The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-08-20

10 his accustomed place before the fire My
parents and the servants had retired to rest,
| and prepared to follow their example,
my bed being placed at one end of the com
mon hall While was undressing heard
a storm rising in the mountains. Just then
there came q knock at the door, and Bevis
began to growl. / asked who was there
F, A voice replied, two travellers, who want
a nights lodging opened small chink
of the door to look out, and perceived two
ragged men, each leaning on large club.
did not like their looks; and knowing
that several robberies had been committed
in the neighbOrhOod, I refused them admis-
sion, telling them that in the next village
they would readily find shelter They ap-
preached the door, as though they meant
to force their way in, but Bevis made his
voice heard in so formidable a manner that
they judged it prudent to retire. / bolted
the door and went to bed. Bevis, accord
ing to his custom, lay down near the
threshold, but we neither of us felt inclined
to sleep.
"a quarter of an hour passed, when
suddenly, above the wailing of the wind,
came the loud, shrill cry of human being
in distress. Bevis rushed against the door
with fearful howl at the same moment
came the report of gun, followed by
another cry. Two minutes after was on
the road, armed with a carbine and hold
ing dark lantern; my father and the
stranger, armed, accompanied me. As for
Bevis, he had darted out of the house and
I'VE approached the defile which /
mentioned before, at the moment when q
flash of lightning Illuminated the scene.
A hundred yards in advance we saw Bevis
grasping man by the throat. We hur-
ried ON, but the dog had completed his
work ere we reached him; for two men,
whom recognized as those who had
sought admittance to our inn, lay dead,
strangled by his powerful jaws. Further
on, We discovered another man, whose
bloody wounds the noble dog was licking.
The stranger approached him, and gave a
convulsive cry; it was Sir Arthur-the
master of Bevisr'
Here NJ. Dermann paused; the recollec-
ton seemed to overcome him, and he
stopped to caress the sleeping greyhound
in order to hide his emotion After a
while he finished his recital in a few
words
Sir Arthur was mortally wounded, but
he lived long enough to recognize his dog,
and to confess that in moment of despera-
ton he had tried to kill the faithful
creature who now avenged his death, by
Staying the robbers who had attacked him.
He appointed the stranger his executor, and
settled large pension on Bevis, to revert
to the family of the innkeeper, wishing
thus to testify his repentant love toward
his dog. and his gratitude toward those
who had succored him. The grief of Bevis
was excessive; he watched by his masters
couch, covering his dead body with caress-
es, and for a long time lay stretched on his
grave, refusing to take nourishment; and
it was not until after the lapse of many
months that the affection of his new mas
ter seemed to console him for the loss of
Sir Arthur"
As my ow-traveler finished the re-
cital, the diligence stopped to change
horses at the little town of Mentua. Here
NJ. Derman's journey ended, and having
taken down his luggage, he asked me to
assist the descent of his dog. shook hands
with him cordially, and then called Beyis,
who, seeing me on such good terms with
his master, placed his large paws on my
breast, and uttered low, friendly bark.
Shortly after they both disappeared from
my sight, but not from memory, as this
little narrative has proved.-7he A,yosy.