The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-10-16
4 Girl and N Gun.

A short distance beyond the place
where Kate had been left there was q
small by-path and when, still care
fully carrying her gun, she reached this
path, Kate stopped. Here would be a
good place, she thought, to wait for
game. Something would surely come
into that little path, if she kept herself
concealed.
So she knelt down behind small
bush that grew at corner of the two
paths, and putting her gun through the
bush rested the barrel in crotch.
The gun now pointed up the by-path,
and there was an opening in the bush
through which Kate could see for some
distance
Here, then, she watched and waited.
The first thing that crossed the path
was very little bird. 1t hoped down
from twig, it jerked its head about, it
pecked at something on the ground, and
then flew up into a tree. Kate would
not have shot it on any account, for she
knew it was not good to eat !; but she
could not help wondering how people
ever did shoot birds if they did not
"hold still any longer than that little
creature did.
Then there appeared a small brown
lizard. 1t came very rapidly right down
the path toward Kate.
cit it comes all the way" thought
Kate, 81 shall have to jump"
But it did not come all the way, and
Kate remained quiet.
For some time no living creatures,
except butterflies and other insects,
showed themselves. Then, all of a sud
den, there popped into the middle of
the path, not very far from Kate, real,
live rabbit.
1t was quite good-sized rabbit, and
Kate trembled from head to foot. Here
was chance indeed
To carry home fat rabbit would be
triumph. She aimed the gun as
straight toward the rabbit as she could,
having shut the wrong eye several times
before she got the matter arranged TO
her satisfaction. Then she remembered
that she had not cooked the gun, and
so she had to do that, which of course,
made it necessary for her to aim all
over again.
She cooked only one hammer, and she
did it so GENTLY that it did not frighen
the rabbit, although he hirted his ears
little when he heard the "click, click"
Everything was so quiet that he prob
ably thought he heard some insect
probably young or ignorant cricket
that did not know how TO chirp prop
erly.
So he sat very still and nibbled at
some leaves that were growing by the
side of the path. He looked very pref
ty as he sat there, taking bis dainty lit
tie bites aud jerking up his head every
now and then, as If he were expecting
somebody.
ct must wait till he's done eating"
thought Kate. I" 1t would be cruel to
shoot him now.
Then he stopped nibbling all of a
sudden, as if he had just thought of
something, and as soon as he remem-
bered what it was he twisted his head
around and began to scratch one of his
long ears with his hind foot. He look
ed so funny doing this that Kate came
near laughing; but, fortunately, she
remembered that that would not do just
then.
When he had finished scratching one
ear, he seemed to consider the question
whether or not he should scratch the
other one but he finally came to the
conclusion that he wouldn't. He'd
rather hop over to the other side of the
path and see what was there.
This of course made it necessary for
Kate to take new aim at him.
Whatever il was that he found on the
other side of the path it grew under the
ground, and he stuck his head down as
far as he could get, and bent up his
back as if he were about to try to turn
a somersault or to stand on his head.
"How round and soft he is y thought
Kate. "How / should like to pat him.
wonder when he'll find whatever it is
that he's looking for What cunning
little tail -
The cunning little tail was soon
clapped fiat on the ground, and Mr..
Bunny raised himself up and sat on it.
He lifted his nose and his fore-paws in
the air and seemed to be smelling
something good. His queer little nose
wiggled so comically that Kate again
came very near bursting out laughing.