St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1886-10-02
THE END OF THE RAINBOW.

| THE END OF THE RAINBOW.
Gertte and Jacks Search for . Pot o
Gold.
Gertie, aged ten. and Jack, aged SIX
stood looking out of the great wide
open doors in grandpa's barn. ,whithel
they had fled for shelter from tn,
shower which bad 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 a solitary sent.
incl high up the hill in Grandpa Marsh s
pasture.
The shower was soon over, and the
beautiful vision vanished.
..Gertle," said Jack. excitedly. "did
you see where the rainbow stopped?"
'.Yes."
LETS go and dig for the pot of
gold"
1t was a belief that had been in
stilled into their minds by their German
nurse. that at the foot of every rain
bow there was buried a brimming 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 great temptation. If Ger
tie had weakness it was for chocolate
creams and caramels, and if she and
Jack. found the buried treasure her
share of the money would supply her
with these luxuries the rest of her nat
uraI 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.
..rn get spade from grandpa's
shop" said Jack.
Alas! after the first wrong step is
taken, the others come easier. Both
Jack and Gertie knew that grandpa
never allowed them to use one of his
tools without express permission. But
the prospect of finding pot of gold
overcame their scruples. Jack opened
the door of the workshop and possessed
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.
Go back. Wover!" said Jack. and
the faithful fellow retreated, much
abashed.
Jack and Gcrtie 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 rewa arded their labors.
Lets go and pick some wasberries."
said Jack, land then we'll come back
and dig again."
Gertie willingly consented. They
were not far from "cut-down,n
where raspberries grew in great abun-
dance. The children picked and ate
berries for some time, wandering
further and further into the ..cut-
down." At last they came to a tree
which had been blown over in some
storm, and whose trunk was overhung
by a 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 large black animal. and around
it were playing two or three smaller
ones, about the size of young puppies.
1t was = mother bear and her little
ones. The cubs seemed unconscious
of the presence Of strangers, but rolled
and tumbled over one another in their
frolic, 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.
hC tuhhCo anu
away Fear lent wings to their flight.
They dashed through clursps of bushes,
they scrambled over logs and bowlders,
they tripped over roots and running
vines. they minded not torn clothes or
scratched hands. they were needless of
their course. only that it took them
away from the dreadful monster.
They ran until they were breathless
and exhausted. and then sank painting
to the ground. The bear was nowhere
in sight.
Il thought she would surely tear us
in pieces, said Gertie.
Il dess God sent an angel to stop
her mouf, same as He did when Daniel
was cast into the lions den,' said Jack.
The children stood up and looked
around. They had fled from the ''cut-
down" and were now in the forest
Tall trees were all around them, their
interlacing branches almost hiding the
sky. They started in what they sup
posed was the direction of their grand
pas house, and walked for some time,
bss NO opening gladdened their eyes.