Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1878-03-23
Continued from first page.)

we left him y
| solemnly swear that had nothing to
do with IL. / was like man in dream,
waiting quietly to wake up to find out
something which wasn't clear in my mind
That dog picked out the places where we
camped picked out the grog-shan-
ties on the road. and made me stop and
drink, picked out the creeks where / got
water TO boil for dinner and tea, and led
me through thick and thin, until we came
10 a wooden hut, dozen miles away
IRON any tent on the road. 1t vas noon
when we came to this hut. The dog had
behaved himself very strangely all that
morning. He wouldn't let me have a
moments rest. He was whining and
jumping about the whole of the time, and
running before me as il | wasn't quick
enough for him. We had been out tor
five days, and had walked, dare say, a
matter of hundred and forty miles.
Within the last mile or two had noticed
few shallow holes sunk long while
since, and | thought it likely they had
been sunk by 10 the Tinman and Dutch
Louis.
But with the exception of my notion
that there had been foul play, and my faith
in Lion, and my belief that he was lead
ing to place where | should make dis
covery, had no clue to guide me. When
we came to the wooden hut, Lion behaved
as If he had really gone mad. He barked
and whined to such a degree that he set
two other dogs at the back of the hut
barking and whining in chorus. The
noise brought man to the door, who
asked what the hot place | wanted about
his tent tor, and whether saw anything
that did not belong TO me that had taken
fancy to? '
do you take me for a thief, mate ?" ]
asked In pretty quarrelsome manner,
for my bleod was up.
'4es, l do" he said, land that's fiat.
l suppose your mates are pretty close be-
hind you?"
What mates?" asked.
"What mates ~ he shouted, in furious
passion. ''D'ye think I'm a greenhorn.
yen skulking thief? Dye think | don't
know that dog there The last time | saw
bin, the two skunks that were with him
stole my tea, stole my sugar. and stole my
axe, curse them They wouldn't have stole
much more, can tell you, II had caught
them. | would have shot them as lief as
l would dingo."
l was civil in minute
"Ihat was more than year ago, mate 2
/ said.
''Yes, it was more than a year ago,
mate," he repeated, in such sneering
manner that it was as much AS could do
TO keep my hands down. And you pre-
tend not to know anything about it, do
you? Look here now. am going to
fetch my gun, and ii you are not off when
come back, III put few sugs into your
thieving carcass!' ~
With that he ran into the hut to fetch his
gun.
/ knew he meant what he said, and as
didn't want to quarrel just then, | walked
away. | was so confused in nv mind.
what with passion, and doubt, and tear,
that did not for long time discover that
we were off the track, but when did no.
tice it, it did not trouble me, for Lion was
scudding along in front of me, with his
chain trailing loose on the ground, and
looking back every minute TO make sure
that ] was following him.
We must have gone about six miles from
the hut, and were in the midst of a thick
bush, when Lion suddenly stopped still,
about fifty yards ahead of me. He APP
peared to be very agitated, and when
reached his side he was scratching at the
earth iuriously and tossing it wildly about.
When ! saw that, | was prepared for
everything.
went away from the spot where Lion
was tearing at the earth, and the dumb
beast looked at me, wistfully, AS if he
thought was going to give up the search
at the last moment But didn't intend
to do that | was going farther into the
bush to see if | could discover something
u did not know what, perhaps button
"a OIL 10 the Tinman's clothes, perhaps
cap. handkerchief, anything. And did
Soddened down into the earth with the
rain. buried beneath fallen twigs and
branches, with its handle worm-eaten and
rotten, and its steel black and rusty, !
found-an axe. The very axe. perhaps,
that Dutch Louis had stolen from the hut.
took 1t up carefully, for ! irembled to
think that some of the rust upon it might
be the rust of poor JOS blood.
went back to the dog he was stand
ing 10 the middle OF hole he had
scratched out. and was whining in most
awiuily distressing manner over some
charred bones. AS the dog raised his
head to the skies, ] saw the tears running
down his face, and his whines sounded like
iamentatlon for the dead and appeal for
justice.
thought how strangely things came
about. Here was foul murder discov-
cred all through little matchbox not
worth twopence. knew how the murder |
had been committed as well as if | had |
seen it. Here was my poor old mate, |
asleep. There was Dutch Louis standing |
over him with an ak, hungering for his |
gold. Down comes the ak, once, twice,
aye, again and again to make sure. Good |
by, poor Joi you've got your ticket-of
leave, in real earnest. and nobody can
cancel it now. Then Dutch Louis had |
burnt poor old 10, and had buried what
be couldt get rid of. / hadn't had any
thing to eat all the day, but didn't feel
bit hungry; was filed with something
else. knelt before Lion and told him
the whole story. as it had passed through |
my mind, and Lion looked at me solemn
ly the while, and when / finished, his
lace grew as stern as mine was-he had
made up his mind to avenge his masters
murder!
''Shake hands on it, Lion, " said. And
he placed his paw on the palm of my
hand, with fire in his eyes.
| was no time finding my way IN the