Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1894-10-18

send such valuable news by so young a
girl. No one would question her for
war news on her way here"
Korea inferred that this was the
close Of the colloquy, so, making her
most abject bow, she turned towards
home.
In the strip Of woods again she stop
ped to recall her return message, and,
to be sure Of making no mistake, added
seventy-five more pebbles to the two
hundred she clasped her fingers over;
then she dropped all the little stones
inside her blousy jacket, taking out
the rice cake to nibble on her way.
lie rice cake proved very absorbing
to the breakfastless little girl. Her
eyes were fastened to it, and she bit
little hicks in the edge till they met,
while the pebbles pounced up and down
in their hiding place like beans in a
bag. There was a strong, tough root
in the way which she intended to step
over. Instead, with her eyes on the
cake. she tripped over it and sprained
her foot seriously.
1t all happened so suddenly that she
could scarcely understand 1t. Hurting
the rest of the rice cake from her, she
limped and hoped further and further
into the wood. Then the pain began
to come-tiny strcaks of agony that
soon made walking intolerable and
held her distressed and weeping
prisoner in the heart of the woods.
Perhaps it can be bound she
thought, and she wound some big,
crushed leaves about it, fastening them
with a vine tendril that lay as strong
and dry as bit of wire but the pain
increased and discouraged, at last she
sunk down in the sand unable to move.
Several long, weary hours went by.
Korea had long ago brushed away her
tears as useless, and sat silently endur-
ing the twinges of pain, hoping some
one would come through the wood who
would help her.
No one came. and she buried her face
in her arms waiting, waiting and SHY
crng as the pain shot through her foot;
then there was a rustic in the leaves
that caught her ear. Like a frightened
rabbit she sat erect and listened then
turned to leap somewhere into the
gathering night. but her foot refused
to move and with palpitating scream
she fell headlong to the ground.
The rustling had ceased, but there
was a soft tread coming nearer and
nearer. Little Korea lifted her head
family to see crouching tiger ready
to spring upon her.
With great effort she struggled to
her feet. What had she for defense?
Nothing. Still her small brown hand
clutched at the pebbles inside her jack
ct and she flung them like grape-shot
into the face of the acknowledged IT,
ger.
He drew back with an angry grOwl,
his sharp. white teeth showing in the
dark of the night. Korea caught her
breath and hurled another handful of
the pebbles into the monsters face.
TUE, tue" cried several strong
voices from out of the darkness.
This was the tiger hunt cry. Korea
recognized it with the glad feeling that
help was coming, as she dashed one
more and the last handful of pebbles
into the tigers face and fell uncOn-
sciOus to the ground.
There was a quick swapping of flint
lock guns, clearing away of smoke,
and something else lay straight and
still upon the ground near Korea, it's
fur brushing against her hair, it's paw
across her hand.
"Ah. we've killed him. That was
good shot" Isn't he is a fine old man
eater?" cried several of the soldiers
that officer Hardoo was taking to join
Korea's fathers 200 able-bodied men.
But what is this?" exclaimed tn
other, looking at a dark heap on the
ground. Officer Hardoo flashed some
powder into the darkness for a mo-
ment's light.
- 'Tis child" said he. "A girl! Be