48 NEIGHBORS WITH CLA WS AND HOOFS. 



5. Prince soon became an expert in base-ball. He took 

 his regular place with the other boys in the game, and 

 was obedient to the rules. He was great on " short* stops." 

 He would catch a ball in its rapid flight through the air, 

 and before it reached the ground, as well as any other 

 boy. Then he would join the little girls, and be a brother 

 to them, in their games of u hide-and-seek " or u hy-spy," 

 as they call it. Seldom, if ever, was he caught. He al- 

 ways reached the goal or base first. 



6. But sometimes indeed, often for the fun of the 

 thing he acted as substitute for some unfortunate little 

 one, and became " it." You may be slow to believe it, 

 but I have it on the authority of the chief's daughter, 

 who knew all the freaks and pranks of the dog, when he 

 stood at the base and his companions were seeking hiding- 

 places, he closed one eye, but held the other wide open, 

 and kept perfectly still, waiting for the word "ready." 

 Then he bounced and pranced in all directions, as though 

 there was the smell of rats in the air, until he had disclosed 

 the last hiding-place himself always reaching the base 

 first. 



7. But little Prince, like his playmates, was mortal, 

 and came to a tragic death. On the 10th of August, 1883, 

 about six o'clock in the evening, the alarm sounded at the 

 chiefs house, and Prince bounded to the pavement. A 

 hose-carriage whirled around the corner, and he ran to 

 jump on it. The horses were strangers to this little fire- 

 man, and one of them kicked him on the head. The 

 great-hearted driver put on his break and stopped the 

 cart, but it was too late. The soulless wheel had passed 

 over his body and he was dead. 



8. The hose-carriage passed on. A great crowd of 

 neighbors men, women, and weeping children gathered 

 to the scene. " Little Prince is killed ! " shouted the ex- 



