The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-05-21

the Son of Ben Ali to stoop and pass
under the topmost bar The children
following promptly. he paused to ar
range the entrance so that no stray
cattle from neighboring plantations
might wander in. Aaron's caution was
simply the result of the force of habit.
The federal army had spared the stock
on the Abercrombie place, as we have
seen, but there were few cattle left in
all that rgion to stray through open
gates or fallen bars
We are hunting foxes on a new
plan." said Buster John, somewhat
boastfully. But Aaron warned him TO
be quiet.
They went through the sedge, which
was as high as Aaron's waist, and
higher than Sweetest Susan's head, un-
I'll they came to a pine thicket. In a
cesert this small pine orchard would
De called an oasis. In the sedge-field
1t was known as the pine thicket. The
pines were not large; they had sprung
up since the field had been abandoned;
but they were large enough and thick
enough to afford shelter from the sun
IN hot weather, and to form a sort of
playground or meeting place for TIE
Wiid creatures at night. On the side
toward the high road, the sedge shut
TINS playground in from observation
and on the opposite side there was
wall OF brambles and wild briars and
blackberry bushes. This wall had a
door, too. When the rains fell. the
lay of the land caused hundreds of little
rivulets to trickle through the sedge
toward the thicket On the other side.
these tiny rivulets. coming together
gathered force and strength, and the
force thus collected dug it's way
through the griary wall. BY some this
door would be called a drain or
dreen; by others, a gully. Anyhow.
there IL was, and in good weather it
formed neat entrance for the wild
creatures coming from the forest side.
1t was TO this playground that Aaron
led the youngsters. By motion of his
bend, the Son of Ben Ali indicated
that they were to sit on the carpet of
pine needles, thickly spread over the
ground. He had no need to ask them
to refrain from talking. His expectant
attitude was sufficient of itself to COM
mand their silence. and there was
something in the situation that kept
the children quiet. They felt now. rs
they sometimes did when playing hide
and seek in the big, dark barn, when
these who played the part of it were
afraid that one of the hidden ones, or
something else, would jump out of the
gloom and seize them.
Aaron remained standing, one hand
resting on the trunk of a pine. The
silence was so profound that the wind,
softly blowing through the dry sedge.
sounded like the flight of frightened
creatures. How long they remained
thus the children could never guess,
but it seemed a very long time indeed
Suddenly, the Son of Ben Ali, using his
hand as sort of trumpet, gave a
peculiar cry, which was thrice repeat
ed. The children, having been
touched" understood this at once.
Cunning one, Where are you?
Where are you?''
Almost instantly this was answered
by series of short, sharp yelps. which,
to the ordinary ear, would have
sounded like the cry of welcome or of
pain made by a very small dog. But to
Aaron and the children it meant this:
II am here, Son of Ben Ali; here ard
waiting. But what is this you have
brought"
At the same instant the head of old
Scar-Face appeared in the opening of
the tunnel made by the gully and the
overhanging briars.