Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1885-10-24
INTER-OCEAN
A story or Two Dogs.

The newcomer waved his hand to-
ward the bar, where a man iii a white
apron set out q row Of small bottles
and 4 fat cnt-ylass bottle. The men
all drank, and then, as the newcomer
drew the back Of his hand across his
mouth, he saids
.Remember the Parson and his
boyP'
Don't we2" said three or four.
.'sIt's nigh onto six months since the
Parson moved into u shanty just q
mile out of E:ko. 1t was the dead of
winter, but he was cheerful. and low
ed he shouldn't suffer much while his
piety lasted. 1t was mighty lonesome
for the boy, though, TO hear him tell it,
until the break up, when Deacon Hol-
brook, of Connecticut. drove a stake
joining the Parsons. The Deacon had
a boy called Dick, and he and Bob. the
Parsons boy, were a whole team.
Both of them had dogs. and each
thought his dog could lick the other
one; but I'm giving it TO you straight,
the Parson and the Deacon watched
them that close that they couldn't get
up u fight 10 ave them. One day Bob
he came to me and told me all about it.
and Itold him we'd put up. a job on
the piety business. Accordingly, the
Saturday paper announced q special
service for Sunday morning in Bill
Stevens dance hall. When the hour
came. and the parsou and the Deacon
were turning over their hymn books,
Bill and me and Two others that I'd let
into the secret was up to the Parsons
ranch arranging the preliminaries.
We made u beautiful Enclosure with
two boards and Il wagon box against
one side OF the shanty, and then we
washed the dogs. Bill he coached the
Deacon's dog and l looked after the
Parsons. They Were both in prime con-
dition, and when we'd turn them loose
it was a glorious spectacle to see them
claw across the gravel for the center
of the pit. The deacon's pup got the
first hold and gave tho other a good
shake, but he lost it again. and then
the two of them rolled over and over
and riz up on their hind legs and
chawed and got down on their knees
and dug their paws into the ground.
There was a dust a flying Immediately,
and it was all we could do to see
which was on top. In fact, it was
such a mighty interesting fight that
we never noticed how time was pass
ing, and before We knew it the Parson
and the Deacon rode by OF their bron-
clos.
'.Brethren. brethren" says the Par
SON, WHAT does this mean? Dick
take your dog home. SIR" MAYBE
you'd better take your dog off from,
him so he can go home himself" said
tie Deacon, sarcastic like. and he was
OF top cnawing the others neck scan
dalous. That made the Parson mad,
and ''he lowed the Deacon had an
ornery pup, anyhow" That was
enough for the Deacon. He was he.
ginning to reach for the Parson when
Bill Stevens began to yell like an
Apache. The dogs had wallowed theil
way right down into the ground, and
Bill had in q mechanical way picked
. handful of dirt and rubbed it between
his fingers, and ned hctled IL nugget
There was a rustiing lhereabouls, .
stalking OF claims over the Parsons
ranch for u lew minutes, and wllel
we'd got it all done regular we hae
enough to take us back to the otates.'
NV nicu iichedp' said the bartender
wiping his hands on his partially whit
apron.
The newcomer looked ut him re
proachfuliy for a moment and tlle1
said:
'.If you'd been there you'd hav'
known we didn't waste no time watch
ing dogs fight after they'd struck pa
dirt. "-AeW York Sun.