The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-12-19
1T WAS A LAVENDER PUP.
The Tale the Quartermaster Told Of
Scar on His Head.


poop deck. busily engaged in sewing a can
vas cover over the metal hand rail- At
times. as he worked, he stopped 10 inspect
with care and satisfaction what he had al
ready accomplished and when he had given
severe look TO every stitch he would re-
move his cap and run his hand through his
hair before going on with the work. II was
plainly job TO his liking, and so one quite
certain to last through at least two watches.
But the passenger who watched the old
quartermaster observed that each time the
cap was removed a fresh-looking scar was
revealed in the edge of the hair over the
right temple, and so, after getting some
what acquainted by showing an apprecia-
ton Of the work on the rail, ne made bold
to ask how the scar happened to be where
it was.
THAT scar. STRIP said the cd sailor. at
was al along of my having lavender pup
and a second mate a black cat he called
Smut. The pups name? Just Lavender,
sir: and the finest pup Of his breed that
ever chewed beef he was. He was not
common dog. sir l doubt If any one ever
saw a ,avender-colored pup before. Be
sides he was smooth all over. Not a hair
did he have on him, and what goes 10 hair
in other dogs went to brains in him, sir.
Aye, he knew more than some second
mates. If you'll believe me, sir / could
sit here and tell you stories by the hour,
sir. of what that dog knew and could do.
You might not believe Il, sir, but I've seen
that pup standing on his hind legs, with
his fore paws on the binnac,e, a-watching
the compass, and me at the wheel a-dream-
ing Of .osr opportunities till I'd ,et her get
maybe an eighth off, What I'D he do then
but snap at me and look that vicious you'd
a thought he was the mate OF Bath clip
Der with an Irish crew aboard.
In course I'd wake up and apologize to
him at that, and so when I'd hold her true
for quarter hour or so he'd wag his tail a
hit ofx mo a lOOE like he'd
That's more like it, my man. and away
he'd go.
Wonderful? You may well say that, sir;
and that would not be the whole of IT, for
could tell yer about his knowing the
weather better than any barometer, and
what he understood about navigation. only
that it would have nothing to do particular
with my getting that uncommon nasty cut
over the eye, 'cepting as ii 'u'd show you
how smart a dog can be, and how some
folks never can appreciate brains, what
they han't got themselves.
''As l was sayin', the second mate had
a slip of a cat as black as ton Of Goals
never a white hair on T.. I'm not sayin'
but what it was good enough cat as cats
go, sir, but ii hadn't no appreciation Tor
good society. II was a regular low-born
cat, sir, anyone may know when tell
you that it never would have anything 10
do with my lavender pup. Why, sir,
many's the time that pup tried TO get
diUilESllt lIldl smut " lileif0 AACA a.
quaintance. but she'd up her back, spread
her all, and away she'd go.
IN admit that he was impetuOus about
it, sir; nd make a plunge at her with his
mouth open. while Smut, she was delicate
like and wanted to be approached gentle
and with no end of palaver, like sweet
heart in the Spanish main. She never
could understand such ardOr as his, the
poor little fool. but whatever there was iE
that TO roll the second mate is more'n 1
I IL hoo
he says TO me arter Lavender had tried
to make it pleasant for the cat once, he
says. says he:
Look alive there quartermaster, an
keep yer darn pup off'n Smut or I'll drop
him overheard an al I could say was
Aye, aye, sir and properly cuss them as
didn't understand dog nature.
Next day, as luck would have it, the
pup got Smut cornered, and what did she
do but cuff him alongside both ears and
send him howlin' TO my bunk fOr'ard.
That shu'd ha been enough to teach
him to associate with his equals only, but
it didn't; it seemed as though he was
more determined than ever to get on
friendly terms with her, only ne was more
cautious like in his maneuverin'. But
every time he'd insinivate himself around
her he was sure to get a good cuff along
side of one ear, and so matters stood for
some days. and I noticed that the second
mate was laughin' in a most unfeein'
manner every time the dog had his hair
combed by that ere cat.
However. we be to arrive in Rio about
that time, and there one day that cat
fetched to without coaxing, alongside the
pup as he was a-scratchin' the deck with
his hind paws, dog fashion. Pears like she
wasn't afraid Of him when he was clawin'
of the deck with his hind paws, and that
gave him new idea. Smart? That pup
could hist i'm a new idea while most second
v-cf1l1 ha haxvpt hard work cnttirf
of it alongside in tow. Whatever does he
do next time, he wants TO go galllVantln,
arount that Smut but well. sir, l was that
astonished I was thunderstruck, and worse,
too, the first time / see what he done. 1t
was Just aft there on the poop by the bits,
an me a-takin' a stitch in the cover of the
skylight with the mate lookin' on, when
Smut she comes purrin around the after
bit. while the pup was in the wake Of the
companion way. The pup he takes a stroll
over toward the bits the moment he notices
the cat. and when pretty close alongside
he turns around and backs up toward
her I'll admit, sir, it was not polite in
him, and the second mate laughed fit to
kill with thinkn' the pup was amin to
| take his cuffin' where ii wouldn't hurt so
| much. and 1 was a-thinkin' he would
change his mind about the not hurtin'
him aft as well as forward when all at
once up goes his heels a-catchin' that
| cat In the ribs, an away she went over
! board, an the second mate an me we
| reached the rail in time to see her disap-
pear i'm the jaws Of a shark that lay
| there fannin' the water with his TAIL
And at that, sir, the second mate he
| grabbed the poor pup by the neck, and
make bold to grab it by the heels to save
it, sir, an then it must ha' been a hurri-
| cane or somethin' nigh hand to it that
| struck the ship Whereabouts, and when
| the weather had cleared away a bit l was
found in the scuppers with my head
! cut as you see it, slr."-Chcago Times.