Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1885-10-30
FOR BOYS AND GIRLS,
"swe etnsss" and "Baby.''

They were not exactly bad, but
they were not what you would call
nice brothers. They were fond enough
OF him in their rough way, but they
used to bother him, callinghim Baby
and Sweetness, y and they delighted
in teasing him. Maybe the little
brother ought not to have been so
sensitive, and it was very foolish in
him to cry, when they laughed at him
He wasn't afraid of them, but then
the little brother used to wonder. and
wonder why they were not like the
good brothers in the story books, and
the big brothers kind OF felt sorry for
him, because when they were about he
was not sociable with them, but used
to get out Of their way. !
You see the family lived in the coun.
try, pretty nearly alone, and the lit
tie brother had not any chance to
play with other fellows. Sickly chill
dren are sometimes not very playful,
but the small boy I am writing about
had nothing the matter with him, the
only thing was that the ways OF his
brothers were not his ways. Maybe
they did not understand him, and
perhaps the youngest brother did not
want to be understood. e.
All the brothers were fond OF ami
mails in their particular way, but
can't say that the taste of the eldest
boys, for there were three brothers,
was q nice one. In q kind of Joint
copartnership they owned a big bull
terrier, who: was, as a = dog, =. pretty
much of q bully. His fights with neigh
bors' dogswere constant. AS the bull
terriers battles were almost victor
ious for him the two older boys would
invariably b1ag over how "rige' had
laid out the other dogs. How much
Tige had been bitten or cut Sup they
never thought about. Of course the
younger brother would not have liked
to have had Tige whipped, but when
the dog would comefhome limping and
cut up with big sears all over him, it
was the youngest brother who always
cared for him. The boy would do his
best to make the. dog comfortable,
watching him for days, and keeping
him in his. kennel, for Tige was so
plucky that the very next day after g.
bad fight he would have tried his level
best to get into another scrimmage.
1t was quite plain to see who Tige
liked best. He would come, being an
obedient dog, to the eldest brothers
whenever they called him, but rather
like an humble slave; but when the
youngest boy said, "Here, Tiges'' the
dog would spring up with a bound,
wagging his tail as if he were a dear
friend and comrade,
Now there>is q kind of unwritten
law in. the. country, which, though
cruel in appearance, is, however, just
enough, and that is,,, that all dogs
found worrying sheep must be killed.
It's one Of the bad traits OF a dog
that once he has chased q sheep he
will try and kill it, and having Killed
one, he will keep on chasing and kill
ing other sheep. do not offer any
excuse for dogs of this kind. Though
they may be following oft their natur-
al instincts. there is no cure for such
tnsylncts but to get rid OF them. Dogs
that kill sheep seem to acquire great
deal OF cunning, so as to hide all
evidences OF their. crimes. lido not
believe half the stories told Of these
sheep-killine dogs--such as of their
slipping their collars, then going after
sheep all night, then coming back again
and getting their collars on again, so
that when their master saw them they
made believe that they had never
budged all night iI have read of a
Newfoundland dog who, after killing
sheep all night, and covering himself
with blood and wool, used to come
home as slick and clean as could be,
highways taken a careflll wash of
in river before presenting himself to
his master. 30 4 q ss.,
Right next to- the farm where the
boys and their father lived, there was
q farmer who kept q flock Of sheep, and
he too had q dog. Butch---that was
the name Of heother dog was q snar-.
ing brute, and six pounds heavier
than Tge, and was Tige's es-
pecial enemy There is a great deal
more of discretion about animals than
they are generally supposed to have
Though Tige was as plucky as a game
cock, and that's the brayest thing i
know 81. drawer for his size than a hon,
the boys dog generally gave Butch q
wide berth. There were, Of course,
many openings in the fields, and the
dogs would often face one other, and
one and the other would qrowl and