Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-10-13

anu parren rs the SHORES OF the IOlar sea,
but he never throws it up to u.s." conse-
quently never loses his power to fiatter
by expressing admiration.
As fonny drew near the McGeary cot.
tage he kept a sharp lookout for DR.. Dor
ritt, who was sure tn come running to
meet him. The widow was waddling
about in the yard hanging out clothes;
but the doctor was not ia sight. The boy
was lifting the gate latch when Mrs. Nc.
Geary laid eyes on him.
And it's there yo are Fonnv," she
called out cordially, "apd it meself that's
glad to see we. Come into the house and
sit down in the big rockin' chair. 1t used
to be Jamie's, and it's fond enough of set.
tin in it he was, too, the poor man; and
it's dead and gone he's been these four
years, and me two childer after him"
Where's DR.. Dorritt, Mrs. McGeary2"
asked Fonny.
cover in the grove has he went this
mornin', and in the shade has he kept all
day. Niver a hoof of him home to his
dinner, though I've kept his trough full
since II o'clock. There's n picnic there.
The Republicans from West Branch are
havin' It, and they have POLITICIANS and
candydates and all other kinds of mates
and good things. and plenty To drink, I'll
be bound. And spaches, illigant spaches,
with many a foine, long word into them.
and loud enough for me 20 near at me tub
in the back yard. It's what they cal! a
barbecue. Tables loaded with Everything,
and that the sacfet of the dochtor's stay
in SO long. Trust him for gettin' the
hest that's goin'. There1l not be a Re
pooblican there fuller than himself, if
you place" -.
"Ill go over into the grove and find
him." said Fonny, whose curiosity in re-
gard to the ''pollyticians and candydates'
had been wletted BY the exuberance of
Mrs. McGeary's rhetoric.
Away he went, calling to DR.. Dorritt
cheerily; but no affectionate grunt re-
sponded. AS be entered the grove the
odor of savory cooking saluted his nos
trils. The speeches were over and dinner
was near at hand.
Moving along slowly, feeling thai he
was entering important circles, Fonny's
foot struck something metallic. On look
ing down he discovered DR.. Dorritt's col
lar, u light brass chain with three or four
jingling pendants. He picked it up,
wondering how his friend had managed
to lose il. He looked everywhere, bat saw
nothing of the pig. Politicians-at least
men whom he took to be politicians on
account Of the loudness Of their voices
were numerous. Matrons and maidens
in ribbons and fine rigging were there
also; but his beloved four footed friend
was nowhere to be seen.
The Savory odors came from some dis
lance west Of the long tables, and thither
Fonny went. The people were standing
about some object of interest SO nuner-
ously that he could scarcely edge his way
through. Being a boy. however, he was
not TO be dismayed by anything in the
nature of a crowd, and at last stood In the
inner circle. A deep trench In the earth
was half full Of bright Goals, over which,
reduced TO the condition of dressed meat,
hung the forms of u cow, a calf, two
sheep and two pigs, ali roasted to the
most appetizing brown. They were hung
on poles, and had been turned until every
part Of them was thoroughly cooked.
This was the barbecue" which Fonny
had been SO anxious TO see.
The delicious DIOR of the steaming
bodies filled the air Of the entire grove.
Fonny looked at them with eyes like
saucers. Such an array Of cooked flesh
would be an unusual spectacle to any one.
It was startling to him. CHANGING down
the row of crisp bodies, his eyes rested a
moment on the two pigs snd then sud
denly protruded in horror. TAcre-thcre
over the dreadful bed of Goals was the
form of his pet-his friend. Scorched
and blistered as 1t WAS the poor boy
recognized it. The head was still at
tached, and the left ear had lost a curious
ly shaped piece in the doctors early
struggles with dogs. A scar high up on
the nose was another mark of identiiica-
ton.
Fonny looked at the terrible sight for a
minute or more In agonizing silence.
Then, pointing to the hot and smoking
form of his pig, he sent forth shrek after
shrek of anguish.
There! therel That Is my pet pig
the only pet ] have in the world. Who
killed him? Nobody had a right to kill
him. Oh, | shall diel shall die! My
poor DR.. Dorritt!"
This thrilling interruption to the fcs-
|tivities created immediate CONSERVATION.
The un~mistakable anguish in the boys
voice, the unspeakable woe depicted on
his face, had Ill effect on even the hard.
ened co~nsciences Of the politicians.
Fonny still held the poor slaughtered
doctors collar in his hand. Between sobs
and groans he told that the pig had lived
at Mrs. McGeary,s, pointing out the house
as ne spoke, and had wandered into the
grove merely to look around: that be and
he alone owned him; that be would have
died himself rather than had the pig sac.
rifced. The laundering butchers who
had done the foul deed were called up and
questioned. They admitted that they had
taken a collar off the neck of one Of the
pigs they had prepared for the roast.
They identified the collar and the pig; but
although the shared in the general re
gret, they could not restore the life they
had taken.
Some Of the younger guests Of the pic
mic flew to Mrs. McGeary's and told Of
the tragedy. Over came that lady, boil
ing with wrath, and threatening ito put
the law on them" She was gifted with
great force and iluency Of speech, and on
this occasion she did not bride her tongue
In the least. The piece Of her mind" TO
which she treated the politicians was par
~ticularly strong. definite and well laid 0 n
The feminine portion of the picnic
gathered about Fonny and tried to con
sole him. Some of them offered TO send
him a small pig of promising mental ca
pacity, which he could lead TO greater in
tellectual heights than those attained by
the late lamented DR.. Dnritt; but no
would not be comforted. The men as
sumed that money heals all wounds, and
quickly made him up a purse. at sight OF
it he only walled the louder. THIS was q
case of bereavement Gnd heart break, not