Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-03-16
"ROUSER. "

IbOCtoIDs
We never knew where he came from; but
one frosty morning when we went out to the
diggings there be sat, detected and forlorn,
beside Doc Furber's rocker.
"What have l done p exclaimed Doc,
striking tragic attitude.
There was a shout Of laughter, for certain
ly no one had ever seen an uglier dog. Snub-
nosed, crop-eared, one eye white and the
other yellow, his 1cshless skeleton covered
with coarse yellow coat-there he sat stat
ue-like, without taking the least notice of US,
neither raising his eyes nor wagging his tail.
Indeed, the poor brute had no tail to wag.
And in addition to his long list of misfor-
tunes he seemed to have been badly wound.
ed in some recent conflict, for his wounds
were still bleeding.
Lend me your revolver said Charley
Hines to Fritz Muller.
NO" said Dutch Fritz don't waste pow
der. lays him out NIT dis rock"
Davy Blake caught up shovel, and would
soon have ended the dogs career, if Hank
Howley had not interfered, to the surprise of
ALL
In all the three months we had picked and
shovelled and rocked and panned together in
the Sky High claim, no one had ever discoy-
tIeu any hOlAnthh III Alhuh A1Ohlcys
We had come together, a party of five,
from different parts of the world, and formed
a partnership TO work out rich mountain
claim in the Sierras.
We had been strangers to each other when
we consolidated our claims into a partner
ship, for purposes of economy in labor and
living But We soon became acquainted, and
we were speedily in possession of all the
early history" desirable with regard to each
other, except that of Hank Howley he new
er talked about himself, and seemed to re-
sent any curiosity concerning his personal af-
fairs He was rough, reserved, and some
what surly but he was always ready to take
upon himself the hardest and most unpleas-
ant tasks. His giant frame and iron muscles
seemed made for hard work and endurance.
The laugh went round as Hank went up to
the ugly brute, patted his head, and examin-
ed his wounds in what seemed to be pro-
fessionsl manner.
The dog preserved the utmost indifference
while his case was being discussed, never sp-
pearing conscious of human presence. But
when Hanks examination was ended he
licked his hand in gentle, melancholy way,
and then followed him to the cabin. The
cruel wounds were dressed, and the poor
waif was sumptuously regsled with some ba-
con rind and three generous Aspjacks left
from the morning meal
Old Butte, the camp dog, greeted the new
conner with a vindictive growl; but Hauk
bade him get out! - so fercely that Butte
retreated from the cabin, and the stranger
took his place by the camp fire.
The more the miners and Butte abused the
new dog, the more Hank petted him. He let
him sleep at his feet in his bunk, and fed hin
| from his own tin plate. One Saturday nigh
| the air was more piercing than usual, anC
Hank Howley INDUCED in considerable grum
bling at himself for leaving his coat at thu
head dam, a mile distant, where we had al
been working He was sitting on a benct
wrapped i'll his blanket, and smoking a home
made manzanita pipe, when Fritz exclaimed
| Hank, vere's de dogI'
He hasn't been in for supper suggested
Doc.
Base ungrateful pup ~ said Charley
You've seen the last of your coyote
Hank. told you SO, added Davy.
He was a cur of low degree resumed
Charley. "A hgh.ton dog like Butt
would never 60 back on his friends in tina
manner Eh, Butte ?"
Don't you worry yourself about tina
dog" growled Hank. He amt your dog
I'll bet four bits he's all right,
No one took the bet.
Presently Andy Ance offered to sell Hank
ine fox hound.
I've no use for him, Hank replied. NV
got the best dog in the Sierras, and mayb
you'll find it out if you live long enough"
We did.
All day Sunday no pug nosed dog appear
ed, and all day running fire of jest an
comment was kept up about the vagran
The neigLboring miners, as they dropped j
to chat and smoke by our fire, never failed
say, "Why, Hank, where's your dog?' unit
at last Hanks temper, never of the bes
fairly gave out.
On Monday morning, when we went bac
to work at the dam, there was the dog faitl
fully watching Hanks coat.
All through those bitter nights he ha
watched by 1t, without food or shelter M
even lying down upon 1t for warmth. Il
was shaking as with an ague fit but the loo
he gave Hauk seemed to say, II can not
much for you, my friend, but have kel
you coat safe"
Didn't l tell you so ?" said Hank proud,
Public sentiment instantly turned in Il
dogs favor, as We gathered around him, al
showered upon him such terms as "GoC
dogw ''Nice pup" Poor fellow J"
"Why, he's a rouser of dog, after all
said Doc, giving him the biscuit he ha
brought for his own luncheon.
and from that time he was the prime favori
of the camp. Even Buttes selfish hea
warmed toward him, and many merry tu
sic they had together
That same day it began to snow. 1t snow
and it showed. We gathered up rocker
J shovels, and pans. The snow covered Il
powders then it buried the chaparral al
manzanita bushes then all the miners ca
j ins and still it came down. 1t nearly fill
. the valley full.
10 There were eight or ten miners cabins
the vicinity, their locality being indicated
q one or two holes in the snow, and marked
: stakes bearing inscriptions like these;
Q Twenty feet to Billy Brooke's Cabin
0 Cabin of the Merry Miners, three yards
: low" doc Furber Hank Howley, ~ C
1 twenty five feet" Grand Hotel Beans a
4 Bacon at all hours; two rods"
+ We kept the fire roaring, read the old !
pers over and over, went out and shot gar
Q now and then, had games of rough -and-tu
a BILE and snowballing, told stories, and smok
% our pipes under the snow as cheertully as
l. greasy Esquimaux.
l. hole in the snow let in the light to h
d in our cabin, and at this window Butte
4" Rouser invariably took his station at me
a time; it was not large enough for both
once. Our table was under this window, q
n refuse bits of bread and bacon were tossed
4 the lucky dog in the window. Butte, be
N of a lazy turn, could wait more patiently,
u he usually took his station at the window
n soon as the savory fumes of frying bacon
"a eended to the upper air. Rouser would co
i to the hole aud bark sayagely, but he co
n not frighten Butte away. AT last Rouser
sorted to artifce. One dinner-tim he rusl
into a little clump of pines barking furious