Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-10-11

some, before winter; and L rather Ike
them dogs. What dye say? I'll give you
a thousand feet of good dry whitewood
boards, at my mill, for your dogs; and
that's twice what they're worth"
"T'aint nuther; faint no price!'' said
Little Joel. But he hesitated. He knew
that dry whitewoOd boards were as good
as cash in that new country where saw
mills were so scarce. Scarce! he never
had heard of any saw-mill being in that
vicinity: but then, he was mostly unac-
quainted I'm the settled parts, and the
stranger mentioned a well-kn0wn stream,
and appeared to be reliable sort of a
man.
s'T'aint no price at ALL" said Little Joel,
beginning to enter into the spirit OF the
trade. ''Make il two thousand and I'll
talk to ye."
"Can't do it." said the stranger.
"'Twont " pay. Dogs is poor property.
have offered you every cent they're worth.
Well, / must be going; needed at the
MILL" making a motion to start, "but,
like the dogs; don't mind saying fifteen
hundred; not another foot. No? Wei,
good mOrningr'
Little Joel knew this was twice what the
dogs were worth but nc did not like to
part with them. Yet he hesitated. lie
knew that he could turn the lumber to adj
vantage. at least SO much of it rs he did
not need; and he was out of money, out
of bread and out of credit.
The stranger commenced moving away.
Little Joel's ewes wandered about i'm in
| decision, and finally rested on his unfin-
| ished house. Just then the pale and anX-
ious face of Martha appeared at an open
window.
Was it a spark of affection called up by
| the sight of that familiar face, trusting,
arewOrn-sympathetic rs cOntrasted with
| the hard, brusque and unaccustOmed fea-
| lures of the stranger-tliat moved within
| him! or was it the prospect OF good
| trade: the realization of the worth OF the
lumber in money, and the purchase of
other dogs, with saving OF half the pro-
| ceeds?
| ..How far is it to your. mill?'' he in
| quiredsof the stranger, who had turned
away as i'm the act of leaving.
30, don't you know Stiles mill, on the
Rocky? Can't be over nine miles. What
do you say? Is it trader"
"Yes. yes" said Little Joel, 81 guess
I'll trade. Make out bill of sale and re-
ceipt it, so that | can get the boards, IN
case you don't happen to be to home. Ill
come for 'em in the course of week"
"All right" said the stranger, they'll
be ready"
They went into the house, where paper
and ink were with some difficulty pro-
cured, and bill of sale was made out FOL
the lumber. and duly receipted by the
stranger as T" Hiram Stiles
Now give me bill of sale for the
dogs" said Mr.. Hiram Stiles.
40, you don't want no receipt for the
dogs" said Little joel, "you just take ZEN
fright along"
Eyes do" replied Stiles. "They ma,
leave me the first time | take them out
and come back {; and want something Il
| show that they are mine." He then pre-
pared bill of sale for the dogs, which Lit
lie Joel receiptcd i'm due form and handet
to him.
Now give me rope, or something
can lead them with" said Mr.. Stiles, as n
placed the bill of sale in his pocket.
Joel hunted around and at length fOun'
a stout piece of bed-cord, and assisted tn
+ stranger to couple up the dogs for leading
, These submitted to the unaccustomc
!, restraint with many evidences of shame
and piteous winnings; hanging back. an
turning reproachful glances on their lat
master, as they were dragged away fron
= his door.
Il AS IOT ILlltlt joel. HIS ntsIt wiz l'tiis
= there was ANYTHING i'm the world that h
p loved-which is not certain beyond rea
sonable doubt-they were his gun an
(, dogs. And these two faithful hounds
+ they had followed him so far; they Ina
fed with him, and they had starved wit
f him; and for how many days, in the dee
lrecesscs of the woods. had they shared hi
silent musings! He turned away into tn
. house to light his pipe and find sOlace
n smoke. But Martha remained at I'll
. door, looking after the retiring strange
7 and really grieved that even dog shoul
he dragged away from her door unwi
v lingly.
As for the stranger-as for Mr.. Hiral
g Stiles, as he called himself-he acted like
= man who had mission to perform an
y meant to perform it. He dragged Il
yelping brace of dogs towards the roa
passing close to the fallen tree whel
II Little Joel had been chopping at the tin
= |, ne approached the house. Here his NOV
l. ments became prompt and decided. Ben
ing down. he passed the end of the col
I beueath heavy and firm limb of the fallt
'e tree and forcibly drew the heads of bO
dogs near to the ground, in such mann
~ as to hold them almost immovable. /
81 was strong and athletic man, and Il
q actlOn WAS ulHch anu NlgoIOus. III ~
= time than it takes to write this line.
y. had placed his foot firmly upon the CO.
while he gave a turn around it to obta
. the use of both hands, seized the AK whi'
:! Joel had left lying on the ground, al
dashed out the brains of both dogs, ol
H. after the other, leaving them quiyering
death,
,d Joel's wife, who had watched him wit
I'll out comprehending his purpose, had ju
Il recovered herself sufficiently to cry o
or ..Oh, OH" which brought her husbaI
TO the door. But not before he had heal
is the report of u rifle-shot; for the strange
ly taking in, apparently, all the possibilitl
er of the occasion, had caught up Lit
he .Joei's gun and discharged it in the air,
IT. prevent it being turned against himse
a and was moving off, with a long, swingii
rd Gait. TO the woods, which nearly coneeal
Il? him before Joel had completed the disco
n ery of the murder of the hounds.
ly When he did this, when he realized tn
TX his poor unoflending dogs were lying }
fore him bathed in their own blood al
vel pasping. sudden and uncomfortable fu
nd possessed him. He seized his rifle al
II