The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-02-09

mao seen MIN WOuiQ not De very IkcIN
to attack him on a travelled road like
that, he thought, and then there would
have been some signs if anything like
that had happened. Homeward hG
drove. stopping at the few scattered
houses along the way to ask if little
Jake had been seen, all in vain. He
looked in vain, too, for small foot
prints in the snow; but somebody with
a team might have picked the little fell
low up, and carried him home. That
was Luke's hope until he reached home.
When he heard that he had not been
seen or heard from there Luke's face
grew very white.
Little Jake's father and several of
the neighbors set out with Luke to seek
for the lost boy. and Luke carried his
gun. The others were surprised at
that; the worst fear they had was that
little Jake had lain down exhausted, in
the snow, and was freezing to death.
Luke kept his own counsel. He
thought it was better not to say any
thing to Jake's father about those bear
tracks.
But when the party reached the
logging-road little Jake's father saw
something that Luke had overlooked
small tracks in the snow leading into
the woods. They all hurriedly fol-
lowed them, but once inside the wood
the ground was so bare of snow that
they could not be seen. But Luke, who
was ahead, suddenly raised shout
"Apple pie and cheese! Little Jake
has been herer"
"Some of the wood-cutters may
have left it here" said one of the
party.
But Luke and little Jake's father
knew well enough that it had como out
of the dinner-basket.
Here is more-and herem cried
Luke. "He has made trail of it."
And they followed the trail with
difficulty, going out of the way often.
but before noon they had reached the
opening in the hillside which little
Jake had thought warm and coy.
There on the ground in front of the
cave lay the empty basket, and little
red mitten. Luke was hurrying into
the cave when a rushing, crashing
noise among the trees made him turn,
none too soon. A huge bear was rush.
ing furiously upon them.
Luke leveled his gun and fired. The
ball struck just between her eyes, and
she rolled over at his feet dead.
1T ~ : -;ic-bear, and she mas cubs an
there. That's why she was so fierce,
said one of the party.
Luke said nothing. He and little
Jake's father looked at each other, AMI
then at the empty basket and little red
hlitten. They uttered not n word of
what was i'm their minds. but Jake's
father groaned and covered his eyes
with his hand as if TO shut out dread
full vision.
Luke went into the cave, and jake
father followed, trembling in every
limb.
A shout of joy from Luke made til"
woods ring. There. in the bears der
al safe and rosy and warm. just ava.
ened from sleep, was little Jake, ahd
bears cub sat AT his head and another
had its paw upon bis breast. In Jah.
hand was the doughnut boy that Ne -,
had made him, with its head bitten I'd.
Il don't see how You found me su
soon, Luke" said little Jake. Il saw
a bear, just As true as you live, Luke,
a big onei And if / hadn't found this
nice hole to crawl into he might have
got me! And those funny dogs came
ARE they dogs, Luke. or what are
theyP-any way they're awful nice and
playful. One bit off the head of M;
doughnut boy, and growled because !
wouldn't let him have the rest.
They carried one of the funny dog
home, and little Jake bad it for play
fellow, and Grandma made little Jak,
coat out of the big bears skin.
But though it all turned out so well.
for long time after little Jake's cigl:!
brothers and sisters all tried TO keep
hold of him when they went over :
thank-you-ma'a am.
And how many times do you suppose
they said:
'If little Jake hadn't thrown out that
apple pie and cheesem-Etizdbeth Bi9e-
toso, in Bdliou'S Magazine.