Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1908-11-20
COPYRIGHT. 1905. BY FRANK II. SWEET


bly," Mahalah Bennett sighed, land l
did use to enj'y fxin' things an havin'
our friends ONE Hey, no, huml 1t
seems sometimes as If our friends had
gone with the turkeys"
ooh, no, mother. They give us work.
an that's the best thing they could do
for us. But IL they all forsook us we've
got one mother, as you just said"
$50 We have, dear heart, an whilst
we have we can't be thankful enough.
I'm thankful there's some folks sensi-
BILE enough to 'preciate good OF fashion
ed yarn mittens." she remarked as sht
looped blue yarn on a needle with her
finger. MILLER, down to the Holler
says he en- sell all | en- knit for a
great stint"
The bracing air, tempered by I'M
clouded sunlight, stirred the blood of
the man and boy alike with healthful
vigor as they trudged across the fields
and entered the woods. Every brown
o~utstretched twig, every tiny, close
wrapped bud, had its coping and cap
of pearl cleaning in sunlight or blue in
shadow, and the ranks of corded wood
were rooted with it.
The new covering was already mark
ed with the tracks of scampering squir-
rels. the broad pads of hares. the
pronged print of the partridge's devi
GUS course, the dainty seam of wood
mouse paths.
Birds gave audible proof that they
were astir and alert now. A party of
jays screamed In discordant unison,
chickadees and %nuthatches called and
piped, a woodpecker hammered indus
triously for his hard earned breakfast.
a partridge went booming away like a
gray rocket with a trail of now cloud
sinking softly and silently behind his
noisy course, and a red squirrel jeered
at the two intruders.
The boys ears and eyes were alert
for all sounds and sights. Before he
delivered the first Ak stroke upon the
boil of a great Eastwood his attention
was attracted by a strange track that
ended at its foot.
"Oh, father" he cried, what kind
of a tracks this? 1t looks just like a
little boys bare foot"
"Why key, it's a coon, an he's
laid up for the winter in this here
tree. See, it's holler. An there's the
hole up there at he went in. Now
We'll jest have his pelt nailed up on
TI,o xrrNaI chnI doom cha1rl1pJf MO
der If 1t was pretty nigh prime, for it's
had three RS to get so in. They say
fur's good in ev'ry month that's got
an r in it, but it ain't-not in Sep
TENDER nor sca'sely in October-an' it
begins to git faded in April, some
kinds does. But now it's most Decem
Der, an'-an' we'll jest go for the fel
Ter, seem AT we're goin' to git down
half q cord o. wood at the same lick
Look out sharp at the hole when the
tree comes down, for likes not he'll
cut an run. Well fall it right in hero
where it's all clear"
So saying, he drove his ak to tbs
eye In the soft wood, while Isaac with
right good will delivered his less eff
1CNllNG SllOhCo Oh Nv III VIZ
When Jacob had driven his kerr a lit
tie beyond the decayed center anG
paved the ground about him with
broad chips almost as white as tn,
snow he heaved a restful sigh anc
went around to the other side.
"Now, key. you just stan of on
there an keep your eye on the hol,
the minute the tree falls, an if hi
offers to come out fore | git there
whack him ON the head"
Jacob spat upon his hands and re
sumed his chopping, expirating witt
each blow a gasping "hah" that seemcG
to double its force, and Isaac took h.
post with eyes fixed on the trunk wher
the first branches stretched abroad.
Now the great tree shivered at ever
stroke, then tottered on its Slapped
foundations and went down with an
accelerated sweep and a final crashing
boom.
In the succeeding momen of silence
the raccoon so suddenly awakened
from the comfortable winters nap into
which he had just fallen. protruded his
black and gray head from the hole