River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-15

handsomely IN the matter
''DufTer come 'ome late Iarst night.
sir" remarked his groom when he
sauntered into the stable yard next
morning. I'D "a bit % cord round
his neck, which expect he'd gnawed
il through. sir. !"
And there, sure enough. crouched
behind the door. was the culprit.
feebly agitating q penitent tail and
bringing pair of pleading. depre-
eating eyes 10 bear upon the object of
his alteration. The poor things eyes
were not soft and eloquent. as the
only two little round. black beads,
with ugly pink rims Yet there was a
look in them which. quite against
Dick Belton's will, found its way to
his heart
''Oh, you abomiuable, useless, hide
GUS beast!" he exclaimed breaking
into a vexed laugh. Il suppose you
will stick to me now until one or other
of US dies"
He was a nuisance of course; but
Dick ended by accepting him as he
accepted shaving every morning and
other inevitable nuisances about which
there is no use in grumbling.
When Dick moved up to London for
the season. the Duffer accompanied
him and shared his rooms in St. james.
The other dogs went, as usual, to the
stables; but this audaciOus mOngrel re-
Frsa1 n he cousauso5 MIL, aooo,,,,,o5,
ton which was considered good enough
for his betters. Before the month of
July he had made many friends by his
general affability, and had done moth
ing to earn another such enemy as Sir
Brooke Scatterfield.
At some point or other, however, the
line must needs be drawn, and Dick
drew it at taking this four-footed ador-
er of his out of the United Kingdom.
1t was towards the end of the season
when every body was leaving London,
that he received a pressing invitation
from friend to proceed to the Pyre-
nees and join in a shooting expedition
on the uufrequented southern slopes
of that range. Dick, who was an ar
dent sportsman. and whose ambition
was excited by the hopes held out to
him OF shot at bOuquetin. Or wild
goat. readily agreed to this PROPOSE
tion. and at once made preparations
for start. "
just keep your eye on the Duffer
will yOu?n he said to his groom at the
last moment; land you may as yell
chain him up for the rest of the DAY.
Dick Bolton. as he settled himself
comfortably in a smoking carriage of
the express which was to take him to
Dover, gave a great sigh of relief.
Thank Heaven" he soliloquized.
Il shan't see that beggars ugly mug
the first thing when l wake IN the
morning for some time to come! Per
haps, if Ihave any luck. he may die or
decamp before get back again"
Dog ticket. please, sir?" said the
guard, apologetically. when the train
reached the Dover station,
Haven't got a dog with me-" an
swered Dick.
Beg pardon, sir; under tho seat, ]
think. see him jump in while you
was buying paper at Victoria. sir"
Dick glanced hastily under his legs,
and made use of an expression which
is legally punishable by fine of five
shillings.
We'll. upon my word and honor"
he calculated. III this is not enough to
make an Archbishop curse and swear.
don't know what is. !"
How the Duffer had made his way to
the Victoria station and had taken his
place in the train, was never explained.
There. however, he was. apologize
and submissive, yet frIn; and there
seemed to be nothing for it but to pay
his fare to Paris.
As the Duffer had obtained his own
way, il was only in accordance with
justice that he should suffer little
for it; and in truth he suffered a good
deal between Calais and Angeles, at
which latter place he and his master
took leave of railways.
He was, therefore. all the more over
jOyed when Dick came to set him free
from his narrow. dark prison. and
even condescended to throw him
compassionate word or two. 1t did
not take a great deal to make the
DufTer happy. So long as he was per-
mitted to attach himself, night and
day. to a man who at best treated him
with disdainful liberation, he was per-
fectly satisfied, and asked for nothing
more. To trot behind the carriage up
the high road TO Gavarnie was all very
well-a little firing. still useful in the
way of wearing down the claws and re-
moving superiluous flesh from the ribs
The first thing that Dick Bolton
heard. on reaching Gavarnie. was that
three days previously his friend had
been suddenly summoned to England,
but that he Eoced to return TO the
Pyrenees as soon as pcssih.e. Mean
while he was begged to start s5 5Ece
i'm quest of game. and was assured that
the guide who was awaiting his ar
rival might be relied upon to show
him sport. This guide. "A grim. tact
turn parsonage. Jacques Cazaril by
name. began objecting strongly to
Monsieur's '.bOuledogue He said it
would be almost impossible to &c:
such a clumsily-made creature over
the high passes which they would
have to cross. but Dick Bolton. who
was something of spoilt boy, had
been put Out-in the first place by
his friends involuntary desertion of
him, aud. in the second. by certain
criticisms in which the guide had seen
iit TO indulge with respect to his
rifles and ammunition. He therefore
replied CURLY that he meant to take
the dog with him.
Eventually a compromise was ar
rived at In order to approach the
hauuts of the rarely-seen bOuquetin it
was necessary 10 camp oct in one or
other of the lonely valleys on the
Spanish side OF the mountains. and
a a. I