The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-04-11
Let me just read it over

to the table, and opened one of the vol
umes at marked place
For quarter of an hour, he sat, and
never raised his eyes from the book !;
then, leaving it open, he pushed it lit
| tie way aside, and called the dog. 1t
was on his knee in a second.
pickle" he said, gently, would you
| like to TALK"
Glow, WOW, wowr"
''No, not to bow, WOW, WOW, but to
talk-like do?"
The dog put its head on one side and
looked at him earnestly. with that pain
| full endeavor to understand which every
one who talks to a dog must often have
noticed.
Let me See what it says once more"
muttered her master, aud he turned to
the book again. ''Hm power of
strong will-condition produced by mes
act on brain and torgue--transmitted ca
pacity and sympathetic action on mus
cles. Yes, I'll do it, come what may"
With these words he lifted the dog
from his knee and placed it upon the ia
BILE in front of him, so that its face was
level with his then he raised his finger
and exclaimed, pickle, look at mel"
The dogs eyes was riveted on his in IA
moment The last rays of the Novem
Der sun had long ago departed, and the
room was filed with visible darkness
which gives wierd aspect to the com
:1onest objects. In this obscurity, re
lieved only by fiful fare from the dy-
ing embers in the CRATE, the pupils of
the animal appeared to the young man
to dilate under his glance, and become
balls of liquid fire. Never for moment
allowing his steadfast gaze to vary, he
lifted his hands quickl y from his side and
made the usual passes, adding to them
certain others, evidently prescribed in
the recently studied article.
Al the first few strokes, the dog trem-
bled violently, and the bristles rose
round its neck like ruff. Then it sud
denly became rigid; the jaws dropped
asunder, and the ears We're pricked in al
most painful tension.
pickle !" exclaimed the young man,
bringing his face suddenly so close to
the dogs that their noses touched
"Plcklel'' speak to me- Say master"
The open jaws closed with a sudden
snap; the lips twitched spasmodicaIly
the working of the throat showed that
the tongue was violently agitated.
"Pickle, if you love me speak"
The words were this time accompa-
MED by powerful attack on the animals
brain and tongue. The same symptoms
followed the second appeal; and then
from between the clenched teeth there
came, harsh and grating, as though tear
ing its way up the dogs throat, the word
"Master"
Pronounced in an unearthly tone, the
word, half expected as it was, had mo-
mentary effect upon the operators
nerves but before the current of his in
huence over the dog had been destroyed,
he recovered himself, and continued his
experiment.
.'Do you understand what | say to
yoa?"
This time lhe answer fell easily and
softly from the dogs lips. The unused
m. scles of the throat had, under the in
fl n'nce Of Won Glabenism, got quickly
the first shock, and fallen at once
into working order.
81 understand all you say to me-"
"Can you speak except under the in
fluence? | mean, could you speak if |
withdraw my eyes from you-so|
The young man turned away, and de
stroyed for moment, the rapport be-
tween the dog and himself The animal
Was powerless to reply Resumng the
former conditions, the operator then con
tinued:
''Do YOU retain the remembrance of
your former life, or are you o5livious of
the past?"
"You use very long words"
''ls your condition altered; Do you
remember anything that happened to-
day."
Il am still your little dog Pickle, and
please will you give me that bone you
sent away on your plate at dinner
time?"
Eyes; and every night, if you are
you've been mesmerized. | want you to
90 about into peoples garden and houses,
aud hear all you can, and then in the
evening you must tell me all about it.
Eyes; but let me 60 now. | want to
scratch myself, and l can't move my
leg"
Rapidly making the liberating passes
the young man withdrew his eyes from
the dog, and instantly springing from
tbs table, it rolled over on the hearth
rug, and heaving deep sigh, went off
into doze. 1t was evident that the ex-
pertinent had Frustrated the dog, and
left it weak and languid. For the mo
ment even the bone was forgotten.
No. at first did the full meaning Of the |
feat he had performed dawn upon
Pickles master 1t was only by degrees, |
as he sat thanking before the dying EN-
bers, that the revelation game to him of
what he might accomplish with a talk |
irg dog. He never for moment enter
tanned the idea of making the discovery
public. Rather should it be to him a
source of secret enjoyment, heightened
by the knowledge that the whole pro-
ceeding was in direct violation of the |
laws of nature, and as uncanny as the
wild revels peculiar to a witch.
For many night after that Rickle
and her master talked together for a
quarter of an hour in the evening. The |
doors were always carefully locked be- |
fore the preiiminaries commenced, and |
the Won Glabenistic influence was linn
tied to short period, as the dog evil |
IDENTIFY suffered physically if the inter
view Was prolonged.
An intelligent and observant animal,
Pickle brought to her master many
queer items of news about his neighbors,
and be encouraged her prying habits,
having already conceived The idea Of
earning fame as an amateur detective,
and employing the dog as an unsuspect-
ed agent.
When Pickle had anything of import
ance to communicate, her intelligence
was rewarded with a choice bone; but
when she had been spending the day with
other DOGS. and listening to them instead