YOUNG FOLKS’ CORNER.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1424, 15 June 1899, Page 24

YOUNG FOLKS’ CORNER.

(EDITED BY “UNCLE TOBY”) CORNERED BY A DOG. A number of Florida men were discussing the ability of Tige. a famous old yellow dog', hero of much difficult cattledriving, scarred, reckless, resourceful, to bring successfully up to the pen a particularly wild and vicious black steer, the lawlessness of which threatened to demoralise the whole heru. His master smiled at their doubts, and told them to watch. Arrived on the scene of action next morning, there ensued a hopeless confusion and rout, the steer allowing neither man nor dog to come within whip touch of him.

Tige, to the men’s amazement and disgust, kept well on the outskirts of the scrimmage, warily eyeing the flame-eyed, black monster, whose bellowing shook the air. He made, at last, one faltering run into the steer’s direction ; the erea ture sighted him and rushed for him; and therewith, without more ado, Tig, started in mad, ignominious flight, tail between his legs, the picture of cowardly terror, the hull thundering after with lowered head and horns that seemed almost to touch the quivering yellow flanks “Tige turn tail! Tige run!” gasped the men.

“Yes,” shouted the tall, sardonic old planter, Tige’s owner, as with the herd well in hand, they galloped after the vanishing dog and steer. “But notice where Tige is running to—straight to the cattle pen!” And' up to the, gate the steer rushed after him and through he gate—and then, where was that cowardly dog? Like a flash of lightning over the wall and facing the pen-gate; every hair tense with readiness for battle; his voice raised in anger, calling the men to come and do the one thing he could not do close the gate and hold the prisoner his magnificent strategy had brought there! “ I believe,” said one of the men, “Tige planned it all out while we were watching things this morning!” “No/ said Tige’s owner, “he setled it in his mind last night while he was listening to us talk ’bout what bother we were going to have a-getting that steer in!” —“Chums.”