A SHARP FOREBODING. 
Cc. H. FURLONG. 
Alarming depletion in their ranks had 
prompted the wise and cunning old leaders 
of the various animal species to gather un- 
der the protecting branches of the big for- 
est trees. The time was come to make a 
resumé of Man’s doings for the season. 
Sons and daughters had been slain, brothers, 
sisters and other relatives had fallen vic- 
tims to the trapper, the city sportsman and 
the idle country boy. Appallifg slaughter 
was reported among the feathered tribes. 
New tracks had been beaten by Man’s foot 
in the great forest realms; he had penetrat- 
ed into what were hitherto considered safe 
and inaccessible retreats. 
“Only yesterday my eldest son, a fine, 
promising lad, with muscles as firm as steel 
aml supple as the willow branch, was laid 
low in death as he was peacefully browsing. 
He died before I could catch his last plain- 
tive groan,” mournfully remarked Monarch 
Moose to the assembled cohorts. 
“Last week one of those little pellets used 
by Man to exterminate us crashed through 
my mother’s brain, and with rage and sor- 
row struggling for the mastery in my breast, 
I was compelled to flee, lest I, too, fall at 
the next bark,” was the sad comment of a 
grizzly cub. 
“None of my family is left at all,” cried 
Father Rabbit; “fine shot has carried them 
all off, in some instances 2 and 3 at a time 
being killed.” 
“’ye given Man a run for his money,” 
proudly proclaimed Furtive Fox, “but with 
all my cunning and wily tricks, and I think 
everyone here will admit I’ve turned a few 
pretty ones in my day, I couldn’t save my 
wife’s life this season. I saw her pelt, I be- 
lieve that is what Man calls our coats, 
hanging from a hunter’s cabin door a few 
nights ago. I couldn’t repress my emotions, 
and would have wept my fill but for the 
grow! of a prowling hound reaching my 
ears.’ 
“Your sorrow is a hard one to bear,” said 
the bereaved Monarch in a condoling tone. 
“Tt’s dead tough, as I heard a hunter say in 
throwing away a piece of venison the other 
day.” 
“Your Honor always had a pleasant way 
of interspersing a bit of humor to relieve 
the lugubrious,” jollied the fox. 
“He’s going to ask for something,” 
snapped Caustic Catamount. 
“You mistake me, brother,” suavely re- 
plied the fox in an effort to be conciliatory, 
“for you know one of my greatest faults is 
an overappreciation of the humorous. Re- 
member how I laughed when we found that 
fat old rabbit in the trap? He looked so 
much like an apoplectic shoat I had pinched 
4° 
the night before that the comparison over- 
came my sense of propriety.” 
“Never fine at any time,” retorted Cata- 
mount. F 
“I can see where Mr. Fox gets his if this 
repartee keeps up,” cautiously whispered 
Prickly Porcupine in Red Squirrel’s ear. 
“Now you 2 have had enough of this,” 
admonished the Monarch as he assumed a 
more stately and dignified air, preliminary 
to taking up the order of business. 
“Tt is the sole purpose of this gathering,” 
he resumed, “to inquire into and seek a sat- 
isfactory explanation of the terrible deple- 
tions in our ranks within the past few years. 
Grizzly has the floor. After that the first 
one who attracts my attention will be hon- 
ored with permission to harangue. Father 
Fox is limited to 5 minutes, for he is too 
garrulous ‘and fond of his wit. Grizzly 
will now address us in his characteristically 
forcible and pointed style.” : 
With swaying motion of his bullet- 
scarred head, and centering his penetrating 
eyes from time to time on each member of 
the assemblage, Grizzly began: 
“This question of the extermination of 
my own and the families of-my brethren has 
been occupying my thoughts for-——” 
“Your humble pardon, Monarch, but if 
Grizzly will take a pointer,” rudely inter- 
rupted Fox, “I beg to suggest that——” 
“Down with him!” cried the assemblage 
in thundering chorus. 
Grizzly bent over and gave Father Fox a 
belt in the snout. Father Fox attempted to 
apologize, but even that privilege was de- 
nied him, so indignant were all at his break- 
ing into Grizzly’s well worded introduction. 
He nursed a swollen jaw during the rest of 
Grizzly’s address, while Catamount twitted 
him in a cautious but none the less tantaliz- 
ing undertone. 
“As I said before this uncalled for in- 
terruption, much of my time has been given 
to a consideration of the means which 
have brought about such a heart-rending 
slaughter in our midst, and by the bristly 
tail of my grandfather I think I’ve solved 
the problem.” 
“If so, it will be a worthy testimonial to 
your already envied acumen,” commented 
the Monarch with a faint touch of defer- 
ence toward the formidable roamer of for- 
est and mountain. 
Grizzly bowed his head in grave acknowl- 
edgment of the Monarch’s agreeable compli- 
ment and became just a bit chesty. 
“The Old Un’s a peach at slinging the 
salve, isn’t he?” remarked Porcupine to 
Squirrel, 

