Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-10-26
THE DYING MISER.

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THE DYING MISER.
How John Norton, the Old Trapper,
! Found Him In the Woods.
REV. Murray's Adirondack's story in the
Golden Rule.l
$50 Ipushed ahead and laid my
hand on the rag of door and drew
it aside in frank sort of way, AMI by
the Lord, Henry. the man lay dead
before mel Leastwise thought he
was dead. for his eyes were half shet
and half open, as dead mans should
be who has died unattended. and his
face was as white as moss on the
rock when the moonshine is on it.
"Well, stood at the doo- OF
the tent and 1 Onkivered my
head as mortal should in such sol
emn circumstances, for / verify
thought the man was dead; but the
hound, there, knowed better, for the
Lord has given Il sense in such things
to dog that he withholds to tine
master; for the hound, after standing
respectful-like behind me for mint,
as il he would not be forward like,
or shame me by his better knowl-
edge, pushed in to the other side OF
th, body and put his nose to his
cheek, and then jest turned his eyes
up to me and waggsd his tail. All
me, it's wonderful what larnin' the
Lord has given to to the creturs he
has made, and how often they know
more than their masters: and here
was dog who knowed the Twin and
the dead better than did, though the
body was the body OF a mortal, and
not OF his kind. RAA H'i'.i74
"Well, when seed the hound move
his tail, happy like. I knowed the man
was not dead. however nigh he might
be on to it; and 80 stepped in quick
as powder ever burnt amp histed the
man up, took him in my arms, and
carried him out OF the miserable tent
into the fresh, cool air, and laid him
down in the warm sunshine on the
pint. and fell to chafin' his legs and
his wrists, and pressin' on his chest,
and sprinklin' water in his face; and
blowed in his nostrils and did as
man should In such circumstances to
one Of his kind.
But he was mighty weak and all
the strength he had was in his eyes,
for he couldn't move hand or foot
more than a buck with a bullet
through his spine, the mornin' arter
he was shot And Ii was very sor-
ry sight to see G. full-grown man ly-
in on the sand with natur' lively
around him, and he enable to move a
leg, or lift a finger; and it showed
that the body of mortal has no
more life in 1t than a last years bea-
ver's hide, when his sperit has left IL;
and It was awful-like to see fellew
bein' dead in every member of his
mortal frame but his eyes, and all
there was of himself lookin' steadily
out of them al you. But / felt he
would fetch around arter a while, for
the sun was warm and the wind fresh
and 1 bolstered him up so it would
blow straight into his mouth and nos
trils. and said to myself, il natur'
can't bring him to, nothin' can. And
so / felt cheerful like, and pretty sar-
tin that between the sun and warm
sand and wind he would get his
members warmed up and agoin' agin
before long; and the hound thought
so too, for when the man fust opened
his eyes the animal knowed 1t was a
good sign as well as did, for the cre-
tur no sooner saw them open natur-
ally, then he scooted a circle around
the body in the sand lively as pup
at play, and then he stopped in his
foolishness and let roar out OF his
mouth that might have been heerd
over to Salmon Lake; and then he
came back and set down on his
launches close by the man, and
watched him as earnestly as 1 did.
Every minits he would look up at me
with a happy sort of look in his eyes
and fetch a wag or two with his tail,
and it was mighty cheerful and en-
couraging to see the animal act so,
and made me feel sort Of chirpy my
self, as sot in the sand watchin' the
man, for knowed the hound was a
truthful dog, and was wise in his
gifts, and wouldn't lie agin the var
diet of them, and / conceited that the
man would pick up and be able to
talk. IL the dog said so.
well arter a while the man begin
to pick up for sartin, for the blood
begin to come into his skin, and his
fingers began to open and shet easy
like, and he put his tongue out and
wet his lips maturity as a man does
arter sleep in hot lodge. 1 searched
my pack and found some tea a city
woman gave me the summer afore
for service 1 did her on the Rae
quette, which was no more than any
man would do for woman, but
which she said she never would for.
get till ner dying day-and 1 guess
she never will, for found somethin
she had lost that lay near her heart
and / never knowed white woman
or squaw, neither. for that matter
forgit man who did them a service
i'm that direction. Well. as I was
sayin', I searched for the tea the city
woman had given me, and stepped 9
cup OF it for the man on the sand and
J 1 made it as strong as the leaf would
! make it, for kDowed it would helI
: natur' to rally, and make him strong
1faII Iaasb