Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-12-26

the n0urS OF the DAY. ms Is very
extraordinary, of course, but it is
absolutely certain. Beach, you must
understand, lives out Of town, and
only comes in twice q week to at
tend to his duties there, once on
Wednesday, at 10 in the morning,
and once OH Saturday, at 3 in the
afternoon. Well, his old patieut
never fails to meet him on The right
day and at the correct time, just as
accurately as though all Dalmatians
were born with chronometers in
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 a little way out, follows him
through bis round, sits or stands by
him, watches him devotedly, at.
tends him homeward certain dis.
lance, and then leaves him. Nobody
can call him of, not even his master.
BY the way, if Beach comes TO town
Ivy some unusual road, and so misses
the dog, the latter immediately sets
up a persistent search for him, going
in succession 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, don't know; but he has
learned it perfectly, and is just as
mindful of it as either Of us. Once
| undertook, just for the curiosity of
the thing, to detain him in my office.
| put my arms around him and held
OH with all my strength. The result
was that, after a violent tussle,
found myself on the floor, and the
big brute was off like lighting after
his dear Beach. Anybody else would
have been badly bitten. He only
spared me out of consideration for
my obvious relations and my sup.
posed intimacy with his benefactOr.
Now, the beasts gratitude is per.
haps nothing remarkable; a great
many dogs show affection and re-
membrance of kindness. But how
upon earth does that Dalmatian
know the day of the week and the
time of day:
THE MERCHANTS STORY.
Yes, it was rather a curious start
| had i'm business. The first thing l
did, after having saved little pile
of money, was to set up shanty in
Sioux City. | had all sorts Of traps
to allure Indians, and wanted 10
buy any kind of peltries, scalps ex'
cepted. But | was new arrival
and the noble red man couldn': be
lieve in me without help, aud | found
trade rather dull. Late one night,
however, as ! was sleeping among
my stock, there came tremendous
banging at my door; and when
unbarred it there was tall fellow
who seemed to me a little drunk
and said he, III want a butcher
knife
"All right. Come in said l.
81 want "a reliable one,' says he
81 want it to kill man with. Give
me good strong handle. want
knife that | can put in and turn i,
rouud.'
Says /, III think can suit you
Walk in and take look
| knew him by that time. ii,
|, was Virginian, splendid looking
fellow, aud belonged to a goOt
family, as understood. But he hat
gone wild ON the frontier, and hat
been forced to herd with the Indians
The consequence was that he spOk'
their language and was person o
influence among them. Well, tcl
. a little doubtful about his inten
tons, not knowing but what | wa
Y the man he was after; but all tn
T.. same, | got out my stock of tools ant
:. showed them. There was one, nearl.
1 two feet long, which | had bOugh
V for q cheese knife. Says l, "fthinl
i that would answer your purpose
Y "Yes, l should think it might,
G saws he. GLOW much is it 7"
u l told him the price-abOut fou
c shillings, think.
IS "Fll take it, says he. "But
l. have not any money
q Under the circumstances, secln
o he had the knife in his fist and wa
d. ready to turn it around, l thought
', had better trust him.
3 "YOu'd better not says lie. "YO
IS don't know me from any other gel
it tleman.'
p "But I've got to trust yOu," say
g l. you've got the butcher-kni
Of by the handle, and Pm at the shaI
O. end of it. Besides, l believe l ga
g. trust you.'
in OF he went, and l heard no mo
er of him for time, not even wheth
m he had killed a man. But some weel
O. later he put in an appearance al
Id paid for the knife.