Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-12-06
THE BowsER FAMILY.

THE HowsER FAMILY.
Slr. b. Buys Dog, and Mrs. b. Tolls an
! About the Ugly Brute.
1 Ever since our marriage Mr.. Bow
ser has been looking after q house
dog. and good share of our troubles
have ariseh over this fact. On hun
dred different occasions have asked
him what we wanted of dog. AND on
= hundred different occasions he has
raised his voice and replied:
! 1'What do we want Of dogP Die
you ever see a family which amounted
70 shucks which didn't keep a dog?
Nature gave us the dog to protect us
Ito be a sort of companion. There
are people who can strike terror to q
dogs heart by one look. but am not
one OF. those, Mrs. Bowser-no, thank
Heaveni''
Cant you protect us. Mr.. Bowser?'
Certainly can and do, but sup
pose am off my guard some night
and a burglar enters our house?"
'.And burglars the dog?"
s'That's it! Sheer at the poor dumb
brute because Nature made him a dog!
Under the circumstances l have stated
we should probably owe our lives to
the faithful guardian"
He brought home dog. It was a
dog with a certificate of character
from his last owner He was guaran-
teed to be vigilant, trusty. tidy. kind,
and to have a special hankering after
the life-blood of house-breakers. He
carried his head to the left as if trying
to Gee his left hind foot, and there was
a suspicious squirt in his eyes. He
had been badly knocked about from
oil appearances, but the boys who
1r9ught him explained that this was
tn result of tackling an elephant and
coming off second best. The beast
growled at me and snapped at the
baby as Mr. Bowser brought him in,
and when protested against the in
Nasion I was answered with:
e.No wonder he growls! A dog knows
m enemy on sight. He feels that
you'd like to murder him, and he
properly resents it. Come here,
Rambo.''
That night the dog had the run of
the lower part of the house. We had
no sooner got to bed than he began to
howl. Mr.. Bowser threatened him
from the head Of the stairs. and then he
barked at intervals of five minutes for
an hour. Mr.. Bowser silenced him
after awhile. and l was just getting
asleep when heard the beast gurgling
ando growing and worrying some
-
down stairs, but he utterly refused,
saying:
HE has probably got hold of a
burglar, and I don't want to be ap-
pealed to to call him off. just go to
sleep and let Rapbo alone. We haven't
been as safe for years"
. Next morning the beast bit the cook
In the leg as shelwent down, and the
minute the door was opened he lit out
for parts unknown. We soon dis
covered what ha had been worrying.
It was Mr.. Bowser's new winter over
coat, and it was reduced to roll of
strings and tatterS.
You brought him home!" I ex-
.Iaimed as pointed to the ruins.
II did, ehp" said Mr.. BOwser, as he
surveyed the heap. ''And you lay
right there and knew what he was at
and never said word"
''You said he was chewing up
burglar"
'Then 1 was talking in my sleep,
and you knew it! Mrs. Bowser, you
lOn't get a new dud for year!''
The next dog was hound. The
twner told Mr.. Bowser that he was a
good deer dog, and ten dollars changed
hands on this account.
''But what good is a deer dogP' I
asked, when Mr.. Bowser explained
this fact.
''TO run deer, of course"
'.But where are the deerP"
That's just like you! You expect
to look out of the back door and see a
dozen! l propose to go where the deer
are. Did you ever see a kinder face
on a dog?"
He looks very simple-minded.
''Does he! Well, don't you fool
yourself. You may owe your life to
him yet. He's better than forty bur-
glar-alarms.
The canine deserved credit for one
thing. He slept soundly on the parlor
sofa all night. On the second after
noon he got out, and little terrier
weighing eleven ounces ran him three
times around the house and finally
drove him into a barrel partly filled
with plaster.
Ibid / buy him for fighterr'
shouted Mr.. Bowser, as / related the
occurrence. He run. of course. /
bought him for q rAnner."
He whistled fof Archimedes, as he
had named him, and the animal came
creeping in and hid under the lounge.