Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-09-05
YeA's WeoIC huck."

mine, "a country neighbor, l mean,-liv.
ing about quarter OF mile OH. Ills
father is away frsm home the most OF the
time, and his mother is OF no account, one
of the woebegone sort. She got discour-
aged" as her neighbors say, very early in
life, and ha : kept discouraged ever since
As n natural consequence her health Is
rather poor. So, between them, Ted goes
and comes and does about us he has IA
mind to. All he has to do to retain pos
session Of his liberty is to keep out of
sight Nice way to bring up boy at
least the boy thinks so. But the neigh
bors shake their heads over Ted. The
fact is, he has got to be a perfect little
Bohemian already, and is on the high
road to become thoroughbred neighbor-
hood pest and imp generally.
He ownes dog, Pincher, so very much
like his master that together they make IL
comical picture of snall-sized vagabond-
ism. How the two live | really cannot
imagine. Nobody can. But they do live,
somehow, and prowl about continually.
all through the fall my grandtather's
orchard has been subject to little Tcd's
depredations, especially one "sweet tree "
standing temptingly near the line fence.
The little rogue knows he could have all
the apples he wants by just coming to the
house and asking for them; but it suits
him better tojump over the wall and help
himself
There have also been two other little
poachers on the "sweet tree during the
fall. They are sly, though rather stupid
little chaps, who generally live on frogs,
bugs, worms, small snakes, etc But they
cannot resist mellow, sweet apples. Who
can? SO nights, and sometimes by day,
they steal down from the lodges on the
mountain side ABOVE the orchard to try
the apples.
do not know exactly how it happened,
but it did SO happen, that Ted
and Pincher on one OF their sly
raids, fell afoul OF these two latter mar
auders. One was on the ground MUNICH
ing an apple, but the other had climbed
the tree and was high up in the top. Ted
and Pincher came upon Them unawares.
One would think there ought to have been
mutual respect between them. But there
wasn't. Pincher rushed after the one on
the ground, chasing him over tho wall
and under II large rock. Ted began to
pelt the one in the tree.
The ground about the tree is not in
sight from grandtather's yard only the
top of the tree is visible. | heard the
barking, and, seeing something moving
about in the top, guessed what was the
trouble. Every minute or two Ted would
run up through the orchard to higher
ground to see If any one was coming down
from the house, and finding all quiet,
would run back to resume the attack.
Feeling interested to know how be would
come out with his gully little rival, !
went up stairs to where Il window COM
manded "a view OF the miniature battle
GROUND, and, taking an old iorgnette be-
longing to Que OF my girl cousins, began to
watch them.
Ted was sending the stones and the ap-
pies into the tree with all the strength OF
his reckless little arm, Pincher stood at
the root, looking up and barking fuIiously,
zap! yap! yap yapi Bat the little
black fellow in the top was evidently hav-
ing the easiest time of the three, Ted's
missiles fell short, almost as far rs Pinch.
er's yapsl All the while | could hear Ted
"jabbering" Presently he stopped to
take another look at the house. Then he
and Pincher seemed to hold a council !;
and, as result, Ted ran to fetch long
pole that stood in the old bow-back " tree
whore it had been used to knock off the
"high ones
The pole was very formidable wea-
pom SO, at least, the little black chap in
the tree found it. Ted ran it carefully up
through the branches and began to poke,
once, twice. The clumsy creature tried
to lump across to another limb, missed his
clutch and came tumbling down, bumper
ty-hump, from limb TO limb. Pincher was
waiting for him. But when the queer lit
tie apimal, all rolled up in u ball tell down
among tie leaves before him, he dropped
his tail ard drew back
as take i'm, Pinch IS take i'm p
shouted Ted, dropping the pole and dane
ing about. But Pinch thought he would
rathet not and lodged behind Ted
" Shake 'em! Shake 'em, Pinch"
Pinch didn't want to, and ran round to
the other side of the tree.
This unlooked-for piece Of spoonyism so
exasperated Ted that he caught Pincher
bv the ear; and after kicking him soundly
with his little bare, gray foot, dragged
him up and again babe him " s 8 take
i'm"
Thus brought to the scratch, Pinch
made sudden dive, have quick shake,
then let 20 and began to dig at bis mouth
Ted looked from one to the other, not a
Et,le puzzled. Then, BY way Of investiga-