Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1885-10-29

say. but there was & ~caderfuA Juan.
tity of them. Certainly it was not to
give pleasure 10 his to.=ns-peOple,
since he had bought a vacant field lying
between his garden and the Streets
field traver>eI by a foot-path from time
immemorial-and he guarded foot-path
and field with his dog. Now my aunt
had ocular fondncss for roses, and
she had heard of a certain new variety
possessed bv the pirate. and foIrishing
this year in luXurance exasperatine
to all other rose cultivatorS. Il don't
believe they are so fine." said my aunt
Eliza one day: 1--WE a mind to 90 in
and see" We were close by the field
we three. Aunt Eliza. Lyde. and /.
Aunt Eliza insisted that Snap, the dog.
was dead and no new dog had come.
Lyde was afraid. l happened to have
my firstrevolver. secret treasure, which
l was carrying to show the bows, SO !
| sa d valiantly that | was not afraid of
| any dog. We entered the field. stfut-
ting ahead. with my fingers gripping the
handle of my weapon. We exam ned
the roses without misadventure (mv
| aunt said their merits had been mrch
Halfway an ominous sound smote ON
our ears-a loud. deep growl.
"Oh, Rem. it's the new dog" gaspei
Lyde. Fly for the fence. mas
"Never YOU mind. Aunt Eliza" said
l. though nv legs were shaking; Tn
protect YOU" Out came the revolver.
and faced the dog. He was a great
yellow and brown beast. big as lion
| Thought. quaking, and with hor-
rib,e mouthful of cleaning white teeth.
He dashed straight after the women.
Too excited to take aim. / fired twice.
[ don't suppose that came within a
yard of him. The pant ng creature.
with his eyes of tire, bounded past. and
the next second l heard bark and
a crash. Lyde had dragged Aunt Eliza
to the fence, which they both had
mounted. The fence was frail AID
Aunt Eliza was stout: hence, when the
crash came all that could see was a
cloud of dust through which twinkled
Cousin Lyde's red stockings, my Aunt
Eliza's black stockings. and the yellow
dogs four legs in the air. A second
later. abreast of the catastrophe. had
vision of two gowns tumbled together
on the grass. and the yellow dog be-
fore me. Then it was that fired again.
Probably the beast himself was not
more astounded than I. when he leaped
high in the air. rolled over. and was
dead. Half frightened at my own vic
tory, l approached him. lying in the
little puff of dust made by his fall. He
lay on his side: flakes of foam dribbled
from his dreadful jaws. his tongue pro-
truded, his dead eyes glared. 1t seemed
to me that had made d discovery; but
l should not have blurted it out so
quickly had l not distinct picture in
my mind of TIE creature leaping over
the two women.
1--WE killed him." 1 shouted. 81
guess he's mad"
My aunt turned white. "Oh. laws"
she screamed. holding out her arm;
The bit me. Lyde. I'm dead woman"
There was Jagged tear in the silk
and Grape of her sleeve: beneath was
the merest puncture of the skin.
Nonsense, ma" said Lydc. briskly
(but noticed that she was paler than
Aunt Eliza): ''it's only scratch. Get
a stick. Rem. and twist this handker-
chief tight above the place. That's a
tourni ,uet. You showed me yourself.
ma. Now Wen get It cauterized, and
then you are perfectly safe"
Luckily Apps tiny pharmacy
was so near that in ten m nutes we had
Aunt Eliza in a close carriage with a
bandaged arm.
Arp advised whisky. '.But as for
your making YOUR own mother drunk
on whisky. Eliza Prescott said my
aunt, Il won't have it. It's disgrace
full. No. if l must be intoxicated
will take branded peaches and cham
payne. Your pa always said there was
nothing | Ike mixture OF Liquors. Be-
sides. l know it won't do any good: l
always had a strong head. L 1emem-
Der when your pa and l climbed to the
top of Milan Cathedral wasn't mite
d zzy." When the doctor arrived he
found my aunt sOlemnly devOuring
branded peaches, while Lyde cried
quietly in the corner, and l kept Aunt
Eliza company with the peaches. The
first question he asked was how we
knew that the dog was mad; and he
didn't seem particularly impressed by
my reasons.
Il reckon the dog was mad at yOu,"
said he. dryly. land that's all the NAL
about him; but you dill just right, Miss
Lyde: and you keep quiet for few
days, Mrs. Prescott. and you'll not
have any more Inconvenience.
There was levity about this way of
treating the matter which did not
please Aunt Eliza. She answered very
stitfiy. The dog Uas mad. doctor. l
know very we'll. He was the perfect
image of a mad dog saw once myself.
j ust the same size and color. and his |
tongue stack out the same way. /
know my own danger perfectly. and
you needn't try to deceive me: my only |
chance was to get drunk, and Pm not |
getting drunk a mite Doctor. | |
wish you'd send a book on hydropho-
bia to me. and ask Mr.. Ray to step IN
this even ng; want to alter my viii
little, and ought to beperfectly ration
al Lyde. pass the champagne. Take
a glass yourself. doctor. do"
saw the doctors brows contract: he |
had known my aunt ever since their |
in Kentucky: he was aware
how obstinate She cOuld he. hut ha |