The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-29

her with most mischievous expression
in his eyes. knowing just as well as she
did that she was afraid OF him.
When he saw that she would not go
while he behaved SO, he quoted down,
and trotted gravely along beside her,
with all the dignity his position of pro-
tector called for. But the very next
time she made ready for walk the
same performance was repeated, and
more than year later the dog remem-
bered the joke and tried to play it up
on her again On othersof the family,
of whom he was equally fond, but who
happened to be of larger size. he never
tried this particular prank. lie would
bound and frisk about, to be sure, but
he did not throw himself against them,
as he did against his little mistress
Sometimes, however, the tables were
turned upon him in droll way. He
was very fond of hunting, and greatly
excited over every woodchuck hole he
found, always believing that some day
he should succeed in digging one out,
though he never accomplished that feat.
In his daily walks through the woods
with his mistress, there were certain
well-known retreats OF the willy foe.
that he never passed without . call.
One Of these was at the farther side OF
a pasture that bordered the woods,
where grazed herd of cows. When
ever the walk led that way Balder
slipped under the fence, crossed the
field and made his visit to the wood
chuck, shifting eagerly at the hole.
and throwing out a peck or so of earth
every time.
There were forty or fifty cows in the
field, who evidently had their opinion
of dogs. and one afternoon when he
passed through they all stopped graz
ing and fixed their eyes upon him. He
spent his usual five minutes there and
started back. The cattle meanwhile
had plainly been considering his case.
and when he came along on his usual
trot, paying no attention to them. they
arrived at a decision. One of them,
who had not vestige of horn with
which to fight, took the lead, lowered
her head and started directly for him.
Instantly the whole drove, with one
accord, lowered their heads, and start
ed on a run in the same direction.
The dog understood. though he did
not seem to look at them. He dis
dained to run, but he quickened his
trot little. and just little more, till
an instant before they were upon him
he slipped under the fence where he
had gone in. Once outside, he stopped
and looked back at them in silence,
Of ic+,.a
expressive wag of the tail, which said
as plain as words: Wasn't that
joke?"
This passion for hunting was such
that he would attack any animal he
met, from mouse to grizzly bear,
and one unlucl<v day he found in the
edge of the woods porcupine, and
without hesitation few at him. In n
few moments, the household, which
was not far off. was startled by fearful
cries, with barking and sounds of war
fare, and q man was dispatched to see
what was the matter. He rescued the
wild beast whom he had sense enough
to know was friend OF the farmer),
and the dog came limping home, with
not only his forepaws. but his mouth,
full of sharp quilts. His tongue and
the roof of his mouth were completely
covered. and they hung from his lips
like fringe. OF course he was nearly
wild, paving his mouth and rolling on
the ground in his pain.
His distressed young mistress seated
herself on the ground, took his head
in her lap, and with the help of two
men, tried to pull the barbed quilts
ont Naturally this hurt, and the suf
fering animal snapped at the men, who
were afraid-with reason-of his for
mldable teeth. It looked for awhile
as if bullet through the brain would
be the only way to end the matter, as
has often happened to a dog who will
NEEDLE with this well-armed beast.
In this dilemma visitor suggested
chloroform, and supply was hastily
brought His heroic mistress saturated
her handkerchief and held it to his
nose. and then sat there holding his
head and administering the drug as
needed. until the two men had pulled
ont every quill. It was a tedious opera.
ton, but it was thoroughly done. and
when the patient came to consciousness
he was entirely relieved and more than
a hundred porcupine quilts strewed the |
grass around. His mouth and jaws /
were ii little sore for few days. but |
that was the only result of an indiscre- |
ton that might have caused his death. |
Olive Thorne Miller in Sunny Home. |