Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-11-16
NO 272.
Gales aud Sketfhes.
"FRED:" 4 TALE FROM JAPAN.


company Of melancholy traveller. No
body, of course, took any notice of the
dog at the time. and he, on his part.
avoided all familiarity with strangers,
| having. apparently, eyes and ears only
| tor his master, wnom he followed everv-
| where e..
This mastr, Mr.. Alexander Young,
was rather mysterious character No
| one knew when he came or where he was
| bound. The captain of the "Georgiana''
had made his acquaintance in Java, and
| had given him IA passage to Japan on very
| moderats terms. During the voyage,
Alexander Younger Sandy, as he was
| commonly called-spoke very little, but
| drank a good deal. The captain, who.
when at sea, made it a rule never to drink
| anything stronger than water, was not at
| all disinclined, when ashore, to indulge in
| an extra bottle or so. In consequence.
| he treated the weakness of his compan-
| ion with compassionate fellow feeling, and
even felt, on that very account. a sort of
sympathy for him, which showed itself in
many little kindnesses. Sandy was very
grateful; and in his sad, dreamy blue
eyes there was tender aud friendly ex-
preston whenever they rested on the
rugged, weather-beaten features of the
captain.
Fred was Sandys constant COMPANION.
and the dogs nose was never many in
ches distant from his masters heels.
Erred is a curious name for dog"
said the captain. one evening; "why did
you call him SOP" 0fli vl baee
Sandy was silent for fully a minute,
and then answered softly. because he
was present from my cousin Louisa"
The captain was much impressed by
this unexpected explanation but as he
was himself accustomed to clothe his ideas
in most enigmatical language, he had no
doubt that Sandy's reply had some deep
hidden meaning and without indulging
in indiscreet questions, he made fruit
less efforts to solve the problem unaided.
From that time Sandy rose in his esteem.
Neither Sandy or he ever recurred to the
subject out when, at a later period, the
captain was asked why Mr.. Young's dog
was called Fred" he answered author.
lively, BECAUSE the dog was present
from his cousin Louisa"
Fred was thorough bred bull-terrier.
snow-white, with one black round spot
over his left eye. His fore legs were
bowed, his chest was broad and DO erful.
his head wide and flat as a frogs. His
jaws were armed with a set of short, un.
even, sharp teeth, which seemed strong
enough to crush bar of iron. His ewes 3
were set obliquely in his head, Chinese
fashion nevertheless there was an hon
est and trustw ortby expression in them.
One could see that Fred, though he was
dangerous, was not a savage or a wicked
beast. .., s.a,....
Fred could smile in his grim way, if his
mater showed him bone and said.
"Smilen' But, as a rule. he was as
grave and serious as Young himself. He
was no bully or street fighter. Confident
in his own strength, he looked with con-
tempt on the small ours who barked and
yeped at him. But if large dog, a
worthy adversary, attacked him, he
fought with mute. merciess fury. He
neither barked nor growled on such occa-
sions. but the quick, deep breathing under
which his broad breast heaved, BETRAYED
his inward fury. His green eyes shone
emeralds, and he fastened his fangs into
his enemy with such mad violence that IL
was matter of great diffiulty to make
him loose his hold. AA o.
During six months Sandy and Fred led
Il quiet life at Yokohama. Sandy was
known, it is true, TO consume in private an
incredible amount of spirits but in public
his behavior was unexceptionable, and no
one had ever seen him intoxicated. p A
few days after his arrival, he had bought
one of the rough, ugly little ponies of the
country.
Those who for some reason or another,
stray ed from the beaten paths usually fire.
quented by foreign residents at Yokoha-
ma, declared that they had met Young, the
pony, and Fred in the most unlooked-for
places. The lonely rider, the horse and
the dog appeared, they said. equally lost
in deep reverie. Young smoked; the
pony, with the reins hanging loose on its
neck, walked with his head down. as
though it was studying that road of which
its master took no heed; while Fred fol-
lowed close behind with his dreamy, half
closed eyes fixed on the horses hoofs.
Young never addressed anybody, but re-
turned every salute politely. and, so to
speak, gratefully. The Europeans at Yo-
kohama wondered at their quiet fellow
exile; and the Japanese called him kitch-
tngdy-crazy.
| Young rarely remained in town when
the weather was fine. He would leave
the settlement early in the morning with
his two four-footed companions. and not
return from his ride till dusk. But if it
| IdlDeu dUu DitN Ouc Ut sure
| to meet him on the bund-the street which
leads from the European quarter to the
harbor On such occasions Sandy, with
his hands behind his back, walked slowly
up and down the broad road, with Fred
at his heels as usual; though 1t was eyi-
dent that the poor drenched animal did
not share his masters enjoyment of bad
weather. At intervals Sandy would stop
in his walk and watch with apparent in
terest the boisterous sea and the vessels
that were tossing on it. Whenever this
happened Fred Immediately sat upon his
launches and fixed his blinking eyes on
his masters cOuntenance, as though he
were trying to discover some indication
that he was going to exchange the impas-
sable street for the comfortable shelter Of
his lodgings. Ii Young stayed too long,
Fred would push him gently with his nose
as il to wake him out of his day-dream.
Sandy would then move on again but he
never went home till the storm had abat-
ed or night had set in. This strange. aim.
1