The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-12-19

the trail of tiger.
The gate was IN excellent place for
a tiger. Around It was planted an al
most impenetrable eeEpen OF ever
greens, 70 thick that - ground be-
meath was quite bare of grass. Here
the two hunters crawled ON stomachs
that began to tel = triae empty. and
here they happsAsd on the trail.
Tucker found It nrst. His stumpy
tail grew rigid. Nose. to the ground,
he crawledz and wriggied through the
underground. Bobby at his heels. And
now Bobby saw the trail. footprints.
It is true, that they resembled those
Of heavy boots with nails.' But on the
other had, no one could say surely
mat the nail marks were not those Of
claws
Tucker circled about. The trail
grew more exciting. Bobby had to
crawl on hands and f4et under and
through thlckets. BxaneAes had been
broken ~ by the passage a some large
body. The sportsman cautched his
weapon and went on.
An hour later tho two hunters re-
turned for breakfast. Washinx did
something TO restore the leader to q
normal appearances. but . wondering
family discovered him covered with
wounds and strangely Silent.
"Why, Bob. where have you beenr
his mother demanded. why. never
saw - many scratchesr'
I've been hunting" he replied
bsiedy. '.rhey don't hurt, anyhow"
Then he relapsed into absorbed sil-
ence. His mother. putting cream On
~ cereal, placed an experienced hand
q his forehead. .Are you sure yoa
feel well, dearr" she asked. II think
your head u little hot"
TIN all right, mother"
She was wisely Silent, but she ran
over in her mind the spring treatment
for children at home. The blood, ~
felt, should be thinned after . winter
Of sausages and rich cocoa. She men
tally searched her medicine case.
A strange thing happeasd that day.
A broken plata disappsarsd from the
upper shelf Of q closet, where Pepy
had hidden It; also . cup with nick
II Il, similarly concealed: also the heel
Of . loaf Of bread. Nor was that tha
end. For three days . eort o& magic
reigned in Pspy's kitchen. Ten peta-
tosa, laid out 10 ped. became eight.
Matches and two ends Of candle
walked out, % It were. On their own
| feet 4 tin pan With hole IN It LEFT
the Kitchen table and was discovered
hiding IN Bobby's bureau. when the
ytaulein put away tAs washins.
The eoverne0 protested that b
heard ne@Alns - told him, and was
aboent-minded at hiD Lessons. But -
she was always peeeesting about soane-
thing. no ons paid any attention.
Bobby drew aAsad on his pocket allow.
ance without question. and ~ his
birthday was not 1af o6, asked for
"ths dollar to grow On" IN, advance.
He always rscsived . dollar for each
year, which went into the bank. nd .
dollar to grow a, which was Als own
to spsnd.
r. with the dollar he made . number
of purchases-candles and cand1estick,
q toy pistol and caps. one Of tie maslks
for the carnival. now displayed in an
the windows, kitchen knife wooden
paae0. md q piece Of bacon.
lGpgAao6 then he appeared qt the
seafe:sdnway, abstraeted and viswing
vltA : calculating eye the furnishings
ue the engine room and workshop.
From there disappeared q broken
chair. . piece Of old carpet, discarded
from Q caf. and . large paddock. but
the lattss ne asked for and obtained.
HIS ooeA&onal visits to the railway.
howeve. found him In old AdsIbeft's
shaek. He filled his pockets With char
coal from the pail beside the stove.
and madv cautious inquiries ~ to
mstheAr = cooking potatoss. But the
pan u ~ Adelbert's gloom penetrated
at last even through the boys abstrac-
ton.
II hope your daughter u not worse." ."
hs said politely. during oos Of his
visits 10 tie ticket boon.
"Shs u wen. She recovsfs strength
rapidly"
.And the new unifosm-doss It &
yoar
II Do mot know" said old ,Adelbset
Erimly. Il have not seen It fscentfy." !"
~0n ~ ~ Of the processsso We arc
an going u watch for you. Tn tell you
where We win BE-. % you can hook hoe
n"
There win be NO procession"
Then to the boy old Adslbert poured
out the bitArness Of II soul. He
showed yhsrs ~ had tern down Tie
kings pecturs. and replaced It With one
ok dying stag. He rsviswed his days
IN the hospital. and the hardships
through which he had passed. to come
to this The king ha1 forsotten his
Afavo Men. p
Daring the rsst - ~ day Bobby
ccnaidered- No Iass . mattee than IT,
shartny Of q certain secret 0ecnpied