Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-03-27
THE STORIES
OF THE
THREE BURGLARS.
BY FRANK B. STOCKTON.
tCoPYRIGHT, 1891
ICONTINUFD.l

CONTINUED.
81 had heard of animals and ever
human beings who we're totally invisi
BILE, but who still retained their form
their palpability and all the powers and
functions of life. Ihad heard of house.
haunted by invisible animals; had read
the story of the maiden whose coming.
her lover perceived by the parting of the
tall grain in the field of ripe wheat
through which she passed, but whose
form, although it might be folded in his
arms, was yet as invisible to his sight
az the summer air. / did not doubt fol-
a moment that the animal that had come
to me was one of those strange beings
lifted his head; it was heavy. l took
hold OF a paw which ne readily gave
mei he had every attribute of a real
dog, except that he could not be seem
II call that perfectly HORRIBLE said
Aunt Martha, with a sort of a gasp.
Perhaps" said the young man, ''you
would prefer that / should not continue
At this both my wife and Aunt Martha
declared that he must go on and even !
did not object to hearing the rest of the
story.
"Well," said the young man, "Aiax
never came back. 1t is generally be-
Heved that dogs can see things which
are Invisible to us, and am afraid that
my faithful hound was frightened, per-
haps to death, when he found that the
animal whose entrance into the court
yard he had perceived was supernat-
ural and uncsnny thing.
But if needed a canine companion
I had one, for by day or night this in
visible dog never left me. When slept
he lay on the floor by the side of my
bed; if 1 put down my hand could
always feel his head, and often he would
stand up and press his nose against me,
as If to assure me that he was there.
This strange companionship continued
for several days, and l became really
attached to the invisible animal. His
constant compromising seemed to in
dictate that he had come to guard me,
and that he was determined to do it
thoroughly. felt SO much confidence
in his protection, although knew not
how it could be exerted, that one morn
ing decided to take a walk, and with
my hand on the head of the dog, to
make sure that he was with me, l
strOlled into the open country.
81 had walked about mile and was
approaching group of large trees, when
suddenly from behind one of them the
tall figure of man appeared. In an in
slant / knew it to be Colonel Kaldhein;
his was face which could not easily be
forgotten. Without word he raised
pistol which he held in his hand and
fired at me. The ball whistled over my
head.
Il stopped short, startled, and fright
ened almost out of my senses. l was
unarmed and these was no place of
refuge to which 1 could fly. 1t was
plain that the man was determined to
kill me.
Quickly recocl1ing his pistol, Kald-
helm raised it again. / Involuntary
shrank back, expecting death, but be-
fore he could fire his arm suddenly
dropped and the pistol was discharged
into the ground. Then began a strange
scene. The man shouted, kicked and
beat ND and down with his arms, his
pistol fell from his hand, he sprang from
side to side, he turned around, he strug-
gled and yelled.
Il stood astounded. For an instant 1
supposed the man had been overtaken
by some sort of fit; but in flash the
truth came to me. Kaldhein was being
attacked by my protector, the invisible
dog.
''Horrified by this conviction, my first
impulse was to save the man, and, with
out knowing what 1 was going to do,
stepped quickly toward him, but, STUN
bling over something / did not see,
fell sprawling. Before could regain
my feet 1 saw Kaldhein fall backward
to the ground, where scene took place
so terrible that l shall not attempt to
describe it. When, with trembling steps.
approached, the man was dead. The
invisible dog had almost torn him to
pieces.
81 could do nothing. 1 did not re-
main upon the spot another minute, but
hurried home to the castle. As rapid
~ walked on felt the dog beside me,
and. putting my hand upon him, felt
that he was painting terribly, and for
three days did not leave the house.
about the end of this time l was sit
ting in an upper room of the castle, re-
fecting upon the recent dreadful event,
when the thought struck me that the in
visible dog, who was by my side, appar-
emily asleep, was of an unusually pow
erful bald 70 overcome so easily such
strong man as Kaldhein. felt desire
TO know how large the creature really
was. 4Ad, as l had never touched any
portion of his body back of his shout
ders, now passed my hand along his
back, ! was amazed ct his length. and