The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1889-10-10

are TO stick right here" said Doctor
Dean.
II shan't run off, laughed Dan.
"Better not go so far that you cant
hear me il should call.
well, if You want me, you halloo,
and III come
| Dan had been absent for more than
half an hour, when the doctor heard
voices, and soon saw three men coming
up the road. He took his case, and went
out to the turnpike to meet them.
"Gentlemen, said he, politely, "rm
a Government surgeon, and have orders
to vaccinate you"
"Huh!" grunted the foremost of the
three men, a stout Canadian in AIRED shirt
and knit cap. "Qu'est ce que c'est?"
The doctor explained the situation to
them in French.
The three men chartered with each
other in their peculiar Canadian French
dialect for few moments. The doctor
pretended to pay no attention to them,
but listened intently, and caught nearly
all they said,
"Let's keep right on the red-shirted
man finally said.
Break the mans head!" exclaimed a
scrubby little man, with large brass
buckle on the belt of his frock.
''But the dog" said the third man.
The mastiff was quiet but attentive
listener to the colloquy.
"Who cares for the dog? He can't
1 IL II IA Al
big buckle.
Doctor Dean wished that he had
brought one of his rifles out of the hut
with him, and that Dan was at hand.
He shouted "Dan" loudly, thinking
that Dan might hear him, or that the
call might at least serve to intimidate the
men.
The three travellers listened for mo-
ment, and looked sharply about them.
| They heard no answer to the doctors
call, and saw that nobody came.
''Laissez nous passes!' Get us pass
the first speaker said in French, with
threatening look at the doctor, who stood
unfinchingly at the gate.
ats very simple thing, said Dean,
without raising his voice. "The Govern
ment requires me to vaccinnate you. 1t
won't take me five minutes. -
1 He spoke pleasantly, as if he had not
heard their threatening talk-as if he did
not see warning in their eyes.
He saw that he was about to have Sc
rious trouble, but he made two resolves;
one was to make every effort to keep
those men from passing the gate in def
ance of his orders, and the other was to
manage, if he could, to get his rifle from
the cabin. With that in hand he felt
that he should be master of the stua-
ton.
1t was possible for the men to escape
him by turning from the road into the
woods, but they were too surly to take
so much trouble in maintaing their disc.
bedience. They had determined to defy
the doctor, and to pass along the turn
pike in spite of his opposition.
Suddenly the man in the red shirt
moved towards the gate At the same
moment the doctor heard footsteps of
some one approaching down the road
perhaps it is Dan, he thought.
| The red -shirted man started to climb
over the gate, but Dean grasped him and
pulled him back.
With an angry hiss the fellow aimed a
! blow at Dean The doctor lodged
quickly--and then straight from his
| shoulde, came blow that laid his assail-
ant on the ground.
/ The two other men, cursing, sprang
! upon the doctor.
/ Take him, Lion"' Dean cried to the
/ growing mastiff--and in an instant the
| dog was at the throat Of the man with
| the brass buckle. who yelled with terror.
( Dean, meanwhile. was wrestling DIES
/ perately with the third man
If he could only shake him off and
get his rife,
But his first assaiant was up. He
rushed to the succor of the screami>
wretch who was struggling with Sle
riastff.
Dean was left to battle sirgiy with the
third man. His courage rose.
/. They were whirlng around, painting
and kicking, each trying TO trip the
other, when new conner rushed into the
melee. 1t was the man whose approach
ing steps had been heard.
Dean saw great red scar burning
over "a face covered with black hair, and
mis- courage left him all at once
The man was Pierre Coutesu.
The doctor ceased to struggle, aud
dropped limp to the ground. His
antagonist aimed kick at his face with
his boot, that. if it had reached him.
would have disigured him for life
At the same instant the doctor saw
something pass between himself and his
sssailant like a flash Pierre Couteau
erappled with the fellow and threw him.
Amazed, Dean sprang to his feet
''I'll help YOU" Pierre cried in French;
and he yelled to the other fellows to
desist.
The poor mastif had received his death
blow from stone. Dean rushed into
the cabin and brought out his rife At
its appearance the three fellows sur
rendered and were vaccinated. and
allowed to 90 on their way.
Then Dean learned from Pierre the
secret of his unexpected behavior. He
had gone from the Moosehead logging
camp to Canada. While he was there,
the small-po attacked his village. Many
of his friends died; but he. thanks to the
doctors vacg ie. escaped with mild
attack of varioloid.
II have often ask dose saint TO bless
de good docteur." he said in his broken
English
When. on his way back TO the States.
he saw his good doctor in trouh!c. h;
was glad to do him service. and thu.
help the saints to answer MS prayers.
''Some good luck dat ] come 'lons,
n'est-ce-pas'"
That's so, Pierre, Can you stay
here with me u while.'
Pierre said he would be glad To stay.
When the delinquent Dan came b,cE
with his cartridges, he WAS dismissed fof
disobedience, and Pierre was installed t.