The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-01-28

( tney began 10 De aWIully hungry, but
I if they were lazy they were also null
ishiy obstinate and they wouldn't go
back to get anything to eat. They ate
a handful Of ordinary che1tnuts that
/ they deigned to pick up, and, queerly
/ enough, each boy got a pTicker in his
/ finger, because those particular burrs
were not quite open. This made them
more than ever determined to search
/ for the buTTlese kind.
Wen make those boys look sick
/ when we come home tonight with sew
eral flour barrels full of nuts" said Ma
/ son.
why not sugar barrels? They're
/ larger" said Jason.
! Heavier TO lift" replied Mason,
/ Flour barrels Will hold all we want.
All the afternoon they wandered.
( They could hear the shouts Of happy
/ boys and could see their Dlaymate6
/ staggering along under heavy loads Of
the finest nuts that ever grew around
l Loudon Hill, but they still scOTned to
give up their errand, and pushed deep
CT and deeper into the forest.
Once they saw a deer, VINO fed in
a fright, and rabbits innumerabIe
/ leapsS across the path in front of them,
while partridges and quail flew about
/ in profusiOn. Finally the chestnut
trees began TO diminish. Oaks and
pines there were in abundance. but
they seemed to have passed out Of the
chestnut belt.
We've come too far. Let's go back"
said Mason.
NO; it's more likely that the tree is
not among the others" answered ia
son. so they went on. But they were
SO tired. And so hungry And so de-
pressed. They had not walked as far
in their lives and their leg muscles
sweIled up in resentment of the task
imposed upon them.
1t must have been close to O'Clock;
certainly the beams of the sun were
almost horizontal. when Mason said,
jOyfully: There IL isi'
At the same instant Jason uttered
cry Of fear, for crOuching TO spring at
them was panther. She had been
lying on the outstretched limb of an
oak, taking an afternoon nap, and she
had awakened just in time 10 see her
supper coming TO her.
Here's luck thought she, and
crOuched to spring.
But II the twins were lazy. they were
also plucky. And there we're no boys
on Loudon hill, who were such masters
in the use of the deadly sling. Both
boys sprang behind trees and drew out
their sings at the same time. They
always carried a pOcketful of bullets,
and they lost no time in loading up.
There was the tree, just laden, 50
that il bent and creaked with the
weight Of nuts, all of them hanging By
their feathery tails to the stem. and
not a sign OF a burr on them. It evil
IDENTIFY needed but a tap on the trunk Of
the tree to liberate them all. And bet
ter vet. a well defined wagon path led
from the tree out To the high road.
some miles distant, TO be sure, yet still
easily within reach of their house.
But there was the panther still
crouching and waiting for the boys to
step from behind the trunks. I tell you
that such plucky little fellows deserved
to succeed. and as far as the panther
was concerned they did. They watched
their chance, and just as she closed her
ewes. thinking she mus have dreamed
that she saw two little boys and wish
ing to dream again, they slung their
shots. and the two bullets Joined forces
and penetrated her brain, and she fell
off that branch ae dead as a door nail,
or even 4 window nail.
And as soon az she fell every nut on
the tree dropped to the earth. Whether
her fall Jared them of. or whether
she was the guardian spirit of the nuts
and at her death they were at the
mercy Of anyone who chose to gather
them. viii never be known, but there
Is no doubt that the boys ran gleefully
under the tree and filled their blue bags
in less time than il takes 10 say boo