The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-04-28
KILLING A cHlNAMAN'S DOG.
An Episode of an Afternoons Walk in 4
Graveyard.
Special Correspondence

Special Correspondence
SAN Francisco, April IA source of the
greatest annoyance TO traveller in China is
the chorus of yelping ours at ones heels, sc
| where he may.
On tho outskirts Of Kin Kiang, amidst
cluster of hills and bamboo bushes. stands
what Is called Ming Po temple" 1t was
e>>,t,-l and is sustained by Ming Pc mer-
chants while sojourning there for trade,
This temple is presided over by an aged
Buddhist priest, and that priest like all Others
of his craft in this land of many priests,
had rs his chief possession and constant COM
panions kennel of mongrel, NANCY ours
One afternoon took my gun, and accom-
panied by an American boy, the son of a
resident American, and also by my setter
dog, went for hunt on the hills back of
the temple. For "A quarter of a mile around
the temple the land is given up to graves;
upon and between these graves n rank growth
of grass affords cover for pheasants.
The first shot fred awoke thr, c huge ours
from their slumbers, and they came yelping at
our heels Having stoned them back for the
third or fourth time, | said that if they
turned the crcSt OF certain hill again that |
would send them back with load of shot in
their skins,
Tho words were scarcely uttered before
hero they came raised my gun and fired
at the group. The distance being at least
seventy yards and my gun carrying No
shot, l supposed at most that | would no
more than sting them with spent shot When
the smoke cleared away the hindmoSt dog
got upon his feet and staggered, yelping,
down tho hill toward the temple.
l started on a full trot, hoping to pass over
the next mill top and set away before
should I've seen by the angry mob
But in moment at least a score of men
sailed forth from that temple, and came at
q full ran toward the sound OF that gun re-
port. Every man shouted at the top of his
voice:
"Tho foreigners have killed our dog. The
foreigners have killed our dog"
l saw that escape was ont Of the question.
Also, the further this yelling mob pursued
me the larger would be the crowd to meet in
the end.
resolved TO put on bold front and face
tho music.
so i went as straight as possible to the
temple. An angry group of natives sur
rounded me. uttering serious threats of re-
venge The boy became alarmed and wept.
My setter dog crouched in fear at my feet.
l stood my ground with as much GOODNESS as
| could command. The boy having been
born in the country, of American parents,
spoke the Chinese language ms well as his
own tongue My first task was to allay his
fears, This being done, know | could con
troll the natives, whom ! knew to stand in
fear of my gun.
Around me stood some two dozen people
Two came from within the temple bearing
the carcass of a dog. Following came ven
cradle priest with hands folded upon his
breast, and the tears streaming down his
face: lie moaned aloud: My poor dear dog is
gone, my best dog is dead" flushed were the
threats as the procession approached and
the dog was laid on the grass nj my
feet. Two apprentice priests brought a
supply of "Joss paper" and with due cere-
mony it was burned at the side of
my victim This was to watt its soul into its
next abode l}uddhlsts aScribe souls to dogs
and other beasts as well as TO men. Was |
guilty of murder. In the opinion of my
auditors, yes. AS much SO as if it had been
one of the men before me SLAIN instead OF the
dog.
The first thing said was to ask who
owned the dog. This being repeated by the
boy in Chinese the old man, in tears, re-
piled:
II owned the dog 1t was my best
said that very much regretted what |
had done, but that | had acted in self de-
Tense That the three dogs had rushed at me
rs if TO bite me, and l had shot only to
brighten them back. | told the priest that he
was TO blame, that he should have called
back his dogs.
The operation OF talking through the
medium of the boy as Interpreter excited in
the men passion more powerful than anger
Their curiosity was aroused. | saw my ad-
,autage and followed it up. would look
the men cody and squarey in the
eyes and PROFOUND questions in n
language of which they knew not a
word. The boy would then repeat my mean
ing in their own language. Some one would
in turn PROFOUND questions in a tongue to
me worse than Greek, and the boy in turn
would translate. | soon had the entire party
laughing except the priest, who still bowed
his head in grief.
Finally asked what they proposed to do
with the dead dog. They replied that they
Woulh Jul uShcb way butJ IOt
eat 1T, as it was fat and young. They said
they would eat it if it were not temple dog,
but that having belonged to the priest it was
q holy dog and to eat it would he wrong
They asked me what we did with dead dogs |
in my country. l told them we gave them |
to the buzzards and crows TO eat. They asked |
why the people did not eat them l replied |
that my people did not know that dogs were |
good for food--that this knowledge, as well |
as many other things Of Importance, was
known only to the Chinese. This flattery
pleased them.
proposed to give the priest foreign dog
in tho place of the one | had killed No; he
said it would not understand him. | then
offered to buy the finest native dog in the
city or province for him. No; it would run
away and not stay with him. l suggested
young puppy, which he could "tran up in
the way it should go" That was kind in me,
but a puppy was a great expense and labor
TO raise up properly
then asked what reparation ! could offer
to atone for my sin.
The priest finally said that if | would get
him n coffin to bury the dog il would leave
us friends. | said that ] would have a car
a