St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-09-04
AN ADVENTURE.
Gertie and Jacks Search for Pot of
Gold.

Gertie, aged ten. and Jack, aged six,
stood looking out of the great wide
open doors in grandpa's barn, whittier
they had fled for shelter from the
shower which had come up suddenly
and interrupted their play.
The sun was shining brightly, and
through the fast-falling rain-drops they
saw beautiful bow spanning the
southeastern sky. 1t was so sharply
defined that one could almost see the
exact spot in the meadow where the
arch started. while the other end seemed
to rest at the foot of a great Norway
pine. which stood like solitary sent
incl high up the hill in Grandpa Marsh 9
pasture.
| The shower was soon over, and the
beautiful vision vanished.
"Gertie.' said Jack, excitedly. "did
| you see where the rainbow stopped?"
Yes
LETS go and dig for the pot of
gold"
1t was q belief that had been in
stiled into their minds by their German
nurse, that at the foot of every rain
bow there was buried brimmlng pot
of gold.
Gertie hesitated, The grass and
bushes were dripping from the shower.
She feared that if she asked permission
of grandma to go to the pasture it
would not be granted. But the pot of
gold was q great temptation. If Ger
tie had weakness it was for chocolate
creams and catameis, and if she and
Jack found the buried treasure her
share of the money would. supply her
with these Injuries the restso Of her nat
ural life. Besides, if she didn't ask
grandma, and so wasn't expressly for
hidden, where was the wrong?
The little girl who hesitates is lost.
In spite of sundry twinges of con-
science, Gertie at last fell in with her
brothers plan.
''Tll get spade from grandpa's
shop said Jack.
Alas! after the first wrong step is
taken, the others come easiez Both
Jack and Gertie knew that grandpa
t,,@ss without express permission. But
y prospect of finding pot of gold
overcame their scruples. Jack opened
the door of the workshop and possessed
himself of spade. Grandma and the
hired girl Were in the kitchen prepar-
ing supper, and so did not notice what
the children were about. Rover, the
great Newfoundland dog, which had
been lying on the rug on the piazza,
saw them start, and came bounding
along to accompany them.
p go back, Wover!" said Jack, and
the faithful fellow retreated, much
abashed.
Jack and Gertie started across the
fields to the pasture. They crept
through the bars and climbed up the
steep hill to the tall pine, at whose foot
the treasure was concealed. The chill
dren dug away until blisters began to
appear on their hands from the unac-
customed toll. But no pot of gleam-
ing gold rewarded their labors
Lets go and pick some wasberries,"
said Jack, land then we II come back
and dig again.
Gertie willingly consented. They i
were not far from a "cut-down,"
where raspberries grew in great album
dance. The children picked and ate
berries for some time, wandering
further and further into the 'tcut-
down." At last they came to a tree
which had been blown over in some
storm, and whose trunk was overhune
by great mass of bushes. Jack was
just reaching up his hand to pull down
q bush heavily laden with berries, when
he saw something that almost made
his heart stop its beating.
Near the roots of the fallen tree
stood a large black animal, and around
it were playing two or three smaller
ones, about the size of young puppies.
1t was a mother bear and her little
ones. The cubs seemed unconscious
Of the presence of Strangers, but rolled
and tflmbled over one another in their
Trolic, while the mother bear looked at
Jack and Gertie with more of surprise
than of anger in her eyes.
At length the bear gave low growl.
The children turned and ran screaming l.
away. Fear lent wings to their flight
They dashed through clumps of bushes,
hey scrambled over logs and powders,
hey tripped over roots and running
zines, they minded not torn clothes OF
scratched hands. they were needless of
heir course, only that it took them
way from the dreadful monster. Il
They ran until they were brsathless
snd exhausted, and then sank painting