The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-08-28
AN ADVENTURE.
Gertie and Jacks Search for Pot oil
Gold.


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 a 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 Marah'a
pasture,
The shower was soon over, and the
beautiful vision vanished.
"Gertie." said Jack, excitedly. did
you see where the rainbow stopped?"
Eyes"
Lets go and dig for the pot of
gold"
1t was belief that had been in
stilled into theirminds by their German
nurse, that at the foot of every rain
bow there was buried a trimming pot
of gold.
Gertie hesitated. The grass and
bushes were dripping from the shower.
She feared thatif she asked permission
of grandma to 90 to the pasture it
would not be granted. But the pot of
gold was great temptation. If Ger
tie had a 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 sue 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.
I'm get a spade from grandpa
shop said Jack.
Alas! after the first wrong step is
taken, the others come easieE Both
Jack and Gertie knew that grandpa
never allowed them to use one of his
tools without express permission. But
the prospect of finding a pot of gold
overcamc their scruples. Jack opened
the door of the workshop and possessed
himself of spade Grandma and the
hNed 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 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 tc
, appear on their hands from the unac
, customed toll. But no pot of gleam
J ing gold rewarded their labors.
: Lets 60 and pick some wasberries, ;
! said Jack, land then we Il come bacl
and dig again.
Gertie willingly consented. Thel
were not far from a "cut-down,
where raspberries grew in great abun
dance. The children picked and at
, berries for some time, wanderin!
: further and further into the "cut
down" At last they came to a ire
= which had been blown over in som
- storm, and whose trunk was overhun!
e by great mass of bushes. Jack wa
Just reaching up his hand to pull dow
t a bush heavily laden with berries, whel
$ he saw something that almost mad
/ his heart stop its beating.
. Near the roots of the fallen ire
I stood large black animal, and aIoun
s it were playing two or three smalle
: ones, about the size of young puppies
1t was a mother bear and her littl
!. ones. The cubs seemed uncOnsciou
S of the presence of strangers, but role
and tumbled over one another in thei
= frolic, while the mother bear looked q
n Jack and Gertie with more of surpris
,. than of anger in her eyes.
(. At length the bear gave low grow
The children turned and ran screamin
away. Fear lent wings to their figh
, They dashed through clumps of buShe
tt they scrambled over logs and bowlder
at they tripped over roots and runnin
al Fines, they minded not torn clothes
i scratched hands, they were needless
20 their course, only that it took the
- away from the dreadful monster.
he They ran until they were breathlei
and exhausted, and then sank pantir