The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1883-10-10

and the cow alone, when she suddenly
felt called upon to exclaim:
ooh, that dogp
TO be sure, that dog. Tsar was on
the other side of the road and he did
not seem to be taking any particular
notice of her, but thus Percie truly re-
marked Of him:
" lie is perfectly enormousp'
She forgot about the COW in an in
stant, but she did not speak her opin-
ion directly to the dog Neither did
she think Of sketching him, although
he was certainly worth it. She seemed
hardly to care to look at him.
Tsar, on his part, had taken a good
look at Percie Lee. He was not mis-
taken about her for one moment.
"Very nice girl. Well dressed.
Pretty, too; but she's out late. Most
likely her family are friends of DR..
Gorham. 1 must have an eye on that
young lady. 1t is getting dark"
That eye was what startled Percie
so dreadfully a moment later; for she
happened to look behind her, and there
was that vast creature solemnly stalk
ing after her.
"He is following me p she ex-
claimed.
Not doubt of it, and the fact that
he stopped or went on just a. she did
hardly seemed to help the matter. 1t
was getting darker and more shadowy
every moment, and Percie wouli have
been almost willing to run, if she had
not feared that if she did the dog
would run too. He appeared larger
and larger every time she glanced be-
hind her, until she was afraid to look
again, and her breathing grew a little
hurried.
"Nobody's any business to have such
dogl" she gasped in whisper. "It's
awful"
"She seems to be scared about some
thing" thought Tsar. Girls are apt
TO be timid. All, l see It's those
ragged rascals coming down the road.
Villainou looking vagabonds. If
there is anything in this world that
hate, it is a tramp"
This IS q universal sentiment among
dogs Of Tsar's social standing; but
the three ruflians who were now ap-
preaching were either ignorant of
that fact, or did not know that such a
dog was so very near.
Dreadful menp p had been the un-
spoken thought in the mind of Percie
Lee, and it was followed by a doubt as
to whether she should ever again dare
to come down to the cove.
,lv NnH hA leland - IL
said, "but l will come in the fore
noon."
The three men were walking abreast
now, and they were plainly determined
not to turn to the right hand or the
left for Percie Lee. She hal just time
to grasp that terrible idea and to feel
her heart jump, when one of them
actually spoke to her.
She never knew what he said, and
her only reply, as she retreated few
steps, was an altogether unintended
little scream. 1t was not loud one,
and there was mere surprise in it than
fear, but it was followed by remark
able consequences.
Tsar had quickened his lorlly pace
lull Ih tlll1 Ou11lOAs anu All
some reason of his own he had adj
vanced little under the shadow of the
fence: but his eyes had not wandered
from the human beings in the road
before him. His head and tail were
raised trihe, and there was a very
peculiar expression on his broad hairy
face. There was no love of tramps in
it at all.
"Oh, now, we hain't hurt you. You
needn't squall."
That was what the second of those
three ruilians began to say, when an
awful, wrathful, roaring growl, as of
warning, sounded flom some deep
iawed cavern among the shadows at
the right of Percie Lee. 1t was fol-
lowed, in one long, elastic, power-eX-
pressing bound, by a huge dark form
that in one second was crouching in
! front of her.
The first and second tramp upset
the third, and tumbled over him, so
sudden was the retreat they made,
while Tsar, for their special benefit
and more at length, repeated his
RIOWli NlJu a ouppAOlhC1p'ig ohdi4
that sounded fearfully like the an
nouncement of another spring for
ward.
The remarks made by all of those
vagabonds, as they scrambled to their
feet, were in a manner complimentary
to Tsar, although not intended to be SO.
Percie Lee stood behind her protec-
tor, and she could not see, as they
did, the white rows of cleaning teeth
and the fierce green light in the
threatening eyes. She could perfectly
understand, however, that there was
an enormous amount of very good
dog between her and any further ap-
prOacb to ruflianly insolence. She was
almost astonished at the sudden feel
ing of security which came upon her
and at the entire ease with which she
began to breathe again.
diI Gnrinn He did hnt