The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-06-02


but the shadow receded faster than ever.
'The old gun is no good anyhow" said
Zim, laying it down and picking up stick.
"Pll give you race, Mr.. Ground Hog, by
ganny"
So Tim girded up his lons and took after
the clumsy yet alert little animal with such
vim that the ground hog, finding he could
not reach his hole in time, whirled and
scrambled into hollow log. Zim blocked
the larger end with a rock. then searched
hastily for other outlets. Finding none he
congratulated himself.
81 don't believe Louder (the dog at home)
could put him into a hole any quicker"
said he to himself. But in a perplexed
tone, chow is / goin' to get him out
there?'
The log lay with it's smaller end down the
mounJsin side. Zim got down his knees,
cautiously withdrew the rock, and peered
within. He could nothing; but slight
scratching sound excited him at once. He
threw off his hat and opened his jack knife.
''Tryin to dig your way out, yep
he exclaimed as if to the ground hog.
'Mebbe the wood is rotten. If 1 can get
into you, old Teller, We'll see-e-e-e!'
Zm began squeezing himself into the
hollow of the log, and the operation was
evidently a close pull Had he been the
meress trifie larger he never could have
wormed his way down as he did, until
nothing but his toes protruded.
The ground hog snarled. The boys po-
soon found cut. The rush of blood to his
head, and the difficulty in drawing breath
both warned him to hasten. 1t was more
over so dark that he could see nothing.
Reaching forward, his hand was snapped
at but he managed to get hold Of the ami
NAL.
There was a brief struggle. Zim held
on with one hand and used his knife with
the other. Presently the ground hog ceased
it's efforts and gave up the hight, ana It's
life as well.
But when Zim attempted to withdraw
from the log he found he could not str
His head was downhil nor was there
room to work himself backward TO ada
to his distress his toes. in the struggle
had lost their hold upon tie upper end o-
the log.
There was no denying that the lad was
in a bad fix He had secured the ground
hog, but the log, apparently, had secNreo
him. In vain he twisted, WrlgSieu' Paiil-
ed groaned, and finally called aiouu Aoi
help. .4
Zim realized that if he renamed IN thal
situation much longer he would surrey
suffocate, though the chance OF penlS healu
bv human ears in that secluded Ia'lhe
was dismallv uncertain. Yet. in the very
ecstasy of his fear, he continued 10 yen III
aid The swirl of blood to his BRAIN, the
stuffy, choking darkness. ana. more thah
all. the appalling sense that ne mlsnt ule
there were almost more than ne couiu eli
the ground hog and dazed idea that ne
was being punished for his own merclless-
ness. h, felt his head whirl dizzliy
Then something made a noise oulSlue'
The log was pulled round. turning over DIS
it went Hands grasped his heels' anu <-iiA
was drawn from his narrow prison.
He was more exhausted by his emotions
than by the struggle he had unde3sVne.
One hand still held the jack KNIFE Whle
the other clutched the dead ground hosS
He was scratched, and his clothes were
torn. but he was alive. He sat up blink
;np the dust from his eyes, and looked at
his preserver.
The stranger, having accomplished Zim's
rescue, was now eating the boys berries
ravenously.
noticing what the other was about, ne IN
terrupted himself, t'Here! Let them ber-
ries alone, please, sir. Dad'n lick me II
don't go home with the bucket full"
"An right, sonny" replied his rescuer,
still eating away, as if his life depended
on his celebrity IN help you pick more
Didn't know there was any round here-and
I'm $3.50 hungry
He broke short Off as he noticed the
ground hog. 1t seemed to Zim as II the
man must be starving. The longing eX-
pressed in his eyes along amounted to an
agony.
can I eat that?'' he asked, pointing to
the ground hog
'What-raw?" returned Zlm IN amaze
ment.
"Any way Don't you see? I'm abso-
lutely famiShed."
Jim reached for his coat, which he had
thrown off before he entered the hollow
log and drew forth two slices Of corn bread
with bacon between.
"Maw lowed 1 might get hungry said
ne. But you need it wuss than do"
The stranger snatched it, took one enor-
NOUS bite then seemed to remember him
self He broke the bread in two pieces.
Take one'' said he, but Zim shook his
head and watched his reScuer curlously
while he ate or rather crammed the food
into himself, if he were machine that
required constant stuffng.
Zim was fifteen, and the stranger could
not have been more than two or three
years older, but the pitiful emaciation of
his features gave to his face look of weird
and unnatural maturity. His clothes were
merely shreds and patches, dirt stained and
hardly sufficient to cover his nakedness.
Zim observed that their original color was
blue. A battered army cap of the same hue