Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1884-01-03
KING AGAINST KING.


From this grove of cottonwoods shell
tcring the spring across TO that PENN
sula of thicket running out from the
forest is n clear space of ten miles.
Call it valley and you will not be far
wrong. Write that it is almost as level
rs Il floor and covered with rich green
grass, and you will give the reader q
true picture.
The grove contains not over u dozen
trees and in the center u spring bub-
bles up and throws off II stream which
steals away through grass and weeds
and is finally soaked up by the parch-
cd soil. In the spring time the stream
becomes rivulet and runs its course
for fifty miles. In the hot summer the
thirsty wolf must cool his tongue at
the spring or cross to the forest and
lap at the creek.
Skeletons? Yes. Two directive.
Not of men, but of large animals. Three
of them rest on the ground almost with
in the shade of the trees; the other two
are out in the sunshine, and the grass
is shooting up between the bleaching
ribs and conccaling the hideous skulls.
You look about expecting TO see the
rusting iron-work of an emigrant wag-
on, and there is sudden fear that the
grass may be hiding the story of ter
rible butchery.
Look out! There is a gurgle-a growl
"A warning of danger which sends the
chills creeping over you, and from the
high grass springing up around the
skeleton furthest away head is lifted
into view. 1t is the head of the Amer
lean lion-thc puma of the plains! Its
CLASSY eyes are watching you-its yell
low fangs work as if they were tear
ing your flesh! Is he crouching for y
spring. Has he been waiting and
watching for this last half hourP
Now there is whine of hunger and
pain, and as you watch for that horri-
BILE head to be raised again tawny
form creeps out of its hiding place and
pulls itself out upon the short grass
and into the full glare of the sunshine.
So no! The king is cripple! He Is
dragging a shoulder and leg after him
rs he moves, and he is willing to vacate
without fight.
Now YOU have the mystery. The
key is five miles up the valley, where
you see that band of wild horses COM
ing down ut round trot. The king
has had fat thing of it. The grove
was his palace That big cottonwood
with his claw marks showing by the
hundred was his throne. The wild
horses came here to drink, and his roy
nj highness has feasted as becomes n
king. A fat horse on the grass
spring at his heels--no one to modest
b;n, ~ b;S ,,DaoIS M J,tri,,,, HE SLIM, bpra
who wouldn't be nabob?
These skeletons are clean-picked.
That proves much. Ii was weeks ago
that the last horse was borne 10 the
ground in terrific struggle for life.
He did not save himself, but he inflict-
ed such damage that his royal highness
has been n plebean cripple ever since.
Pain and hunger have made him whine
and beg, and the coyotes have dared to
invade his realm ahd gnaw at the
bones within hundred feet of his
bed. In his strength they feared
and respected him; in his distress
they mock him and exhibit con-
tempt.
The palace of his royal highness has
been invaded, and he must go. He who
has never shown mercy can expect
none. The forest will give him n hid
ing place, if not food and drink, and he
will drag himself across that weary
stretch of grass to secure cover. he
moves slowly. Every foot of progress
gives him pain. and at every ten feet
he pauses and looks back and seems TO
wonder if it would not be more in keep
ing with his record to limp back and
"a 4 1,a inv
Let him alone and watch the horses.
The whole band have halted. Every
head is up, every nostrif is smiling the
air, and every eye is watching the
crippled king as he slowly increases
his distance from shelter. He is growl-
ing and complaining and has eyes only
for you. Now he hobbies on three legs,
uttering short barks-now he draws
himself along on his belly and growls
rs if he had victim within reach OF
his fangs.
Watch the horses! They stand stock
still, every head thrust out and every
eye marking off the distance between
the crippled king and the grove. In a
quarter of an hour there is half q mile
of open ground between the first cot
tonwood and the spot where the fugi-
tive has halted for long look back
ward. He has turned his face toward
the forest, when there is sudden
movement among the horses. The
band divides. A portion rush TO the
right to cut off retreat to the grove
the rest bear straight down upon the
q. He hears the rush Of feet-he
ses his head for one swift glance, and
then there is q roar of mingled defiance
and despair.
His royal highness is cornercd; his
escape is cut off He makes dozer
bounds forward, forgetting for the in
slant his broken shoulder, and then hi
halts and faces the rush, whining, beg
ginq, erowling-a coward in the face
of danger. A cowardP No! He weak
ened in the first moment of despair
but now his courage returns and h
roars defiance. If he must die IL shall
be the death of king.
Watch the horses! They have form
ed a circle about him and are closin,
in-not with a rush, but slowly and co
l. l. -