The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1919-09-13
KEEPING SPORT OUT OF MIS-
CHIEF.

Were going to have splendid
fire." said Jack with enthusiasm.
1.-The pile will be most as high as
the house." cried jim.
ooh, won't it be fun?' echoed Mary.
The children were alone that after
| noon. And they were as busy as lit
| tie beavers, raking up the yard. 1t
was a good deal of work, but they
didn't mind for they would have such
fun watching the bonfire. Besides,
Mother had promised them marshmal-
| lows to toast!
So Jack and Jim and Mary worked
away diligently. Only Sport would
not work!
Now Sport was always with the
children. Every morning he trotted
| along the country road with them on
their way to school. Sometimes he
| carried a lunch basket or a mitten for,
it made him very proud to help. And
every afternoon he was waiting to see
them safely home. You would have
thought that Jack and Mary and Jim
couldn't be trusted alone. AT any
rate Sport was convinced that with
out him they would surely be lost.
But when it came to raking leaves,
Sport wasn't bit of help. He would
crouch beside the pile and bark. Then
he would make plunge, and send the
leaves flying in every direction. How
he chased them! But they whirled SO
gaily in the breeze that no wonder he
took them for butterflies.
At first the children thought this
amusing They we're SO fond of Sport
that whatever he did made them
happy. But after their pile had been
scattered several times, it didn't seem
such fun.
We've got to tie him up" said Jack.
"You won't hurt him." cried Mary.
Course not said Jack. where's
some roper"
eve can take the rope off the sled,"
Jim suggested.
Sport was delighted when they
brought out the sled. There wasn't
any snow, but he was quite willing to
drag his friends about over the leaves,
if they wished. He caught the rope in
his teeth, ready to pull. But why were
| they putting the rope around his neck?
Sports delight changed to perplexity;
| and when they tied him to tree and
left him, he expressed his hurt feel
ings in howls.
With no Sport to hinder, the work
went on rapidly. The wind was rising
and an occasional gust caught the
leaves. In spite of this the raking was
soon finished and the pile ready to
light. Jack struck match and started
the blaze. Famed by the wind, the
whole pile broke into flame.
And then Jack discovered that the
bonfire was too close to the house.
The wind was carrying the flames in
that direction. Jack began beating at
the bonfire with his rake.
Get some water" he shouted to
Jim.
Jim rushed away. But in his con-
fusion he couldn't find a pail. The
flames were spreading. Mary caught
up another rake to help Jack. Their
efforts served only to make the fire
burn more fiercely. The wind lifted
punches of the burning leaves, and
hurled them across the yard.
Hold them down with your rake,
Mary!" Jack cried
He ran to the wood pile and began
dragging boards to keep the bonfire
from blowing away Jim found the
pals and was pumping furiously.
Mary was doing her best to hold the
pile against the wind, when an extra
gust tugged at the. mass beneath her
rake. And half the pile rose into the
air to fall blazing upon the porch!
A scream from Mary, an answering
bark, flash of tawny fur-and Sport
had hurled himself upon the porch
and was stamping and scattering the
burning leaves. He had gnawed the
rope and freed himself just in time.
In a few moments the fire was out
and the children hung over Sport, pet
ting and praising him and binding up
his scorched paws.
IF he hadn't been loose" said Jack
|'soberly, "the house might have burned |
down." t
I'VE won't ever tie him up again. ;,
declared Jim.
And We thought" laughed Mary.
with her arms about the shaggy neck.
that we We're keeping Sport out of |
mischief. But he kept us out of mis-
chief instead"
ABIGAIL Burton,