Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1914-1915, 1914-10-29

49, u oSSA l
and this she brought him in the only
way she could. bearing it in her own
mouth.
No human mother could have shown
more unselfsh and sacrificing devotion !
than did this poor wild brute for the
little orphaned waif whom fate had
thrown into her keeping.
At last the fever abated, and the boy |
commenced to mend. No complaint
passed his tight set lips, though the
pain Of his wounds was excruciating.
A portion Of his chest was laid bare
to the ribs. three Of which had been
broken by the mighty blows Of the
gorilla; II arm was nearly severed
by the giant fangs. and Il great piece
had been torn from his neck. exposing
his .jugular vein. which the cruel jaws
had missed but by n miracle
After what see.Grl an eternity to
the little sufferer lie was once more
able to walk. and from then on his re-
covery was rapid. so that in another
month he was as strong and active as
ever.
During his cuuvalescence he had
gone ovcr in his mind many times the
battle with the gorilla. and his first
thought was to recover the wonderful
little weapon which had transformed
him from Il hopelessly outclassed
weakling to the superior of the mighty
terror Of the jungle.
Also he WAS anxious to return to the
cabin and continue his Investigations
of The wondrous contents,
SO early one morning lie set forth
ulriir upon his Huest. After a little
search he located the clean picked
bones of his ate adversary. and close
by, partly buried beneath the fallen
leaves. he found the knife, now red
with rust from its exposure to the
dampness of the ground and from the
dried blood Of the gorilla.
He did not like the change in its for
mer bright and cleaning surface, but
it was still Il formidable weapon and
one which he meant to use to advan-
tage whenever the opportunity present
ed Nself. He had in mind that no more
would he run from the wanton attacks
Of old Tublat.
In another moment he was at the
cabin, and after a short time had again
thrown the latch and entered. His first
concern was to learn the mechanism Of
the lock, and this he did by examining
1t closely, while the door was open so
that he could learn precisely what
caused it to hold the door and by what
means it released at his touch.
He found that he could close and
lock the door from within, and this he
did so that there would be no chance
of his being molested while at his in
vestigations.
He commenced Il systematic search
Of the cabin: but his attention was soon
riveted by the books which seemed to
exert a strange and powerful influence
over him, so that he could scarce attend
to aught else for the lure Of the Won
drous puzzle which their purpose pre-
sented to him.
Among the other books We're a
primer, some child's readers. numerous
picture books and a great dictionary.
All Of these he examined: but the pic
lures caught his fancy most, though
the strange little bugs which covered
the pages where there were no pic
lures excited his wonder and deepest
thought.
In his hands was a primer opened
: at a picture of a little ape similar to
himself, but covered. except for hands
and face, with strange colored fur. for
such he thought the jacket and trous-
ers to be.
Beneath the picture were three little
bugs:
; BOY.
And now he had discovered In the
: text upon the page that these three
:. were repeated many times in the same
sequence.
Another fact he learned. and that
was that there were comparatively
few individual bugs. But these were
repeated many times, occasionally
alone, but more often in company with
others.
Slowly he turned the pages, scan
ming the pictures and the text for 8
repetition of the combination boy
= 1 ASSCuClJ uS lOuuO ~ UcutdLu u plCLuIt
of another little ape and a strange
| animal which went upon four legs like
:, the jackal and somewhat resemblei
I him. Beneath this picture the bugs
: appeared as
A BOY AND A DOG.
= There they were, the three little
bugs which always accompanied the
little ape.
And 80 he progressed very, very
= slowly, for it was a hard and labor
> > ious task which he had set himself
without knowing it, a task which
might seem to you or to m impossible
. learning to read without having the
: slightest knowledge Of letters or writ
: ten language or the faintest idea thai
: such things existed.
l He did not accomplish it in a day Of
in a week or in a month or in a year
, but slowly, very slowly, he learned.
By the time he was fifteen he knew
the various combinations of letters
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