The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-07-16

pot empty. AS the little girl handed him
the treasures he arose, took tho box to
the window, examined its contents for q
moment, and then, as if in joyful sur
prise, said:
ST am right They are the very
spoons! The very same identical spoons
that my friend lost when he was boy?
How lucky it Is that have found them
at last!'
With these words and very low bow,
the rascal opened the door ana slipped
away with the spoons and silver cream
pitcher down the path toward the gate.
For an instant Carrie stood motion
less; then, rushing after him, she
shrieked:
ssGive me those spoons. They are my
mothers spoons, and you are trying to
| steal them! You are thief, thief!
Bring them back! bring them back!''
The man, however, paid no attention
to the child's cries, but ran rapidly down
the path, carrying the box in his arms;
and the spoons and pitcher would have
been lost forever if new party had not
appeared on the scene.
| Old Dan was quietly nibbling the
grass near the gateway. Hearing his
little mistress's voice he looked up at the
very instant that the tramp passed. What
he saw about the man that disturbed him
I don't know; but, erecting his head,
| with hoarse ssBa-a-ap' he shot after him
| like a cannon-ball.
The man turned to receive him and de-
| fend himself, but the ram struck him
fairly in the front and knocked him, half
senseless, flat on his back, scattering the
silver in all directions.
| For an instant the fellow remained
sprawling in the dust, then he slowly
arose, hmping and groaning, and with
but glance at his enemy, began to gather
up his stolen spoils.
He had partly completed his task when
old Dan, who, all this time, had been
watching the proceedings from beneath
his shaggy eyebrows, shook his long
beard, and with another tremendous
"Ba-a-ap dashed at him again, and over
he went a second time, his treasures fly
ing from his hands.
And now began strange battle. With
cries of rage and pain the man recovered
his feet and turned upon the ram, kick
ing and striking at him furiously, while
Dan, accustomed to such warfare from
years of experience with the boys of the
countryside, easily eluded him, and in
return butted him to the earth again and
again.
The spoons and cream-pitcher were
| knocked hither and thither, as the COM
batants struggled, the road was trampled
into something like arace-course, the air
was filed with very bad language, very
angry "bass" and great cloud of dust
But after some five minutes victory de-
clared itself on the side OF the quadruped,
and bruised and bleeding, with clothes in
rags, minus hat and shoes, the van
quished man suddenly turned away and
ran limping down the road, leaving his
antagonist in full possession of the field
and broken silver.
Old Dan remained motionless, gazing
after his enemy until he disappeared
around distant turn in the road; then,
shaking the dust from his coarse wool, he
gave utterance to low groan of satisfac
tion, and wagging his tail, returned to his
dinner in front of the house.
Half an hour later, as Carrie washed
the coveted spoons and the bright little
pitcher and laid them carefully away once
more, she told her brother the story, and
how the robber was foiled; and Ned, full
of enthusiasm, cried:
''We will not kill old Dan at all, for I
do not believe that father would shoot him
now for hundred dollars?"
And the boy was right. The old ram
won more than he knew when he fought
the tramp and conquered him. He won
his masters regard, and free, happy
| life for the remainder of his days.