Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-08

euiueu anu saw Lne peculiar ANIMAL he would in
var1ably give a frightened yep, and disappear,
and Chester would then throw back his head and
laugh, plainly showing his amusement at the dogs
fear of him.
BY the following spring, the badger had grown
into magnificent specimen, and many persons
\ came to Mr.. Wallaces farm purposely to see him
l perform the many cunning tricks which had made
him famous.
Notwithstanding Harrys resolution to put the
stone lining inside the sod wall of his room the
time mad passed and the next spring found it eX-
actly as he had left it when the family came, only
the west and part of the south sides finished. A
4 frame dwelling had during that year, been added
to the first house built but still Harry clung to
his old sleeping room, which he always felt at lib
erty to invite some of the neighbors' boys to
share with him. The spring that Chester was a
year old was unusually wet, one severe storm
being followed almost Immediately by another
heavy downpour of rain.
Mrs Wallace had spoken to Harry several times
about sleeping out in his den, as she feared it
would become damp, but he always assured her
that it wasn't at all damp, and there was no
danger whatever, of his taking cold.
One night after an unusually hard rain, Harry
was slightly aroused from his heavy slumber by
the bed clothes moving-but thinking it was Jack
or Beauty walking about his room, he paid at
tention, and was fast asleep in instant. Again
he was conscious of a movement as if someone
was pulling the clothing from the bed-but it only
disturbed him for an instant, then turning
and settling into more comfortable position, he
was fast losing consciousness in the sleep of
healthy youth when he was quickly and thorough
ly aroused by Chester sprnging squarely into his
face, at the same time uttering a queer little
sound, which he always made when greatly
cited.
AS he bounded out of bed, Harry heard Pc
cular sound-as if something heavy slipping
sliding along-but before he could reach for
match, he was thrown violently to the floor, his
feet being completely covered with the earth, as
the entire northwest corner of the wall-both sod
and rock, crashed down, crushing the bed COM
petely. The boy was trying to extricate his feet
and limbs, when his parents who had been
aroused by the sound of the falling walls, rushed
into the room. 1t but the work of moment
for Mr.. Wallace to release his son. as he had, in
springing out of bed, fortunately jumped far
enough away from the west wall to have none of
the rock fall upon him.
For some seconds but few words were spoken
the hearts of the parents being filled with graft
tude at their sons miraculous escape from death.
ter! Chester Come Chester" but no answer
came to his call. AS soon as he explained that it
was the badger that had saved him. and that he
feared he was buried beneath the wall at the head
of the bed, they all, even Clara and Bessie who
had by this time joined the rest of the family,
began working in desperate haste to rescue their
pet
1t was a sad family, Mr.. Wallace and Harry ad
ding their tears to those of Mrs. Wallace and the
girls when the badger was found crushed to death
beneath the rocks. Their grief genuine and
lasting, and many months passed before the fam
ily became reconciled to their loss, though
master.
The Wallace claim has changed hands twice
since then, but today it is of the most beau
f,,1 farm in Oklahoma