The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-10-30
Girl and a Gun.

a short distance beyond the place
where Kate had been left there was
small by-path and when, still care
fully carrying her gun, she reached this
path. Kate stopped. Here would be
good place, she thought, to wait for
e1me. Something would surely come
INTO that little path, if she kept herself
concealed.
So she knelt down behind a 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. It hoped down
from a twig, it ierked its head about, 1t
pecked at something on the ground, and
then few up into a tree. Kate would
not have shot it on any account, for she
new it was not good to eat; but she
could not help wondering how people
ever did shoot birds If they did not
E'hold still" any longer than that little
creature did.
Then there appeared small brown
lizard It came very rapidly right down
the path toward Kate.
cit it comes all the way, thought
Kate, q shall have to jump. 81
But it did not come all the way, and
Kate remained quiet.
Fer some tii2e 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, q real,
Live rabbit.
,Ls-
Kate trembled from head to foot. Here
was chance indeed
To carry home d fat rabbit would be
a 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 ''cliek, clickr
Everything was so quiet that he prob
ably thought he heard some insect,
probably a young or ignorant cricket
that did not know how to chirp prop
erly.
So he sat very still and nibbled al
some leaves that were growing by the
side of the path. He looked very pref
tv as he sat there. taking his dainty lit.
tie bites and jerking up his head every
now and then, as if he were expecting
somebody.
81 must wait till he's done eating.
thought Kate. :" 1t would be cruel tc
shoot him now.
Then he stopped nibbling all of &
sudden, as if he had just thought oi
something, and as soon as he remem
bered what It was he twisted his heac
around and began to scratch one of his
long ears with his hind foot. He look
ed SO funny doing this that Kate cam,
near laughing but. fortunately, sh,
remembered that that would not do jus
then
When he had finished scratching ont
ear. he seemed to consider the question
whether or not he should scratch tn
other one but he finally came to tn
conclusion that he wouldn't. He''
rather hop over to the other side of tn
rath and see what was there.
This of course made it necessary fo
Kate to take a new aim at him.
Whatever it was that he found on th
other side of the path it grew under tn
Ground. and he stuck his head down a
far as he cOuIQ 26G1 auu UonL up 81
hack as If he were about to try to tur
q somersauIt or to stand on his head.
aHow round and soft he is p though
Kate. How should like to pat him
wonder when he'll find whatever it
that he's looking for What cunnin
little tail r
The cunning little tail was 500
.c1anped fat on the ground, and Nj
Rnnnv raised himself up and sat on il
He lifted his nose and his fore-paws i
the air and seemed to be smellin
something good. His queer little nos
wiooIed So comicaly that Kate agai
ca9ae very near bursting out laughing
How I would love to have him for
roat r, she said to herself.
After shifting short time, the rabbi
seemed to come to the conclusion the
he was mistaken after all, and that b
didn't really smell anything so yer
GOOD. He seemed disappointed, how
ever. for he lifted mp one of his httl
fore.paws and rubbed it across his eye:
Rnt perhaps he wasn't SO very sorr,
but only felt like taking nap, for h
stretched himself out as far as he coult
and then drew himself up in buncl
as if he were going to sleep.
"I wish hewouldn do that, thougl
Kate. anxiously. SCI don't want
shoot him in his sleep"