The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-04-05
BILL HENDERSON,
kecne Center,
AdirOndackS.

for the mall TO be SOrtcU looked tHc
newcomer over and expressed their sew
eral opinions as to his breed. Some
.'calated he had shepherd in him."
and others ''swan he hadn't"
''See that: haow he hobs that head OF
his'n," said Israel Lukens, an old hunt
er, peering into the crate. Hello thar,
Long Lega,' haow goes it?-hungry, be
YEP" and the puppy licked the old mans
hand.
What we got in Tiara lion?"
shouted Alfred Hammer from the road,
on his way to the lumber shanty.
BY this time the mail was sorted and
the crowd scutfied into the store. A
kerosene lamp sent long shadows sour
rying over the low ceiling and diffused
mellow light half way down the
counter. at the further end of which
was strewn tumbled assortment of
lumbermen's shirts and some old pairs
of children's boots the remnant OF the
winter stock. Great drifts of blue to-
bacco smoke foated lazily toward the
lamp and, ascending, were lost in the
shadows.
The puppy left alone on the porch,
heard the laughter and the voices of
the men inside. and began to whine.
When realizing that this only added to
ms loneliness, he cooked his head and
looked up at the stars ana the great
range sleeping clear out against them.
lie could hear the roar of the river as
il swung through the valley, and far
down the road the baying of the hound
Then came the sound of wagon clat
tcring along and the next instant Bill
Henderson refined in his team and called
out:
Dog here for aour foll1s?"
The door was opened by the post
master.
Some of my womerns relatives
daown in Fort tt Henderson con-
tinued, writ that they had one Of
them st. Bernartis and wanted we
should take it. l told my wife, sez 1.
we got enough haounds to feed with
cut'gOin' into no fancy breeds"
Ten minutes later the puppy was
lifted out of the crate and tumbled into
the wagon, and Henderson drove off.
AS they ratified down the road the cool
air seemed to revive the puppy. 1t felt
good to get out of the close crate, and
though at first he covered against the
dashboard he began gradually to feel
more like himself. Now and then he
would put up his foolish shaggy head
and try to make friends with Hender-
son. But Henderson was surly. He
regarded the puppy as more of an en-
cumbrance than anything else. Such
friendly beginnings on the part of the
puppy were greeted with kick that
sent him shivering under the seat
again. Henderson hadn't much heart
even toward his neighbors, and when
it came to animals he had less.
When Henderson reached his cabin
Mandy, his ''womern, came out with
candle to see the new dog, and the
puppy was brought into the Kitchen,
where he walked about awlwardly and
was mauled by the children. After
scanty supper hewas turned out among
the hounds in the wOOd-shed, where he
lay shivering with cold and fear until
Henderson's eldest boy came for him in
the morning and hitched him to a cart.
If he was not harnessed to the cart
by the eldest boy and dashed up and
down the road in the brOiling sun, he
was dragged into the cabin on wet
days and mauled by the rest of the
children. One morning he growled.
Hcnderson's ''womern' said ''she
knowed sat the dog was ugly soon as
She sot her two eyes on him. and that
sit was nothin' short of Providence he
Of ho
Henderson said he'd take him where
he wouldn't get back in a hurry, and
the next day the puppy was hitched
under peddlerS wagon and departed
amid the gibes of the Henderson chill
dren and the snarling of the Hender-
son hounds. The peddler drove along
in the binding heat and dust, and be-
fore he had gone two miles the puppy
had hard work to keep his chain slack,
his feet began to bleed and he whined
pitcously.
When the cart reached the valley.
Sin miles distant. and stopped in front
OF the post office. the puppy lay un-
conscious against the hind wheel, his
eyes were closed and blood oozed from
hi; nostrils. Some one unhitched the
chain and dragged him few feet away
on the grass under tree.
Two men passing stopped.
Guess he's dcad,' said one. "Looks
like he'd been ugly, anyhow said the
other. and they passed on.
The shadows heightened until onlv
the great slides far up on Great
mountain" We're high enough to catch
the rays of the red sun. A few lamps
beamed at the windows down the single
street, and a gentle breeze rustled the
leaves overhead.
When the dew fell the puppy opened
his eyes.
9 1t seemed to him that he was back
once more in the crate at the store. He
could see the stars glitter and hear the
roar of the river.
AS the wind freshened and blew
down the valley he staggered on his
feet and tottered up the road, whin-
ing. For a moment he stopped in
front of the store and stood in the
glare OF the lamps. Some village ours
snarled at him. Limping up the wooden
steps, he waited until a man opened
the store door, then he skunk in, bobbed
his head and wagged mis- bedragglea
tail.
'srn bet We the cigars that dogs
mad" said a rough lumberman in a
SLOUGH hat.
II gon, Bill, you're right" replied
his partner. nodding approvingly.
This dog your'n, Ed9' he shouted.
sarcastically, to a big fellow in blue
shirt, as he opened the door, and the
crowd roared to man.
III tell you what I'll do" sale
another. III give half dollar TO,
his hide if 8 lyone II shoot him."
A butcher boy lounging against the