The free citizen. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1875-11-20
THE TWO NEIGHBORS.

THE TWO NEIGHBORS.
One evening rs the twilight was dusk
ing into deeper shades, Farmer Welton
stood i'll his dooryard, with a gun in his
hands, and saw Il dog coming out from
his shed. 1t was not his dog, for his was
of Il light color, while this was surely
black.
The shed alluded to was open in front,
with double doors for the passage of
back; and this shed was part of con
with the house. Around back of this
house was the shccp-fold.
There had been trouble upon farmer
Welton's place. Dogs had been killing
his shccp-and some Of the very best at
that. He had declared, in his wrath,
that he would shoot the first stray dog
he found prowling around his premises.
On this evening, by chance, he had been
carrying his gun from the house to the
barn, when the canine intrudcrappeared.
Aye, and in the barn he had been taking
the skin from valuable sheep which had
been killed and mangled with tigcrish
fcrocity.
SO, when he saw the strange dog COM
ing through his shed, he brought the gun
to his shoulder, and, with quick sure
aim, fired: The dUg gave 81 leap and a
howl, and having whislced around in a
circle, two or three times, he bounded off
III tangent, yelping painfully, and was
soon lost to sight.
halo! what's to pay now, Weltonw
"Ah-is that YOU, Frost?'
" Yes. Been shootin' somcthin,' amt
ye?"
" I've shot dog, think"
Yc e-s. | seed him scootin of 1t
was Brackets, | reckon"
Before the farmer could make any fur
ther remark, his wife called to him from
the porch, and he went in.
Very shortly afterward boy and girl
came out through the shed. as the dog
had came Down back of Welton's farm,
distant half mile, or so, was Il saw and
grist mill, with quite q little settlement
around it; and people having occasion
to 60 on foot from that section to the
farms on the hill could cut off a long dis
tance by crossing Welton's lot. The
boy and girl were children of Mr..
Bracket. When they reached home
they were met by scene of dire confu-
sion. Old Carlo, the grand old New
founa!"n! dog the lcving and the loved
the true and the faithful-had come
home shot through the head, and was
dying, The children threw themselves
upon their shaggy mate, and wept and
moancd in agony.
Mr.. Brackctt arrived Just as the dog
breathed his last. One of the older bows
stood by with lighted lantcrn-for it
had grown quite dark now-and the
farmer saw what had happened.
Who did this 81 he asked, croan
ingly. ),
Frost, coming upat that moment. Giles
been losin'' sheep, an a guess he's got
kind O. wrathy."
But my dog never killed a sheep
never He's been reared to care for
sheep. How came he down therc?''
He went over to the mill with Sis
and me-" said the younger boy, sobbing
as he spoke; and he was running on
ahead of us toward home. I heard gun
just before we got to Mr.. Welton's, but
oh didn't think he could have shot
poor Carlo"
Mr.. Bracket WAS fairly beside him
self. To say he was angry would not
express it. lie loved that dop-it had
been the chief pet Of his household for
years. He was not a man in the habit
of using profanc language, but on the
present occasion Il fierce oath cscaped
him; and in that frame of mind-litcr-
ally boiling with hot wrath aiid inlicna-
tion-hc started for Wclton's.
John. .Wclton and Peter Brackett had
been neighbors. from their earliest days.
and they had been friends, too. Between
,thc two families there had been a bond
of loye and good will, and spirit of
fraternal kindness and regard had
marked their intercourse. Both the
farmers were hard-working men, with
strong feelings and positive cliaractcrist-
les. They belonged to the same religious
society, and sympathized in politics.
They had had Warm discussions, but
never yet direct falling out OF the
two, Welton was the more intellectual,
and, perhaps, a little more tingcd with
pride than was his ncighbor. But the,
were both hearty men, enjoying life for
the good it gave them.
Mr.. Wclton entered his kitchen, and
stood the empty gun up behind the door,
whats the matter, Jolln?' his wife
asked, as she saw his troubled face.