, 1876-04-01

mouthed ainazcment the little voice again
piped out; "struckil1 Struck itl Struck
i'll"
Turning his eyes in the direction whence
proceeded the inquiring voice, Pete present
ly deserted Il small green frog, mounted upon
II stick that projected an inch or two above
the water in the reservoir The frog was
but rod or two away, and seemed, as Pete
thought, to be looking inquiringly into his
eyes.
Struck it r. again said the frog.
1T is u gool omen" said Pete. "The lit.
tie fellow says have struck it. Though he
is no coun,ryman OF mine, Lelieve in me
sowl have struck it in this very hole"
So saying, Pete carried the pan of dirt he
hal dug to his panning place pnnned II out
/ and did not get color. lie was not little
ustonished mt this result. and had n notion
| to call the frog liar, but on turning to look
! for him the little fellow was gone. Pete
went back to his pit and dug u pan OF dirt
listening all the time to hear what the
frog would say about it, Not word did
the frog say, however.
Pete washed out the pan Of dirt and got
nearly dollar AHA !yc little diyil,' cried
he, "whcre air ye now ie hadn't word
to say this time
Well pleased with his luck, Pete began
!
digging another pan Of dirt from the place
where he had got the last, expecting rich
haul. lie had been at work but halt II min
ute when the voice rang out clear and sharp:
.'ruck it Struck iti Struck it p
40, yes, ye little tool; its aisy for you to
say "Sthruck it! Sthruck it = after s.en'
what got in me last PAM
Struck it ruck it Struck ~ cried
the frog, il what to Pete seemed u triumph
ant tone.
"All right, me bye (! chceriy assented Pete
nodding ms head to the little fellow thmt
sat winking anil blinking on the end of the
stick "AlI right, me bye, av COURSE I've
sthruck it T.
He carried the pan to the wash-hole, wash
ed il out, and didn't get color. ''Ye'rc
the warst liar I ever saw y cried Pete, rising
up and shaking his fist in the direction OF
the frog. Not sign Of the frog could he
see, however; tne little fellow having very
pFudently retired TO the bottom Of the pond.
Pete grumbcd for time, aud then went
and dug another pan Of gravel; the frog
again stuck his head above the water and
said: Struck it r. and again the dirt yielded
no gold when washed out. Thus it WENT
when the frog said nothing, he got u good
yield of gold, but when lie made his usual
inquiry--snecring inquiry, Pete now consid
cred il to bc--no gold was found.
At last Pete had washed so many pans of
dirt out OF which the frog had charmed all
the gold that he began to grow very angry
lie was also little discouraged. Finally,
Just us he began to scrnpe the dirt out OF
the bottom OF a very promising crcvicc, and
Just as he was beginning to think the frog
would this time hold his tongue, ont came
the little fellow with his "Struck III Struck
itw
Pete quietly laid down his crcvice.spoon,
slyly gathered two or three big rocks, then
softly, on tip toe, began stealing toward his
little prosecutor, and just as the frog cried
Struck il Z" Pete let drive at him with Il
rock 20 huge that It could have been hurled
by no lesser Ajax, missingh his mark, hut rails
ing great coommotion in the pond.
Thinking that he had given his bad angel
u fright that would last him for fortnight,
Pete returned to his work. lie had almost
filed his pan with very rich looking dirt,
when up came the frog head, and out came
his tantalizing Struck it Struck ~
Pete threw his pan ofdirt as far he couii
send it, aud made for the frog, determined
on its destruction. lie would stand no more
of its Internal nonsense. Shovel in hand he
waded into the middle of the little reservoir,
and scooped and tore about in it with the
vigor and venom of mad bull. Once or
twice he saw, or imagined he saw, the frog
dart through the discoorcd water, and
brought down the back of his shovel upon
the spot with such "spat' that the blow
might have been heard halt mile away
At length, not hearing anything ot the frog
Pete concluded that he had killed him. He
gave him parting curse, and, being now
wrought up to such a pitch Of excitement
and nervousness that he could work no more
TINT afternoon, strobe away, put on his coat
( and went home.
Tie next morning he returned to hsclaim
and his work. lie washed ont several pans
Of dirt, and WINS getting good pny Of them,
when -u ldculy Il Il upon his ear the shri'l
cry of Struck itl'
The first note sent thrill through Pete'
frame like the sharp shock of mn electro
battery. then chill fell upon his heart and
his hair almost rose on end. His evil gen