The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-08-12
PEDRO.

4 Pedro is a doc to begin with; so, if
sny reader thinks this story is to be
3 about an emperor, or even Portuguese
y grandee, and wishes to read that kind
A Of story and isn't willing to read just
an everyday kind of a dog story. he
i had better pass by this article alto
q gether
y Pedro began life under difficulties.
4 Bis mother did not move in good So
ciety 1t may have been on account of
a her color, for she was very black. 1t
4 may have been on account of her edu-
cation-for she hadn't any worth speak
ing Of. 1t may have been because her
mother or mothers mother or grand
motheE or ever so many great-grand-
mothers, didn't go into good society.
They were very common family of
dogs, who would lick the bones thev
aie and make noise with their mouths
when they drank.
Pedro was born in a barn; that was
against him. And it was rag-dealer's
barn at that, and his first bed was a
pile of smelly rags, and as his mother
had five other little dogs exactly his
ageto look after, she couldn't wash and
dress him properly, or tie his tail up in
papers to make it curl gracefully, or do
any Of those things that well-bred dog
mothers are in the habit of doing for
their dog babies. @r~F
Pedro opened his eyes one morning
snd looked about him. What do YOU
think he saw? A big boy with basket
and six stones in it. The boy took
stone and began tying it to Pedro's
neck with piece of cord. He did the
same thing to all of Pedro's brothers
and sisters. Did Pedro think it strange?
Not a bit Of it-he was so Young and
gnorant that he thought that was what
boys and stones and cords were for.
but fedro s mother, poor thing, she
Knew what it all meant She knew
nat OF all the diseases incident to
puppyhood, boys and stones. compli-
esled with cords, was the most fatal.
fedro s mother had lost seventeen of
aef earnings in a similar way. Talk
soout scarlet fever, or the Group, or
aphtheria after that! She kissed her
precious children, moaned over them a
:l''e and when they were taken away
MAJ ma basket, was so overcome that she
saon' even strength enough to lift her
uooplng tail and wag them "a agood-bye.
Inc noy took the basket to a bridge,
aa lifting the puppies one by one, sent
nelh over the parapet-down-down
% an anchorage at the bottom of the
nser; Pedro didn't like it. It made
MN dizzy going down; the weight of
ale stone made the cord cut his neck,
aau the water was cold. He went
selsight to the bottom, and would have
earowned there like the rest if the cord
naa eeen stronger. But the cord broke.
.earo found out that he could swim
alu ne made for the shore. He was
.say eoid' very wet, very much dis
outraged. He did not like to 90 back
saere that speckled- faced boy was; be-
aaes' ne didn't know the way. So he
u Iaae up his mind that he would set up
travels. '- 'o' ''' oi'0o oii MS
ne was little fellow, but he grew
Few IN spite of the kicks and cuffs that |
nc Se met IN spite of the stonines that bad
III s9s gave him. in spite of being only |
- Ia,. led, Grew to be big, black, |
~ osagsy dog. with kind eye, and one |
al. = 'ne most friendly and wagiferous |
sa s.;s !. ever knew. And couldn't he |
ssli' ill., lie Just plowed right along in
r.. H. water, steering himself with his
,a.sssy - 4. tail, and winking and blinking
: sas sus Ir waves, that in the sunlight winked
aaa phnked at him.
,lape put ne had no home-poor dog. He |
d,an DIP ~ the by-ways and hedges and /
ma Sppea In at wagon-sheds and crept |
NJ l. I road-slde carts, and sometimes
srn - lad to sleep in the great broad fields
ssp e the clover and the daisies. He
as-.s aa.'sd a home badly enough-every
8 does. But nobody would take him
NH m ne O.. used to get driven off of premises
bas. l seicks and whips and stones. No
bsrs seemed to want him, and he would
hsrS iooKed upon this world as a verv
na~ a,u world on dogs had he not seen,
xaro anu then, some boys and girls that
se aeated quite as badly as he was.
va lungs went on for two wears. 1t
nod has ,as close OF summer. The golden
s;sas aau pegun to blossom on the road
h ss - and Pedro knew that frost would
80 w ere many weeks. He was in
and Ssioe - town, for he loved the ocean,
hm.naess ne SAT down ON the beach to think
shiftlana hen over. He was getting to be
s1aaess. he would wear burrs in his
shssas !. coat for days and days, and
lessnasa9 M 9og gets to this point of shift
leaf ne must either turn over new
lid NJ, !, 90 to the bad pretty rapidly. He
b. ros ~us want to get into low-lived ways.
'asa dog of excellent intentions re-