Willard Middle School - Target Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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into the open; then came the swift swish of several lariats; the dog leaped and sunk his powerful teeth into the nostrils of his victim and hung there until the steer was securely roped. The yells of triumph of the cowboys made the forests echo again and again. You may be sure the game little bull terrier was not for- gotten. The dog was dead tired, but wagged his tail with delight over the petting he received from the excited cowboys. An examination showed the bullet wound to be only a skin scratch. The steer was securely tied to a tree in the following manner: A hole was slit in the nose and a ring made of rope inserted. The rope on his horns was placed through the rope ring in his nose, tied to the tree, and then he was fast. His nose soon became tender, so he ceased to struggle and fight. Two days later, the steer was led to the village, and turned over to a butcher. The dressed weight of the steer proved to be 1 005 pounds, for which the cowboys received the sum of $75.00 — pretty good pay for a good day’s sport. HARRY DIMOND. o The Mysterious Visitor animals. When anything went wrong with the natives, Mr. and Mrs. Brown were the first to know about it. One day, a native came to Mrs. Brown and told her that his wife and children were sick with the fever. Mr. Brown had gone to the city for supplies, so Mrs. Brown took her two children with her. Mrs. Brown left the key under the mat, because she expected Mr. Brown to return that day. After they were gone, a huge creature crept out of the bushes, took the key from under the mat, and opened the door. He curiously looked around until he came to the cooler and saw the food. He began eating some black objects which we recognize as California prunes. He liked these so much that he ate them all up and tore up the house looking for more. Not being able to find them, he gave up the idea of food. He went into the bedroom and must have wondered why people should like such soft, white beds. He then thought he heard footsteps coming up the back-steps. So he hurried out of the front door, slipped the key back under the mat and disappeared into the jungle. That night when everybody was in bed, footsteps were heard out- HE BROWN family had left their home in California for a home in the jungles among the natives. They had come as Missionaries. The natives were their only friends besides the

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The Wilcox Steer BOUT the year 1 880, the island of Kauai was largely occupied by cattle ranches and plantations. The cultivation of the fields was done largely by oxen; so the ranchers raised many steers for plowing and other farm work. There was a great deal of rivalry between ranchers concerning the largest steers, as the largest were the best for the island work. A planter by the name of Wilcox was generally considered to have the best band of working steers on the island. One, in particular, was known as the “Wilcox Steer.” This great steer, after a few days of work, ran away to the bush — no more work for him — and for a period of about ten years “he rambled until the butcher cut him down,” as the sequel shows. It was known among cowboys, that an enormous wild steer lived in the old extinct volcanic crater of Kiluhana. In this great crater, there was much rank vegetation, big trees, wild bananas, also tree ferns, some of them twenty feet high. A young cowboy, a new arrival on “Rice Ranch,” heard of the great steer that lived in this wild bit of jungle. To capture it became his great desire. So he went to Mr. Wilcox and asked if he could buy it. The reply was, that it was impossible to catch the ox, and he took no stock in cowboy yarns about his escaped steer. However, if the steer were caught, he would accept the sum of $20.00, and the cowboy could make the profit. Our cowboy then got three Kanahas as helpers and with a bull terrier dog, named Johnny Bull, they started off early one morning for the hunt. They reached the bottom of the crater at nine o’clock. The dog was ever finding groups of wild cattle, but the large steer was never among them. At last, about eleven o’clock, the great steer was first seen. It was a grand sight. He stood pawing and fighting the small game bull terrier, who prevented his escape, but was too clever to let the steer hook him. The steer became so confused with anger at his failure to escape his enemy, that the cowboys were able to get behind him and to drive him out into the open, where he could be lassoed. The steer was driven in this manner many times to the edge of the bush and, each time he would bolt back to the middle of the crater. It was nearly five o’clock in the afternoon, and the last attempt was about to end in failure, when the cowboy drew his Colt reovlver and fired at the steer as he was making a further attempt to escape. With a bellow of rage and fear, he dashed out

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side of the house. Silently the doors opened and closed. “It must be some traveler looking for shelter or some native in trouble,” thought Mrs. Brown. “It must be someone in trouble. I will go down to see. Now, father, you stay here; I am all right.” Soon the whole family started down the stairs toward the living room. The door was slightly ajar and the front door was wide open. They heard a noise in the kitchen and peeking through the door they saw a huge orang-outang sitting at the table, sticking his long finger-like paws into the prune dish. Hearing footsteps and seeing people, he jumped out of the window and disappeared into the darkness. The family went to bed, feeling very much better, after knowing who their mysterious visitor was. Next time they locked the door, they looked carefully in the bushes to see that friend orang-outang did not see their new hiding place. MARY CLEVERDON. o GOLDYLOCKS I was lovely, with eyes of blue And curly golden hair; My mistress, Peggy, loved me well. Ah, but I was fair. She combed my golden hair each morn And called me Goldylocks. My hair grew thinner every day. Still I was Goldylocks. But when my mistress grew too old. Her sister played with me; She too did comb my hair away, Yet Goldylocks you see. I now have but one tuft of hair. One lock atop my head; But still they call me Goldylocks, And will until I ' m dead. VESTA NICKERSON.