The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-10-04
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.

FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH.
TnE fires burn checrlly on the hearth.
the great logs crackle and flare up the
wide chimney, up which it is my wont to
say YOU could drive coach. and. four. l
draw my chair nearer to it with shiver.
What night" I say.
Ills it snOwingV" asks my wife, who
sits opposite to me. her books and work on
the table beside her.
Fast. You can scarcely see yard be-
fore you"
Heaven help any poor creature on the
moor to-nightr' says she.
"WhO would venture out? 1t began
showing before dark, and all the people
about know the danger of being benighted
On the moor in a snow.stOrth.'
Yes. But have known people frozen
to death hereabouts before now"
My wife is Scotch, and this pleasant
house in the Highlands is hers. We are
trying winter in it for the first time, and
find it excessively cold and somewhat
dull. Mentally l decide that in future
we will only grace it with our presence
during the shooting season. Presently
go to the window and look out; it has
ceased showing, and through rift in the
Clouu see star.
1t is beginning to clear" / tell my
wife, and also inform her that it is past
eleven. AS she lights her candle at q
side table hear whining and scratching
at the front door.
"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
tacc with dumb entreaty; then he runs
back a few steps, looking around to see if
l am following; and finally, he takes my
coat in his mouth and tries to draw me
out.
"Laddic won't come in" call out to
my wife. "On the contrary, he seems to
want me to &" out and have game OF
SNOWFALL with HIM"
She throws shawl around her and
comes to the dtO The collie was hers
before We were married, and she is al
most as fond of him. l tell her, as she is
Of Jack, our eldest boy.
Laddie, Ladder she calls; "come
in, sir" He comes obediently at her call,
but refuses to enter the house, and pur-
sues the same dumb pantomime he has
already tried on me.
g l shall shut him out, JESSIE" saw.
"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 7" but
you will rouse the servants ut once and
follow him. Some one is lost in the
snow, and Laddie knows it,
laugh. Really, Jessie, you are alb
,r1 I ,1A g -
doubt, but cannot believe he is as clever
as that How can he possibly know
whether anyone is lost in the snow or not 80
Because he has found them and come
back to us for help. Look at him now"
l 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
me" he seems to ask.
Come" she continues: "you know
you could not rest while there was q
possibility of a fellow-creature wanting
your assistance. And / am certain Lad.
die is not dcceiving u.s."
What is poor, ben.pecked man to do.
l grumble and resist and yield, as have
often grumbied and resisted before, and
as doubtless shall do again.
"Laddie once found man in the snow
before, but he was dead" Jessie SAYS, as
she hurries of to fill a flask of brandy,
and get ready some blankets for us to
take with us. In the meantime rouse
the servants. They are all English, with
the exception of Donald, the gardener.
and can see they are scofingly skeptical
OF Ladies' sagacity, and inwardly dis
gusted at having to turn out of their warm
beds and face the bitter winters night.
"Dinna trouble yoursels," hear old
DOnal1 say. THE mistress is right
enough. Aud Laddie is cleverer than
many Christian, and will find something
in the shaw this night. 50
Don't sit up, JESSIE" say as we
start; we may be out half the night ON
this wild-gOOse chase"
Follow Laodie Closely" is the only
answer she makes.
The dog springs forward with a Joyous
bark, constantly locking back to see if we
are following. As we pass through the
the moon struggles for a moment through
the driving clouds, and lights up with q
sickly CLEAN the snow.clad country before
us. Its like hunting for a needle in a
bundle of hay, sir" says John, the coach.
man, confidentially, Ito think q we
should find anybody ON such a night as
this! Why, in some places the snow 10
more than q couple o. feet thick, and it
goes again reason to think that dumb
animal would have the sense to come
home and fetch help."S
"Bide wee, bide wee, )" says old Don
aid. II dinna ken what your English
dugs can do; but . collie, though it 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," Hs N& @s,B.t
II amt deridin' of 'em," says John.
only say as how if they be SO very
clever Tee never seen It,"
"Ye wull, though, we wull," says old
Donald, as he hurries forward after Lad
die, who has now settled down intD a
swinging trot, and is taking his way
straight across the loneliest part of the
bleak moor. The cold wind almost cuts us
in two, and whirls the snow into our faces,
nearly binding US. My fnger-tips are
becoming numbed, icicles hang from my
noustache and beard, and my feet and
legs are soaking wet, even ttfoagh my
shOOting boots and stout leather leggings.
The moon has gone in again, and the
light from the lantern we carry is barely
sufficient to show US the inequalities in
the heighth of the snow, by which we are
guessing our path. begin to wish l had
stayed q. home \ : 4 ssss.msss.g@s -:
begin to consider whether / NAV venture
to give up the search (which 1 have under
taken purely to satisfy my wife, for am
like John, and WON'T believe In Laddie),
when suddenly hear aahOut in front 81
me, and see Donald, vhO has all the time
been keeping close to Laddie, drop a NJ
knees and begin digging Wildly in the
snow with his hands. We IL mn foe.
ward. Laddie has stdpeod 6 What appear,
to be the foot of a stSnto1 -. Cd. eteer
scratching and whining fm : nnm0ik. ID
down and watches, leaving III MT 8 q.
What is it that appean wAeA No hass
sboveled away the snoWt ~ dn1k Obiec4
Is it bundle of f9ngt lesltor, alasl
was it-a human bel ~ sl1De il caro-
warm blankets with uhleh sll5ss1as.
thought has provided -. 1na M
lantern" I say. huskfly ~ q 81 kold1