The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-09
JACKS BURGLARS.

attributed to burglars.
AS lived in suburban town and the
man of the house was often absent for
months at a time, became an expert in
looking for burglars. A seven shooter.
every barrel of which was loaded, was laid
in conspicuous place close to my hand,
and cannot understand yet why I did
not shoot myself or some member of my
family in my various frantic grabs at the
weapon when I heard or thought heard
some one ascending the stairs. had read
somewhere that newspapers spread on the
stairs would make such cracking sound
If any one stepped on them that they made
the best burglar detectives in the world.
tried it, and my youngest hopeful fell
down stairs in consequence the next morn
ing and sustained fractured arm. 1t was
then that Jack came upon the scene. Jack
was a hunting dog, part bloodhound,
handsome to look at, but very ferocious to
deal with Either he was hard of hearing
or he could not discriminate between
friends and foes, but by the time had
owned Jack fortnight none of my friends
would come near me.
So followed the example OF the clown
at the circus who owned an elastic dog. I
took him in at night and let him out in
the morning. Jack had his chair in the
sitting room, close to a veranda and a
window, from which the side gate could
be seen and past which the sidewalk ex-
tended for a square or SO, ours being the
last house on the block.
I sometimes wondered myself if was
not as much afraid of the new dog as of
the burglars, but he never moved from his
post, and became used to his low growls
and barks if any one passed, which did
not often happen.
One day a company of friends came
from the city and staid overnight at my
coli 10 rho1 ar4ul
times during the evening, 'Oh, for a
man!' but there was not one of those use
full bipeds in the company. After music
and late supper we told ghost stories
and ended up with burglar experiences,
by which time there wasn't thimbleful
of brains among us-nothing but hyster-
ical fears and nervous tremors.
Then we had good deal of trouble in
composing the dog. Seeing new faces
seemed to disturb him, and he was full of
low growls that were threatening and bel
ligerent. He wanted to fly at each one Of
my friends separately. Then he tried to
take them collectively, but hung on his
collar with both hands, while Hannah
coaxed him with a bone, and we finally
| landed him in the old chair, which was
| his throne by day in the wood shed and his
couch by night in the parlor. Once there,
| he curled himself up for keeps, while the
ourselves into our several apartments.
| 1t was the noon of night and as light
| as day with a full moon when I was
awakened by hearing some one at my door
| and small feminine voice calling in
| hushed syllables, Let me in; oh, let me
| imp and 1 opened the door instantly and
saw company of ghosts in the hall, each
one of whom whispered in accents that
! Glove to the roof of her mouth:
l. ssBurolars BURGLARS in the hOuSeIv
/ I.whispered back, with chattering teeth,
| s'Itis JackP'
Jack was indeed making a remarkable
| demonstration. He neither barked nor
| growled, but made a strange kissing noise
that I am told is native to the bloodhound
alone and is the most awe inspiring threat
that bloodthirsty dog can make
DON'T said one of my friends as
was about to turn on a light.
elf you do, the burglars will see US. Let
| us look out of the front windows. 1t is as
light as day, and they will not know that
we have seen them.
So we crept hand in hand, with two
frightened children clinging to us, to the
windows, STOPPING low SO that we could
not be seen, and, sure enough, two men
were walking along softly in the middle of
the road, coming directly toward the house
| by the side where the dog was on watch,
| and no doubt they were quite unconscious
| that there was any dog on the premises,
for when they reached the door they step
ped upon the sidewalk, opened the gate
nOiselessly and climbed the two steps to
| the veranda.
During this time the dog had kept up
that same peculiar expression of his anger,
and / had seized the seven shooter and
was grasping it in a cold and shaking
hand. But the moment the two men step
ped on the veranda the dog sprang from
his chair to the table and threw himself
against the window with yell of rage
that was like the roar of wild animal,
followed by that long, baying cry familiar
to those who have ever heard a pack oil
| bloodhounds give tongue. We all thought
the window was broken from the easement,
that perhaps the men would shoot oul
only protector and make their way in, bat
in a moment we were treasured The
noise the dog made prevented us hearing
anything, but we saw the two men going
away, at first slowly, then faster, and
they went back the way they came
Were they burglars2 Wait till 1 finish
my story. The next day took my little
family and accompanied my friends tC
their home in the city. We had each noted
the dress, size and general appearance Of
the two men, one being tall and wearing
derby hat, while the other was short anG
wore cap.
There was great excitement at our little
suburban station, and a crowd of people
had gathered about some police officer:
who had captured two men. We crane6
our necks and saw our two burglars.
''Who are they?'' we asked breathlessly
Cramps, I reekon,' said the station
master. They nearly murdered an ole
man up here in Harlem last night because
he wouldn't give up his money. The ole
fellow was plucky and reused the neigh
borhood, and the officers are just taking
them into the city,
We looked at each other when the sta
ton master had finished.
1T might have been u.s." said, with
Ehudder, ''if it hadn't been for Providence
and Jack. '-Detroit Free Press.
| Entrance Answers.
In a recent examination of middle clas
| schools in q CERTAIN mart of India. which