American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1877-12-01

tlanS were born With chrOnOmeUerS III
their mouths. He never mistakes one
day for another, and never goes on
either day at the wrong hour. As Beach
drives in, the dog meets him little way
out, follows him through his round, sits
or stands by him, watches him devoted
ly, attends him homeward certain dis
lance, and then leaves him. Nobody
can call him off, not even his master.
By the way, if Beach comes to town by
some unusual road, and SO misses the
dog, the latter Immediately sets up
persistent search for him, going in sue
cession to every one of his haunts, and
among them to my quarters. How he
has learned that Beach and have some
relation to each other, l don't know;
but he has learned it perfectly, and is
just as mindful of it as either of US.
Once I undertook, just for the curiosity
of the thing, to detain him in my office.
l put my arms around him and held on
with all my strength. The result was
that, after violent tussle, found my
self on the floor, and the big brute was
off like lightning after his dear Beach.
Any body else would have been badly
bitten. He only spared me out of con-
sideration for my obvious relations and
my supposed intimacy with his benefac-
tor Now, the beasts gratitude is per-
haps nothing remarkable; a great many
dogs show affection and remembrance
of kindness. But how upon earth does
that Dalmatian know the day of the
week and the time of dayp
THE MERCHANTS STORY.
Yes, it was rather curious start L
had in business. The first thing 1 did,
after having saved a little pile of mon
ey, was to set up shanty in Sioux City.
I had all sorts of traps to allure Indians,
and wanted to buy any kind of pei
tries, scalps excepted. But was new
arrival, and the noble red man couldn't
believe in me without help, and found
trade rather dull. Late one night, how
ever, as 1 was sleeping among my stock,
there came a tremendous banging at my
door; and when unbarred it there was
a tall fellow who seemed to me a little
| OIuuh anu oellQ AO3 netAD q OOCNAOA
knife
"All right Come in" said
81 want reliable one,'' says he. 81
want it to kill man with. Give me a
good strong handle. want knife that
1 can put in and turn it round"
Says 1, 81 think 1 can suit you. Walk
in and take look.''
l knew him by that time. He was a
Virginian, a splendid-looking fellow,
and belonged to a good family, as I'M
derstood. But he had gone wild on the
frontier, and had been forced to herd
with the Indians. The consequence was
that he spoke their language and was a
person of influence among them. Well,
I felt little doubtful about his inten-
tons, not knowing but what was the
man he was after; but all the same,
got out my stock of tools and showed
them. There was one, nearly two feet
long, which had bought for cheese
knife. Says 1, 81 think that would an
swer your purpose
Yes, I should think it might" say;
he. GLOW much is it?''
1 told him the price-about foul
shillings, think.
"I'l take it," says he. "But I hav'
amy TroITey.
Under the circumstances, seeing b,
had the knife in his fist and was ready
to turn it around, thought 1 had bet
ter trust him.
You'd better not" says he, "Yot
don't know me from any other gentle
man."
But I've got to trust you," says l
"You've got the butcher-knife by tn
handle, and I'm at the sharp end of it
Besides, believe 1 can trust you.''
Off he went, and 1 heard no more O.
him for time, not even whether ht
had killed a man. But some week
latsr he put in an appearance and pal,
for the knife.
"And now, youngster," says he, g
; like the way you treated me when
roused you out for that trade. Yol
didn't show the white feather. Som
men, hustled up at that time of night
would have been scared. But you be
haved every way like gentleman, ano
now 1 want to behave to you as one
There are some Indians coming in to
day, and I'll bring them to your shanty
to trade. Have you got any rum?''
hadn't any rum; didn't keep it.
"Well," says he, eve must have
some rum. No rum, no Injun. Give
me couple of dollars.''
I gave him the money, and he went
off. When he came back he had a
demijohn full of drink, and some tum
blers. An hour or so later the Indian.
appeared, some two hundred of them
First came the warriors with their rifles,
bows and tomahawks; then followed the
squaws, STOPPING almost to the ground
under their loads. My man halted
them, but they didn't want to trade with
me; they didn't know me. There was
a long palaver, and at last he threat
ened to kill some of them if they didn't
follow his friendly advice; and the end
of it was that they gave in, to save a
quarrel. They crowded into my little
shop, and drank my demijohn empty
and bought my stock clean out, and
filled me full of peltries. Imade 81, SOC
that season, and went off in high spirits
to lose it somewhere else, and then to
pick it up again. As for the Virginian,
1 lost sight of him, and never learned
how he ended. L didn't even inquire