The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-04-27
to suppose he could drive it away by bark

ing.
Powerful or not, it won't steal any more
OF our Chickens said Ginger to himself,
with stubborn resolution.
They put him down cellar, and boarded
up the cellar window; but nevertheless Gin
ger could discover by means of very lit
tie crack when the moon was prowling
about, and he felt obliged to bark the
louder because he was SO far from the poul-
house: Then they tried q firm little
Ginger could bear. It hurt his proud spirit
much more than his tough little hide: but
most of all, it hurt him that his dear master
Tom felt so badly about it. He wagged his
stump of q tail with all his might. and
6lanked at him with soft appealing eyes.
doesn't hurt so very much.' But Tom
thought it meant: Don't let them vhip
me!' and only cried the more.
But neither by imprisonment nor stripes
was Ginger to be prevented from doing his
duty. The moon came around little later
asleep, Ginger thought, and the instant it
shone through the crack he began to bark
madly. The minister came over and COM
planned for the eleventh time, and then there
came very large policeman, and Ginger,
pricking up his ears, heard something that
made his blood run cold. It was the terri
BILE word "Shootv' He could not really be-
lieve that it referred to him, although he
knew that they were talking about him, un-
TIL his mother came running to him in great
agitation and alarm, and reported that she
had heard, on the best authority, that he
was to be shot if he did not Immediately
abandon his unprincipled habit of barking
at the moon.
Moved by this great danger and by his
mothers grief, Ginger anbosomed himself
of the secret. His mother listened with in
tense interest while he related to her his
discovery of the fact that the moon was
chicken thief. But instead of offering him
the sympathy which he had expected, she
cufied him right and left with her strong
paw until he was dizzy.
1T was lantern. you stupid!'' she cried.
Ginger shook his head with melancholy
firniness. He had seen many lanterns, and
they bore no resemblance whatever to the
moon.
"A dark lantern imbecile! When it is
opened it is round and bright, as YOU saw.
10 think that son of mine should not
know the difference between the moon and
dark lanternr'
Ginger was not convinced, but his mother
was philosopher, and when in her despair
she resorted to argument, she induced him
to torego his determination to die MARTYR
he considered, as she babe him. that if he
were dead there would be no one left to
guard the poultry-house at all, for she was
becoming an old lady, and fell asleep when
most she wished to keep awake, also, that,
his great discovery would be lost to the
world, since he was now SO unpopular that
no one would believe him.
g niger resolved to sleep with one eye
open toward the poultry house, and to go
down occasionally to the bridge across the
river, solitary place, and bark furiousiy,
SO that the moon would still know what he
thought of him.
Relieved from his moonlight yigils, Gin
ger has grown plump and handsome. His
master, Ton, rejoices in him, and he is
petted and praised by every one. The
editor writes editorials that please
even the opposite political party,
and although the minister has had
five calls to other places. his parish will not
let him go; the PROSTATE teachers are rosy
and blooming, and there is never any whip
ping IN their schools. and the distracted
mlser has made a charitable donation.
But Ginger is not quite happy. He feels
that they nave but a sad lot who are wise in
advance of their time, and that it is in this
world but a lonely superiority to be incapa-
BILE Of installing the moon for dark Ian
tern.-Harper's Young People.