The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-05-11

anity against ghosts and gobKas.
They had little faith in the old maa,
but went their whole pile on that |
dog. That's where they we're mista-
ken. 7
"The house stood almost three hNb- !
dred feet from the nearest cave, aid !
on dark nights, being in a hollow,
was as lonely as if it had been gu the
top of Shasta. II you ever saw the
spot when there was just moon
enough to bring out the little cur.
rounding clumps of chapparal until
they looked like connecting figures,
and made the bits Of broken quartz
glisten like skulls, you'd begin to ur =.
derstand how zig a contract that man
and that yellow dog undertook.
"They went into possession that
afternoon, and old Hard Times set
out to cook his supper. When it was
over he eat down by the embers and
lit his pipe, the yellow dog lying at
his feet. Suddenly Rap! rap" comes
from the door. Come in,' says the
man, gruttly. rap" again. Come
in and be id to you,' says the man,
who has no idea of getting up to
open the door. But no one respond.
ed, and the next moment smash goes
the ouly sound pane in the only win
dow. Seeing this, old Hard Times
gets up, with the devil in his eye and
a revolver in his hand, followed by
the yellow dog with every tooth show.
ing, aud swings open the door. N"
one there! But as the man opened
the door, that yellow dog, that had
been 80 clipper before, suddenly 10
gins to crouch and step backward,
step BY step, trembling and shiVer-
ing, aud at last crouches down in the
chimney, without even 80 much as
looking at his master. The man
slams the door shut again, but there
comes another smash. This time it
seems to come from inside the cabin,
and it isn't until the man looks around
and sees everything quiet that he
gets up, without speaking, and makes
a dasl, for tho door, and tears ronnd
outside the cabin like mad, but fluids
nothing but silence and darkness.
Then he comes back swearing and
calls the dog. Bat the great yellow
dog that the boys would have staked
all their money on, is crouct'iog un-
Ider the bunk, and has to he dragged
out like a COOP from a hollow tree,
and lies there, his eyes starting from
their sockets, every limb and muscle
)quivering with fear, and his very hair
drawn up in bristling ridges. The
man calls him to the door. He drags
himself a few steps, stops, shifts, and
refuses to 90 further. The man calls
him again with an oath and 4 threat:
Then, what does that yellow dog do !
He crawls edgewise toward the door
crouching himself against the bunk
till he's Aatter than a knife blade
, then half way, he stops. Then thai
id yellow dog begins to walk gin
eerly-lifting each foot up 10 the air
r one after the other, still trembling il
, every limb. Then he stops again
Then he stops again. Then he crouch
. es. Then he gives one little shudder
ing leap-not straight forward, cu
f up-clearing tue floor about six in
> cLes. as it."
"Over Observation-Disclosures tn
Z Judge, hastily, lifting himself on bi
: elbow.
a The doctor stopped instantly
8 GUAM" he said cody, to one Of tn
Mexican hackers, "qnit foolin' will
;, that RATA. You'll have that stalk
out and that mule loose 10 anothe
q minute. Come over this way!"
Il The MEXICAN turned a scared
9 white face to the doctor, mutterin
y and let in the deer-skin hide. w
!. all I'D. raised our voices with one az
}. cord, the Judge most penitently an
j. apologetically, aud implored the doc
d tor to 90 on. "I'll shoot the fri
. man who interrupts you again." I'd
l. ded Thornton, persuaslvely.
3, But the doctor, with bis hands LAT
j. cuidly onder his head, had lost b
l. interest. "WeIl, the dog ran off
Is the hills, and neither the threats nj
X csjqleries Of his master could ev'
If make him enter the cabin again. II
3; next day the man left the cam
b. What time is i'll Getting on to SUI
lg down ain'tit3 Keep off my leg, wi
4. you. YOU d-n Greaser, and stop tun
ty Lling round thele! Lie down."
ID But We knew that the doctor bs
10 not completely finished his story, al
~ We waited patiently for the concl
DE- sion. Meanwhile the old, gray,
j. |epce of the woods again asserted
It, self--but shadows were now beg'
to ming to gather 10 the heavy beams
or The roof above, aud the dim ais'
ir. seemed to I've narrowing and clos'
b. in around as. Presently the doct
he recommended lazily, as ifno interru
ed ton had occurred.
8; As said before, never put mu
iii faith 10 that story, aud shouldn't ha
81. told it, but for a rather curious
it> perience of my own. 1t was in
III spring of 81, and 1 was one of TO
ir- coming up from O'NeilI's where
had been showed up. 1t was aw
Sc weather; the snow had changed
en- sleet aud rain after We bad eros
i've he divide, and the water was
in. everywhere every ditch was ere
me every creek a river. We had !
os. two horses on the Truth Fork,
ich we're dead beat, off the trail
, a slosbing round, with night coming
ine aud tho level hail like shot in
,m. faces. Things were looking 81
ion aud scary, when, riding little all!
,rs. If the party, I saw = light twink
the in q hollow beyond. My horse
ted still fresh, and, calling out to the b
uas tn fnllow ma and bear for tho LII