Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-02-12
A Rare Dog Story.

of my cottage on the moor" KEEP fine mas
tiff dog. By day he was Chaiped up near the
house; by night, he. was let loose to range
through the garden and enclosures, a terror to
evil dosrs, but kindly affected to sil such as do
well. Now, whether it was nafiral instinct,
for wolves are only wild dogs or vaeiher he had
received soma real or supposed aafont fiom the
sheep fraternity, never could lam; for al
though the dog had language OF ais own, and
in which he conversed fuently at times, yet
must confess could better undeId dand the Ian
guage of his eyes, (dOgs have seAs expressive
eGe4 ihan The lsnggage Of bis grb.' Be that
as it may, one morning he was accused Of hav
ing murdered two of his nelghbors sheep. His
master, unwilling to take up an evil report
against his faithful Watchdog, had the trial
postponed TO Monday next, as they say in cpurt.
On the following night, however, another nur.
der was Committed. This time, the fact was TOO
clear to admit OF doubt. Hero was brought in
guilty, not by verdict of his peers, but by
convention of two legged animals, who were
too dull to appreciate his motives, and too blind
to sympathize with him under the circumstan-
ces, neither had they the courtesy to ask, rs has
been the custom in all civilized communities
ever since the days Of Haman who himself was
strung up fifty cubits, If he bad any OBJ lection
to make against being hung, hut raightway the
proceeded to execution. His master, while
tear crossed his eye ball. says, John, get stout
piece of rope. Hang Hero behind the barn, 50
as not to be seen from the house. Having
spoke thus, he entered his dwelling. Hero
heard his sentence with the same philosophical
Indifference that have heard some Two legged
anmaIs receive theirs in the Hall of justice in
the Park. lie never opened his mouth but,
thinks he, there will be long respite between
the sentence and the hanging day. So, without
speaking a word, he cleared stone fence ever
five feet high, DER hills and daes, DER fields and
floods he flew, as with the wings Of the wind.
He never drew up till he entered city Of
retuge here the avenge. of blood dared not en-.
ter.
You have read in that book, for which a il 9th.
er books were made, a mln drew bow at a
venture; the unerring eye of Onnipotence be-
came pilot to that shaft-t entered between the
joints OF his armor, and the proud monarch sank
dead in his chariot. the same unerrlng eye d.
rected the flight of this dpg 10 the spot where,
after an absence of nearly seven years, he was
the means of saving the life of his master, as
you will see in the sequel.
1t carno 10 -,uga rirrFi u4.riy even y4ba had
expired, since the fright and flight Of poor He.
ro, (no doubt the poor dog was SCARED enough,
when he heard The oIder Tor immediaye execu-
ton, that his late master was sojournng on the
borders Of Scotland and England; it vas win
ter and dark in that climate at P. NJ. He put
up at tavern by the way side. As SION as he
dismounled, and went in to the stable to see
that if his horse was cared for, he was followed
by large mastff dog, who by every means
that dog could invent, endeavored to draw his
attention. The gentleman sat down in the hall,
the dog by his side, when he began to think
there was something strange in the dogs utten-
ton and manners He put his hand on the head
of the dog, and spoke Kindly: the dog encour.
Bged him, laid his paw on his mas,ers knee,
and looked earnestly in his face: recoleclons
arose in the memory of his master, and he ex.
claimed, in surprise, Why, Hero, are you
here 2" Hero was sopleased at the recognition,
that he almost eaped on his misters back.-
Whether the landlord was informed Of the mer-
say; at anyrate Hero and his master we're never
separate from that hour. Hero oowed his
master to the BEDROOM when on seeing hin
!, about TO undress, he seized the skrto his coat
with his teeth, and drew his master towards
closet on opening the DOR, he discovered the
corpse Of a man suspended against the wall. -
lie saw his danger, and made Preparations ac-
cOrdingly. This matter occurred shorty after
the return of the army from America, after the
war of independence. Many of the disbanded
soldiers took to robblng on the highways, and
gentleman always travelled well armed, He
saw that his four pistols were in ittht trim, pll
ad everything movable in the room against the
door, and sat down to await the result Atmid-
night, there was knock at the loor: vial of
medicine which was standing on the mantle
piece, was wanted for one of the family who
was taken suddenly i'll, &c. ~lSF Morton
which was the gentIemen's nane--inlormed the
assailant, that he was prepared vllh fire arms,
aud would shoot the first man that entered. -
men, when, after 50 ne further plrey, an axe
was sent for to brelk in the dor At this crti-
cal moment, the sound of carriage wheels was
heard from alar; the robbers paused Mr.. Nor.
: ton thrust his head out of the window, and as
the carnage approached, halloe at the top of
his voice. They heard his cries, and stopped,
when the robbers fed by the back door. There
were fllr men in the carriage. They secured
three women whom they found IN the house,
and lodged them IN jail. BY their information
the men we're caught soon a'ler, tried and
hung; the women were banlshed to Botany
Bay for life.
, On searching the house, several corpes were
found buried in the cellar; and in the rooms,
many articles were identified that belonged to
, persons who had disappeared, and never heard
/ till this occurrence.
Hero went home with his master. and was a
happy dog many years thereafter, when he died
and was buried. A stone, recording the Plov'
idential deliverance, was set up over his bones
and his portrait hung in thehall, with the faml-
ly escutcheons.
The story was published in the newspapers
and periodicals. of that day, all over Britain, at
fact beyond controversy sy.-Granl ThornbmT