Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-15

Little Johnny Schultse and u Playmate
Try 10 with Remark able Cousc-
QuemceS.

Pocono Pa Dispatch 20 New York sun May2
Little Johnny Schultze and a playmate wore
out in the woods, along Schultze's Rum gath
ering wild aowers on Thursday. "A pretty red
squirrel ran across the road ahead OF the boys,
whisked mp q big tree. and disappeared with q
saucy chatter ia q hollow place in the trunk.
Little Johnny discovered another hollow place
IN the tree trunk, near the ground. and much
larger than the one that the red squirrel had
disappeared In. Little Johnny argued that the
trunk must be hollow all the way up. and that
consequently IL would be great larks to build q
fire In the hollow near the ground and force the
red squirrel out NJ the top with the smoke 10
80 Johnny and his playmate gathered lot
OF dry sticks and leaves, aud placed a big pile
OF them in the hollow trunk near the ground.
Then they struck a match, set IRE 10 the mass,
and waited for the smoke 60 roll upward.
Little Johnny and his playmate glued their
eyes on the opening toward the top, expecting
momentarily to see the red squirrel rush out
in great state OF alarm. 1t seemed Ia take
goo1 whfie for the smoke 20 disturb the squir-
rel, for IL did not appear expected, aud little
Jonuny was about 10 remark To his playmate
that things were not ALWAYS what they seem,
when he saw his playmate's eyes bulge out
Ike pair OF white seed onions. and his hair
rise up like n scare wig at the minstrel show.
Then little Johnny's playmate gave "A howl
that made the woods ring and away he went
across country like a startled deer.
Little Johnny mechanically let his eyes rest
where MS play mates had rested when they be-
gan To bulge, and then Johnny began 10 bulge.
A head which Johnny recognized as that of a
very Dig Dear. ana another head that
would have known was that of "A smaller bear
had appeared at the hole in the trunk where
the smoke had been started. THE bears were
the tenants OF that hollow trunk and they
had come down TO see what was going
on at the entrance. Little Johnny schultze
yelled. Then he turned and ned down the
creek. He reached the old sawmill nearly a
mile from the bears. before he venturcd To look
back There We're no bears In sight Little
Johnny made mp his mind that he would RESI-
a while in the old mill before he went the other
niue re mad TO go before reaching home. He
SAT- down on log. and was just eeginniag 10
beating.
Looking up the creek not ten rods away, he
saw Two bears coming toward the mill at a
lively rate Little Johnny schullze felt that hs
could never get away from those bears 10y run.
mig, SO he dashed into the mill, and shining
up The lettering saw frame, perched a
rafter. lie saw nothing more ofthe bears, but
Tor fear that they were lurking about waiting
Tor him TO come down, he remained where lie
was, and used his strength in bowling. lie had
chung 10 the rafter and howled for BALI an hour
before he discovered the clouds OF SMOKE that
were rising i'm the woods up the creek. Little
Johnny then knew that there was a fire raging
IN the dry brush, and thai IL had more than
likely been started by the efforts OF himself and
the hollow tree. The wind was blowing str1lg
In the direction Of the MILL and little johnny
before night he would be compelled 70 run the
gauntlet Of the bears stand "A good chance Of
being burned up in the mill BY the way the
IRE spread little Johnny was certain that IL had
reached the the bag ranks OF tanbark that were
piled all around that part OF the woods and
which were Ike 30 much finder to the flame.
But FOR the fire IN the woods johnny might
nave remained bowling in the mill Ior many
hours before he would have been called for
but The clouds OF smoke warned the tannery
men that there WAS danger in the woods aud
dozen or more of them hurried up the creek
TO fight IL. They had TO pass the mil, aud little
Jonnny hurried out y JOIN them. They had
no time 10 listen IL anything about bears, and
IL was long past midnight when they
got the hre under control, and not
until more than three thousand cords VI
valuable and scarce bark was burned
up, besides many thousand feet OF log.
Little Jobnnys bears have not been seen
since, although a missing sheep a neighbor-
ing farm and other signs told OF their presence
But the manner Ina which II is reported that
little Johnnys father admonished him In the
privacy OF his home that evening against wan-
ionly playing tricks on pretty red squirrels was
so decided thai IL was heard by the boys in the
miiiers house, nearly a quarter OF a nile up the
lane.