Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-01-27
Faithful Old Argus.

Argus was an old watchdog, and be-
longing to farmers family in Albany,
n. 81. Having long outlived his useful
ness Gas it was presumed), his owners
had determined to put him out of the
way, and had several times disposed Of
him, they thought, but he had always re,
turned to them alive and we'll.
Finally neighbor called one day,
with his rifle in his hand. He had been out
after fox. One of the bows laid in with
him to take Argus out in the woods and
shoot him. The old dog was always
crazy to follow gun. He lay in the
she'd and heard the conversation, and
when, finally the rifeman called to him
he got up and followed him out,-fol-
lowed him around to the rear of the barn,
and there disappeared.
1t would seem that he understood ex-
actly the meaning Of the compact which
had been framed against his life. At all
events, he disappeared, and for six days
we saw him not, though two or three
| times we fancied we could detect his
tracks, where he had been at the swill-
tub during the night
The Seventh night of the dogs alb
sence was the night of Saturday. dur
ing the day soap had been made and
boiled down, and heavy baking done in
the old oven. Somewhere past midnight
all hands were aroused by the barking
and bowling, and whining and scratching
OF old Argus. We knew the voice, but
we were determined not to let him in.
He redoubled his cries and his scratching
| upon the door.
At length the head of the family, in
his wrath, took down loaded musket-
loaded for a hawk,-and threw up a win
dow of the sitting-room. No sooner was
the sash raised than the old dog came in
with a bound, and without stopping to
see what his reception was to be, he leap
ed through the door opening from the
great kitchen out into the washroom and
wood shed, where he howled and scratch
ed like one possessed.
John and knew that something must
be wrong outside. so we untastened the
door, and as we opened it the dog
bouneded out to the shed where there
, was great wooden box half filled with
ashes.
But we had to go no further to Iearr
what was the matter. The shed was fl
lCu Will Si1ohC, dutl d sldI CTdChlluS
broke upon our ears. The ash-box wa
on fire, from GOALS which had been care
J, lessly thrown in during the afternoon be
! fore, and the fire had taken to the dr.
pine partition between the she'd an,
ash room. and had made its way almo S
to the root.
3 A smart wind was blowing and in tel
minutes more the fire would have bee
beyond our control. and those ten min
: utes would have been given to the enem
o but for the dog. AS it was. having wa,
!. er handy, we put out the fire with onl
d the loss of an ash-box and a part of til
o partition; but the experience gained VIZ
"a worth more then that.
,r Grand old dog! He had crept to tn
It house to satisfy his hunger from the poi
= swill-bucket fearing death if he were di
,e covered; but when he found danger to Il
lie family,-a danger which he must ha,
,e mprehended, instantly, and con
ee pletely,-he thought no more of sci
to save those whom he had loved BEGAN
rs sole object, and how he did it we ha,
w seen. Be sure there were no mo
ne thoughts of killing that dog, nor of gi
n. ing him away.