Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-08-08
THAT DOG NAPOLEON.
HE GREW UP WITH HIS YOUNG MAS
TER, WHO WAS FOND OF HIM.

! er Things Besides-How He Frightened
For His owner.
paid q man SO for him when he was
a little pup-the dog, I mean-and he
told me--the man did--that if would
treat him kindly and give him plenty of
corn bread--give the dog-he would
guarantee-the man would-that he
would grow up-the dog would grow up
Ito be an honor to him-to the man.
Napoleon got to be the largest dog
and did it in the quickest manner of any
dog ever knew. wore long curls at
that time, l remember, into which boys
used to cast burs, which hurt me good
deal, especially when Napoleon would
take his claws and try to run them
through my locks, although the locks
never opened in that way, They were
combination locks, suppose, and
didn't yet have my letters in my head to
set the combination ON. He also grew
very strong, Napoleon did, 80 that I
found it difficult to keep him at home
unless tied him, and even then it both
cred me if another dog happened to be
going by. Catching sight Of that dog,
Napoleon would utter a glad cry and
bound over the fence, utterly unmindful
OF the rope or me at the other end of it.
Down the street he would prance, giving
vent TO short banks and drawing the at
tention OF people after him, also myself.
Neighbors coming to the windows used
to marvel at the black and white streak
we made in passing by. Sometimes 1
wouldn't get home till long after meal
time, which in those days was quite
detriment to me, though not to Napo-
leon, whose appetite soon became cele-
brated throughout the whole town, for
when he couldn't get pair of rubbers
or fur mutf to slake the cravings of
hunger he would go out and collect the
loaves Of brown bread that bakers had
left upon the adjacent stoops. wouldn't
like to print the things that people used
to say about him at such times.
We grew up together-at least Ma
poleon did, for he had two feet the start
of me. We were inseparable Neighbors
said they never saw anything more so,
but that was chiefly because 1 couldn't
get the rope unfastened in time.
1t was Napoleon's appetite that ulti-
mately accomplished his ruin, just as it
has many another mans. Aunt and I'm
Gle Chesterfield came to visit us that
fall. They lived at Jay Corners, and
really ought never to have gone any
where else, but there they We're, getting
out of the stage at our front gate, and
what could we do? / heard father say
that to mother as they stood looking
out of the window together. Uncle
Chesterfield wasn't really our uncle, you
understand, but just an old friend of IA
ther's-I don't know how old, but he
looked every day of it, and more. We
called him uncle because he appeared
that way. Aunt Chesterfield had tic
douloureux, which used to cause her to
make up the awfulest faces. realize
now that it was from pain, but at that
age used to laugh, whereupon she said
/ was a wicked boy. She also had
brown wig and rheumatism. Uncle
Chesterfield didn't have anything but
just warts-I think I counted 7O-and
Aunt Chesterfield. But heard father
tell mother that was enough.
Mother put them into the spare cham
Der, where the old fashioned canvas bot
tom bed was with the white valance.
There were also some green worsted
lamp mats on the bureau. We all
said good night, father wound up the
clock and everybody went to bed I was
always sound sleeper as boy, so you
must know that Aunt Chesterfield had
to shrek pretty loud to get me out, but
she did it, and could have fetched me, i
think, if I had been dead. got right up
and ran into the spare chamber before
anybody could stop me.
Aunt Chesterfield was sitting in the
middle of the bed in red flannel night
gown. / didn't know her at first, be-
cause her mouth was wide open, shrek
ing, and her face twisted with tic dou-
loureux, and the whitest, shiniest head
you ever saw, which remembered with
copious locks of brown. But saw how
that was i'll minute, for there was Ma
poleon over in the corner with brown
wig in his mouth, which he was tossing
and worrying and carrying on dreadful
ly. Uncle Chesterfield you couldn't see
at first, tEfS by and by you found him
with his legs stuck through the arms of
a rocking chair, and every time he
moved Napoleon would growl, not being
acquainted with Uncle Chesterfield, and
he was almost scared to death.
They took the stage back to Jay Cor
ners the very next day. Mother was
dreadfully shocked, but noticed that
father didn't get excited.
81 wonder who let that dog up
stairs?" he said musingly after the stage
was gone.
intended to say that didn't know,
but got to stammering and mixed my
self up, and before I realized what I
was doing I blurted the truth right out
and said that did. Father gave me
quarter. I didn't know what for, but I
supposed at the time that it was for
telling the truth.
But the dog must 60, he added.
ellis appetite is growing too indiscrim-
NATIVE
So we sold him to man who kept a
farm, and who soon afterward shot him
for biting calf on the legs. Napoleon
used to do that to book canvassers when
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