The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-02-04
A Dangerous Experiment.

AVOuAOA oAN A1OE0CC WCTC LllJ6u DeA0 3
two sons. Both were tall, sturdy and in
dustrlous 1arm-boys, objects of fathers
pardonable pride and mothers abiding
love.
Zebulon was solemn, business-lik in
dividual, straightforward, impulsive and
exceedingly matter of.fact in all his trans
actions, while Horace was quite his op-
pOsite in disposition and character, being
mirthful, crafty, inventive and mis-
chievous, having An innate fondness Tor
practical jokes.
! One summer evening the two boys
came home from the meadow, where
they had remained later than usual at
work. getting the hay in good shape for
After supper they went out to the 6arg
yard TO attend to the milking. The COWS
had come home from the pasture of their
own accord, with one exception. The
brindle heifer was missing.
"Zebulon," said Horace, eff you'll
just 60 and hunt her up Ill tend to the
milkin'."
agreed"
Away started Zebulon, loudly calling:
Go boss! Co boss!" to which echo in
distinctly answered "Co' boss!"
Scarcely was Zebulon fairly out of
hearing before the brindle heifer came
leisurely trotting into the yard. Zebulon
had not seen her.
Horace finished milking, but Zebulon
did not return. He carried the fOaming
pals into the house and then returned to
the barn-yard gate to listen. In the dark
distance he could hear Zebulon family
calling: "Co' boss! Co. boss!"
With spirit of mischief that was quite
natural t. him he started out into the
pasture. He trOtted along the cowpath
for considerable distance until he came
to little thjcket through which it ran.
Here he crept into the bushes and awaited
the approach of his brother Zebulon.
Meanwhile Zebulon, failing to find the
missing brindle heifer, turned his face
homeward. The night was dark and
cloudy.
1t was a lonely place where he was; the
trees creaked and swayed dismally in the
wind; the leaves had q ghostly rustic and
the frogs in an adjoining bog croake ed
with sort of unearlhly sound.
Zebulon was not q coward, but some.
how strange, superstitious kind of feel.
ing crept over him, presentiment Of
coming danger-an indefinable kind OF
fear. 1nstinctively he walked up to the
fence near at hand, aud pulled out stou
stake, which as he proceeded rapidly
homeward he tightly grasped in hi
hands.
AS he entered the thicket he was Ger
tain he heard the bushes rustic before
him. He paused and listened for q mo
ment; it was not repeated, and he hur
ried on, thinking that the sound nigh
have been caused by the wind.
Suddenly the bushes before him wer,
violently agitated.
heifer."
Jumping up and down, and flourish
ing his stick through the air, he shouted
"Wbe ey!'
The bushes we're still. Grasping hi,
heavy stake he advanced two or tire,
PAGES and again shouted:
"Whe-eyr'
Nothing stirred. He waited severa
moments then nervously started on. HI,
had not taken more than three or fnu
steps when the bushes were violently
shaken close beside him. Then Their
was terrible growl, and a strange, in
definable object rose upon its launches
directly in the path before him.
lie thought 1t was bear.
Grasping his stick firmly, with ill hi
strength he struck at the object befor,
him. The heavy stick swept through
the air and fell with terrific thud upol
the creature at which it was aimed
There was q loud, wild shrek of terro
and pain. Then a shapeless object lay
kicking and groaning upon the ground.
30 Zeb-Zeb-you've killed met"
1t was the luckless Horace-he ha,
found the joke he contemplated a danger
ous experiment.
Zebulon was as much surprised an,
about as badly frightened - his brothe
upon coming to q comprehensive sens
of his situation. Horace was pretty bad
ly punished, but the injury he had re
ceived did not permanently disable MIN
He was rather lame for . month or tw,
afterward, but he found little sympathy
1t was little less than . miracle that. b
was not killed outright, and it is unnec
essary to state that the unexpected ad
venture he had met with entirely cure,
him of his propensity for practical joking
l-Eugens J. Hall, in Our Fsreside Friend