Middletown transcript., 1898-09-24

was not long before the clothes were
boiling and the mother and girls were
washing and hanging them out to dry
After dinner Willie said, NANNY,
if you haven't got anything more fol
Wallace and me to do, we would like
to go down the creek and catch some
fish for daddy's supper"
Il would be glad for you to do so,''
she said, "but you haven't any lines OF
hooks"
"Oh I've got some string in my pock-
cts, and you can bend us some pins fol
hooks"
"But. Willie. you haven't any bait. =
'+0h, that don't make any difference
Wallace and l can soon dig some
worms"
"What will you do for poles, Will
lie?"
"Oh, that's easy. I'll take my hat
chet along and cut some on the
creek"
"Well, boys" she said, run along,
but take care of yourselves and don't
stay late."
Then the boys got ready and went
down the creek to good fishing place,
where Willie cut two poles and fasten-
ed lines to them. The fish bit well,
and the boys kept going father and far
ther down the creek, not thinking how
late it was getting to be until the sun
went down. Then Wallace said: "Oh,
Willie, how late it isl 1t will be dark
before we get home" So the boys
broke the ends off their poles, wrapped
their lines around them, picked up
their fish and started up the creek in a
hurry.
After awhile they came TO place
where two creeks came together, and it
was SO dark that Willie could not tell
which one he should 90 up. Here they
took the wrong way and went deeper
into the forest. At last poor, tired
little Wallace began to cry and said,
"Oh, Willie, we are lost and will never
see daddy and nanny any morel''
"Don't cry, Wallace. I'll take care
of YOU. and daddy will take torch and
come and look for US. He can track
wild varmints and little boys, too, so it
won't be long before he'll find u.s."
But the words "Wild varmints" scar
ed Wallace more than ever, SO he cried:
"Oh, Willie, daddy says these noun
tains are full of bearsI If one gets after
us, he'll kill US and eat us up.''
"Don'C be scared, Wallace. If a
bear comes, LII take my hatchst and
split his skull opeI. He shan't hurt
you."
Just then they heard something go
"Wrah-hl Wrah-h-ughl"
"Oh, Willie, what's thatp It's a
bear, and he'll kill usI I know be
will Oh, Willie, Willie, what can we
do2n
"Hushl Don't cry, Wallace. Don't
be scared. Climb up this tree. Pm
coming right up behind you. If that
bear comes up here, I'll kill him with
my hatchet."
So the boys got high up in a tree
where Wallace perehed on limb and
Willie knelt on another just below
him, holding to the trunk with his left
hand and holding up his hatchet in biz
right.
In a little while they heard the beal
under the tree: "Wlah-hl Wrah-h
ughl'' and then they heard him eating
something.
"Ob, Willie," whispered Wallace
she is eating up all our fish,"
"Hush ~ whispered Willie. "May.
be he'll eat the fish and 60 away
Next the bear smelled around the
tree ''Sniff, sniff, wra-h, wra-b, wra
h-ugh-sniff, sniff, wra-h, wra-h
wra-h-ugh !" and began to climb up
Then poor little Wallace was frighten
ed almost out of his wits and whim
pered "Ob, Willie, he's coming up
Oh, we'll never see nanny and dadd,
any more p
Hush, Wallace, hush If tina
brute comes up here, I'll split his heat
open. You see if l don't. Keel
quiet and don't cry"
The bear climbed up and up, and
when close enough, he put up one fore
paw to catch Willie, but down cam
the sharp hatchet and cut that paw
nearly off.
"Wrah-h-ugh ~ growled the bea
and put up his other paw to pull th
brave boy down, but "Whack'' wen
the hatchet again and that paw wa
cut almost off.
"Wlah-ah-ah-ugh l'' roared the bea
with pain and rage, pushing himself
with his hind feet and trying to catcl
1 Willie with his teeth, but just as sool
as his head came close enough for Will
lie to strike down came the hatche
and split the BEARS skull wide open, 81
be dropped dead at the foot of tLe
tree.
When the father came In that even
ing to get his supper, be said, HMam
my, where are the boys f''
" don't know" she said. II le
them go a-fshing after dinner ant
thought they would be back befor
this time. Il reckon they viii come II
before DARK
"Why, it's dark now, nanny, an,