TEDDIES ADVENTURES

New Zealand Graphic, Volume V, Issue 46, 15 November 1890, Page 18

TEDDIES ADVENTURES

/’■‘fjCi N ugly little brown mongrel went slinking ' FM along the street on a dusty summer’s day. f ■’ jltf' I ,au sed a moment to look wistfully into a fus- butcher's shop, but the butcher's boy hooted 8 MH ’** uway, and it trotted off down the street with its head a little lower, and its scraggy / , fljl tail in between its legs. Cr ‘ Look at that ugly dog !’ cried a schoolboy, loitering down the street on the lookout for mischief. ‘ What a skinny beast ; let’s catch it !’ and with a loud whoop he started down the street in pursuit, followed by his comrades. It was of little use for poor half-starved doggie to run. In a few moments he was captured. • It don’t belong to anyone.' said the leader, examining his prize. ‘lt ain’t got a collar on, and besides it’s as thin as a rake.' ‘ Suppose we pitch it in the river,'suggested one, and this su ,,t *estion was at once adopted. String and a stone were Speedily procured, and |>oor doggie dragged off towards the river. ‘ I wonder what all those chaps are doing over at the river,’ said Teddie Warren to himself as he came out of the school-gate. * I’ll go and see. * What are you chaps up to ?’ said he, elbowing his way amongst them with both liands in his pockets. But they were very soon out and clenched when he saw Kennedy fastening the stone round the dog’s neck. ‘ Stop that, you brute,' lie cried : ‘ let the dog go.’ The jioor animal recognizing a protector in Ted. looked up imploringly, but Kennedy laughed, and said jeeringly : ‘ Ain't we good ! Did the cruel boys hint the poor doggie then.’ * Let the dog go, or I’ll make yon,’ said Ted, threateningly, slipping his bag of Irooks over his hea l. Kennedy said, ‘ Lay hold of him, you fellows : I'm nearly done : don’t let him spoil the sport.’ A dozen willing hands seized Ted by the arms. He struggled wrathfnlly, ami did not scruple to use his heavy boots, with which he ‘ barker! ’ several shins. ‘ Trip him up,’ said one, and seizing his feet, threw him down heavily on his face. At the same moment Kennedy threw the wretched dog with a splash into the river with a shout of, ‘ There goes '.’ Ted was on his feet in a jiffy, and acting on the impulse of the moment, he threw off his coat and shoes and sprang in. The troys watched, breathless with surprise. All at the school could swim, but they hail never tried with their clothes on. ami Ted found it harder work than he bargained for. As for the dog, it stood in no need of any assistance. The stone had slipjied from the string, ami rising at once, it struck out for the bank again, and Ted did likewise. • 1 11 lam you, young Warren,’ said Kennedy, shaking his tist, ‘ami i’ll pitch the beast in again, you meddling young beggar !’

The school-bell put a stop to his amiable intentions for a time, ami a moment later Ted ami the dog stood dripping and limp on the bank. He whistled disconsolately when he discovered tlrat one of his schoolmates had taken tire opportunity to throw his books ami shoes into the river. • I’ll hear of this when I get home,' was all he said, but it meant a great deal. Ami he went home, followed by the dog, who had attached itself to him for good ami all. Ted did hear of it. His gentle mother kissed him and called him her brave l»oy, but Lis father said his pocketmoney must l>e stomred to |>ay for tire school books and shoes.' As for poor doggie, he was to have been turned out

at once, but Ted and his mother pleaded his cause so earnestly that lie was allowed to lemain. He was christened Lion. Ted thought the name suited him. out in reality lie was the meekest of the meek ; even the kitten patronised him. However, he was the source of great pleasure to Ted. at whose heels he trotted patiently wherever he went. He learnt, with much difficulty, for he was not a dog of much brain power, to fetch a stick and carry a basket for Ted, who was the only person to whom he owned allegiance. He would sit and watch the water patiently when Teri went fishing, and bark frantically at the foot of the tree when he went bird nesting. In short he was an excellent companion, one who was never bored and never tired. There was going to be a picnic, ami Ted w as asked to go — a real bush picnic worth going to. and he had heaid. too. from a reliable quarter, that the • tucker’ provided was not ordinary fare, which was no small recommendation in the eyes of a boy of twelve. At last the eventful day came, and Ted started off, with Lion at his heels, as usual. It was grand in the bush. All the girls were gathering clematis and ferns, and the more polite of the boys helping them. Teri, I am very sorry to say, was not of their number. He preferred exploring with his boon companions, Charlie Jackson and Lion. They went far into the bush, climbing everywhere, and carving their names on every smooth-barked tree. ‘ I say,’ said Charlie Jackson, ‘ there’s such a heap of bees in this old rata. Come and see.’ Half-way up the rata tree was a nourishing settlement of bees, to judge from the nnmliers flying in and out. ‘ Will there lie any honey there 5 said Ted eagerly. ‘ You bet,’ was the reply, ‘ heaps.’ With the courage of ignorance, Ted shinned up tlie tree, and hail a cautious and distant peep. ‘ There is such a lot of honey hiere.’ he cried, ‘ and not many l>ees. There’s a nice lump I could reach quite easily. Yon hold your hat and I'll drop it in.' * No, thank you,' answered the wiser Charles. * Just grab the lump and drop it in and shin down,’ all the time moving cautiously away. Ted did ‘ grab,’ and he drew forth the honey and he dropped it. and came down the tree like lightning. Not many bees ? The air seemed full of them — furious bees, and all flashing at him, and, like Bo Peep's sheep, leaving their tails behind them. He never stopped to pick up the honey, but fled howling, and frantically lieating the air. As for Charlie, he had disappeared, and’ Ted found him presently in convulsions of laughter. ‘ I'll bash your head in, you sneak,’ groaned Ted : • you knew.’ But Charlie repenting, helped to extract the stings, and when his torments were a little abaled he was obliged to laugh at the extraordinary gymnastics poor Lion was going through, for, of course, he had shaied bis master’s mishap. Then they went back to camp and had dinner. ‘ Where’s Lion ?’ said Ted in the afternoon. ‘ I can’t find him anywhere,' and he went whistling and calling through the bush. It was late in the afternoon w hen the things were packed up for going home, ami the children called in from their wanderings, ami it was not till they were nearly home that Charlie Jackson suddenly exclaimed. ‘ Where's Teddie?’ Teddie was not there, nor Lion, that was certain, and now nobody recollected having seen him since he went to look for his dog. ‘ I am afraid he has lost his way,’ said Mr Jackson. ‘Chailie, run fetch his father, quickly : you other children run home.’ Mr Warren soon appeared, looking very much alarmed, anil having procured lanterns, they started off. Oh '. that was an anxious night. Through ami through the bush they went, shouting and searching till nearly morning, when it began to rain heavily. In the grey, ghastly light of daw n they found themselves at the edge of the bush again, and Mr Warren said, ‘ What shall I say to his mother ?’

Mr Jackson said, ‘Don't lose heart yet. Remember its only since yesterday noon. With God's help we'll find him. He may be hurt, but anyway he ha- the dog with him.’ The news had spread over the town, and there w ere many volunteers, several of whom were experienced bushmen and Maoris. Five parties were formed, ami they set off in different directions to scour the bush. Meanwhile where was Teddie ? When he missed Lion he went back into the bush to look for him. ‘ Lion '. Lion !’ he shouted, ami far off a plaintive bark answered him. And he found him lying hurt at the foot of a little gully. How he came there, and how much or how little he was hurt, he could not tell. There was a large stone lying on him, and he could not walk. ■ I must carry him,' said Ted to himself, ‘ but it will be an awful tramp back with him in my arms. Poor doggie I poor old Lion !’ Ted fell to thinking if there was no short cut, and finally concluded to try his luck across the gully. • The big kauri on the other side is the one we see from camp, and from that it will be an easy inn back.’ So with Lion in his arms he started across. It was rather wet and tangled, and he received many a sharp blow in the face as he pushed his way through the supplejacks, and mounted the ferny slope the other side. Where was the big kanri tiee! Where was the camp! There must be some mistake. Ted gazed round with knitted brows, but nothing but unbroken bush met his eyes. There was nothing for it but to retrace his steps, which he did with a muttered ‘botheration.’ When he reached the

other side again everything looked different from what it did before. •I must make haste,'said Ted, ‘or I’ll be left behind,’ and he struck out. as he thought, for home, but everything was unfamiliar, and coming l>ack to the gully, he struck off in a new direction. Still all strange, and when he came baek towards the gully he could not find it. Now lie liegan to feel dazed and frightened, and struck off wildly into the bush, but liefore he had gone far he was suddenly brought up by a thick impenetrable tangle. ‘ Where am I?' he asked himself, terrified : and he tried to think, but be was getting hopelessly confused. He knew he was bushed now, and all the tales of lost people he hhd heard came to his mind, as he stumbled on, clinging tight to jioor Lion, and getting every step deeper and deejier into the bush. It was getting darker and darker, and, oh !it was so fearfully still. He was so weary with wandering that when he stumbled and fell he lay still and burst into tears, and Lion moaned and licked his face.

•< >h : Lion, Lion, old dog.’ he sobl>ed, ‘ w hat will become of ns, what shall we do?’ and as Lion made no answer beyond a whine, he buried his face in his rough fur and sobbed himself to sleep. So tired was he that it was nearly midnight when he awoke with a start and a cry. ‘ M here am I?' he said aloud, and when he remembered he shrank down again, clasping Lion in bis arms. Suddenly there was an unearthly screech just above his head, which went echoing through the hush in the most terrifying way. Half mad with fear, Ted sprang up. and still clasping Lion, ran through the bnsb, he neither knew nor cared where, if he could hut escape from that awful sound, when the ground seemed to slip from his feet, and he felt himself falling, falling. Dropping Lion, he grasped at the bushes ; but they slipped from bis hands, and he fell with a cry into the darkness below, and striking his head heavily, lay senseless.

When Ted opened his eyes it was raining hard. Bruised and shaken as he w as, when he heard Lion's faint bark be crawled towards him in the dark, and sat hugging him close till daylight. Such long, long, weary hours they were, but daylight came at last. Hungry and stiff’, and shivering, he rose and took his dog in his arms. Poor Lion was a sad drag on him, but he never thought of leaving him behind, but cried bitterly when be saw how feeble he was. He seemed to Ted to be dying. Often he paused and shouted, but there was no answer. That whole day he wandered aimlessly, till his weary feet refused to carry him farther, and pillowing his head on Lion, merciful sleep relieved him for a time from hunger and exhaustion, and the despair that was creeping over him. The next day he scarcely moved at all. Too hungry, stiff, and weary even to cry, he sat with Lion on his knee. Poor Lion, bis troubles 'weie nearly over ; bis eyes were nearly closed, and in response to Teddie s caresses he could only feebly lick his band. Towards night Ted liegan to think it was all over with him, and it occurred to him to pray. He could not kneel down for fear of disturbing Lion, who was lying on his knee. But he elapsed his hands and said the Lord's Prayer, and after a little one of bis own. ‘ Please, God, help them find me soon, and don't let Lion die, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.' That was all. Then he rolled down gently on his side with Lion in bis arms and fell asleep. On the second night the watchers went home, worn out and disheartened, and the poor mother began to despair. Fresh parties went out in the night and were relieved in the morning. When night came again they were just turning to go home, w hen Mr Warren stumbled on Ted’s cap. ' He must be somewhere here.' he said, and his face turned pale with the sudden reaction from despair to hope. ‘ Found !’ the joyous words went echoing through the bush. Mr Warren sprang forward. Yes, there he was, the son whom he had feared to find dead and cold, lying verypale in the lantern light, with his arms clasped round poor dead Lion, but alive and sleeping soundly. ‘ Thank God !’ said the father, brokenly, and the men took off their hatsand said. ‘Amen.’ Naomi. Kia Toa, Kia Kahn.