Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-04-26

me, and I sprang tooth and nail upon
the most audacious one of them-nona
other than Lop Ear himself. l have SO
named him because he could prick up
only one Of his ears. The other ear
always hung limp and without move
ment. Some accident had injured the
muscles and deprived him of the use
Of it.
He closed with me, and we went at
it for all the world like a couple of
small boys fighting. We scratched and
bit. pulled hair, clinched and threw
each other down. | remember | sue
ceeded in getting on him what in my
college days | learned was called a
half nelson. This hold gave NE the
decided advantage. But l did not en-
JOY it long. He twisted up one leg
and with the foot Tor hind handl made
so savage an onslaught upon my abdo-
men as to threaten to disembowel me.
| had to release him in order to save
myself, and then we went at it again.
Lop Ear was year older than |, but
| was several times angrier than he.
and in the end he took to his heels |
chased him across the open and down
a runway to the river. But he was
better acquainted with the locality and
ran along the edge of the water and up
another runway. He cut diagonally
across the open space and dashed into
wide mouthed cave.
Before l knew it had plunged after
him into the darkness. The next mo-
ment was badly frightened. had
never been in cave before. | began
to whimper and cry out. Lop Ear chat
tered mockingly at me and. springing
upon me unseen, tumbled me over. He
did not risk a second encounter, how
ever, and took himself off l was be-
tween him and the entrance. and he
did not pass me; yet he seemed to have
gone away. I listened, but could get
no clew as to where he was. This puz-
lied me, and when l regained the out
side sat down to watch.
He never came out of the entrance,
Of that l was certain: yet at the end of
several minutes he chuckled at my ell
bow. Again l ran after him. and again
he ran into the cave, but this time |
stopped at the mouth. | dropped back
a short distance and watched. He did
not come out, yet, as before, he chuck
led at my elbow and was chased by me
q third time into the cave
The performance was repeated sew
eral times. Then | followed him into
the cave. where | searched vainly for
him. | was curious. could not under
stand how he eluded me. Always he
went into the cave, never did he come
out OF it. yet always did he arrive
there at my elbow and mock me- Thus
did our fight transform itself into a
game OF hide and seek.
All afternoon. with occasional inter
walls, we kept 1t up. and a playful
friendly spirit arose between US. In
the end he did not run away from me,
and we sat together with our arms
around each other. A little later he
disclosed the mystery of the wide
mouthed cave. Holding me by the
hand he led me inside. 1t connected
by a narrow creTice with another cave.
and 1t was through this that we re-
gained the open air
We were now good friends. When
the other young ones gathered around
to tease he Joined with me in attack,
ing them. and so vicously did we he
have that before long was let alone.
LOp Ear made me acquainted with
the village. There was little that he
could tell me Of conditions and Gus
tOms-he had not the necessary vocab-
mary. but by observing his actions
learned much and also he showed me