The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-03-08

creature not larger than horse.
The children approached il cautious
~, and hesitated about entering. While
they were hating and considering
what to do, they heard a grunt from
the middle OF the thicket--a grunt as
friendly and as familiar rs if it came
from a fat hog In pen. Reassured by
this, Buster John went into the thicket,
followed by Sweetest Susan. They
went in cautiously ard looked about
them very cautiously, but they could
see nothing.
''Ooft-gooft!" grunted the White Pig
in a coutented manner. Where am
/? Can't YOU find me?''
They looked about them with all the
eyes they had, but failed to find him.
Their search became so interesting
that Sweetest Susan laughed. There
was nothing to laugh at, but she was
so thrilled by the excitement Of try
ing to find the White Pig and he was
not small pig by any means-that she
had to express her feelings in some
way, and SO she laughed.
At that moment Druslla came to the
edge of the thicllet Hearing Sweetest
Susan laugh, she grew bold enough to
venture in.
"What you all dom ] like ter know?"
she asked in a somewhat dubious tone.
ooh, come and help MS Drusilla!"
cried Sweetest Susan, as gleefully as if
she were playing hide-the-switch, or
kick-the-can. Eve are trying to find
him. Come on"
Drusilla joined the others, but not
with any degree of enthusiasm. you
all want ter fn' i'm lots wuss'n does.
I'm mo- fear'd or fn'in' i'm dan | is er
not fn'in' i'm"
lets go across the gully" said Bus
ter John He ran down the bank
through the thick weeds and out on
the other side, followed by Sweetest
Susan. DIusila would have followed,
too but just as she had reached the
bottom OF the gully and started
through the weeds the White Pig rose
by her side with loud grunt Drusilla
was so terrified that she sank in the
weeds, unable TO utter a sound. Sweet
est Susan screamed and Buster John
was SO taken by surprise, and so con-
fused that for an instant he was UNI
decided whether 10 take to his heels,
dragging his sister after him, or wheth-
er to stand his ground.
"Gooft-ooft!" grltnted the White Pig.
What is the matter here?'
With this he walked out Of the gull
~, went past Buster John and Drusilla,
and lay down where the shade was
thicl1et. DrusilIa recovered almost inn
mediately, and, as sometimes happens
with older and more enlightened peo-
pie. anger took the place of fear. To
the surprise of her companions, she
came ont Of the gully, walked straight
to the White Pig, and sat down by him.
so close that she might have touched
him with her hand without unbending
her arm.
''Humph!" grunted the White Pig,
The Son of Ben Ali brought someroast-
ing ears before the sun came out. They
we're very fine--s sweet and juicy.
Gooft!" The White Pig smacked his
mouth and blinlted his eyes as if to
show how he had enjoyed the feast.
Buster John and Sweetest Susan seat
ed themselves near Drusilla.
.sThe FIRST time | saw the Son of Ben
Ali" said the White Pig, u was just
big enough to hide in the grass and
run about without squeaIing for my
NANNY. I used to slip out of the
swamp and run into the woods after
the acorns. The red squirrel was my
friend then, and his great-grandchil-
dren are my friends now. He used TO
climb the bio turkey oak, and run
about on the limbs, pretending TO be
PLAYING, but all the time he would be
shaking down the sweet little acorns.
lie barked at me and | grunted at him,
and we used TO have very nice time all
by ourselves"
"One day, while / was out in the
open woods cracking acorns, | heard
some one call, Run here, little pig!
run ouick!' / didn't have any better
sense than to do as / was told, so
ran as hard as / could toward the call.
Then I heard a looming sound in the
air. a loud souall, and a noise as OF
tree falling. ran right into the hands
of a big man. was terribly frightened
and I suppose / must have squealed
as loud as I could. The big man was
tie Son Of Ben Ali, and he hushed me
M by telling me that he called me be-
cause a wildcat had been watching me
from the lowest limb Of the turkey
oak.
"Humph-ooft!' grunted the White
pig. "the only reason he didn't get me
was because the Son OF Ben Ali struck
him with stone just as he started
to Jump. The wildcat fell out OF the
tree dead. His skull was shiyered. You
have never seen the Son of Ben Ali
throw a stone Wei, that is between
YOU and him. / have seen him.
'sHe killed the wildcat that my
NANNY had often told me about, and
after that ! came to know the Son OF
Ben Ali well. Whenever | could find
him. night or day,I trotted around with
him. and that is how it happened that
when my brothers and sisters were shot
bv men and caught by men / was not
with them to be shot or caught. l was
trotting about with the Son OF Ben
Ali.
at was the same thing day after day
and night after night, the Son of Ben
Ali coming and going, and l trottlng
at his heels or running in the bushes
close by. One day when the sun had