The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-10-17

In Oneida County, il the State of
New York, there lived Sd me years since.
not many miles from UtiIb on the road
to Whltesboro, two farm prs, who from
some reason, were morta enemies. We
will call these men Bentd p and White.
Benton was quiet, rcsolute man,
who feared no danger H was open as
the day, and with lacds bic air abons
him that won the conflciI co Of all tl.as
came near him.
On the other hand, White had q
trcachorous, hang dog lol II about him
that placed people on thel + guard, lest,
when they were of it, he b .ht sudden,
ly spring upon them and destroy them.
=. W hite was OF an oXcfodingly cross
disposition, and sought al id kept upon
his farm the most untlr rlable, vicious
hrutos in the form Of dogs it was impos-
sible to purchase with money.
1t was known White hated Benton,
and this hatred, it surmisoH, arose from
disappointed love. He had sought the
hand of a young lady named Wilson,
and had been refused, at the same
time, the lady accepted an offer of mar
riage from his neighbor, and became
Mrs. Benton. The disappointed man
looked nowhere else for a wife, but
taught himself to despise, with ali his
nature, her whom he fancied he had
loved.
But, to return. White permitted his
dogs to range over his lands, fercely at
tacking those who dared to venture on
them. Dividing the farms, a lane ran
from the Whitesboro,' to the Deerfeld
road and down this, one afternoon, in
search Of berries, little Willie Benton,
stout boy Of ten years, and a lister, Su-
sic, a child Of six summers, wandered.
Willie, fortunately, carried in his
hand small, sharp. edged axe, which
his father bade him take to the woods,
and amuse himself while there, by cut,
ting a couple Of hoop poles, which he
was to bring home to be used by his
father to hold up the awning of wag-
on.
The children sauntered on their way,
stopping every now and then to gather
some of the wild fruit that grew along
their path, and while thus amusing
themselves, a huge bulladoc, with say.
age, fiery eyes, and heavy, hanging lips,
jumped over the ditch on Whites side
Of the lane, and before either were
aware of his intention, sprang at the
throat Of the little glrl and threw her
to the earth.
Another moment, and Susau's throat
would have been torn out; but in that
moment, even before the brute could
close upon his victim, the boy hadraised
the axe, and with all his strength hit
the animal in the head. The blade
glanced from the skull, and while it cut
open the flesh, and caused the blood to
run freely into :he eyes and over the
the eyes and over the face of the brute,
it did not take from him any of his
fierceness.
The dog now turned upon the boy,
leaving his sister terribly frightened, but
physically unharmcd, and made jump
at him, which was boldly met by the lit.
tic fellow, who, standing firmly, swung
his axe over his head, and as the brute
sprang upon him, struck him fairly upon
the nose, burying the blade into it, alU
most cutting it in two.
The vicious creature ran back with a
cry of pain, but recovering himself, was
again about to rush upon the little fel-
low, who, without cry of lear, manfully
stood his ground, waiting for a renewal
Of the attack, when a rifle ball whistled
past him, and buried itself deep deep in
the skull OF the savage animal, dropping
him hleles5 to the earth.
Fortunately for the children, their
father happened to be sufficiently near
to them to see the dog spring upon Will
lie, (but not when he attacked Susie, }
and killed him as soon as he could fire
with the certainty that the Pll would
not strike otoer than the Object for which
it was intended.