The sun., 1893-09-10
n Trail of Horror.

1t was aftor tho MONDAY meal and lay on
heap OF newmow hay on the barn floor
with the doors open and the gentle breeze
blowing though. The horses. with harness
still on. were munching their oats In the sta
bic. and at the door was load OF hay to be
drawn in by and by. Fifty rods down the dusty
highway was schoolhouse. and tho shouts OF
children at their games came plainly to my
ears. The swallows chittered and chattered
under the caves Of the big barn-now and thor
bumblebee came sailing about as il wonder
ing what was going on-and from a hollow
stump Just back OF the barn 1 caught the
'cheep! cheep" of young bluebirds as the
mother brought them food.
1t was an hour Of peace and good will.
Lying there half asleep and too lethargic to
move finger. l should have smiled in con-
tempt had voice whispered that there was
danger to any soul in that pea ceful neighbor-
hood. or n sudden there WAS q smiling an
whining at the open front doors. lay facing
them. and had but to open my eyes to see the
farmers dog standing there looking directly
at me. He was monster in size. and for two
or three days had been skulkng about In dark
spots and uttering low growls of annoyance
when any ono came near.
At the first glance nv heart choked me.
had once looked into the eyes Of a mad dog,
and instantly realized that this was another
case Ii terror. distress. passion. thirst. hun
ger. and savaGeness can be combined in
look. you have it in the dilated eyes OF the
canine can, when the frenzy first comes, upon
MN ana he Is undecided what to do. Clots Of
i3am foil from the dogs breast and on the
noor as he worked his Jaws and every hair on
his eyes on mine. He may have been blind for
the moment; or he may have thought me dead.
was clearly remembered that they suddenly
ceased feeding and even seemed to hold their
breathsi Instinct must have warned them.
into, my eyes and had not been lying down
believe l should have fallen. Then lie sud
howl. and heard him growl fercely a he
FSpr4ns n awa{ hif bar COW was app1oaching the
made straight Tor tho house The old farmer mnr
sat under the shade Of n cherry, tree by the
Kitchen door "a, smoSinf his pipe. He was sud
right oar almost torn from his head. He knew
that e was his dog. but when he rose up the
tho cato. Up the highway there was nothing
IN sight. Down tho highway was tho school
h9nfe' Tith dozen chiIdrep on tho grass in
running with his head down and uttering no
sound. The old man was helpless. except to
unGn the first chid lie heard the the scr screams ans
dnd srfkS o nbIGh and then his pain and
50 spod ths dog None saw M hoard aSiS9 him Until @
to nt the midst S thm
froth flew from his lips and fell in patches on
the grass; Nine out OF the twelve children
twice. Ho had marked his victim and gone
before any one could realize what had hap
pened Faces, necks. cheeks. arms, hands.
S%aadca bast D and ior'h aa 'nh1HSa EFF as mile
s1s hs wt oxen main in IT the tha hfsTpy sI rs he
tho brute coming but before no realized his
peril one Of his hands had been mangled and
A trayplpr
ran for the fence. As be reached 1t there was
q SHARP pain in one Of his legs. as if he, had
mouth nIed with yellow froth. but next instant
the TnH in19it Gas sPd Mnn MnshSd. shs Look
so rang the cry from field to field and from
h"use h5i, t. Rarn ani .arn to house along the
only few. Here and there the dog turned in
ar as % hSG to rana 'nSn At ,hs hpeCfe io
mlo below he turned asile and BIT t two o, hogs Oi
ana COW. At tho bridge he Sit u woman. 6It
rhassGG three , ,da men nnnoticed Straight on
as suddenly as the lghinng's flash.
gone, almost, bG!oro. tho pain of his bite had
iI Inrsa me mari 1rSGM az Ft,m at almost every roo.
md chiidrepIw whatever living thing, came in
rs way ielt MS sharp iang.,. and yet he seem
inGly did not halt for an instant
Ten long miles away from the barn whore /
had looked into his eyes the dog met his death
nt tho hands OF y farmer whom he had first
bltt1n: Fecl your leSh creep as YOU read tha
record: Forty-seycn human beings. 80 head
Of liye stock. and l1 dogs \ lion would hGys
amp tito. A gor hunted to frenzy might have
killed two or tnreo in order to escape A mad
cIi,"phant. breaEInE loose. has heen SHOWN, to
or secured, Even tie blizzard OF mid winter
or the terrible eye. one Of summer. would hayo
left no such trail Of horror across the land