The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-08-08
THE PRIVATE'S STORY.

Far from the haunts of the company
officers W 10 insist upon kit inspections
far from keen hosed sergeants who
sniff the pipe stuffed into the bedding
roll, two miles from the tumult Of the
barracks, lies the Trap. Il is an old
dry well, sbadowed by twisted pipa
tree and fenced with high grass. Here
in the years gone by, did Private
Ortberis establish his depot and me
nagerie for such possessions living and
dead as could not safely be Introduce
to the bsrrsck room. Here were
gathered Houdin pullets and fox ter.
riers of undoubted pedigree and more
than doubtful ownership, for Ortheris
vas an inveterate poacher and pre-emi-
6ent among regiment of neat handed
dog stealers. "
Never again will the long, lazy even.
ings return wherein Ortheris, whist
ling softly, moved surgeonwise among
the captives of his craft at the bottom
of the well; when Learoyd sat IN the
niche giving sage counsel on the
management of "tykes," and Null
vaney, from the crook of the over
hanging pipal, waved his enormous
boots in benedcton above our heads,
delighting US with tales of love aud
war and strange experiences of cities
aud men.
Ortheris--landed at last in the "lit-
tie stuff bird shop for which your
soul louged; Learoyd--back again In
the smoky, stone ribbed north, amid
the clang of the Bradford looms; Null
vaney-grizzled, tender and very wise;
Ulysses-swetering on the earthwork
of central India line--judge if have
forgotten old days in the Trapl
|
Orsh'ris, as allus thinks knaws more
than other foaks, said she wasn't a
real lady, but nobbut a Hewrssian.
don't rainsay as her cutler was bit
doosky like. But she was a lady.
Why, she rode in carriage, an good
'osses too, an her air was that oiled as
yo could see your faice in it, an she
wore diamond rings an goold chain
an silk and satin dresses as mum a
cost deal, for it isn't cheap shop as
keeps enough O one pattern to fit a
figure like he's. Her name was Mrs.
De Sussa, an t waay come to be sc-
quainted wi her was along Of our col
onel's laady's dog Rip.
I've seen vast O. dogs, but Rip
was t. prettiest picter of a oliver fox
tarrier at iver I set eyes on. He
could do owt 20 like but speak, an t
colonels laady set more store by him
than if he had been a Christian. She
he'd BARNS of her avn, but they wes i
England, and Rip seemed to get all t
coddlin' and pettin' as belonged to a
bairn by good right.
But Rip were bit on a rover, an
he'd habit O breakin' out O. barricks
like, and trottin' round t place as if he
were t cantonment magistrate COON
round inspectin.' The colonel feathers
him once or twice, but Rip didn't care
an kept on gooin' his rounds, wi his
taail waggin' as if he were flag sig.
nallin' to t world at large at he was
"gettin' on nicely thank yo'! an how's
yo'senf' An then t colonel, as was
noa sort of hand wi dog, tees him
oop. A real clipper of dog, an it's
noa wonder yon lady, Mrs. DeSussa
should TEX fancy tiv him. Theer's
one O t ten commandments says yo
maun't cuvvet your neebor's OK mol
| his jackass, but it doesn't say now
about mis- terrier dogs, an happen thot''
| t reason why Mrs, De Susss cuvveteG
Rip, tho she went to church reg 'la
along wi her husband, who was 81
mich darker at if he hedn't such 1
good cooat tiv his back yo' might ha
called him black man aud nut tell {
lee nawther. They say he added hi
brass i jute, an he'd rare lot on it.
Well, yo' seen, when they teed Ri
up I poor awl lad didn't enjoy yer,
good 'elth. So L colonel's laady send
for me as 'ad nsame for bein' knowl
edgable about dog an axes what
silin' wi him.
"Why," says /, she's getten'
mopes, an what he wants is his lib
baty an company like t rest on us
we'll happen rat or two 'ud liven hiu
oop. It's low, num-" says ], sis rats
but It's t nature of dog; an soa'
cuttin round an meetin' another do
or two an passin' t time O day, an
hevvin bit of turn up wi him lik
a Christian"
So she says her dog maunt nive
fight an noa Christians liver fought.
"Then what's soldier fort" says
an explains to her t contrary quail
ty of a dog, at, Wien yo' COON to thin
ont, is one o t curusest things as il
For they larn 70 behave theirsens lik
gentlemen born, fit for t fost O coon
papy-they tell me t Wildly herself
/ fond of a good dog an knaws on
. when she sees it as we'll as onnybody
! then, on tother hand. atewin' roun
! after cats an gettin' mixed oop i a.
. manners O blackguardly street rows
, an killin' rats, an fghtin' like divils.
~ colonel lady says: "Well, Lei
, royd, l doant agree wi you, but your
right in way o speekin, an l shoul
like yo' to tex Rip out a-walkin' W
yO bomstimesi uuI yo iuauh leI III
fight, nor chase cats, nor do nowt o.
rid an them was her very words.
Soa Rip an me gooes out a-walkil
O evenings he bein' dog as did cred
it t;y' a man, an / catches lot O. rat,
9 an we he'd bit of match on in a
AVID dry swimmin' bath at back O
cantonments, an it was none 30 Ion
afore he was as bright as butto
again. He he'd way O. flyin' at thel
big yaller pariah dogs as if he was
= harrow offan bow, an though h
weight were nowt he TUX 'em 30 SUI
| dent like they rolled over like skittle
in a haley, an when they ooot b
stretched after 'em as If he were ra
bit runnin.' Same with cats when |
cud get t cat agate o runnip.'
a One evening him an me was tire
. passin' ovver compound wall aft
one of them mungooses AT he'd starte
an we was busy grubbin' round
a prickle bush, an when we looks I
there was Mrs. DeSussa wi psras
4 GsT