Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-21
BABE THE RUNAWAY


warm sunshine, playing ball with a
round stone he found close to the cave
door. He tossed the ball into the air;
then he would catch it in his fat paws.
Again. he would roll the ball down the
side Of the mountain for a few PAGES.
rushing after and rescuing it before it
had time to get far away. But as he
played with the round stone-about the
size Of an ordinary rubber ball that
boys play with-he forgot to keep close
to the cave entrance. and once. when
the ball rolled farther away than had
been his intention to let it go. he ran
after it and failed to get 1T, for it
tumbled over a little precipitous bank
on the steep mountain side For
moment Babe watched the ball at the
bottom of the mountain crevice. Then
saying to himself "Oh. what does it
matter IL run round by the path and
do down the mountain side to reach the
spot where my plaything has rolled?
I may be disobeying mamma-but
little thing like that is not very
naughty
Once so far away from the cave. Babe
decided it was great sport TO go out
by himself. and knowing that it would
be some time yet before his mother
would return home, he ran about on
the mountain side. making loud noise
'fHa. ha. ha" cried. gayly. tossing
the ball about Just as he was think
ing it time to return to the cave.
soft football was heard behind him,
and. turning about. Babe beheld a
great tall mana creature that was
strange to him. and who frightened
him terribly. With a little wall Of
fear the cub ran down the mountain
side as fast he could 60 getting
farther and farther away from the
cave at every jump
This great tall man who had frightened
Babe so much, followed after him. carry
ing a gun over his shoulder. He tried re-
peatedly TO get good aim at the fleeing
little bear. so that he might bring him
down with a bullet: but Babe darted from
one bowlder to another. then behind
clumps of bushes and trees, so rapidly
that the hunter could not get a good
chance at him.
After running till almost out of breath
Babe stole a glance behind him. and to
his great relief the horrible hunter was
nowhere in sight. Evidently Babe had
outrun him. and now he was somewhere
on the mountain side still looking for
Babe, or another Of Babes kind. And
Babe. trembling in every limb. crept be-
hind a great mass of rocks and lay close
to the damp ground. He was afraid to
return home But the longer he lay there
the more uneasy he became. What would
his dear mother say? What was she doing
now?-for surely she had returned home
ere this.
And so the hours wore away and dark
ness began to fall on the mountain side.
And still the runaw Babe lay in hiding
to be once more in his snug cave house,
warm and happy. listening to his moth
ers tales OF her early cubhood.
After a little while slow rain began
to fall. Then Babes agony increased.
/ With fear and loneliness came discomfort
| Oh. how foolish he had been! Oh, the
| penalty of disobedience. Could he but
see his dear mother and his happy home
| once more before he died, he would ask
| for nothing more. Indeed. Babe really
| thought he must die that night
| 1t was about O'Clock when Babes ears
| caught familiar voice calling him. 1t
| was his own dear mothers voice, and it
came from a little way above the place
where he was hiding. He quickly crept
| from his dark corner and ran up the
F, mountain side. answering the dear call:
Here / am. mamma, come down the path
/ and meet me. I'm so cold and afraid"'
| When his mother met him a few mo-
| ments later Babe almost tainted of Joy
The agony OF his two or three hours in
hiding tad-made him hysterical, just like