Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-10-10

other tree, from behind which he took an
other look.
By this time the bear had dropped to
the ground again, and all at once Ted saw
that it had a cut ear, which was just what
Jack had had for three years.
Once more Ted was in the act Of whis-
Ting to his pet when the animal started
toward the house ON all fours, running
over the ground in manner not exactly
in accordance with the usual locomotion
of bears, but not very unlike either.
II never saw Jack run that way before, +"
cried the boy as he bounded on. "He is
heading for home and will beat me there
if don't make better time. Maybe Jack
has been wounded. The boys down on the
creek shot at him twice last summer,
and"--
Ted stopped, for once more the bear had
checked his course and was moving across
the clearing toward the little cabin, in one
Of whose little windows Mrs. Brady had
set light.
Ted watched the bear moving over the
stumpy clearing, with his head pointing
toward the shanty, but all at once he saw
more than this.
That which he saw was enough to thrill
him as he had never been thrilled before.
1t was nothing less than moccasin
where one of the hind feet of the supposed
bear should have been, and the more he
looked the surer he was of this
All was plain now.
The skin before him was Jacks, but an
Indian was inside it, and, of course, for
some diabolical purpose
Well did the red man know that he
could never get beyond the door of the
Brady cabin In his own dress. Therefore,
probably knowing something about the
boy settlers pet he had killed Jack in the
forest and had undertaken this stratagem
to carry out his evil designs.
Ted knew that If his mother should see
the supposed Jack in the clearing she
would hasten to open the door to him
without suspecting anything wrong, and
when he thought of the peril that menaced
her he could hardly suppress cry.
Meantime the Indian must have been
congratulating himself on the success of
his trick.
now, with but few yards between him
and his victims, he looked upon his victo-
~ as certain.
The Irish boy had reached the fringe of
the clearing and in the brilliant moon
light saw the object that moved across it.
Not moment was to be lost. Yet
shot must tell for If thrown away the
young marksman would have upon him
one Of the dread scourges of the frontier,
and he might be the first victim of savage
fury in that locality.
As the boy trapper's rifle touched his
shoulder the cabin door opened, and he
caught sight of his mother.
She had opened the door for Jack, and
the redskin had only to spring up and
with a bound carry himself beyond the
threshold.
Controlling his nerves with the GOODNESS
of an old marksman, Ted covered the
shaggy head and fired.
At the sharp report a dark object seemed
to spring into the air, and the next in
slant it lay on the ground, while the
white faced woman in the doorway gazed
across the clearing too frightened for a
moment to stir.
Ted ran forward so as to be seen in an
instant and as he cleared the ground be-
tween the scene of his shot and the cabin
he was recognized, and his mother cried
out:
"Itis Jack you have killed, boy! Didn't
you know the old fellow"
Ted met his mother at the door and for
a moment, looking up into her face, he
could not answer her, but after glancing
at the silent figure among the stumps he
made reply:
Jack never wore moccasins, mother.
Tho bear out there happens to be all In
diam"
Dead in the moonlight lay the scarlet
trickster of the frontier. and when Ted