Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-08-13

IuuSl Ut udTUtT-HtdTItu IMAM our chill
dren were to resist such an appeal. They
passed on, leaving the little home unmo-
Tested.
To look at a mountain is one thing; to
climb it quite another A mountain is
so deceptive From the bottom it looks
one even slope to the top; but once COM
mence the ascent, and you find valleys
and gorges you never mistrusted below.
There seems to be almost as much down
hill as up.
The children pressed stoutly on,
stumbling over rocks and stones, slip
ping up in steep places sometimes, and
catching on unnumbered bushes and
briars. The more accidents happened,
the more they laughed. Finally only
Deacon Foskett's pasture lay between
them and Mr.. Whittakers field, where
the berries grew. The farmers who
lived in the valley turned their cattle out
into the mountain pastures for the sum-
mer. Miflie remembered hearing that
Deacon Foskett had fierce bull in his
pasture, so she was afraid to cross it,
though not creature was in sight
Gwen leave you behind if you won't
come on" said the others, after trying in
vain to persuade her.
They went on across the pasture, while
Mile sat crying on the stone wall. The
| unkindest cut of all was that Lois should
go over to the enemy. All the pleasant
ness of the day was darkened; she wished
she hadn't come.
! As Lois climbed the opposite wall she
! looked back at the disconsolate figure of
her friend in the distance. She had not
| felt quite comfortable in her mind before.
Now she said, low, to Roy,
a think it's real mean in us to go of
and leave Mile like that"
She needn't be such a 'fraid-cat them"
said Roy.
''She can't help it. Folks is different.
! Come, now, Roy, you GO back and bring
| afraid, are you?"
whistling to Bose, back Roy went across
the field.
Mile hoped down to meet her deliv-
erer, smiles radiating her fearful coun-
tenance. They started back together,
Miles fear overcome by her desire to
| join the rest.
"Oh!" she said, show good you are,
Roy. I'll never-oh! mercy, Roy, there
he comes now! What shall we doY"
The bull had actually come out from
behind clump of young pines, and stood
| staring in amaZement at the strangers
He seldom saw people out here on the
mountain.
If we run for it, guess we can get
across" said Roy, and, taking Miles
| hand, he headed for the wall, behind
which the other children stood, worse
frightened, if possible, than Roy and
Mile.
Roy's course was not the wisest. If
they had walked quietly along the bull
might not have molested them, but see.
| ing them in flight he at once started in
pursuit, stopping now and then to paw
the ground tiercely, believing and toss
ing his head in warlike manner. Roy
and Mile ran as fast as they could, but
| between fright and running their breath
was fast giving out; they were still some
way from the fence, and the bull was
rapidly gaining on them. Millic, dragged
along by Roy, stumbled on in a sort of
blind fright, beyond screaming or crying.
Old Bose was proving along the stone
wall looking for possible woodchuck
holes, when suddenly he heard all this
uprOar, and realized that his master was
in danger At once all his war spirit
was reused, and he rushed TO the rescue.
In he darted, Selling the bull by the
throat. The bull, unprepared for this
sudden assault stopped and tried to
shake himself free. But old Bose shut
up his eyes and hung grimly on, with a
grip like iron. When Roy and Mile
were fairly over the fence Bose let go
his hold, and was off and safely away be-
fore the Infatuated, clumsy animal had
time to recover himself and pursue him.
The children ran till some bushes hid
them, and then threw themselves down
on the ground to rest and recover breath
Old Bose limped along after them, lame
in one foot which the bull had stepped
on, but otherwise uninjured. Every one
patted him and made much Of him.
Well" said Roy, "what do you think
of Bose nowY'
ON never call him homely mans dog
again" said Mile. And when I'm
grown up, Roy III write book about it
and put you and Bose in it,"
| Don't say anything about me, it
makes fellow feel so spOony. And, my
| young friend, as the committee say when
| they make remarks, let me give you n
| little good advice. Don't you be SO silly
again. If you'd come right along In the
first place we shouldn't have had all this
row"
" Don't you two get to quarreling
again, said Lois.
81 shan't ever quarrel with Roy again."
said Mile, no matter what he does"
| "Let's eat our dinner now" proposed
Teddy; "Pm starved to death"
so am ], - said every one.
| "Now, I'll tell you what" said Ralph !;
"'tain't anywhere near dinner-time yet.
Let's pick some berries first and rest
while the sun is the hottest"
| The rest were reluctantly obliged to
admit the force of Ralph's remarks, SO
the lunch baskets were left in a shady
| spot, in Bosses care, and they went to
picking berries. How good the berries
made their fingers smell, and how fresh
and delicious they tasted Only every
other one, on an average, ever reached
the baskets. 1t is surprising how many
Strawberries it takes to cover the bottom
of big basket. At least SO Teddy
thought. Then the sun poured down
such hot rays that their heads swan and
they were really dizzy STOPPING over.
Before long even Ralph was ready to
think 1t fully dinner-time
| Under the thick wide .sDrpadin0 ahade