WHEN PUDDIN’ SANG.

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19451, 15 December 1934, Page 16 (Supplement)

WHEN PUDDIN’ SANG.

(Conoluded from last week.) “•We’re going off to shoot some ,wild turkeys,” announced David “Mind you watch that noose carefully, and send Wirra to tell us when the ’gator gets caught. Don’t forget." There was a sudden clamour from farther down the creek. Evidently an alligator had been caught, and the boys were not going to losp any of the fun. David dropped 'his rifle- on a log and followed hurriedly in' the wake of Steve. 'Gertie hardly waited for David to disappear before she had made a wild rush to Puddin and out Mm loose. He seemed dreadfully nervous and crept shivering and whining into her arms. “You silly Puddin," murmured Gertie as she put him down. “Nothing would have been able to touch you. Come and rock on my see-saw log, Mollie.”

‘‘Can’t; I’m too busy • counting stitches in this crochet. I shall lose my place if I stop just now. . But do be careful. v .That log might ..slip.” “It might, but It won’t,” laughed Gertie, she she jumped on to it. Alas for,.her words!' The log canted suddenly, and she slid down, -with the log falling after her. She had almost flung herself free, hut not quite. The log caught her foot and pinned her down.

iMollie soreamed and rushed to help tier sister, while Wirra lent a hand. But the log seemed quite immovable, and the girls tried in vain to raise it an inch.

“Do hurry and bring Happy Dick or someone, Wirra,” cried Mollie, lor Gertie was lying very white and still. She had fainted with the pain. “Tell them to bring something to raise the log. Hurry! hurry 1 why don’t you hurry, Wirra?” Wirra was gazing with fascinated eyes at the runway to the creek. Suddenly she shrieked loudly and darted away, while Puddln gave vent to an asonised howl. Mollie looked down at the creek. She felt as if she too must shriek, for there, pushing the carelessly-tied noose aside was the monster head of a great alligator and his eyes were fixed upon the stat’tled girl. Mollie was almost paralysed with fright. It was one thing to talk about shooting one, but quite another aspect of the affair to be confiontcd with a monster that was evidently determined to kill and cat you. If she ran for help, 'the awful brute would kill 'Gertie, and unless something was done it would kill them h °“Oh, Puddln, what shall I do?” shs gasped, as the dog cowered shiveringly at her side. 'Still the monster crawled a little farther up the bank. It was very cautious, not knowing what trap might he laid for it. but. seeing only two girls ana a dog, it slowly advanced. Suddenly Mollie remembered that Happy Dick had said that an alligator would leave anything to get dogs flesh. If she sacrificed 'Puddln, would the brute go away and leave lime for Gertie to be rescued? If only she had a rifle! She glanced despairingly around, and to her relief saw David s rllle lying on the log where lie had placed it when lie and Steve had gono off to see what was happening farther down the creek. Puddln must he the bait to keep the alligator occupied until she could secure the rifle and shoot it, Ol course lie might bo killed, hut that could not be helped. ‘‘Puddln,’’ she said firmly, patting the shivering dog. “you must go over to that stake and sing. Go!” ipuddin looked miserable, but he tucked bis dreadful little tail between his less, and crawled slowly to the slake to which he had been tied earlier In the dnv, and. gazing with frightened eves at Hie alligator, sal clown and howled wildly. The monster, puzzled amt suspicious of Ihe movements, paused and looked first, at the prostrate girl and then at the dog. He rested half-in and half-out of the water, with only his huge head really visible to Mollie, who darted out and seized the rifle. It was loaded and the magazine as full. iMollie hurried back and took up a position not far for Gertie, ready for the alligator.

(By Harrie T. Clarke.).

'Puddin howled still more dismally, and the alligator crawled slowly up the hank, then with a sudden rush, taking Mollie by surprise, It dashed straight for Puddin. It had almost reached tlje dog when Mollie flred, aiming at.,the eye nearer to her. Her shot was good, for the brute gave a terrific bellow, and writhed and squirmed about. Puddin galloped back to Gertie, while Mollie flred again and again, not realjsing that her second shot had finished off the foe.

Then Puddin, perhaps to express his relief, sat up and sang again, just as Happy Dick and the boys, alarmed by Wirra’s story, and readfully worried at the sound of the rifle shooting, hurried up. Gertie soon revived and was quickly released, with a badly broken ankle. “That’s not so bad as being dragged down by a ’gator,” said Happy Dick.

-“Puddln’s singing helped,” murmured Gertie, “and Mollie was ever so brave.”

•Mollie had ‘beginners’ luck.* I think she’s shot the ’gator that held up the coach,” said Happy Dick. ' But Mollie could think .of nothing but- Gertie, and could not rest until she had been taken back to the camp and had had the ankle set. Happy Dick, being a very skilful bone-setter, did this; then Gertie was taken home. The next day, after Gertie had had a good night, and the doctor had flown over and had said that the bone was perfectly set, Mollie was quite interested when David and Steve arrived and told them that the ’gator was one of the biggest ever caught on Warrlgal Creek. The skin would would supply the whole family with shoes for yearsl “And,” added Steve, very solemnly, “you ought to be pleased to have executed him. He was responsible for the vanishing of Ranger.” “How?" asked Mollie. “Do you know this?” And he dangled a very much discoloured dog collar in front of her. “It belonged to ‘Ranger, and we found It inside the ’gator!" [The End.]