The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-08-04
LITTLE STORIES FOR BEDTIME
Drummer Hunts for Hollow Trees
BY THORNTON w. BURGESS.

1T Drummer the w oOupfCkeT Won
dered why Buster Bear was so
anxious 10 find hollow trees he
didn't say anything about A. Prob.
ably he didn't think anything about
Il. You see he was so fattered by
all the nice things Buster had said
that ne was "a eager TO hunt for
those hollow trees and show Buster
what ne could do as Buster was to
have him
How many hollow trees do yor
want me to nnd?" he asked And
where shall begin"
Begin right here and go IN a
stra! ght line In that direction" said
Buster, pointing IN the direction In
which h. had seen Busy Bee disap
pear. Find as many as You can
AN right" replied Drummer nod
ding his red head Here 90"
With this he few 10 the next tree.
and beginning half way up. went
round and round all the time climb
ing higher and higher. and tapplns
with his stout bill "a only Drummer
can When he reached tho top ho
new 10 the next tire" and did the
same thing II was surprising how
rapidly he could examine each tree
Buster Bear followed along beneath
They had gone some distance before
Drummer found tree that had A
hollow In Il. When he did find one
he stopped 10 drum Rata tat-tat'
Rata-tat-tat' Drummer's red head
fairly few as he beat his long roll.
"One." said he looking down at
Buster.
Pine" replied Buster Now for
another"
SO Drummer went on from tree 10
tree. Every once In n while he
found enc with a hollow in II, and
ct the sound OF his rata-tat-tat Bus.
ter would sil up and stare at where
Drummer Was drumming, and in his
fac there would be the most eager
looS when Drummer found par
ticui1r,y nice sounding hollow he
woull stop 10 drum just for his own
plea .u:c. for goa know the sound OF
hi drumming g. music to Drummer
the Nlodprelrr Buster Bear would
Eet terribly impatient but he took
care 10 hide his Impotence and pre-
tended 90 enjoy thc drumming.
So they vent on farther and far.
thor into the Green Forest Most Of
the hollows which Drummer found
were small ones Each time Buster
would SIT up with that eager look
on his face and then as Drummer
drummcd that look would change 10
ona OF disappointment, and he would
1iGh as he waited for Drummer to
90 on 10 the next. Sammy Jay went
along too. or course. Sammy Is
smart, He knew that Buster had
some particular reason for wanting
90 know which trees were hollow,
and he meant 10 End out what that
reason was. He saw that eager look
n Busters face every time Drum.
ner found a new drum. and the look
Of disappointment which would fol.
low after a minute or two.
Buster wants to find one particu.
lar hollow" thought he shrewdly.
"Now wonder why II must be
that Buster knows OF something hid.
den I'm some hollow and wants II.
but he doesn't know where that
hollow Is. and so has got Drum.
mer TO find II for him What can
Il be-"
Sammy scratched his head and
thought and thought. but for the life
OF him no couldn't think OF anything
which he had ever found hidden In
n hollow tree which would be likely
20 interest Buster Bear. II made
Sammy so curious that II was on the
tip OF his tongue 10 ask Buster Bear
what he was 30 anxious 20 find, but
he wisely kept his tongue still and
silently followed Buster and Drum.
mer.
BY and by they came 10 a great
big hcmiock tree. Half way be-
tween the bottom and the top on
one side was a long gray streak on
the trunk where there was no bark
Sometime or other lightning had
struck that big hemlock tree, and
that long gray streak was dead wood
where the lightning had struck
Drummer saw II at once and few
straight TO II, for he knew that such
places are quite likely to be hollow
Rat.a.tattat! Rata. The drum
ming stopped right in tho middle
and in It's place there was n faint
humming sound that grew and grew,
and II was q note OF anger.
"Beesi- cried Drummer, and with.