Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-12-22
JACKSON"
The Story of a Sea Dog.
ny ". chHRK Russzhh.
Copyright 1900. BY tho Authors Alliance

Copyright 1890. BY tho Authors Ailisncsi
1T seemed an nge before heard the
sharp crack Of that pistol. suppose
my hand was paralyzed, but It came at
last, and the big black monster dropped
his prey, and rolled into heap In the
bottom Of the boat. For q few mo-
mcnts saw nothing more, but gradu-
ally pulled myself together and max
ing motion to the others to help me,
we laid hold Of the huge corpse and
tumbled II into the water.
"Ah. that was q fearful deed. but !
never regretted II, sir, never"
Here Mr.. Robert Ridley, retired mar
liner, paused. drew n long breath and
then continued rs follows:
Towards nightfall we fell in with
vessel. We sighted her Mt shutdown,
and she was then mere spot upon the
distant sea, and we thought no more Of
her when darkness came; but next
morning she was showing within IN
easy pull, and we then saw that she
was wreck, all three masts gone, and
her thick shrouds trailing over the
side, rs though her hole was full OF
serpcnts crawling away from her. As
we passed under her stern we read the
name: Grace Tucker, BOSTON, She sat
high pom the water, and seemed new
ship; anyway, her copper was new, and
the wet flash of II to the sun might
have been seen for miles.
1--WE sprang aboard. all mad for wat
err, and then for food. Figure our joy
when tell you we found n scuttle-butt
full of cold water, with q dippcr ready
ut hand to drink from. There was a
dead man lying in the galley; he was
half.castc. and the atmosphere was so
bad with him that two of us tumblcd him
over the side without ado. Aft was
long declshouse; entered It to rum
mage for food, and the first thing saw
was the body of n man lying upon the
deck stone dead, with living dog sit
ting alongside of him. When the dog
saw me. he crawled like dying crea-
ture on to the mans breast, and fecbly
showed his teeth. lie was something
after the breed Of u water spaniel, but
his eyes were red. and seemed on fire.
and felt scared somehow on seeing
him alive, and. though saw how weak
he was, had no heart TO push past him
lest he should fly ut me.
IL called through the door to one Of
my mates: jackson! Jackson" mean.
ing that between us we should secure
Al .lo,, l,,,t loI M e,nnar ,,t Grad tho
word Jackson than the dog crcpt Off
the dead mans bosom, and, weakly
wagging his tail. comes to my feet and
falls a-licling my shoe.
".Why, jackson. poor chap says !,
batting him. on which he uttcrs sort
Of howl and looks up nt me with his
two fiery red eyes with such an express
sion in his face that you'd have sworn
he felt rs II II would have done him
good to cry. There was an empty
pannilsin alongside one Of the dead
mans hands. fetched some water and
gave It to the dog. who drank II to the
last drain. and on my saying Poor
Jackson and patting him again, he
howlcd us before, Us though there was
something in the name to break his
heart. You may hear some dogs howl
us he did when street organ begins.
left him to rummagc for victuals, and in
locker found some cold salt beef and
tin of white biscuit. On this called
my mates, and they all came in and we
fell to. The dog had got again on the
dead mans breast, and wouldn't stir
though threw him piece Of biscuit
and then bit Of meat. The water had
strengthened him, and he was shifting
about as though uneasy in his mind. oc-
casionally uttering low growl and
cycling us steadily.
"'Likcly us not we may have to stay
here says n man named William, and
II so that there poor chap'll have TO
come out Of it.
Better tarn to- exclaimed another;
its bad enough to be cast away after
this here pattern. I'm for fresh air.
shipwrecls or no shipwrcck.'
"But on our approaching the body
the dog snarled and showed his teeth,
and cut such capcrs on the corpse's
chest that we all thought he was gone