The suburban citizen., 1900-03-17
Tattooing q Thief.
Ray Stdnndrd Baker

our second syrup kettle. l told him
we would want it soon ourselves, and
he went away looking mad. P'r'aps
they've done this out Of spite. Looks
most bad enough for spite work.
"Well, if they try any more thiev-
ing around here" declared Dirk,
hotly, "they'll fad that Michigan
men can shoot better'n they can
steall"
"There, there, Dirk" called lIother
Driscoll, "don't talk of shooting!
Better lose twenty barrels of sap than
have blood on your hands. And you
aren'5 sure tho Rabbits did it,"
Don't worry, mother" said Dirk,
resting his brown hand on his moth
er's shoulder, "we won't shoot until
we catch the thieves"
They repaired the spouts, cleaned
out the boats, aud set them oil in place
again. 1t was busy days work, and
Dirk and Lon walked hOmeward after
the woods grew dark. AS they turned
into the clearing, at the farther end
of which the shanty stood, they al
most collided with the Babbitt boys,
both Of whom were walking rapidly
toward the Driscoll bush.
Dirk scowled darkly and Ions grip
frightened on the axe which he carried,
and thus they passed without a word.
A moment later the Rabbits disap-
peared in the woods.
"Slinking, skulkiug thieyesl" said
Dirk. They're prowling round to
see if we're watching"
'pm in favor of going down and
facing them with the theft" said
Lon.
''No, they'd deny it," said iona.
than, "Ond how could you prove it:
Wait day or two"
But Dirk could not wait, and he
and Lon decided to keep watch dur
ing the night, They proposed taking
their guns with them, but Mother
Driscoll, who was famous for hen
hatred Of firearms, persuaded them
to go unarmed.
They were late in making q start,
and when they reached the bush, what
was their amazoment to find the work
OF the marauders already accom-
plished Spouts that had just been
replaced were snapped of Short and
the sap was'gono from scores of the
boats. Vainly they tramped back
and forth through the bush; the
thieves were not 90 be found. In the
morning, however, they discovered
prints of moccasined feet and the
tracks Of steers.
"We won't stand this any longer,
said Dirk "Eext time they come
prowling around here, wen shoot 'em
in their tracks. That's the only way
to deal with robbers. >"
Just ht dusk than evening Jimmy
thrust his head into tho shanty win
dow.
"There's the Babbitsw he gasped,
excitedly.
Dirk and Lon ran to the doorway.
At the end of tho clearing. where they
had beon seen on the previous day,
the two Babbitt boys were skulking
through the bushes. Each of them
carried gun, and apparently they
were anxious to keep out OF sight,
for when they saw tho Driscolls at
the shanty door, they disappeared
Two minutes later Dirk and Lon,
crouching and crawling, left the
shanty on the other side, keeping well
out Of sight of the strip OF woods
where the Rabbits were In this way
they ran for several hundred yards
and then stopped, painting and heated,
near an old log.
Dirk leaned over and drew from q
protecting layer of leaves q double
barrelled shotgun and a short rifle,
Both of them were loaded half full of
coarse salt, with a big charge of
powder behind. Unknown to his
mother, Jimmy had brought them
from the house that afternoon, and
Lon had loaded and sccreted them.
''We'll tattoo 'em for thieves this
time, said Dirk, grimly.
They skirted che clearing and
reached the sugar-bush by its farther
end, working their way cautiously up
toward the centre. They wore sure
that the Babbitt boys would come
from the opposite direction. Near the
edge of the bush and close to little
valley, through which they could re.
treat il necessary, they concealed
themselves behind thick bunch of
hazel brush, from which they could
command a clear view of the sledge
track in both directions.
It was already dark. During the
afternoon the sky had olouded over,
and She moist wind was from the east.
Jonathan Driscoll, holding up a
noistened finger, had predicted snow.
An hour passed and the sugar-bush
was still undisturked. Occasionally
the boys heard the faint clatter of the
stirring rod as it beat against the iron
kettle at the distant shenty. It was
the only sound that suggested human
habitahon.
They've probably gone back for