over to the
hat, stooped down and picked It up.
Instantly Buddy, and Bob shrieked
with joy and tumbled out of the bushes
holding onto their very sides us they
roared with laughter.
For instead of finding a brick under
the hat, as he had expected, he had
found a small piece of white cardboard
on Which was printed the words: April
Fool!
"Well, well, boys," he chuckled,
"that's one on me and it's a good one.
I thought sure I'd find a brick there.
Which one of you rapscallions thought
fool papa and mamma by putting an
Number Three went to cis, ca. lou,
an, go, st, can, chl, co, is, fr.
Can you give the names of the clt.
ies visited?
Answers.
WORD SQUARE: Head
Katie :
Aks
Desk
TRAVEL PUZZLE: No. 1. Philadel
phia, New York, Boston: No. 2, Rit-h-mond,
Atlanta. Jacksonville; No. 3. Chi
cago, St. Louis, San Francisco.
TWO KA9CAL9 AHH IP TO I"
of that? Ha! Ha! I don't know what
boys are coming to theso days!"
Buddy and Bob ambled along end
presently they stopped under another
lamp post. This time Bob drew forth
a black leather pocketbook and plarcd
it on the pavement, right whero the
first passerby couldn't help bul see It.
Then thoy hid behind a tree box and
waited.
They didn't wait long, for presently
along came old Aunt Dinah, who did
washing and Ironing for many folks In
the neighborhood. She was currying a
bundle of clean clothes home to one of
her customers and was balmi-lng the
huso bundle on her head she walked.
But that didn't Interfere with her epy
ing tho pocketbook.
"Land sakes!" she exclaimed, stop
ping short. Then, like a flash, hhe
stuck out her foot and set It squarely
down on the pocketbook. Old Aunt
Dinnh, you see, was taking no chances
that someone else might come along
and see it before she had time to re
move the bundle from her head and
reach for it.
Carefully she deposited her wash
upon the sidewalk, removing her foot
from the pocketbook as she did so.
Then t-he stooped down to pick it up.
But Just beforo her fingers cloved
upon It. It gnve a tremendous Jump and
wrigalcd off along the pavemrnt anu
into the gutter. And at the same mo
ment two boys shouted:
"April Fool. Aunt Dinah; April Fool!
We got you that time!"
It took Aunt Dinah a moment to re
cover from her amazement and then
she acted In no uncertain fashion.
But neither of the boys waited to
see what might happen If she did get
her hands on them. They fairly flew
down the street.
After a few squares, they came to a
halt In front of a small one-story ram
shackle building in which lived an old
man whom every one in the vlllase
called "Bill the Hermit"
He was a strange old fellow who
lived alone and had very little to say
to any one. No one seemed to know
much about him except that ho was
law-abiding and paid his bills and
bothered no man. His hair and his
beard were white as snow and ho
leaned heavily on a big. rough-looking
cane when he walked. But it was said
that the old fellow was still very spry
for onf of his veers.
"Gee! I know what!" exclaimed Bud
dy as he caught sight of the little
house set back in the trees. "1 know
what let's play a Joke on old Hill!"
"Sure!" agreed Bob lnstintly. "What
is itr
"I saw a big can of green paint on
his front porch this afternoon." Buddy
hastened to explain, lowering his voice.
"Let's find it and paint his picture on
the door. The brush Is sticking up In
the can. Come on!"
"Here here It is." whispered Buddy,
as his hand groped for and found the
paint pot. "Now, lemme do it firat and
you can finish it! You hold the pot.
Bob, so I can reach It easier."
And Buddy fell to with a will, paint
ing a grotesque figure right In the ren
ter of the front door, despite the fact
that but little of the light from the
street lamp post reached that far back
in the shadows.
"I guess I know what you two ras
cals are up to!" said an angry voice
right behind them.
Both boys wheeled about. There was
old "Bill the Hermit" standing over
them, his thick cane aloft and. ready to
strike in a moment.
"Stand still, both of you!" old Bill
commanded. "You so much as move
and I'll break this slick across your
heads, you young whelps! So. so you
will disfigure my door, will you, ana
with my own paint, too! Think you're
smart, don't you? Guess It's one of
these April Fool jokes, eh?" And the
old fellow foil to chuckling and laugh
ing In bis noiseless way.
"Well," he continued presently. "I'm
some believer In April Fool Jokes my
self! And we'll have one of 'em right
now. Here you, Buddy Thomas, you
pick up that brush and keep on paint
ing that door. And when I tell you to,
you hand that brush to Bob Barker
you young Imp of Satan!"
"I guess I been wanting that door
painted nigh onto a week now. but my
rheumatic 1ms been so bad that 1 ain't
been' equal to it. Nothing like young
blood, I say! Now, you two whippcr
snappers'll paint that door for nvo
since you're so fond of painting
you'll make a good Job of it and not
spill any of that paint, or I'll know the
reason why! Oet to work! I'm stunning
right here and I'm going to lumhnat
the first one of you that drM move
an inch! April Kool? Huh! April Kool?
Who' Ri'l'iP" April Pooled How? I
gucos it uju t jld Lill tli' Hermit, Is U.'"
V
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