The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-12-01

/
but don't any of you men foller me.
You would only skeer the game And
he disappeared among the trees.
The rest of the company began dig
ging hole in the side of the bank, and
the Cabot, having set his trap, soon
joined Them for the idea of cave was
very enchanting.
1t was slow work, however. digging
with knives and sticks.
Two, three, four hours passed by, and
still the Crocodile did not return.
1t was eleven o. clock and they were
ravenously hungry, But they were
frontierSDlen now, and as such, must
not murmur. In fact, difficulties,
dangers and privations were just what
was to give zest to their wild life.
Don't Catamount Bill often 90 for
days withouteating2 And couldn't they
do the sameP
Noon came. The mouth of the cave
began TO assume definite proportions,
but the Crocodile had not appeared.
Hush The report of a gun rang
through the woods. Undoubtedly, he
had killed a turkey, for he was the most
experienced hunter of them all
! 1t seemed TO the Cabot and the ANA
ION that he could hear the dainty strips
of tender fowl sizzling on the fire, he
was so hungry.
The Hyena threw some fresh wood on
the Goals. and the Capricorn was rubbing
/ the clay from his knife, to have it ready
/ for dressing the turkey, when the Croco-
/ die walked into camp, holding between
/ his thumb and finger a-red-headed
/ wood-pecker!
mot thing on this blarsted island
but that he said, angrily. adopting the
! phraseology of the great Catamount Bill.
/ If Ben Marble had a-tied the canoe
worth shucks, I'd a-had half a dozen
deer by this timen
Il thought you tied it, said Ben,
stoutly.
'.Ne,a. what's the use of quarrelingP''
said the brave little Capricorn. Rob
inson Crusoe made canoe, aud we can,
too"
'.That'lI take too long. now.'' said the
Catamount, feeling very hungry. Say.
boys-or men l mean-why not build a
raft?"
The plan was adopted, and, hurrying
to the sandbar at the upper end of the
island, they made, in the course of three
hours, raft large enough for dozen
men; for the Crocodile had no desire to
get into the water. He was a land
Crocodile and could not SWIM
They had found plenty of drift-wood.
which they bound together with grape
vines; but alas, like Crusoe, they had
built their craft upon the land and could
not launch it.
Then they pulled it to pieces, and care
fully bound it together in the water.
The sun was now low and there would
be little time for hunting after the Croco-
die should reach the mainland
The water looked very black and the
raft very treacherous; but, concealing his
fear, the Crocodile stepped Oh board,
laid his gun across the logs, and, taking
the paddle, which they had made from
piece of drift lumber. he gave the COM
mand to Push 'er Oft -
Now. men, he said, ''be ready to
help me land my game when l get
back" But just then the current caught
his craft, whirled il around. shook it up,
and. carrying it about ten feet from shore,
Knocked it to pieces against a snag which
projected from the water.-
Time minute and half.
Results lot OF grape-vines, logs and
bottom OF the river; and The Croker
die of the Mountings' sitting astride of
the snag, bareheaded and frightened
nearly out of his wits.
Help me outr' he yelled, shivering
with fear.
Cant you swim ten feet?'' demanded
the Catamount.
No. l ca Mt. Help me out.
You are a purity Crocodile, you arer' |
exclaimed the Capricorn.
Help me out, L sayp' yelled the /
Crocodile, becoming angry.
They brought grapevine and pulled 1
him to shore
Why did they not enjoy il? They were
having just the kind OF adventures TO
make book interesting; but they would
rather have done their starving with
plenty to eat, and the Crocodile woulii
have preferred making his hairbreadth
escape from drowning on dry land.
There was no getting TO shore without
swimming. and only Ben would have
dared the attempt. But Ben ha no idea
Of leaving the rest, and thew made the
best of a bad situation by keeping up as
brave an appearance as possible.
".
Again the moon sailed overhead and
he smoke of the campfire went straight
up. One by one the boys grew silent
They were thinking of home; Of fried
nam and eggs, hot biscuits, butter and
creamy milk; thinking of soft BEDS
of their mothers and wonder
ng if they were crying because their
,oys We're gone; thinking very little of
he Rocky Mountains or of the Invisible
Jatamount of the Crags.
At last they fell asleep.
Suddenly the woods OF Wolf Island
with frightful yells. the sharp
rack of rifles, and the Kissing of bullets
trough the trees.
The boys leaped to their feet and tried
o fly; but the circle of painted. bowling :
ancing savages surrounded them, :
'randishiag their tomahawks and adj
ancing to their destruction.
1.-The Catamount of the Crags," the :
Cabot of the Amazon and the Cap
icorn of the Arctic. Zone bored their .
leads into the cave" leaving tangle :
f wildly wrangling legs sticking out.
The Hyena of the Plains fell over a !
og. and crawled under a grape-vine; '
While the ..Crockerdile of the Mount !!
ngs'' did his best to climb tree. but was !
'ulled down by huge Indian, who :
randished his knife about his head, pre- :
aratory to scalping him. Then the 2
'Crockerdilen burst into tears and be- :,
an yelling for his Paw while the =
'atamount, Cabot and Capricorn Joined ,
a vigorous, though smothered, chorus; !;
nd the Hyena lay under the grape
ines, holding his breath and mentally
epeating: ''Now l lay me down to :,
leep.'' =
But the red men were memorable, and =
heir victims were savagely jerked inside :,
f a hideous, painted, bloodthirsty ring. .
''Ughr' grunted the tallest one among I;
hem. .Me killum you'll Me eat you upi :,
fe big chief 'Ink-pa-du-tahr Z
At the mention of the terrible name, o
The Crockerdile'' actually howled with 2
light, though only the night before he o
al wished that -pa-du-tah and his G
hole tribe would attack Wolf Island. n
10000. Please, Mr.. Indian, don't +,
i'll mer' he blubbered, his face drawn +