The Republican., 1891-10-16
DISAPPOINTING DOGS.
resis of Fighting Qualities That Resulted
Most DisastrOGsly.

hose things which often exist without
cause and only partially die under dis
,ouragement that would kill an
Apache, said keen observer of human
nature the other day.
81 remember u farmer who lived near
US when l was a boy. He had a collie
dog that had been in his family for
years, a faithful servant and a brave
defender. 1t had litter of pups, all of
which died except one, and the old man
persuaded himself that that pup, though
it was not by any means of the purcst
breed, possessed all the virtues of its
mother, magnifed and intensified .
zen-fold.
"He came over to our house one
warm spring day with the shaggy little
pup peeping out of his big overcoat
pocket and he began to brag about the
good qualities of the animal. We boys
were always ready for fun, and we had
little black Spanish hen, with a flock
of chickens, that was as cross as two
sticks. In order to 'chaff' the old man
we told him that his pup was no good
and that we had a hen which could
lick the dog in two rounds.
THE old mans pride was hurt. lie
took the pup out of his pocket and fol-
lowed us outdoors to pit him against
our hen. My brother drove the hen and
her brood up to us and the old man
'sicked' his pup on to her. The hen
thought the dog was after her chickens
and with vicious squawk she dashed
around behind him in the twinkling of
an eye, and, fastening her strong bealI
firmly in the long hair of his back, be-
gan to beat him SO vigorously with her
wings, and kick up such a cloud of dust
and such 'bobbery' generally, that the
pup, though certainly not hurt, became
frightened almost out of his wits at the
queer attack, and fled, yelping and
bowling as if for his life, with the hen
still holding on to him for a score of
yards.
The old man could not help but join
in the laugh we all enjoyed, but he felt
so crestfallen that when he went home
he drowned the pup that was licked
by hen.
81 remember, too, an uncle of mine,
who owned farm in another part of
the state. We boys used to go and visit
him occasionally, and when we did he
always cautioned us not by any chance
to leave opeh the gate Of big paddock,
where he kept a prize thoroughbred
boar, of great size and fierceness, with
curling tuslis and erect bristles. This
boar was the deadly enemy of my
uncle's pet dog, fine beast, a cross be,
tween mastitf and bloodhound, as
heavy almost as yearling calf, and able
to knock a man over as easily as to
bark at him.
''This dog and this boar used to omalle
faces at each other, SO to speak, through
the closely built rail fence that sur
rounded the paddock. The dog would
bark furiously at the boar, and the boar
would foam at the mouth and champ
his great tuslls at the dog, They would
both race along the fence like mad,
meanwhile looking for any hole or
break through which they could get at
each other and tear one another to
pieces. The ticrceness of their aspect
used to put the whole family in tremor
sometimes, thinking of the dreadful
consequences that would follow if a
rail some time should be left down or a
gate open.
Zone day my uncle had caught me
in some particularly wicked piece OF
mischief and had boxed my ears. re-
scnted this assumption of my fathers
prerogatives so much that | resolved to
revenge myself by letting that dog and
that boar have free fight. Accord
ingly | pulled out an entire rail from
one part of the fence surrounding the
paddock and lay low to await results.
Lion, the dog, was away with uncle
to the post Office at the time, and they
both came home together. Lion had
had no fun that day and he started to
have a little chase with the boar, who
was waiting and Seady for him. Away
they went, on either side of the fence,
one barking, the other squealing, and
both gnashing their teeth. Uncle be-
gan calling Lion off, but the dog paid
no heed, and soon uncle's anxious eye
caught sight of the missing rail. With
n shout he started for the spot, but
Lion and the boar were bearing down
on it at fearful rate and would GER
tainly get there before he could.
"A cold sweat broke out all over the
old man, and his face blanched as he
strained every nerve and muscle to pre-
vent the approaching combat, which, if
the animals once came together, could
not but end in the death of one or both
of the valua BILE combatants.
But it was no use. The dog and the
boar were now rushing along at a
furious gait, filling the air with dust
and clamor, and scanning with fierce
eyes every foot of the fence that sepa.
rated them. Presently they came to
the gate and found themselves at last
face to face.
"They stopped, they stared, and then
in wild surprise and abject terror OF
each other, turned tail simultaneously
and fed like the wind in opposite direc.
tions.
Uncle Zeke brcathed long sigh OF
relief, but he never valued either OF
them half so much again."-N. Y. Trib-
une.
The KestreIs Keen light.
Wonderful is the keenness of vision
which enables bird, when itself ap
litfIa rnNra than mana