River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-15
THE DUFFER."
The Pathetic Story of Only a
Worthless Cur.

Worthless Cur.
''What on earth made YOU call the
poor brute by such a name as that?''
asked AIr. Bolton, looking down with
a certain contemp,uousp pity at the non
descrip: animal who was imprinting
dirty paw-marks upon his new box
cloth CATERS.
well, RELY. sir" answered Mr..
Markham, the householder, Il don't
'ardly see what else you could call
him. Strayed ere last winter when he
was on'y pup; and as nobody claimed
him j KEEP him, thinllin' he might turn
out to be some good for somethin'
But I'm blessed if / can discover what
tho Lord created Ain for. Won't fight,
won't kill a rat wont earn his keep in
no sort o way. so we called him the
Duffer, and he answered as nat'ral as
| should if you was TO sing out Joe
Markham Give a dog "a bad name
and 'ang him. they say. Well. I've
give ham his name, aud now I s'pOse
] shall have TO do the rest; for I can't
afford 10 pay seven and six a year for
tie likes Of him in these ard times
''Hc doesn't look welI-bred one, y
observed Mr. Bolton
'Oh. he's cur. sir; no need TO tell
you that Got a bit OF the bull in him,
as you see; but what thc rest of him is
/ couldn't say, not il you was to put
me Oh my hOath- Good natured Great
ur', too; it goes agin' mo 10 put him
out o the way Seems 10 have took to
you wonderful, sir. Curious amt it,
how dogs always know a gentleman as
understands EN-.
That very smart young gentleman.
Dick Bolton, thought he understood a
good deal about dogs. He also thought
that he understood a good deal about
horses, and was under the impression
that he had just purchased a valuable
hunter at great bargain from Mr..
Markham Whether this confidence
in his knowledge and capacity rested
upon any solid foundation may be open
10 doubt, but at any rate it suificed tC
put him in a good humor. and he said;
''Oh, I'll give the poor bcggar home
If you like. One more dog among so
many won't make much difference"
Thus it came 10 pass that. the same
evening. smart Mr. BeltOn's smart
groom was requested to take charge OF
an animal, amongst whose advantages
or he had any smartuess could hardly
be recllOned.
All the dogs in the stable-ydrj made
inspection OF him; and it is lamentable
to be obliged to add that each aud all
of them forced him without any diff
Guilty 10 accept licking
After that it was absurd to think OF
changing his name. A. his former
owner had said. what else could you
call him2
Slavish. passionate. demonstrative
love is. alas never appreciated by lis
object in this peryersc world, and such
an affection IL was that the poor Duffer
had conceived for Dick Bolton Now
Mr. Bolton had 70 stand a good deal OF
chat about this ridiculous dog. The
DufTcr refused 10 leave him. did not
resent being kicked out of the room,
insisted upon sleeping at his bedroom
door, and when he was out hunting
hOwIcJ without iutermissiOn until his
return. Dick Bolton was a good
humorcj fellow. but OF course nc was
annoyed bg method OF treatment
which has been found annoying By all
human being, from the beginning of
time However, he submitted 10 it
more or less uucomp,ainingly for a
good many weeks. and doubtless his
patience would have held out even
longer but for a most vcNatiouS Incl
dent which occurred a. tho very end Of
the season.
in ail the world, perhaps. there was
nobody for whom Dick entertained
feelings 81 deeper vcueration and es-
teem than hc did for Sir Brooke Scat
terrified; 30 that he was acknowledgement
honured ana nlttercd when Sir Brooke
truttcd over on an oT-day tn call upon
him. This haze and wcll-preserved
old gentleman. after inspecting Mr.
bend 20 far as 70 slap his friend ON the
back. calling him a mighty luc,5y fell
low - be able 20 mount him - well.
Now who could ever have supposed
that this kindly an! coudeeceuding act
was liable To miscOUstruction2 Who
cou.d have guessed that the idiOtic dog
would take II for a demonstration OF
hostility? Yet some such idea must.
no doubt. have suggested itself TO the
foolish Dufcr. who. without uttering a
sound. promptly pinned Sir Brooke by
the leg.
Il was no Easy matter 10 choke him
of: but this was finally accomplished
BIZ Dicks strOug fingers. and as. by the
mercy Of Heaven. the old gentleman
was wearing leather CATERS. the dam
age done was comparatively trifling.
Nevcrth less it WIS a very disagree
able thing to have happened. and Sir
Brooke was GO; quite n pleasant about
il as he might have been
This decided the buffers fate. He
received a tremendous thrashing. to
which he submitted without within
per--ne who would yell aloud il a lap
dog snapped at him.-and on the fol-
lowing day he was driven over in a
doc-cart to tho abode Of his late pro
prietOr.
s.IIere. Msrxhamr called out Mr..
Bolton. I've brought that brute OF
yours back TO you. I'll give you a
couple of sOvercigns for his keep and
his license. but / can't sisud him fol-
lowing me about sny longer"
joe Markham accepted the dog and
the s1yereiGns. and Dick drove away
not indeed Without some inward