Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-05-13

up and down the trunks of the trees,
apparently greatly interested in his
work.
y shotgun and a rifle stood against
another Tree, around the trunk of
which q tiny hut had been built.
There was a small campfire burning,
and a savory smell of meat fioated on
the air. causing the dog to lift his
head occasionally and sniff with an
ticipation.
a. bird hoped along in front of the
old man, and he smiled as he recited
in such a peculiar manner that he who
heard it would at once have said,
This MAJ is an actor"
And the assertion was or would
have been true. for Eben Harrison
had been an actor. and a good one, but
the stage has no use for old actors or
actresses. He repeated:
Little bird with bosom red.
Welcome to my humble shed.
Courtly domes of high degree
Have no room for thee and me.
Pride and pleasures tickle throrg,
To them we do not belong.
Daily to my table steal,
While I pick my scanty meal.
Doubt not, little though there be
That III cast a crumb to thee,
Well rewarded if I spy
Pleasure in thy glancing eye.
what is it, Friend? Are you grow.
ing very hungry? Well. We'll see if 1t
is done"
The dog wagged his stump of a tail,
and together they went-the dog and
the old man, who limped painfully as
he w~alked-to the kettle, which was
sending forth its clouds Of steam.
Eyes, Friend, it is done. Stewed
squirrel is cheap and very film at
the price, as Sam Weller says. With
good ships biscuit it is by no means
bad, though it sometimes does get mo-
notonous. But with little Snipsy at
school we must economic SO that she
will not want for anything. Dear me.
how the time flies!
"Come on, and we will have our mid
day repast and let good digestion wait
on appetite. True. it is 'toujours per-
Dirk and Monsieur Tonson come
again. but we must be thankful that
We have it. You see, it is an economy
of life and meat. l must kill the squir-
rels for science, and | eat the meat for
my own need-the meat for me and
BuZZer and the bones, broth and bis
cult for you, an e division, doing
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der"
During this soliloquy the old man
broke up the biscuit into Il dish and
poured the broth over it and then cut
all the meat from the bones-no, not
all-and gave the mixture to the dog
and then fed the cat, after which he
ate his own portion, saying as he did
so:
Hunger is a famous cook, / read
somewhere. ! wish l had some coffee,
and it is kind of hard to 90 without a
smoke, but Snipsy must be able to
hold her head up with the other girls.
l can't get orders enough to pay for
tobacco and coffee and for her, too,
so if you have finished, friend, we will
go for some water and see if we have
trapped that saucy otter yet and Incl
dentally take a look at the muskrats
In their habitat, 50 I can fill the order
for a muskrat colony as soon as the
squirrels are done. III take my
glasses, and I'll finish my letter to
Snipsy when we return"
The old man took his gun, q large
tin pail and his binoculars. The dog
followed close at his heels, while the
cat returned to his place on the old
coat.
Scarcely had the old man gone wher
there was a soft rustling in the bushes
surrounding the place. Then n pretty
face was thrust through. and this was