The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-08-12
TREED BY A TERRIER.
A. We'll Known Western Lawyer Tells John
GiImer Speed a Story.
fcr,nninl Corresnani.nncal

was surprised By visit from lawyer
who has made his mark in the western
courts. He is vigorous fellow, not yet
40, and happy illustration of the old
adage that the boy is father of tho man.
He was a plucky fellow and as boy
was pre-eminent in those rough sports,
skinny" and football, while he was the
first amateur catcher K ever saw stand
directly behind the bat and take the
balls, unprotected by either mask or
gloves, as hot as the pitcher had power
to send them. But he was afraid Of one
thing-he was afraid of a dog, and many
is the time have seen MIN shy out into
the roadway from the barking of harm
less little toy dog confined in some yard
along the street. After greeting him
the other day and telling him how glad
was to see him, for nearly 20 years had
elapsed Mnce our last meeting, I asked
him about his wife.
81 have no wife," he said in rather
cold way, and was afraid that either
she must have died or been divorced or
done something else disagreeable. I
was embarrassed, and he saw it. His
good nature would not let me suffer. Sc
he added, Il was never married, you
know"
mo, don't know it," replied quick
ly. ibid you not marry Kitty Shall
CROSSE for it was well known in the
town where cur youth was spent that
they were confirmed sweethearts and
were surely to be married as soon as
they got old enough.
mo, we did not get married" he
added, and then he laughed in such
way that was encouraged to ask him
why.
"Well, you know" said he. "that Kit
ty's father moved to the country just
before you left home, and he went in for
all kinds of country life. He had game
chickens and peacocks and Attorney cat
tie and bull terriers. used to go to see
Kitty nearly every evening, and some
times, when the weather was particu-
larly fine, 1 would walk back to town.
Mr.. Shallcross promised to tie up his
dogs, and therefore I was not in the least
concerned in walking through the lawn
and grove which separated his house
from the turnpike. One night in No.
vember, however, just before had
reached the grove, heard dog bark
ing and knew instinctively that he was
pursuing me. I fed and looked over
my shoulder as ran. could see the
beast gaining on me at every stride, and
I could see also in the moonlight that it
was ferocious fighter they called Zip.
ssZip had been pit dog though of
course Mr.. Shallcross did not have him
for such a purpose. He had been select
ed by the old gentleman for his breeding
and proven pluck. This, however, did
not CROSS my mind as fed at the rate, I
think, Of 100 yards in 10 seconds. I had
no chance to gain the road before the
dog, and did not see how that would do
any good, for surely the dog would fol-
low me. I determined, therefore, to
climb mp tree if possible and in that
way avoid capture until rescued. Imade
for the nearest tree-a good sized elm,
too large in the trunk to climb easily
and with no branches nearer than 20
feet from the ground reached it and
was soon shining up it with much la
Dor. I had not got my Feet far from the
ground when Zip sprang at me. He
caught piece of my best breaches in
his mouth and tore it out. This made
me climb all the faster, and before he
sprang again think / was outsof his
reach.
ST finally reached the crotch of the
tree and looked down. There the VII.
famous brute sat on his launches and
grinned and growled. Here was a nice
predicament. Il was half a. mile from
Mr.. Shallcross' house, and there was lit
tie chance that amy one would hear me
IL I called. Besides, I did not like to
call Kitty Thought my fear of dogs
silly and humanity. She could have
given Zip cuff and sent him off howl
ing. I1nade UP my mind to wait as pa
tiently as possible till morning. AS !
was walking, I wore NO overcoat, and it
got deucedly cold. Finally the moon
went down, and At was pitch dark. /
wondered if Zip would not go home. ]
let piece of bark fall. He was still
there and growled angrily. Well, to
make a long story short, no one came till
morning, and the first persons saw
were Mr.. Shallcross and Kitty in the
lawn, evidently looking for mushrooms.
called to them, and they came. Zip
crept away with his tail between his
legs, and I came down from my perch
as sorry and ridiculous looking alover as
ever stood in his sweetheart's presence.
"Mr. Shailcross was full of apologies
for Zip, and Kitty appeared sympathetic.
but I could see an occasional twitch in
the corner of her mouth, and knew
that she was dying to laugh. Naturally
was indignant, and refused to go to
the house for breakfast and hurried off
to town. was laid up for week with
q cold. When next saw Kitty, she was
as nice as ever, but every now and then