The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-17
BURGESS BED-
 TIME STORIES
THE BONE THAT DIsApPEARISD Who sees a chance aud has the wit To seize 1t makes the most of it.
 --OId Man Coyote.
By THORNTON " BURGESS

Bowser the Hound wasn't really hungry. He had been well fed that morning and he didn't need another mouthful But bone Is to a Dog very much what a stick of candy IS to a little boy or girl. So as Bowser lay in the doorway of his little house and began to gnaw the splendid big bone his mistress had just given him he was perfectly happy
 It was & splendid hone. Mrs. Brown had left enough meat ciinging to 1t to make faHly good meal And Bowser knew, too, that when he cracked 1t with his strong teeth he would find the sweetest of marrow inside. So Bowser was happy and 1t seemed to him just then there could be nothing more in all the Great World to be desired
 A shadow moved across the snow just in front of him. With one paw on the bone. Bowser looked up. There just in front of him, was that impu dent Coyote he had chased a few nights before. Bowser forgot the bone. In an instant he was on his feet with deep growl, the hair along his neck and shoulders standing on ti4. ooSh iihPubcHSCs AiV NChAo teach that Coyote lesson! He would show him that no Coyote could come around that farmyard!
 With a roar of his great voice Bowser rushed out. old Man Coyote turned tail and like A flash disap- peared around the barn. Bowser fol- lowed. paying as only he can. Straight away ran Old Man Coyote, keeping the barn between him and the house so that Mrs. Brown, hearing Bow ser's voice and looking out of the window, saw no one.
 Tt must be that Fox has been around" thought she, and went about her work
 Over to the Green Forest went Old Man Coyote and until he got there he took care to keep only little way ahead of Bowser But when they reached the. Green Forest he began running so fast that he vas soon far ahead of Bowser. Then old
 Man Coyote ran back on his own trail. ran in circles. crossed and re- crossed his own trail and finally made a long leap to the top of an old stump and from that another long leap. Then he trotted off to the top of a little hill and sat down. .I guess that will keep him busy for a while, said Old Man Coyote to himself, and grinned.
 When Bowser reached that tangled trail he stopped paying. Back and forth he ran, trying with that won- derful nose of his to york out that trail. Now and then he gave little yelp of impatience. But he kept at it. Bowser never gives up easily. He hates to admit even to himself that there is any trail he cannot work out. Old Man Coyote watched him for only a moment Then he grinned agasn and turning, trotted swiftly away. and he was headed back toward Farmer Browns.
 Patiently Bowser worked on that tangled trail. Two or three times he made circles out around hoping 70 pick up the fresh trail in that way But he didn't circle quite far enough. At last after long, long time. he gave it up, The scent had grown so ! faint that 1t was useless to try long CT. Slowly, for he was tired, he trot- ted back toward home.
 As he drew near he remembered that splendid bone he had left to chase old Man Coyote. He trotted n little faster. That bone would taste all the better now. Straight to his lntle house, in front of which he had left that splendid bone, he ran.