The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-03-01
l bad Seen Il only from a distance. curt

/ had seen II only from distance, curl
ously.
had sat there under the shadow of
the mountain in the sweet autumn still
ness for perhaps ten minutes, tired
half dreaming, half wishing myself at
home, when | was suddenly aroused TO
life and interest by furious, excited
ibarkiuglfar up the cliff above me and
Slightly to my right. Al first doubted
my ears. ] had never known Plato to
cross into Danger Line" by so much
as one step before, and so | was at
loss to account for it. And yet that was
plato's wellknown voice | heard; there
could be no mistaking il. There was
something strange romantic, ABOUT il
| all. and | was burning with desire to
see what manner of game he could have
treed up there ! remembered my
mothers warnng--and faltered. 1t
has been my experience that when n
boy falters in the face of duty, dis
obedience has scored point and trou-
BILE is near At hand.
There was my new gun. as yet un-
tried, except at a lifeless target, and
after all, perhaps it was only squir
rel In short, my thirst for adventure
got the better of me, and my deter
mination to follow Plato was fixed
The next thing to be decided upon was
how to get there. | could tell from
| his bark that Plato was a considerable
distance above me, and the height was
well-nigh inaccessible. But | was
Young, strong and active, as mountain
boys are apt 10 be: and | have some
times thought that if a l4-year-old boy
determined TO climb a sunbeam he
could almost accomplish the task. The
mountan-side was covered with small
underground, and with the aid of this
determined to make the ascent Hold
ing the gun with one hand slowly
and laboriously | pulled myself up
from bush to bush with the other.
guiding my course by the ceaseless
barking of Plato up above me. AT the
end of about an hour of such toll |
reached the top of the first bluff. where
| LOT Il W illu VI sOtltA utllE llOlt NidU
hundred yards was level ground,
reaching to the foot Of the next bluff
and, with no climbing now to do. il was
he work of but a few moments to reach
Plato.
Coming mp to him | found him sta
toned at the end of a huge hollow log.
ard baying with more animation thar
| had ever known him to do before
don't know why it was, but as reached
his side something stopped me, as
though a strong hand had been laid
upon my shoulder, and my mothers
warning came into my mind | turned
,ay face toward home. and for one
moment my conscience twitted me and
MY resolution was weakened. But
shook oil the spell and stopped to looI
into the hollow log. 1t was as dark as
Light within, and ! could distinguish
nothing. then went around to The
other end, but found that there was
no hollow there. beat upon he log
and listened. but no sound came forth
save The echoes. could think of moth
ing else to do. so kuelt down, cooked
my gun ard pointed it into the log
pulled the trigger andA"bang." rang
out on the mountain air. InstinctiyelA
sprang from the log. ard almost 81
multaueously with the shot came al
answer from within, in the most sav
age, the most blood-curdlirg, h.deou,
sound. | think, that | have ever heard
and accompanied by noise OF scram
bling out Of the log which filed my
whole being with fright, l had never
known Plato TO run from any living
thing before, but he preceded me il