The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1907-04-13

place, and sometimes tc another, but
there's no regular telling where fancy
will lead the ola man. And he don't tell
anyone where he's going, or ask anyone's
advice, being world too masterfuI to
think you can know better AN what he
do"
At half-past eleven I gave up the
search as hopeless, and returned to Bon
port.
II forecay it." said my grandfather
when he heard of my i'll success ''it's
al'ust in foul weather you lose a thole
pin. Shet that door close. I've got
someat to say to you as no mortal man
must know"
closed the door and went back to his
bedside.
You're got to take your dying oath
of secrecy-your sacred dying OATH" he
said solemnly, screwing his brows to-
gether.
You may tell me what you please"
said |, but l shall not bind myself to
anything"
This come of giving you a good edu-
cation. Why, my father would knock my
head off if dared to answer him in that
disobedient spirit, and here am l nigh
on 70 years old. You won't take your dy-
ing oathT' IN
NO" -
Come, sonny, you amt such a I'M
natural young viper that if | told you
something as might cause the death of a
innocent old man, you'd go and let it out
to the world?"
1T is not likely that would"
G'rbon without toyiDO M ootbc ro,,
kind of give your solemn promise that
you won't let anyone know what I'm
going to tell you. We won't argify the
matter but there that is settled He
drew his hand from under the bed clothes,
and put a key in my hand.
This is the key of the cottage. You're
got to go up there directly" He dived
under the clothes and brought up another
key. This is the key of the well in
the wash'us," he said with some trepida-
ton. You'll unlock the cover and let
down some victuals in the bucket. When
you feel the bucket touch the bottom,
you'll whistle like as il you was calling
a dog; then you'll count fifty slow and
pull up the bucket. After which you'll
shet the cover down, lock it careful, come
out of the house. and lock that careful,
and so bring both keys back to me in
not less than two hours at the outside
What is at the bottom of the well?"
/ asked in amazement. | could see, as
he narrowed his eyes and passed his
tongue round his mouth, that he was pre-
pairing a lie for me.
What's down there?" he said; why
a live thing. What live things do they
generally keep at the bottom of a pit?
Why, bears That's it; it's a bear. It's
n pet of fathers. l don't say but what
he's mad to keep bear; that's neither
here Tor there. He'd just take and knock
my brains out if l didn't keep it alive;
and now you know why I've been so anx-
ious to find him, and in such a pickle
about not getting home"
He seemed perfectly satisfied with this
outrageously naive explanation, and con-
fident that | accepted it for the truth.
And what victuals am | to put in
the bucket" l asked.
There's a bit of pork on the wash'us
shelf-cut a rasher above half an inch
thick; and there's billed taters put in
three and likewise there's a loaf of bread,
cut a slice of that middlin' thin, about
a inch and half or two inches through"
Having given me these instructions, my
grandfather eXhorted me to do just what
| was told to do and no more, to comp
away the moment | had done it; warning
me that if his father discovered that 1
knew of his keeping a bear C'which,' he
said, lis contrary to the laws"O he, as
like as not. would take my life to prevent
any evil consequences to himself.
1t was something more than mere curl
hot ba 81 mo tn bn
My grandfather's explanation was alto
gcther untenable. However mad my great
grandfather might be, knew that he was
not mad enough to keep a bear at the
bottom of a well, nor was my grand
father mad enough to prescribe such a
bill of fare for an animal of that kind.
The only feasible conjecture was that
their prisoner was human and dire
enemy. whom they had not the courage
to kill outright | found the cottage as
it was when | reached it the day before.
The drawn blinds and locked doors. the
Steaming potatoes on the table were I'M
derstandable now; had come there at
the moment when my grandfather was
about to feed the captive.
The washhouse adjoined the living
room. 1t was paved with red bricks, and
lit by skylight in the lean-to roof. A
shelf ran round it on which stood cult
nary utensils and articles of food. The
walls and the wood work of the roof were
whitewashed. The well was sunk in the
middle of the room-the shaft guarded
by circular wall about two feet high,
and closed by an oak cover, hinged on
one side and padlocked on the other. A
bucket hung over it, swiyelled on rope,
that passed through pulley on one Of
the roof joists, and ran to cleat on the
wall. where it was fastened.
With considerable agitation | unfast-
enad thp padlock lifted tho covar opd