1
Christmas Dinner
by
Toboggan Express
By
ALVAH MILTON KERR
(Copyright, 1908, by W. O. Chapman.)
Donald gruinilera had his first great
adventure up In the Long's Peak
country, a region famous throughout
Colorado for heavy biiows and ava
'lanchos. Donald came over from Den
ver, after graduating from high school,
to spend the summer with Sumptcr
Saunders, li Is father's youngest broth
scr. Sumptcr was a very young uncle,
indeed, hoing but 27 and not very
long out of college, while Donald was
19. "Uncle Sump" was a big-honed,
(strapping fellow who had played cen
'ter in his college football team, a man
with laughing blue eyes and "teas
ing" ways but entertaining serious
jdroams of owning a great mine, it
strength and pluck and persistence
would bring one to light. Ho was run
ning a tunnel on what he believed to
bo an excellent gold-bearing prospect,
iup in the Long's Peak country. Don
laid went out to help him. The tall
'boy had notions of becoming a niln
ling engineer, and hero was experience
that might prove of value when he
should bo ready to enter a technical
school.
The world Is very much in confusion
.up In that country, tho earth having
been Hung about at all sorts of
angles, heaped and ragged and
ttumblcd. Streams sprawl in foamy
abandon through the canyons and the
jclumpo of pines on tho soaring steeps
'sing cheerily in tho wind and sun.
'Donald found it all quite magical.
He had purposed returning horn,
to Denver in the autumn, but Sumptcr
having offered him an Interest in the
mine, should they succeed in striking
'quarb:, he concluded to remain at
least until Christmas. Donald's fa
thor, knowing the value of practicnl
experience, thought it quite as well
that Ills son should stay and rough it
.for awhile.
; There were deer and bear and
mountain grouse in that lifted, broken
.region, but tho two young fellows had
little time for hunting them, being
intent on driving the tunnel as rap-
.Idly and with as littlo delay and ex
pense as possible. Sumpter had built
a cabin close against the baso of a
: perpendicular wall of rock at tho side
of tho canyon in which liin claim lay.
In tills cabin I hoy lived very snugly,
going down to "Ward occasionally to
bring up supplied. Donald had como
ui to that country over a littlo rail
road that runs from Houldur to Ward,
,a bit of track upon which tho snow
rotary plows aro busy most of tho
winter.
Towards C'nrlfAiiiAS mo young min
ers began to grow a bit lonoaomo and
rest leas; they especially grow weary
of ham and tinned meats and longed
for vonhion, bonr, hoof, or alinoat any
sort of lloah food that was fresh.
Snow was heavy on tho mountains
and thoy could uot about but littlo
save- upon snowsliot'. Donald wished
very ardently that he might go homo
for Christum but ninth up IiIm wind
that to luuve KiiiupUr in that white,
lonely world would bo aollUh and
cowardly, no ho rwnnltiud.
CliiltttniHH inoiuliiK Donald put on
his umiwhIiov kihI, UliiffltiK tiumutor'
rlllo ac-roH IiIm )ioudr. lie dwlarvd
uo was uolntf tu look for froah mout.
1 ww
Donald's Gray Eyes Dilated with Sud
den Fear and Horror.
Ills uncle laughed at him but the
hardy Scotch youth was resolute.
"An old hunter," he snld, "told mo
at tho hotel down in Ward, the last
timo I was down, that a lot of deer
wintered In tho big thickets Just
back of us hero; he said they wore
hard to get at but he'd found thorn
there twice. I'm going up to see."
Sumpter assented reluctantly, caution
ing his nephew not to go too far away.
The day was soft and mild, tho
white world nil agleam with suushlno.
Donald put on a pair of smoked
glnsses and started up tho canyon. A
half mile away he found a littlo
"draw," up tho slope of which ho
climbed until ho came out upon tho
gleaming side of the mountain;
thence he made his way slowly west
ward, passing around upheaving
masses of dark stone, across slopes
that were smooth as whito satin, and,
still further up tho mountain side,
found littlo hollows, evidently lined
with brush but now filled with snow,
simply big, glistening dimples In tho
mountain's fat face; but ho saw no
deer.
Finally, being weary of laboring
through what was very much like an
infinite bed of glittering down, ho
ronched a point on the steep slopo
apparently a quarter of a mile or so
directly north of the cabin. As ho
stood there debating if ho should
return to tho "draw" or attempt to
find a more direct route to tho floor
of tho gulch, he suddenly felt himself
moving. His first thought was that
in earthquake was swaying tho
mountain or that he himself had been
seized with vertigo. Then with a wild
thrill ho perceived that a strip of
snow 200 feet wide and perhaps fiOO
feet in length was moving down the
mountain side!
Donald's gray oyos dilated with sud
den fear and horror. Ho was thrown
headlong in tho snow, hearing as ho
fell the crunch of stones that were
being ripped out of their beds and tho
crash and rending of stumps and
roots as they parted from their sock
ets in the earth. With every pulse
leaping in alarm he got to his foot,
toppling and reeling and shouting for
aid as ho glanced about him. Tho
next instant he was again thrown
headlong. Ho was upon tho back of
a steed beside which the fabled Horse
of Death was as an insect. Something
wont through his brain like a sheet
of flame, In it a picture of Sumpter
sitting by the open fire of plno logs
down in tho cabin, a book in his hand,
undreaming of this ruthless monster
rushing down to crush him.
The next moment Donald was again
upon his feet, pitching and clutching
at the air and shouting. In that mo
ment he saw a very amazing thing,
though everything was both amazing
and not amazing as in some sort of In
describable dream. A hundred feet
to the rear of him, almost at tho up
per tip of. tho avalanche, ho saw a
bear rolling and tossing on tho hurl
ing mass. Thrown out of its hibernat
ing bed among the rocks or decaying
tree-roots, the animal was pitching
about, now upon Its feet then upon Its
back, helpless as a fly upon an ocean
surge. Donald never knew why, but
HIS CHRISTMAS SCHEME
Deep-Laid Plot That Resulted in a
Fine Dinner.
"Airs. Sklneni," he timidly began as
tho landlady of tho boarding house
came to her door In answer tovhis
knock, "I I called to see you just a
moment regarding the Christmas din
ner." "Well," she asked with a scowl that
made him wish ho was a thousand
miles away.
"You see," he wont on, "wo wo
were talking it over just now, and wo
decided that it would bo best not to
have turkey or plum pudding or ice
cream on Christmas, as "
"Stop right where you arc, sir
stop right whore you are!" cut in tho
landlady, angrily. "Who do you think
is running tills hoarding house, any
way?" "Why, you, of course, ma'am."
"Who provides tho meals here at
great trouble and expense?"
"You do, my dear Mrs. Sklneni."
"Who sees that the people of this
house always get what's best for thorn
to cat?"
"You you do, Mrs. Skiiiem."
"Am I a woman, do you think, who
is capable of running a first-class
boarding house as one should ho
run?" she demanded to know as she
looked , hlni up and down In a way to
tnnko IiIh hair curl with fear.
"You you certainly are," ho prompt
ly replied.
"Well, then," hIio said, "you may go
down and tell tho othor boarders that,
Just as long uh I am at tho head of tills
place and pay tho ront and buy tho
provision propone to do iih I xco fit,
and 1 will take no union, stir, regard
Iiik thu 'iifala."
And InHtend of tho lioef stow mid
broad puddltiK that Mr. Hklnom had
plaiilKMl fur tho Christina dinner ho
provided a 30 pound turkoy Uml a
iiiMinnioth plum pudding and a gallon
of loo crown, Hlid hho went M-nniid
all (lay with u chip on lu r uh wilder
he shouted at the bear, and ho- never
could recall afterwards exactly whnt
it was lie shouted. Ho says now that
ho thinks he commanded the hear
not to roll down upon him, which was
certainly absurd.
In his mind wre many glancing
thoughts. In such moments the men
tality of man sometimes scetnc as a
diamond with many facets. He
thought of the Christmas tree to be
lighted in the parlor at home in Den
ver, of how tired he was of corned
beef, of where they would bury him
when thoy took him crushed and dead
from tho snow at tho bottom of tho
gulch, whether or not his school fel
lows it thoy now saw him would
shout "Slide, Donald, slide!" as thoy
used to when ho was running the
bases when playing ball, nnd many
other things, all, seemingly, In a
single moment.
it must havo been a very short
period in which ho was leaping and
tumbling nnd whirling about on tho
mighty toboggan, for tho nvalancho
ran down tho mountain side like n
swiftly hurrying snake, save that its
undulations wore up and down Instead
of sldowlse as- with a serpent. It
sconied to Donald he had scarcely
drawn six breaths before tho snow
slldo shot from tho precipice abovo tho
cabin. ' Swirt as was his illgnt ho was
conscious that tho slldo had leaped
from tho canyon wall, for throughout
a few seconds thero was no noiso and
ho seemed being borne upon a hod of
feathers through space, then there was
a roar as of mu tiled thunder and ho
was wallowing deep In snow.
The mental picture that had flashed
through Donald's mind of his young
uncle sitting by tho Hro engrossed in
a printed romance, had been true to
the fact. Sumpter had awakened to
the coming of tho avalanche only
when It neared the brink of the wall,
70 feet abovo tho cabin. His book
dropped from his hand and ho made a
leap for the door. The next moment a
bear crashed through tho roof and
smote the floor in front of tho fire,
leaving the luckless animal lifeless.
Sumpter's faco blanched as ho stared
at tho strange object, then ho thought
of Donald and hurriedly pushed his
way out of tho door. Tho snow about
the cabin was up to his neck and tho
roof was piled deep with It, but tho
bulk of the slido had leaped clear ovor
the little house, heaping the bottom
of the gulch to tho opposite wall, somo
GOO feet away. The bear had dropped
from tho tall of this rushing mass di
rectly upon tho cabin.
When Sumpter had got his fright
ened nephew out of tho smother of
Btuff in which ho waa floundering, tho
two young fellows stood with pale
faces staring at each other for a littlo
space, then both, seeing what they
had escaped, laughed joyously.
"Come Into the cabin," said Sump
ter, "we will have broiled bear steak
for Christmas dinner! Too many
snowslidcs around hero now; to-morrow
wo will pull out for Donvor. In
the spring we will como back and
tunnel until wo strike the vein."
All of which canio true.
just wishing that somo one would
mako n complaint about it.
Put there wore no complaints.
Thero wore only chuckles and smiles
and whispers over the littlo game that
had been played so neatly on Mrs.
Sklneni, and sometimes a shiver as
somo of the more timid thought of
what would happen if the husky land
lady ovor learned of it.
Hard Life of an Informer.
Tho visit of George Nasztics now
famous for his "disclosures" concern
ina i Slav conspiracy In Croatia to
Dolmatla and Montenegro, was not an
unqualified success. Tho hand of
overy Slav patriot is raised against
him and his life is always in dnngor.
At Kastelnova when ho walked on
tho ship lie was mot with a shower of
rotten eggs. At Itagusa ho fared littlo
hotter, for news of ills arrival at
tracted crowds to tho landing place,
and the leading inhabitants informed
tho police that Nasztics would ho
thrown Into the Adriatic if lie at
tempted to laud. Nasztics was seen
to run away and hide himself on re
ceipt of thlB information. Even at
Mostar railway station ho was Borlous
ly threatened, hut tho pollco saved
him. While In Cettlnjo ho found it
impossible to avoid threats and scowls,
and so left inimodlately. Tho life of
kan Informer is hard. Hudupest corre
spondence Pall Mall Gazette.
Suspicion, Not Surprise.
Mrs. aramorcy Sho must, havo
boon surprised whou her husband
gave such an (.xpoiiHlvu present for
Christmas.
Mrs. Park Not Hiirpiisod, my dour,
hut miHplcloua. ,
Extent of Their Frlondohlp.
Dluiploton Do you Btlll lump up
jour frlendMhlp with tlm Caterbyn?
HutturKou Wo aco them vory littlo,
but niiimv t iuh other with Christ
man preaontu uvory year.
SAM WAS CHANGED i
GREAT LIGHT SUDDENLY DAWNED
ON YOUHG MAN.
Grief interview with Consumptive
Peddler Turned Hlo Thoughto
Away from Foolish and
Carnal Things.
"During tho harvest time," said the
old farmer who had brought a load ot
potatoea to market, "I hired on threo
extra men, and one of them turned
out to ho a boxer. Ho and my son
Sam took to each other, and Sniu
bought a pair of boxing glovos and
took about 20 lessons in what thoy,
calls 'tho art.' When harvest was
over and ho had got through ho Jestj
flapped his wings and crowed and said
ho could lick anything that traveled,
our highway. 1 didn't say within
either way, but jest waited. When a
young feller of 20 gots a chip on his
shoulder somebody's purly sure to
come along and knock It off. One day
a tin peddler drovo up, and I snw Sam
steppln' high and split In' over his
shoulder. lHineby he got up a row
with the feller and knocked him out
In one round. For two weeks after
ihat It. was brag from niornln' till
night. Ho got sassy to mo and to tho
nayburs, and one could soo what ho
was achln' for. Wo was diggln' 'tutors
one day, when tho sumo peddler's
wagon drovo up, and Sam turns to mo
and says:
" 'Dad, that peddler has come back
after more. Come along and seo mo
put him to sleep.' "
"We went up to tho liouso to dls
kivor that It was the same Iiohu and
wagon, but a dlfforont man. Ho said
ho was a consumptive who was pod
dlin' for Ills health, and that ho doesn't
vcrt hioself much for fear of a
hoinoriliPge of the lungs. Sam nus
mightily disapp'lntcd and was going
hack to tho 'tators when tho stranger
said soniethln' about his how legs.
Purty soon they was passln' hot.
words, and I was tryln" to quiet 'em,
when tho stranger got. up and called
Sam a liar and Jumped down from his
wagon. Sam went for him and
squared off and led with tho loft, and
tho next thing I saw was his hoolB la
the air. Ho scrabbled up aiid wont
down again, and tho third timo ho
wont right to sleep and laid thero.
Then tho stranger laughed and
climbed on his wagon and drovo away.
It took nio'n the old woman V,0 min
utes to revive Sam, and wo found him
a changed young man. He's read 40
chapters in tho Plblo In tho last .IQ
nights, nnd lias committed 12 hymns,
to memory, and when I ask him how
ho feels he rolls his eyes and answers:
"'I'm a-feoling, Dad, that I'm not
long for this wicked world, and I'm
a-hopln' that you and ma'am will so
live that you kin jlno mo in that bet
ter land.' "
Off and On.
In tho smokerroom of tho Maura
lania tho roturning tourist talked of
"pure-art dancing" that is to say, tho
Salomo dance, the Leda dance and
those other dances which offer littlo
If any encouragement to tho clothing
trade.
"Yes," said Austin W. IJoyd, tho
well-known Toledo Assyiiologlst, "Lon
don is overrun with pure-art dancing
now."
"I saw none of it," snid a Chlcagoan,
hastily. "Describe it to me. What is
it like?"
"Pure-art dancing," said Mr. lloyd.
"is liko tills tho moro you tako off!
tho more you 'get on.'" Washington
Star.
The Law of Speculation.
Pig men aro given to taking profits,
whiio smaller men aro laying a liasls
for profits that may or may not bo
shown. Tho law of tho fisho3 in tho
sea applies in speculation. Tho big
and the littlo flsh havo their respec
tive missions, and tho small ones aro
safo when tho largo onos aro not
hungry.
Pleasant Fiction.
"What aro you reading?"
"Tho story of Cinderella and tho
prince," answered Mr. Cunirox.
"What noiuionse!"
"I know it's nonsonse. Hut after
reading tho newspapers of late, it's
a sort of a relief to como across a
story of a nobleman who wont ahead
and eloped with tho girl without stop,
ping to discuss a marriago settlement."
Clock Made of Straw.
A shoemaker naniod Wognor, living
In Strasburg, has a clock of tho grand
father shape, nearly six foot high,
made entirely of straw. The wheels,
polnturs, case and overy detail aro
oxcluslvely of straw. Wognor lias
taken IT years to construct this
Htnmgo place of muchaiilum. II keupa
perfect time.
Making of n Star,
"I can whistle through my tooth,"
pointed out the couiuillan.
"And I Hindu you k leading man on
tho strnniiih of that," responded tho
eminent lumumor, "Now, If you'll
learn to wImkI your eara I'll make you
a utur," Kmiuuu t'lty Journal.
TO CURE A COUGH
Or Break a Cold In 24 Hour
Mix two ounces of Qlycorlno nnd a
half ounco of Virgin Oil of Pino com
pound puro with a half pint of Straight
Whisky. Shako well and tako n tea
spoonful overy four hours.
Tho gonulno Virgin Oil of Pino com
pound pure Is prepared onjy by Tho
Leach Chemical Co., Cincinnati, Ohio,
and is put up only in half-ounce vials,
each vial securely sealed in a round
wooden caso to liiHiiro Kb freshness
and purity.
Not She.
Do If I klBsed you, would you n'vo
it away to your niothor?
She Oh, no. I don't think mamma
would want It.
SICK HEADACHE
Positively cured by
theso Lliilu rills.
Thoy nlso relievo Dls
troiM front Dyhup imln, In
ll,'i'Htl(m and Too Iletirty
Kutlnir. A perfect rem
oily for .DIzzIiichh, Nnu
sou, IMiwhIiu'hh, Unit
TiiHtc lu thu Mouth, Coat
I'd Toiiuup, Piilu In tho
SI tie, TOKIMI) r.IVEIU
They rcgulato tho JiowolH. l'tiroly VceUblo.
SMALLPILL SMALL DOSE. SMALL PRICE.
Genuine Must Bear
Fac-Similc Signature
REFUSE SUBSTITUTES.
45 to 50 Bu. of Wheat Per Aero
have heen fjrown on hum lands in
WESTERN CANADA
Much less would bo
nlifncloty. Tho gen
eral nvcrnco it obovo
twenty bushel j.
"AUnre loud In their
prnUcn of the i;reiit
crops mul that won
derful country." :j
ir.Kl from corrtsrondaice lV.Ulon.it luttlorUt
Association cf August, IV0S.
It i now possible to tccurc n liomcstend of J 60
acre free nnd nuotlier 16Uaaet at $3.00 per acre.
Hundreds Imvu paid (lie cost of llieir forms (if
purchased) nnd then Imd a Imlnncc from $10.00
to $ 1 2.00 per ncro from one crop. Wlienl, barley,
onts.llax nil do well. Mixed farming is n great
success nnd dniryim; ia liilily profitable. Excel
lent climate, splendid schools and churches, rail
ways bring most every district within easy reach
of market. Railway nnd Innd companies havo
lands lor sale at low prices and on easy terms.
"Lnst nest West" pmnphlcta nnd tiiopn sent
free. Korthene and liiforinntlon n to how
to Hrciirc lowest railway rates, apply to
Superintendent of Immigration, Ottawa,
Canada, or the authorized Cunadlnn Govern
ment Auent:
W. V. BENNETT,
601 New York l.lle Dulldlni, Orasht, Nebrasla.
BACKACHE,
Sidcache,
Headache,
and a
Worn-out
Feeling
May all come
from
Constipation.
l ane's Family
Medieme
(called also Lunc'ft 'fen)
is a herb Tonic-Lnxntivc and
will cure constipation and the
ills that come from it.
It is a tfreat blood medicine
and one of the best for all
stomach, kidney and bowel
complaints.
All druggists, 25 and 50 els.
W. I.. noiiRln mnlec ami ult more
iin-n'a H'JAH) ami UXSO ulioea than nny
other niuinifncluriT In dm vorld.tjo
eniiMi thoy liolil tliclr nhnpo, lit butter,
rind wour longer thnn ituy other inako,
Shsea All Prices, for Evirv Mimhef tht
Family, Min, Lo)sWotntn, MUnii uMldrtn
W.L.DotiluSi.OOuid $3.00 Ollt Ed thiMicuatt
It 0SAlIi at T ptlci. Vr. L. Uoaclu (a.ltf t4
1 1 .00 I. M tkt but li Ibi not 14
1,'ptor HufUlt Vmul JUtluttttlU,
r'l'iiUti No NiiMtltiita. VV. I.. Uuurtm
luini tnl nlo Is tiimpct on bottom. Sold
utrrwlitrn, Hliofs iimiWa rrom nciurrto an
W. I. IMU'OUS. 117 Sft SI. . limits. Msts.
MaKe Your Medicine
31 ii I AlMi;.N,C4t WiMHlwaitl Are.. Atluulu, tin
CARTELS
IWVW M MM
HIVER
M ni b a
mm riLuj.
CARTERS
PlTTLE
TlVER
9
