The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-04-17

Il
up the figures, and if it amt too mucl
III have you go down and put him
Bill figured up the amount and cam
to the conclusion that about sevent,
five dollars would defray the necessar
expenses, and so apprized his father.
down the river this afternoon you &c
ready and take Jerry down there, an
put him to school, if You find tn
school all right; if not, you bring hir
home. 1 wouldn't sell him for thou
sand dollars, and if any dog can lear
to talk, Jerry is the dog"
The grass did not grow under Bill
feet in getting ready. and ut Ave in tn
afternoon he got on board the steame
Usage, which was bound down the rive
to Mobile.
Bill was not long on board before b.
had the whisky he 80 much longed for
and by 8 o'clock in the evening he wal
as drunk as lord, and had already go
into q fight. Poor Jerry, seeing hi
master rather roughly handled, took 4
share init and biting one of the partie
engaged was quickly set upon ani
knocked over the side of the boat, ani
falling Just in front of the paddle
wheel was struck by it, and instantly
K He'd.
| Bill did not discover. the loss of the
dog until the steamer had arrived Al
Mobile and it was TO that place thai
he had originally determined to 60
His astonishmsnt and sorrow at the
loss of his fathers favorite dog were
very great, and it moreover necessitated
all the strategy Bill was possessed of to
bring his original plans to anything
like a successful ending.
He had originally intended, to take
the dog with him to Mobile, aud on
returning to his home to declare to his
father that he had been misinfofmed,
that the school was humbug and the
pretended teachers knaves and he well
knew that SO great was his fathers dis
like for anything Yankee that he would
escape without any very severe Cross
examination. The killing of the dog
had upset all Bills reckoning, and he
was compelled to frame a new story,
which, as the sequel will show, he sue
cessfully did.
After remaining for about a week at
Mobile and having pretty nearly ex-
hausted his cash in hand, Bill started
for home. His father met him at the
landing and asked him many questions
concerning Jerry's chances of learning
to talk. Bill declared that there was
no doubt of his ability to learn, that he
had seen many dogs not half as know
ing rs Jerry who could talk quite we'll;
and the result was that the old gentle
man was much elated with the idea of
possessing such a wonderful being as
dog that could talk.
Before the end of the two months,
which Bill had declared would be suf-
,Gcient to giveJsuy decent education,
Mr.. Thompson had become quite i'm
patient to hear concerning Jerry's pro-
gress, and Bill had written several let
tiers by his &nther'e orders to ascertain
how the dog was sgetting along, but
strange as It seemed, no reply was re-
ceived to a3y of them and ut last Bill
was ordered to get ready and go down
and see about Jerry, and bring him
home, if only for visit.
Bill again went down the river on the
same steamer by which he went ON his
previous trip, and with very much the
same results so far as his own conduct
was concerned, until he returned home.
This time his father did not meet him
at the landing, to Bills great relief, but
sobsrly waited for him at the house.
The old gentleman's disappointment
can better be imagined than described,
when Bill came into the house alone;
for he had not the slightest doubt that
his favorite dog, fully informed on sub
jects in general, would soon delight his
ears with hearty "good evening" in
place of his accustomed familiar bark.
"Bll," said his father, "where's
Jerry p"
Bill made no reply.
say, Bill, where's Jerry?
"Jerrys dead, father"
eyes, dead"
Chow did he die?"
"I killed him." coolly replied Bill.
"You killed himi You killed
Jerry?"
"Yes, father, I killed him."
Clear nae, father" interrupted Bill.
's Let me tell my story, and then if you
think I did wrong you can abuse me
and do and say what you like"
SCI went down to the school," con-
tinued Bill, "and I was there all
through the examination. Jerry could
talk as well as I can They said he
was the smartest dog they ever saw
Jerry sat up in a chair, and as the
ladies whom he had seen before came
one by one Tito the cabin Jerry would |
good morning, Mrs. JONES' and he
looked as stately as q judge. 4
Well, father, at last we got started
away from the lending. Perhaps we
had got half mile away, and the ladies
we're looking out of the windows, and
Jerry was still sitting in his chair, when
an OF sudden he turns round to me
and says Bill, how are you, my boy?"
says. I'm all right
"' How's the old man ? says he.
All right replied
How's the old woman?' says Jerry.
"Now, father, didn't like to hear
him speak as he did about you, and
when he called you the old man, 1
couldn't stand it very we'll, but when
be spoke that way about mother I
couldn't bear it at all still I didn't
want any fuss, because you thought SO
much Of him, so I didn't say anything
only to say she was well.
just then he looked around, and
speaking right loud, says he Bill,
does the old man hug and kiss the cook
as much as he used tor Ididn't reply,
and he kept on Bill, says he. Pve
seen the old man kiss the cook. Louise.
mean, more than fifty times, and I'll
tell the old woman when get home.
Won't che give it to the old mani
"Father,1 couldn't stand it. It was
right before the ladies. I got up and 1
took jerry by the throat, and says I,
eYou lying dog, I'll choke you to death.
This comes of your cursed Yankee edu-
cation. I might have known they'd
teach you to Islander your friends
"Well, father, the william tried to
bite me. I had him by the throat and |
Il don't know what was going to do |
with him, I was SO enraged, but 1 car
RED him ont on the deck, when he tried |
10 bite ms worse than ever. went to
kick him, and somehow was too an
cry to rscollect just how-he either
Jumped overheard, or I threw him over