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The Seaforth News, 1926-05-13, Page 6For the Boys and Girls THE YOUNG FOREST GUARD. BY BERTHA A. ZEDI WINKLER. Bertram and Margery were sitting around the huge porcelain stove in rather ii disoonsolate mood. Their father,, had not yet made his appear ance, though it was long past the hour which his dirties as night -guard of the forest commenced, Both knew that he was at the tav- ern. They also knew that Baron von Wolf, who had charge of everything pertaining to the game -laws, would In- stantly discharge hint if his suspicion of Their father's negligence was con- firmed. "If only mother was living, she could ;tea us what to dog for I'm stele don't know," spoke Margery, flying her knit- ting -needles swiftly around Berbram's half -finished stocking. • Her brother, a comely youth, went on plaiting his wicker basket in silence -though the frown on his face indi- cated the prose „f cerieus thoughts. At length h;. -.. e i t h an eager look: "Margery, would you be afraid to stay here alone?" "I should try and not be, if you want to go for father.!" "No, I have done that too often: It will do no good, and I am sick of going to that smoky, beer -smelling den, to be questioned and pitied for father's fallen condition by the very men who lured him to it. No, Margery; if you will consent to stay here alone, I will act as guard to -night. The poachers have grown very daring since they know where father spends his time, and any game trapped now will be the signal for his discharge" "i am not afraid for myself, Ber- tram. But you -what can you do with the poachers? You are not near as tail and strong as father, and you know why he came home with many a bruise," replied his sister, full of a hundred fears. "Besides, what will you do if the baron should see you?" Instead of replying, Bertram went into the adjoining room, and in a few minutes returned. fully equipped in his father's forest garb, with the ques- tion: "Nnw, how do I look?" Margery smiled, "It seems a little loose and long, to be sure, but nobody will ever know the difference in the dark; and, Bertram, you look almost like a real forester." The doubtful compliment was ac- cepted in good faith; and half an hour later, he was walking in the depths of the grand old forest, with its robber traditions and weird legend of ghostly hunters riding in the air, Was he afraid? Not a bit of it! A Ittle uneasy, perhaps, for who would not be, in such vast loneliness and for the first time, too? He clasped his gun closer and trudg- ed noiselessly on the mossy ground, trying to think of everything else but the bothersome robber stories, which made hint east furtive glances behind, despite himself, Finally, however, the rising moon throwing bright gleams through the thick branches --dispelled some of those mysterious shadows, and the young would-be forester forgot his superstitious fear in contemplating the novelty of his position and the necessity which prompted the step. "Father's position will be kept yet awhile," he thought; "and then when he knows how Margery and I have tried to hold it for him, it will perhaps champ for the better." He sat down under a tree, but an unconquerable drowsiness cane over hint, He had worlced herd during the day, and now Nature asserted her el alma. How long he had slept he did not know. But he was wide awake now, with his "heart in his mouth," as he heard the dry twigs crackle under the heavy tramp of feet, and s•aw a moving shadow some distance ahead. Bertram was after it in hot pursuit. His warning "Halt!" was answered with a laugh, and the young forester's blood was up in an lnetant, as he quickened his steps into a run, when the fugitive suddenly paused, turned, and, viewing his pursuer from head to foot, buret into a loud laugh, "Who are you, anyway? Your green garb i11 becomes you. It's mosttoo small for such 'a lordly figure!" :Bertram, who Was not prepared for lively sallies and sneering comments from detected lawbreakers, felt decid- edly uncomfortable, He would rather, have encountered : all Itdely resistance than the broa'i, good. natured smile of the handsome 'estranger, swinging bis captured game in a manner indicating anything but guilt or fear. A dozen: vague surmises flashed through his brain, and, . with a ram- posure he was far from feeling he ' ordered the stranger to "march along." "Where are you going to take me?" asked his prisoner, sail smiling, "To the prison, for a hearing before the baron in the morning," replied Bertram, confident that this revelation would put an end to Isis tantalizing smile, To his surprise, the stranger laugh- ed again, and asked if he could not see the baron at once. But upon infoema- tion that it was impossible he sudden- ly grew very serious, to Bertram's great relief, as he said: "Look here, I'm not accustomed to prison lodgings! L reauiy don't care about spending a whole night among Irate. Let a fellow clear this time." It was Bertram's time to grin now. But he was too much absorbed with the dangerous business into which he had entered with more haste than de - Aeration to allow himself such an expression of triumph. "Reassured, however, by the strang- er's sudden change of attitude, and confident that his former nonchalaince was but a ruse, he shook his head'de- cidedly, and marched his prisoner be. 'fore him. His pian was made. The baron would never know but that his father had been on duty if he sent him, sober and well -posted, to appear against the prisoner in the morning. But Bertram counted without his host. They had scarcely marched a hundred yards when the prisoner sud- denly turned, and, gazing the young would-be forester full in the face, said: "I don't know you, but I know the regular forest -guard, whom I Left dead drunk at the tavern. If you are authorized for duty, here is more gold than you ever had in your life; let me off." A heavy purse was held out to Ber- tram, whose hands dropped from the prisoner far an instant. For a moment he stood stupefied. His hand was raised as if to dash the purse in angry fury to the ground.! Then he dropped it again, What did it avail? His father dared not appear against the pni,,oner, who knew him and would testify against him, He hmself could not, without be- traying all to the baron. The bright moonlight shone full on his pale face, and Bertram knew, by the keen eye which the stranger bent upon him, that he would be recognized by him anywhere. It was ass awful situation in which to be tempted. There was but one way to escape, and that was -wrong. The gold would provide their pressing wants; the escaped prisoner .would tell no tales, and his father could retain his position, perhaps, a little longer; but it was wrong and that small voice in Bertram's pure heart battled bravely: "He had gone out to fill a neglected ditty, not to assist in crime," He stamped his foot on the ground, to give force to the small voice within, and saki, firmly: "No, sir, keep your gold; the baron must decide," Silently through the lonely forest, oat upon the .highway, down the vil- lage road, and into the prison -cell he marched his tempter, who had once more assumed his carless, bantering tone, and, as its heavy iron doors were closed behind hint, laughingly prom- ised his young jailer a pleasant sur- prise in the morning. Once mare at anis lonely watch in the forest, Bertram's firmness gave way REG'LAR FELLERS -By Gene Byrnes. �i PUDDINHEAD SURE DOES STUMgl. RIGHT INTO EiOOta LUCK HEAD FIRST!, VOUGHTA SEE WHAT HE WedgIti . ! BETGHA iTS WORTH ROUYN MINES RAILWAY Right-of-way cut at itilleage 40 driven across a cedar swamp. In the foreground are to be seen 65 -foot piles _ethical will support the trestlework, to a flood of apprehension. He knew he had donne right, but it was on his own responsibility, and the baron was not the man to approve, or even toler- ate, an unauthorized action, no matter how necessary. The scheme, to pass for the regular guard, by dressing hit -rise with his father's official suit and getting him to report as usual in the morning, must fail. The prisoner knew the old forester was not on duty, and Ber- tram, obliged to appear against the prisoner himself, trembled as he thought of the baron's anger at his presumption, The next morning found Baron von Wolf in no pleasant mood. `His desk, was covered with papers and letters, ane of which he crumpled impatiently in his hand, muttering to himself as he did so: "He should have been hero day be- fore yesterday, according to this. On a lark somewhere, I suspect," A timid lntook was heard at the door. Without raising his head, the baron growled: "Come in!" The door opened and shut almost noiselessly, and Bertram stood pale and motionless. "Well, who are you? What do you want?" Bertram had to swallow a big lump in his throat, before he could speak. "1 am the son of forester Bruno, come to say that a detected poacher is awaiting his hearing," "Let the forester Bruno, and not his son, attend to his duty then." "Sir, my father was unable to at- tend his calling last night, and, as it: was too late to notify you, I took Wel upon responsibility of guarding the forest myself," " relied Bertram, 1 y , P strangely composed, as he felt for once' in his life the indifference of despair. The baron, for the first time, looked surprised over his gold spectacles, and measured the bold spealcer from head to foot. "You, a mere boy, take charge of the king's forestry without my author- ity?" He rose, and, leaning halfway over his deslc, continued, with art incredu- lous smile, half anger, half contempt:. "I should like very much to see that `prisoner of yours, Bring him in at once," A few moments later, when Bertram made his appearance with the smiling prisoner of the previous night, still smiing as if it washis natural state to smile, there was an unexpected commotion. The baron went over Isis desk with mare haste than dignity; the smiling prisoner flew to the old gentleman's anus, and - the roost was filled with ex- clamations of "My good, best of fath- ers!" "My dear,dear boy! home at last! I was quite impatient over your delayed arrival, But how tail you have grown.. Your mother will scarce- ly knew you. Come, we must see her at once. But wait-" The baron, suddenly recollecting himself, turned to Bertram, who gazed in bewilderment from one to the other. "Well, young man, where is your prisoner? Make haste!" "Iam he, father," explained the young man, allowing himself a fresh burst of merriment,' as he saw his. parent's wide-eyed surprise, "You see, I remained..at the inn until nightfall, intending to surprise' you and provide myself with a breakfast of venison on my way through the forest, when this young chap very deliberately collared me. "Seeing that he did not know me, I' kept up the joke -you know how much I enjoy' a good one -and offered him my whole worldly possession of fifty ducats, which he refused, insisting on my spending a night with the rats. So, father," he continued with a look full of honest admiration at Bei'tratn "if I am your prisoner-, I beat this young man no malice. He's good and true as gold." The rest of the conversation was carried on in low tones by the window and resulted in Bertram's dismissal, with a discharge for his father as guard, and an appointment for himself as the younger baton's keeper of the horse. It was a position which every one might well envy him. For, as head of the stables, he was companion to the baron in hunting season, beside the good salary, which would peep Mar- gery and his unhappy father from further want. When Bertram was on his first ride through the forest with the younger baron, the latter, pausing in the place where he had stood a week before, vainly offering his purse for his re- lease, said, with a smile: "Remember, master of the horse, you did not obtain your appointment for playing forest -guard without authority and arresting the wrong person, but for your determination to face the consequences, of actions you believed right at any cost. It was a brave heart that dared to spurn gold when you knew that your father's dis- charge would be the result." Five year later there was a grand wedding at the castle. Margery was made baroness, and Bertram, now the voung baron's brother-in-law and "best man" at the wedding ceremonies, 'vas shining in the full dignity of his new appointment as superintendent of the king's forestry. Needs Rest. Hubby^ -"Ilia afraid, my dear, you'll hays to do the 000king again." Wife "Why so?" Hubby -"The doctor says I am eat- ing too notch,' FIFTY CENTS CASIO oR A QUARTER OR A PACKAGE OF SOME MARBbE ROUN Si 'Lessons ata - -1 I A T,ew Serres by` E'' NNE FRGU S ON • c 4uthor' of',,`�erguson on auctionBridge" goo Copyrlaht 1925 by Hoyle,. Jr. ARTICLE No. 31 A"large'proportion of the questions submitted by correspondents ° are in : reference to a take-out of partner's no: trump• when -second hand, has passed. Every player has .alis ownr• pet theory and the writer is no exception. In has opinion, :a player should overbid part- ner's no-trump under the following conditions: - (a) Having an original bid in either major suit; (b) Any six or more cards in either major suit;, (c) Any two five card suits; - (d) Any five card major suit if the hand contains a void suit, a singleton or no help for part- ner's no-trump. In any discussion as to the advisabil- ity of taking out partner's no-trump bid with .a bid of two hearts or two spades, careful consideration should be given to what the no-trump bidder. should do, That is, if the dealer bids one no-trump, second handpasses and the dealer's partner bide two hearts or species, with what type of hand should tits dealerbid two no-trump or passu Any theory of the take-out that you may adopt is incomplete without a thorough understanding between part- ners as to the procedure dealer should follow subsequent to the take-out, I am of the opinion that if this procedure be- comes thoroughly understood, there will net be the various differences of opinion as to the take-out. With a parte ner who understands what to do after a take-out, it is much easier to arrive at the best bid of the two hands. The purpose of the take-out, of course, is to bid a suit that offers a better chance for game than the no-trump. If, however, the original no-trump bidder still con- siders the no-trump offers a better chance for game, he should bid two no- trump. If you adopt this procedure it Hearts -7, 5, 2 Clubs -Ii, 10, 6 Diamonds - none :A Spades -K, 7 is much safer to take out the no-trump with any five card major suit. Such a bid gives that information to partner and if he doesn't consider it the best bid for game, he should bid two no- trump. Such a procedure can never do any harm and in many hands will en- able partners to make a game not other- wise possible. Auction is a partnership game and gives the best results when partners endeavor to bid, twenty-six cards correctly, rather than thirteen. The free take-out of partner's no-trump handled by both players asust "out- lined seems to obtain the best bid of the two hands, and for that reason seems to be the Fight thing to do: In the following hands there is no score, parther has bid one no-trump and second hand has passed. Do you think you should take Mite out? Thinlc it over and compare results in the next article. Hand No. 1 Heartslubs-7-,10 8, 2 C - Diamonds- A, 10; 8, 5, 4 Spades -8, 4, 3 Hand No. 2 Hearts - K, 6, 5 Clubs -9, 5 Diamonds -J, 7, 3 Spades- J, 10, 8, 3,2 Hand No. 3 Hearts - A, 4 , Clubs -7 . S Diamadeson- A ds -KJ, 10, 9, 4, 3, 2 Hand No. 4 Hearts - A, J, 9, 6, 5 Clubs --A, 5 - Diamonds - 7, 6, 5, 4 es�A, HereSpadh a clever3 little problem that will tax your ingenuity: Problem No. 16 Hearts -0 Clubs -Q, 3, 8, 2 Diamonds -Q, 10, 7 Spades -none Y Z Ba Hearts -9,8,4 Clubs -none Diamonds - K, J, 6, 5, 3 Spades - none Hearts - K, J, 3 Clubs -none Diamonfe-8, 2 Spades - A, Q, 6, Hearts arc trumps and Z is in the lead. How can YZ win five of the eight.tricks against any defense? Solution next week. Eyes of Azure. The Spring's sweet cyan of, azure My downward glances meet, They are the lovely violets A -bloom for nosegays sweet. I pluck them while I cherlsh Deep thoughts and long, so long- The thoughts which,slghecl in secret, A blydl!ng told in song. Yes, what I thought, he chanted, And lend and louder sang, Until my heart's dear secret Throughout. Use whole world rang. -Translated from Heine, by Alice R. Tapley; She -"Teddy, you're a man after my own heart" • He ---"Good." Sine -"But that's not saying you'll get it, though." Agreed. "People don't get ehough sleep eights:" "No, we have to radio, too," Loch Katrine, The Sumner dawn's reflected hue To Purple changed Loch Katrina blue; Mildly and sett the western breeze Just kiss'd the lake, just etlrr'd the trees The mountain -shadows en her breast Were neither broken nor at rest; In bright uncertainty they fide, Like future joys., to Fancy's eye, The water• -illy to the light Her challce tiara of silver bright; " The doe awoke, and to the lawn, Begemm'd with dew -drops, 'led her fawn; The gray inlet left the mountain -side; The torrent show'd its glistening pride; Invleible In flecked sky The lark sent ,down her revelry; The blackbird and the speckled thrush Good -morrow gave from brake and bush; In answer coo'd the cushat dove Her notes of peace, anal rest, and love. -Scott. "The Lady of- the Lake," Smallpox is Ancient Disease. Smallpox,, which at one time or an- other has" been ' .endemic In almost every laud, was .recorded In the earli- est hlstorical'recorde of'Egypt and Arabia, but it was not introduced into Burope until about site stall century. 4.1 the end. of .the etgb.teenth century the death rate on the continent was 210 per •thousand, while in Russia two mil- lion persona die of smallpox In one year. A Hindi physician, Dhanwau tart, is believed to have given the flash inoculation for smallpox about 1500 B.G, Colton blather first -recommend- ed this means of fighting the disease cat the United States. Hard water is softened by using a tablespoonful of borax to about two gallons of water. A Lesson in Values. Gena THIgULLS_ :: IN GARDEI�I➢NG 13y firs, Jenrette Leader, for the On tarlo IHorticultuiral Association. An amateur gardener has fax' more thrills In the game of gardening than a professional grower. The latter ionone;. exactly what to expect when he isowe seeds or admits bulbs or eliruhs. The amateur reads catalogues and evens, something he has not hal before, Per- eRl haps be has riot even heard of The varieties he orders, The desoriptton appeals to him..' He planes and• watts lrnpatienitly"for the first bloom, Some. times'he ,is disappointed but mode eg- teu.he ie delighted wlrth itie new tree. Sometimes it would seeps that the elaborate preperatior-a recommended by expert gardeners for the growing of: flowers' frightens the tiutiit bet;iuner and he does not getsae much as he might out, of tale faeclnating game •01 gardening, It is not difficult to grow . any kind of flowers if you reallyalove them. '1'hpre may be failures some. times but the mistakes will only serve to make the game more interesting. Do not be afraid to try to grow any kind of flowers. You will be able to get information about them_ from data logues, flower magazines, of nearby florists will be glad to give free ad- vice. I never knew a flower grower who. was not eager to heap promote the growing of flowers. Try something new every year. When your phoebe in - armee and need dividing, give some of them to -your friends, !Phe biggest in- fluence ou the human race It is said is exercised by flowers. Become an ens thusiast In growing them and encode - aging the love of them. The best anti- dote for headache, h€artuches, wor- ries., disoouragaments and nerves. is a garden full of colorful flowers, God's wonderful gift to tis. Faint,Yet Pursuing. � Leonidas and his three hundred Spartans fought bravely and perished at Thermopylae; Gideon and. his three Hundred men fought a greatly superior host- and won a memorable viutory. There is no more brilliant piece of strategy on record than that by which " Gideon placed "his mien on hillsides around the camp of the enemy and dis- played their simultaneous and dIverssl- fled activity at a given signal that pealed forth at dead of night. Three hundred lights flashed out. Three hun- dred trumpets pealed. Three hundred earthern ',filchers broke with crashing sounds against the Palestinian rocks. The enemy woke to sudden terrnr. They were surrounded!. Organized - _ea resistance was not to bo thought of; they fled through the dark, and Gideon and his men occupied the camp. That is the part of the story which we all know, If all lire's battles could ' be won to that fashion, we might take a leer out of Gideon's book, and, all of us being heroes for one night, we might make roe ourselves illustrious names anti have little to do thereafter. But the enemy could not be relied up- on to continue its flight forever with- out stopping to inquire just holy large an army Gideon probably had and whether it was necessary to ran for- ever from the sudden terror of a. pos- sible illusion. Gideon know that this would happen if he let the enemy atop and think, and he knew what was neoessarry to prevent his victory from rolling back upon him and crushing him. The rest of the story is of the be'!, daylight pursuit. Before the enemy had time to stip and reckon -up the probable size of Gideon's host, Gideon and his little army were hard on their, rear. No longer did the night protect them, or deceive the 'enemy by that preaeseof multiplication wbfchunystery lends to the imaginatiou. It was stern fighting now, and in the daylight, with wearisome pursuit and no time to staid' for food or relit. But it was just that Process which made Gideon's victory permanent. Had he failed in this pur- suit, ursuit, the lamp -and -pitcher incident would Have been a fiasco In the light of what would have happened afterward. It is not always the brilliant sucoees of a single endeavor, however noble or well planned, that makes a man a hero, Hundreds of ?nen fail because they arenotable to follow up their initial success with steady, persistent labor. Some of rho best victories of lite. have been worn by the persistent cour- age of the faint. King George at the Circus. Barnum's success .with royalty was P aiways great because of the Inoffen- sive familiarity of his manners, says 11. 31. Werner In his life o f Barnum. Pam 111arlty • was unusual, anal what' would have been insulting and diets epectful in native subject WAS accept- ed in all American showman as quaint and amusing, - the interesting . enter- tainment 60 a court fool with au in- teruationalleputation end it may he that he was admired , t hersally by royalty because it was impossible for them lo envy Ills achievements: • When the young Prince George, now -King George V., attended to perform- ance of the circus Mr. Barnum asked him whether'lie WAS going to stip un- til the ned or the performance, Ile' looked around cautiously, paused for e moment' and; leaning •tosearss;Barnum said, "'Mr. Barnum,,T shall remain here until they sing God" Save Grand, mother!"I, Eggs covered with boiling water and allowed to stand -for seven minutes are, � more digestible than those allowed to boil for three minutes, ':1'.