River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-05-30

from dead elephant, and searched for
the trail of a tiger.
The gate was an excellent place for
tiger. Around it was planted an al
most impenetrable screen of ever
green's, so thick that the ground be-
meath was quite bare of grass. Here
the two hunters crawled on stomachs
that began to feel a trifle empty, and
here they happened on the trail.
Tucker found it first. His stumpy
tail grew rigid. Nose to the ground,
he crawled and wriggled through the
underground, Bobby at his heels. And
now Bobby saw the trail, footprints.
1t is true that they resembled those
of heavy boots with nails. But on the
other hand, no one could say surely
that the nail marks were not those OF
claws.
Tucker circled about. The trail
grew more exciting. Bobby had to
crawl on hands and feet under and
through thickets. Branches had been
broken as by the passage of some large
| body. The sportsman clutched his
weapon and went on.
An hour later the two hunters re-
| turned for breakfast. Washing did
something to restore the leader to a
normal appearance, but wondering
family discovered him covered with
wounds and strangely silent.
'Why, Bob, where have you been?"
his mother demanded. "Why, never
saw so many scratches!
''Tve been hunting" he replied
briefly. ''They don't hurt, anyhow"
Then he relapsed into absorbed sill
ence. His mother, putting cream on
his cereal, placed an experienced hand
on his forehead. care you sure you
feel well, dear?" she asked. Il think
your head is a little hot
'Tm all right, mother"
She was wisely silent, but she ran
oyer in her mind the spring treatment
for children at home. The blood, she
| felt. should be thinned after winter
of sausages and rich cocoa. She men
tally searched her medicine case.
A strange thing happened that day.
A broken plate disappeared from the
upper shelf of a closet, where Pepy
| had hidden it; also a cup with NICK
in it, similarly concealed; also the heel
of a loaf of bread. Nor was that the
end. For three days a sort OF magic
reigned in Pepy's kitchen. Ten pota-
toes, laid out to peel, became eight.
Matches and two ends Of candle
walked out, as it were, on their own
feet. A tin pan with hole in it left
the kitchen table and was discovered
hiding in Bobbys bureau, when the
Fraulein put away the washing.
The governess protested that he
heard nothing she told him, and was
absent-minded at his lessons. But as
she was always protesting about some
thing, no one paid any attention.
Bobby drew ahead on his pocket allow
ance without question, and as his
birthday was not far off, asked for
''the dollar to grow on in advance.
He always received a dollar for each
year, which went into the bank, and a
dollar to grow on, which was his own
to spend.
With the dollar he made number
of purchases-candleS and candlestick,
a toy pistol and caps, one of the masks
for the carnival, now displayed in all
the windows, a kitchen knife, wooden
plates, and a piece of bacon.
Now and then he appeared at the
scenic railway, distracted and viewing
with a calculating eye the furnishings
Of the engine room and workshop.
From there disappeared a broken
chair, a piece of old carpet, discarded
from a car, and a large paddock, but
the latter he asked for and obtained.
His occasional visits to the railway,
however, found him in old Adelberts
shack. He filled his pockets with char
coal from the pail beside the stove,
and made cautious inquiries as to
methods of cooking potatoes. But the
pail of old Adelbert's gloom penetrated
at last even through the boys abstrac-
ton.
"I hope your daughter is not worse"
he said politely, during one OF his
visits to the ticket booth.
"She is well. She RECEIVERS strength
rapidly"
"And the new uniform-does 1t fit
your
81 do not know" said old Adelbert
grimly. 'T have not seen it recently"
"On the day OF the procession we are
all going to watch for you. I'll tell you
where we will be, so you can look for
u.s."
There will be no procession"
Then to the boy old Adelbert poured
out the bitterness of his soul. He
showed where he had torn down the
kings picture and replaced it with one
of dying stag. He reviewed his days
in the hospital, and the harGships
through which he had passed, to come
to this. The king had forgotten his
brave men.
During the rest of the day Bobby
considered. No less a matter than the
sharing Of certain secret occupied
his mind. Now. half the pleasure of