The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1894-03-30

suds, her frowsy hair flying in the |
wind, Betsy O'Riley rushed from her |
wash-tub.
"The babbyl Tho darHntl It's
drowndid he is intoircly! Howly
Maryl Run, ye murtherin' divils!
Save i'm HilpW
1t would not have created much of
a sensation in Rat Row society if
half dozen little traits had been
swept away altogether by the river. A
few dragglcd women lounged to doors
or windows, two or three blcar-cyed
men, among whom was Blinks, lurched
la2ily toward the place where the
small, dirty figure had gone under the
muddy water, giving it plenty of time
to drown i'll the most leisurely way
before their arrival Only the scrcech-
ing mother and the dog were really
alive to the situation.
Jags was weak from long fasting,
but the instinct inherited from a long
line of noble ancestors nerved him.
In flash, it seemed, his gaunt body
was in the water and out, and Betsy
had snatched her soaked kid"
! drained the water out of him and adj
ministered ringing slap.
"Ye spalpane? Will yez be kapin'
away from the wather-will yez?"
The child replied with a vicious
sQuirm and an unchildlike curse.
Betsy went back to her washtub, while
Jags crept patiently to the side of his
master who, with another, had dropped
from sheer exhaustion on the yellow
earth. No one thought Of praising or
thanking Jags. Such small, sweet
courtcsies were not customary in Rat
Row. Only Blinks's companion, who
seemed more alive than his surround
ings, looked approvingly at the dog
''Fetch n carry?" he said laconi-
cally, nodding in Jags's direction.
Like -!" drawled his master,
with la2incss strangely at variance
with the lurid comparison. "Hyar,
dawg! Git it,"
Jags looked up impIoringly as a
stick few far into the water He was
willing enough heaven knows! But
when one has had only one fly to cal
for twcnty-four hours, and had Just
dragged heavy squuming body from
the water, he may he pardoned fol
feeling trembly and averse to unncccs
sary eXertion.
"Git it," snarled his master There
was kick III the eye, Jags went
meekly out into the twbid water anC
came trembling all over to lay the
stick beside the tyrant. Again it few
ont, farther than before. This time
Jags was almost swept down the river.
'Letup!" said Blinks's companion
"the dawg's nigh croaked.'
'La2y,, cuss inn" drawlod Jags',
energetic owner. Jags gave whine
of almost human entrcaty when tn,
stick was thrown again, but tottercc
away to almost certain death.
Amicable relations are easily dis
turbed in Rat Row. Big Andy caught
Blinks by that part Of his carmen
where the collar should have beer anc
shook him into n stupid protest.
"Blame yer mi2zable hidew h,
shouted furiously. Call i'm back Of
, I'll fling We in arter i'm ~
Blinks fell Imply TO the ground anl
obeyed. But Jags had already turned
to defend his master and BOUNDED
back with growl at his assailant.
"Cussed if the dRwg wouldn't fgh
fer We now, We sneakin' hound - NUT
tered Big Andy with M admiring grin
at Jags. He went into his own nest il
the tenement house and flung Jags
bone, "Hyar, dawg! Put that dow
your neck"
Jags snatched it with the fervor O
starvation, but his master was tillcC
with sullen spite against the limo
cent cause of his shaking, and, look
= ing to sec that Big Andy was at a SAT
:, distance, he called:
: "Hyar, yc imp"
y The dog came, clinging desperatel,
to the precious food.
. drop it,"
, Ihe poor animal oDeyed, eyclng Il
: wistfully the while.
Nov, come git it,
Jags bounded joyfully forward t.
- meet kick that made him howl lie
! peating this amusing performance un
til he was weary, the human brut
= finally threw tho bone into the river
" Jags started weakly after it, bu
obeyed with something like tears i,
. his one pathetic eye when commando
:, to lie down.
Well, he had been hungry before
and if his master willcd this, he mus
4 know best.
g 1t has been seen, long before this
that Jags was an ideal Christian.
8 Hours after this even Rat Row wa
. wrapped in slumber-th heavy slee
a of the drunkard or the leaden one {
oVboustioD ond u-aoEDacS RlipEr a