The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-03-20
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
A Curioua Pet,

A Curious Pet
A little more than half way across the
dreary Tartar steppes, that extend un-
broken for eight hundred miles, from
the Russian frontier town Of Orsk to the
great inland lake marked on Asiatic
maps as the sea of Aral, the endless
level is broken by n deep rocky gully
several hundred yards in length, on the
brink Of which stands long low build
ing Of sun-dried clay, surrounded by
thick wall of the same material.
The whole affair has such primitive
look that it might easily pass for huge
cattle-pen, but for the tw- guns which
peer watchfully over its irregular
sides, and the glittering bayonet of a
white.frocked Oossack, who is standing
sentry on an angle OF the wall. This
little nest is " Fort Karabutak," one of
Russia's Central Asian outposts-a spot
30 remote and desolate that one might
well suppose it's garrison to have been
sent hither as punishment for some
unheard-of crime.
At this delectable place do halt
about four o'clock one glorious June
morning. hammer Justify at the door
of little mud-plastered log hut, which
has nothing but the black and white
stripes on its door-posts to show that it
is post-house.
My Tartar servant, meanwhile, assist
ed my efforts by yelling at the top of
his voice, "Ot!" (horses).
At length. just as we are beginning to
lose patience altogether-for in the
Asiatic deserts every minute of the cool
| "a, o., 81, -,
gold-a long yawn from within, follow
ed by drowsy "sei-tchass" directly, },
announces that the master of the house
is beginning to bestir himself.
just at this moment, my attention is
attracted to a "swinging cradle" of
genuine Eastern fashion, suspended
from the projecting caves, in which lie
brace of sturdy little children, brown
as hazel-nuts, and round as plums.
Both are fast asleep, in those extra
ordinary positions which none but chill
dren can contrive to assume. am still
admiring the picturesqueness of the
group, when suddenly perceive that I
have overlooked one of its most import
ant features.
Snugly curled up between the two
sleeping children, in the warmest place
of all, lies a round yellowish mass,
topped with pair of pointed ears.
At first sight, its size and color might
make one take it for large cat; but a
cat it certainly is not. Nor, as I look
again, does it seem like dog.
The outstretched fore paws on which
it rests, indeed, are sufficiently canine,
and when I begin to caress it, it re-
spends by licking my hand in genuine
dog fashion; but that narrow head, that
sharp muzzle, that slanting greenish-
yellow eye, surely never belonged to
any dog since the world began.
It is this popularity of the eyes
which, recalling my winter experiences
in European Russia, at length let's me
into the secret. The bedfellow of the
postmaster's children is young wolf.
Just as l have made this discovery,
the door of the hut opens, and out comes
big frowzy, shock.headed fellow, with
huge red beard, who laughs loudly al
my look of amazement.
"Aha, BARN ~ (master) "you haven't
seen many children like that, fancy p
Where on earth did you pick it up p
ask I, looking wonderingly at the two
children, who are awake at last, and be.
ginning to pull their four-footed play
mate in the most unceremonious fash
ion.
"Well, you see, last winter, vol
came prowling round here, and I had tc
give him a taste of my hatchet. So
when I'd settled him, 1 bethought mysel
that the she wolf might'nt be far off, an6
L followed the trail through the snow
till it brought me to the hole, and there
was the old lady, sure enough, and an
other tap of the axe quieted her, too.
"But when saw this poor little bra
whimpering over the body, I felt sorry
for it, somehow, and I concluded not t.
kill it but to take it home for the chill
dren to play with, and now it gets
share of their bread and milk in tn
morning and of their blanket at night
Just like one of themselves"
But you surely don't mean to keel
it ?"
"No, Pm afraid that won't do" sal,
the giant, with regretful shrug of hi
huge shoulders. "When it gets bigger
, and begins to find its teeth, then -
, significant flourish of the great brow
hand completes the unfinished phrase
. When return from Samarcand, thre
q months later, find the sentence alread
q executed.-David Ker.