The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-05-22
rnd when say: 'eons,es Prince, ''ss%

And he beamed upon the villainous
Prince, who was too lazy TO walk half
a mile TO hunt anything, but who had
Just stolen squirrel from his masters
game bag and had deyoured the last
morsel Of IL.
"Nfe an that ere dog is fust-rate
friends" he explained. "He don pear
TO let hisself out before strangers, but
the way that dog can hold is own in
conversation would s'prise ye. Him
and me sets here some nights an talks
bout mos ever'thin' they is a-goin'.
I says to him last night: Prince says
/. this ere worlds holler mockery,'
says l. An what We think that dog
said? Jes' raired back his head an
CAPPED a mos tremenjus cape. Jes' the
same as ef he'd a-said: We'll, now, this
business makes me tired!"
There must have been in this rusty
and rugged old man some faculty which
brought him into strange nearness TO
oil dumb creatures. 1t was easy for
him to find out things that were hidden
from common mortals. and as he went
about his work he kept up running
fire OF conversation with the creatures
he met. Some one found him one day
crouching down in his garden and
laughing the silent laugh with which
he greeted some new discovery.
81 wisht you'd look n-here," he
cried. Here / go an mighty nigh
break my neck pacldn' up palms to
pale in this ere garden, SOS 20 keep
the rabbits outen my peas, an now jes'
look at this" And he parted the little
heap Of gray hair at the foot Of the pea
vines and showed the two young rab-
bits crouched within the little hollow
below, their bright eyes shining and
their small bodies shaken by the wild
beating Of their hearts.
"Now did We ever see anythin' TO ekal
that?" the old man asked jubilantly.
1T does heat all how cunnin' these crit
ters is. Along comes that ole rabbit,
an says TO herself. I'll show that ole
customer that he amt anywhere nigh
as smart as he thinks he is An then
she jes' deliberately goes to housekeep-
| in right under the shadder OF my
peavines, KNOWN well enough that |
want a-goin' TO poster her after them
babies was in the nest. Well, eff that
don't beat all for cute"
And the wrinkled old face was twisted
with smile OF delight, as though the
rabbit had conferred a special favor on
him by setting up squatter sovereignty
in his garden.
"Oh, you're here, are YEP" he queried,
/ tv,fn hs. Ii IL
tree when he was clearing the new
ground" and saw the birds nest with a
! frantic mother huttering wildly over il.
"Well, s'pose that means that the tree
amt a-goin' to come down. What you
fussin' fur? Didn't you hear me say
the tree want a-goin' TO come down? !
amt never knocked airy bird outen its
nest yet, an don't expect TO begin at
this time o. day."
And when by chance he stumbled
upon the nestful of tiny foxes playing
near their hole, during their mothers
absence, he took one OF them up and
talked 10 it sadly.
you're a lively little rascal" he said
as he held it gently, so that its sharp
teeth could not reach his hands. 81
reckon ef let you go now you'll have
many acne o. my chickens some day
to pay me back. Well, you want to live
don't We? an got about as much right as
/ have. They amt nobody said that
had all the rights an you never hac
none. Run along home quick, sonny
or somethin'll ketch ye." And he thrust
the fox into the hole, where it disap
peared in the twinlling of an eye.
What old Gabe called his "other clo'es'
hung on long, wooden pegs in the spare
room," whose window always stood
open, for the old man had a lordly con
tempt for burglars. But one day, wher
he went to get this extra suit, another
claimant had taken possession. In the
wide-open pocket of the ridiculous ole
coat handful of straw was gathered
and from the midst OF it four naked
heads, with gaping mouths, were lifted
at his approach.
'Well, dear me-" calculated the ole
man, "ef that wren amt gone an mad,
a nest in my coat pocket. Did you eyei
see the beat o. that fur downright i'm
pidence? The plaguey little critter-
she lxnowed want a-goin' 20 poster 'ei
an I'll bet she kinder winked her eyes
when she done it. She jes' says TO her
self: We'll. amt / a-plaYn' n joke OF
the ole man this time? Las year
fooled i'm outen his other hat an thi
year he kin go without his Sunday coat.
Blame the cunnin' little rascal any
wnyl"
With grin spreading all over hi
face he hung the coat back on the peg
carefully arranging it as it had been
and he went coatless TO church ali tina
summer. II got my coat rented out,
was his simple explanation.
EFF that want the cutest trick" HI
said TO those friends who found hin
leaning over the fence afterward, an,
whom he thought worthy 10 hear tin
story. THAT little rascal played tina
on me fur n joke. jes' as plain as e
/ a -