The Coolidge examiner., 1941-04-18
.KA,THERIN E, Ht1PFEL

| 1Ounu the DOy there, after ne
near about give him OUT
When questioned about how he
knew where to look, Penny smil-
ed. Il figgered, There's Jody now,
and he hoein' amt gOin' to take
him too long. What would | do
this fine spring day, was | a
boy?" Father and son understand
each other and Penny did not tell
Ma Baxter about Jody's lapses.
Instead he shouldered the un-
finished work himself. 1t had to
be done, for the Baxters were poor
and the rows of corn meant food.
Jody and Penny fished and
hunted together. The venison they
got, in season, Penny traded for
groceries. The remainder of the
year they had to live off the
! land.
The Forester tribe, Ma and Pa
and their six strong, man-grown
sons, were the Baxters nearest
neighbors Sometimes they hunted
together-when old Slewfoot, the
great black outlaw bear, raided
their farms. Jody loved to go to
the Forresters, there were so many
of them it was like going to
party. The fact that his mother
considered them "a bad lot"
didn't weigh too heavily on Jody's
mind. They lived as they chose,
and want never sat at their table.
Ma Forester said, in defense OF
her family. my boys is rought,
know. They drink a heap and
they fight and airy woman wants
to git away from em has got to
run like a doe. But I'll say this
for 'em - they amt nary
one of 'em has ever cussed his
nanny or his pappy at the
table"
But after a trade, in which Pen
ny came off best, there was
fight in town-blood was spilled
and Jody went no more to the
Forester home.
Loneliness haunted his days and
he begged his mother to let him
bring home one of the wild things
for pet. But her answer was al
ways the same-there was scarse-
ly food enough for themselves.
Even Penny, who looked toward
the winter, agreed with her.
One day. when the fawns were
being born. Jody and Penny
trailed old Slewfoot. 1t was day
destined for tragedy, that came
from a hiden rattle snake whose
fangs sank deep as Penny's hand
brushed aside the bush where 1t
lay. Father and son were afoot
and far from home. Penny did
what he had to-the doe he kill
ed so he might put her hot liver
on the wound to draw out the
poison, had a fawn hidden near
by, but there was no time to think
of that.
Night was coming on and the
nearest habitation was the For
rester home. Jody raced toward
it and reached there, at last, Sob
bing.
When he told them, "there was
stirring among the men, as
though the leavening quickened
in a bowl of bread dough"
where's he at? Jouy
directed them the best he could
mo use to fret. boy. Well
do what we kin. We don't hold
nothin' agin folks in trouble"
They touched heels to their horses
flanks and shot away.
Thanks to the Forresters and
old "Doc," whom they fetched
from many miles away, Penny
made it. It was then that he let
Jody search for the motherless
fawn, to keep for his own-if ne
were still alive, and he found 1t.
1t was alive, and Jody found it.
But to tell you how these two
learned the lesson Of life to-
gether, would reveal the story
that you should read for yourself.
After time had passed and Jody
was sobered from the tragedy
that changed his world, the boy
learned his final lesson from Pen
ny-one that most of us learn,
sooner or later
"Boy," Penny greeted his sons
return: 81 most about give you
out" Jody said, 81 had to come
home" "Shore you did"
After Jody told his father what
has happened, and that he hadn't
meant the things he said about
i 4 Il l. :.