Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-07-22

OuShOO was ~ q NOSGCt0UC SO0VCy IuN
there were no signs whatever of any
thing coming to him in the shape of
food. If the mountain won't come
to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to
the mountain, and so, after several
Intellectual attempts, young Mr..
CuckO managed to ruin the nest and
fall down i'm the middle of the hedge,
where he floundered about for Il while
and then wedged himself in SO firmly
he couldn't move.
In this uncomfortable position he
uttered the most heartrending cries,
sufficient to attract the attention of
the whole neighborhood. and it was
therefore little wonder that q small
boy about ten years of age ran in the
direction of the noise, and pushed the
hedge asunder with a stick in order
to see what it contained.
"Well, l never!!" exclaimed the
small boy. sits Il hawk"
ssDon't touch. it, Bob" said his
sister, who was with him. sit will
bite YOU"
Bob pokcd at the unfortunate
bird with his stick, and young Mr..
Cuckoo struggled furiously to get
away, and ultimately came flounder-
ing down at Bob's feet, where it
spawlcd h%clplcssly, with it's bcak
wide open. and s'cah-cahed' with all
its might.
Little May ran away with a scream,
but Bob stood his ground, and watch
ing his opportunity, seized the bird
round its back and stuffed it under
his coat. Then he marched off for
home triumphantly, with little May
following at a safe distance. while
young Mr.. Cuckoo enduredt the spasms
of mortal agony and kept quiet.
Bob's father was cashier of the
bank at the little town of Honiton,
and was a widower. His wife had
died when May was born, and at this
particular time he was thinking Of
taking a second wife in the person OF
Miss Emily Wallis. Now Miss Wall
lis was not young, and had a great
many of those fancics and ways
which are peculiar to old maids. She
was fond of May, but could not bear
mischicvous little boys, o such pets
as mischievous little boys are fond of
having. She had. promised herself
many Il time to take Bob's reforma-
tion in hand as soon as she should be-
come his step-mother, and to reduce
his pets at all events by hanishing
his abominable foX-terrier, which was
always swapping at crfcct, and maxi
ing her existence a misery whenever
she went to see Mr.. Hopkins, Bob's
father. She wa paying one of these
visits when Bob arrived with the
cuckoo, and rushed into the parlor
to display his prize.
ssLook at Cookic!!" shouted Bob.
eNultantly, as he placed the trcm-
bling bird on the floor. Some one had
told him it was a cuckoo. ssIsn't he
Il bcauty?:"
The beauty sprawled on the floor,
and 'cah-cahed" at the top of it's
voice, after which it actually spat i'm
discriminatory at every person pres
ent, just like a cat.
Miss Wallis gave a little Shrek.
"Bob, you naughty boy" she cried,
"take that horrible thing away at
once."
Mr.. Hopkins seemed amused.
s'What are you going to do with it,,
Bob?" he asked.
"Tame it," replied Bob, promptly.
"Ain't he bravc9" he said admiringly,
as young Mr., Cuckoo made a desper-
ate peck at the fox-terrier, who was
shifting at him in curiosity. but who
promptly retreated. and surveyed the
new arrival from between Bob's legs.
"Well, take him away" said MI.
Hopkins. "You mustn't bring him
into the parlor."
Bob made a dash at young MI.
Cuckoo, but the bird Topped out of
his reach, and went Hopping wildly
around the room, to Miss Wallis
great CONSERVATION, until Bob finally
secured it and retired.
edward" said Miss Wallis to Mr..
Hopkins. ssYou are really letting
that boy run perfectly wild. 1t will
do him good to have a mother to look
after him."
81 am thinking of sending him to
boarding school," said Mr.. Hopkins.
Bob spared no effort to tame
Cookie" as he called his captive,
and really succeeded very fairly.
Cookie fed out of his hand, perched
OF his shoulder and on his head, and
although quite friendly with
the %fox-terricr, yet managed to endure
the presence of that tidgety animal.
He could not, however, put up with
the cat at any price, and the cat re-
ciprocated this feeling of cnmiuy with
true feline m%alignity.
When Bob had actually succeeded in
teaching Cookie to perch on the fox
terriers back while the latter trottcd
round the little play-room. he thought
it quite time to show off the result of
his efforts. So one summer morning,
when Miss Wallis was i'm the parlor
as usual, Inc brought in the %fox-tcrrier
and Cookie, and in spite Miss Wallis
decided objections, proceeded to give
a performance.
Now, the cat was curled up on the
r1u in front nf fho frov1,co and nc