The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-08-09
From Chambers Journal
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.


The fire burns cheerily on the hearth,
the great logs crackle and fare up the
wide chimney, up which it is my wont
to say you could drive a coach-and-four.
| draw my chair nearer to it with shiv-
er. What a night" | say.
Is it still snowing?" asks my wife,
who sits opposite to me, her books and
work on the table beside her.
Fast. You can scarcely see a ward
before you"
Heaven help any poor creature on
the moor tonight" says she.
Who would venture out? 1t began
showing before dark, and all the people
about know the danger of being be-
nighted on the moor in a snow-storm."
Yes. But | have known people
frozen to death hereabouts before now
My wife is Scotch, and this pleasant
house in the Highland is hers. We are
trying winter in it for the first time,
and | find it excessively cold and some
what dull. Mentally | decide that in
future we will only grace it with our
presence during the shooting season.
Presently | go the window and look out
1T has ceased showing, and through a
rift in the clouds see a star.
at is beginning to clear" | tell NV
wife, and also inform her that it is past
eleven. As She lights her candle at a
side-table | hear whining and scratch
ing at the front door,
"There is Laddie loose again." saws
she. " Would you let him in, dear?"
| did not like facing the cold wind,
but could not refuse to let in the poor
animal. Strangely enough, when
opened the door and called him he
wouldn't come. He runs up to the door
and looks into my face with dumb en-
treaty; then he runs back few steps,
looking around to see if | am following /;
and finally he takes my coat in his
mouth and tries to draw me out.
Laddie won't come in" | call out to
my wife. con the contrary, he seems
to want me to 90 out and have game of
SNOWFALL with him"
She throws shawl round her and comes
to the door. The collie was hers before
we We're married, and she is almost as
fond of him, tell her, as she is of Jack,
our eldest boy.
Laddie, Laddiel" she calls; come
In sir" He comes obediently at her
call, but refuses to enter the house, and
pursues the same dumb pantomime he
has already tried on me.
" | shall shut him out jessie" / say.
" A night in the snow won't hurt him.
and prepare to close the door.
" You will do nothing of the kind "
she replies with an anxious look; "but
you will rouse the servants at once and
follow him. Some one is lost in the
snow, and Laddie knows it."
L laugh. REALLY, Jessie, YOU are
absurd Laddie is a sagacious animal,
no doubt, but | cannot believe he is as
clever as that. How can he possibly
know whether any one is lost in the
snow or not?"
Because he has found them and
come back to us for help. Look at him
now"
| cannot but own that the dog seems
restless and uneasy, and is evidently en-
deavoring to coax us to follow him; he
looks at us with pathetic entreaty in his
eloquent eyes "Why won't you believe
meY" he seems to ask.
Come" she continues; you know
you could not rest while there was a DOS
slblllty of fellow-creature wanting
your assistance. And am certain Lad
die is not deceiving us"
What is poor hen-pecked man to do?
l grumble and resist and yield, AS | have
often grumbled and resisted and Welded
before, and as | doubtless shall do again.
"Laddie once found a man in the snow
hayA 1,,+ l.
she hurries off to fill a flask with brandy,
and get ready some blankets for us to
carry with us. In the meantime | rouse
the servants. They are all English, with
the exception of Donald, the gardener,
and | can see they are scothngly skeptical
of Laddie's sagacity, and inwardlv dis
gusted ut having to turn out of their
warm beds and face the bitter winters
night.
"Dinna trouble yoursels," | hear old
Donald say. The mistress is right
enough. Aud Laddie is cleverer than
mony Christian, and will find some
thing In the shaw this night"
Don't sit up, Jessie | say as we
start; I'VE may be out half the night on
this wild-goose chase"
Follow Laddie closely" is the only
answer she makes.
The dog springs forward with a Joyous
bark, constantly looking back To see if
we are following. As we pass through
the avenue gates and emerge on to the
moor, the moon struggles for moment
through the driving clouds, and lights
up with sickly CLEAN the snow-clad
country before Us. Its like hunting
Tor needle in a bundle of hav. sir"
says John, the coachman. confidentiallv.
" 10 think as we should find ANYBODY on
such night rs this, Why, in some
places the snow is more than couple of
feet thick, aud it goes again reason to
think that a dumb animal would have
the sense 10 come home and fetch help"
Blde wee, bide a wee saws old
Donald. Z" / dinna ken what your Eng
lish dugs can do; but a collie, though il
has ma been pleasing to Providence TO
give the creatur the gift o speech, can
do mony mair things than them that
wad deride it,
l amt deridin' of 'em," says John.
l only say as how if they be so very
clever Ire never seen it."
1e wull, though, We wull, saws old
Donald, as he hurries forward after
Laddie, who has now settled down into
swinging trot, and is taking his way
straight across the loneliest part of the
bleak moor. The cold wind almost cuts
us in two, aud whirls the snow into our
faces, nearly binding us. My finger
tips are becoming numbed, icicles hang
from my mustache and beard, and my
feet and legs are soaking wet, even
through my shooting-boots and stout
leather leggings.
The moon has gone in again and the