Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-05-24

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dog, not a whit tired, stood bolt upright
overlooking his distant charge with the
air of general reviewing his army.
The sun had gone down behind the
low horizon with the same effect that it
does at sea, and as we sat outside upon
couple of rude blocks of wood, drinking
our refreshing tea, the moon rose up
shedding its soft light over this mysteri-
Gus scene; there was no sound but the
distinct tinkle of a sheep-bell and the
cracking of the little fire that was boil
ing the tea. The smoke went straight
and silently up into the still air; the lone
illness was bad enough with two men,
what must it have been with one
felt there was something more in my
profund acquaintance than l had yet
learned, so l lighted my pipe and began
to draw him out. 1t is curious that
man being alone among dumb creatures
loses after a time something of his
human expression and acquires that of
his dumb companions, and that
a dog under the same circum-
stances retains his individuality. Here
was man who, to judge from his man
ner and speech, must have been tenderly
reared and highly educated, and one too
who had practiced the busy calling of the
law; yet in few years of isolation the
bright mind had become faded, and the
human look of the face changed almost
to the blank expression of sheep, while
a dog under the same circumstances had
retained his perfect individuality. Jacks
eyes sparkled like diamonds. His char.
acter was marked by intelligence, faith
fulness and affection. He would lie with
his head between his paws, and his sharp
nose flat on the ground, turning up the
whites of his eyes to watch us as we
talked. Now and again he would heave
a deep sigh of satisfaction, as much as to
say, "Fhe old man is all right tonight;
he's got some one that can talk to him. y
l questioned the shepherd about his
past life. 1t seems he had been educated
at Eton; then became a fast youth in
London, where he studied for
the law, and in a short time rose
to be successful barrister. He
had married early, and had one
child, a daughter, born to him. AT
ter two years of welded life he lost his
wife and child. Despairingly he took
to drink, and, being weak and desperate,
went down hill and lost his position;
that once lost in London is seldom re-
gained. Not so in America. Here, when
a man falls, if he has the strength to
brace up again he goes to the West, and
rubbing up against a new society absorbs
fresh magnetism and recuperates at once;
but London is compact; the Englishman
hates to leave his home; his failings are
known, and if he remains they are flung
in his face. There is no escape for him;
and, as his friends shun him, he falls
deeper into disgrace. This was the
trouble that had beset the shepherd, who,
having a sensitive and perhaps weak
mind, succumbed to the pressure that
surrounded him. And so after a time,
with broken spirit, he left England and
came to the colonies. He practiced law
in Melbourne for some time successfully,
but the old habit came back upon him,
and, as he could not resist temptation, he
buried himself on this station. This
was the tale he told me, and there could
be no doubt of its truth. After he had
finished he turned his strange, far-off
look on me again, and said "Are you
superstitious2"
"Well, l think l am little. Most
people are, if they would own it" said
|. 81 didn't used to be, said he with
a sigh; "but since I've lived here | seem
to have become so, and it's all Jacks
fault" The dog, net looking up, beat
his tail on the ground gently, as il to
say: ayes, blame it all on me; it's all
my fault
81 have never seen anything ghostly
or mysterious myself, but l think Jack
does sometimes. When we're alone
and God knows that's often enough
he'll start up and look around slowly as
if his eyes were following something in
the hut; at these times he will give a
low, strange kind of moan, and, putting
his tail between his legs, seem to be
frightened, ptcring up into my face with
an enquiring stare, as if he said Don't
you see it, too3'" The dog during this
recital kept slowly beating his tail, as il
he were indorsing every word his master
said. "After noticing this with the
dog" said the shepherd, 81 called to
mind the strange look l used to see in
the beautiful face of my baby when she
was only SIX months old The little
thing would sometimes stare at vacancy,
and then smile sweetly and turn its head
away as if it were following something
just as that dog does What's your
opinion of this sort of thing2 Do you
think the spirits of those we loved in life
can return aud stand beside us2'
| told him that his question was diff
cult one to answer; that different people
held different opinions on these mysteri.
Gus matters, and the chances were that
nobody had hit it quite right yet
'.Well, said he, '.if they can come, l
know who it is that the dog sees when
we're alone
1t was now getting late, and the shep
herd insisted or my taking his couch, an
old canvas cot with plain gray blanket
spread upon it; SO, as was quite tired,
accepted the offer, and lay down for
nights rest. My companion stretched
his tall figure on the grass outside. The
dry climate of Australia admits of this.
there is no danger in sleeping on the
ground; the chances are there would not
be a drop of dew during the night, and
that the grass IN the morning would be
as dry as hay. Jack lay down between
US, and seemed, by one or two satisfac-
tory signs that escaped him, to be quite
happy.
l was awake for some time, and hap
pening to look toward my new acquaint
ance, found that he was lying upon his
back with the moon shining full upon
his pale face. | had heard that it was
dangerous in this climate to sleep in the
moonlight. People had been known to
90 mad, or to have been struck with pSr-
f..sysis, fer committing this indiscretion.
/ called to him to move into the shadoW,