The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1882-03-25

eyes were full of fire instead Of tears
and it was not until Joe had explained
that he had been crawling through
the bushes on his hands and knees,
IN search of an arrow that he had
hred at rabbit that ran in on the
other side. and Harry had explained by
lifting his own foot, that the upturned
sole OF shoe does not look unlike a
rabbit. that good feeling was restored.
Even then, Joe wanted it distinctly I'M
derstood that he was badly hurt, SO the
boys sympathized with him, and he sat
down in the snow and took off his shoe
and stocking. When he found that the
leather of the shoe had protected his
foot SO that the wound was only about
as big as a pin-prick. and on the outer
edge of the foot, where the skin is very
thick and arteries and nerves quite
scarce, he looked very sheepish and re-
placed his stocking so quickly that he
neglected to knock the snow from it.
Harry, who thought that he had never
been so tired before in all his life, pro-
posed that the party should surround
the thieket and wait until the rabbits
came out again, but Joe and Ned voted
him down. As for Frank, Joe did not
know what he had shot or where he
whistled and shouted the various sig
nails peculiar to boys, but heard no re-
Spouse.
''As likely as not he's following a rab-
bit that he thinks he's hit,n said Joe;
:..you never know what Frank Parks
will do when he's excited. Don't let's
other track and better luck' So say
ing, Joe dashed off with Ned and Harry
close behind him.
1t really seemed as if all the rabbits in
the country were out for walk that
morning, for soon the boys came to a
place where several tracks crossed.
Each boy selected track for himself.
and started off in tremendous earnest,
for Joe suggested that they must al
ready have consumed more than half
their time.
Joe soon came within view of his rab-
bit, and fortunately the animal was sit
ting in q contemplative attitude as if
wondering where he should go in search
of a breakfast. Joe thought the shot
rather a long one to venture, but he did
not dare risk his chances by trying to
get closer, so he drew his arrow back
to the very head, when suddenly the
string snapped. Joe said something
that his father would not have approved
of, but the rabbit did not hear him;
then Joe, who was a cautious fellow and
always prepared for accidents, took a
fresh string from his pocket, restrung
his bow, and again drew his arrow back
for long shot; but this time it was the
bow itself that broke, splitting from the
notch at one end in such way as to be
forever worthless.
While Joe had been coming to grief,
Harry was plodding along in his slow
but comfortable way; thinking of moth
ing in particular except the breakfast
that he wished he had eaten before he
started, when his own rabbit jumpedup
from beside log SO near that Harry
was Just about to step over it. Harry
stopped short and exclaimed Dear
mer' by which time the rabbit had COW
cred about forty yards and was speed
ing on toward the brook. Harry blew
dart after dart, all of which fell short
and lost themselves in the snow. Then
Harry, for whom excitement could do a
great deal, broke into a run, shrewdly
calculating that the animal would he
stopped by the brook and might double
on its own tracks. But no; the rabbit
disappeared at the edge of the brook,
re-appeared on the other side, and ran
into hollow stump. ''Hurrahr' shout
ed Harry; THAT means that the brook
is frozenr' And so it was, for when
Harry reached it that brooks surface
was as smooth and white as level road
under the snow. Harry dashed upon it,
right in the rabbits tracks; the ice bent
a little under him, but the opposite bank
was hot six steps away. Suddenly he
slipped, then he fell, then he regained
his feet, but in water knee-deep, and he
slowly sank several inches deeper-it
seemed to him several feet. He plunged
and struggled and broke his way through
the ice to the shore, but when he struck
terra firma he found that he had left one
shoe somewhere in the muddy bottom
of the brook This was too dreadful,
for only week before he had promised
his father, who had none too much
money, that he would be more careful
of shoes in the future. The idea of
wadino into the brook and searching for
the lost shoe was terrifying, but love for
his father made Harry equal to it, so he
CROPPED in the bottom unsuccessfully un-
til his arms were nearly frozen and COW
cred with mud beside Then he went
home crying. BY the time he had ex-
planned to his mother and been scolded
and changed his clothes and eaten his
breakfast, he remembered that he had
not looked in the hollow stump for the
rabbit. Somehow, though, he did not
90 back to do it.
As for Ned, he followed the track that
he had selected until he found himself
on the farther side of the thicket in
which Harry had shot Joe. Suddenly
he came upon boys footprints and
drop or two of blood. Ha! evidently
Frank with his pistol had shot rabbit!
just then the first bell of school, which
rang at quarter before nine, sounded
through the clear morning air, and Ned
determined that as it was time to hurry
back anyhow and go without breakfast
in order not to be reported late, he
,nieht as well follow Franks footprints
with the chance of overtaking him and
seeing his rabbit.
So Ned hurried along, and as he APP
preached the second house after reach
ing the high road he saw Frank coming
out. He had no rabbit, but he did have
a bandaged hand in sling. and on
Ned's asking for an explanation Frank
said:
1.-The pistol burst and broke one of my
fingers. Farmer Jones' wife did it up
for me- Father always said that the old
brass pistol wasn't safe with shot. L
wish / ever could get sense enough to
remember whatever father says
Joe reached school hungry, breathless
and very red in the face, about half
minute after the last stroke of the last
bell. and Ned joined him two minutes
later Harry did not apuaar until the