Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-04-24

No covered the distance between tho
hut and the spot where he had left
Polly with unusual speed.
81 knew he was there" he said, but
his eyes were popping out of his head
with astonishment. "He is there so1Ed
asleep on the ground by the chimney.
I guess he climbed up when he heard
the soldiers coming, and SO they
missed him. Anyhow he's there, and
we've found him.
''Why didn't you so in and catch
him like you said?" asked Polly wick
edly.
"Well, I thought 'twould be kinder
mean when peppers SO set on catching
him himself, and now I must go back
to the post for him, SO he'll have the
chance. You must stay here, Polly,
and watch and see that Big Brown
don't slip out"
"Me?" cried Polly. "Stay yourself
and I'll go for pepper; I'm afraid"
| Billy despised his sisters sex, but at
that moment he thought after all it
might be rather comfortable sometimes
to be girl and own to ones real feel.
ing.
'fYou ought to stay, for you're
boy" Polly went on, 'I'm only girl,
little girl"
''That's the very reason, don't yoa
see?" said Billy eagerly. "There's no
knowing what he might do to me, but
he wouldn't hurt girl; little girl"
Polly was doubtful of such gall
lantry. She looked down at big
black and blue bruise on her bare
brown leg, and reflected that being
little girl had not saved her from
Billy's rage, and she would much
rather not risk it with Big Brown.
Still she always obeyed Billy, and he
insisted that she should stay.
he tucked her behind some bushel
With the assurance that if Big Brown
came out he would never see her, and
calling the dog set out as fast as he
could; with his steady trot King Cole
kept goG way in advance. He made
straight for the fort with an air of pur-
pose, and looking back at Billy now
and then as if to say there was no time
70 lose.
When they reached the garrison.
although Billy searched in all his
usual haunts, his father was nowhere
to be found. There were plenty OF
other men about whom if he pleased
Billy could have started off in pursuit,
but he wished his father to have the
glory of capturing Big Brown.
He was in great excitement, for OF
course the longer the delay the greater
the chance that Bill Brown might es-
.ape.
At length, leaving the barracks,
Billy walked down by the guardhouse.
There was no one about but the sentry
pacing up and down on the porch. AT
one side of the guardhouse was slight
elevation on which the cannon was
perched. Billy went up there and
looked in every direction for his
father. King Cole also looked, cock
ing his ears at every moving figure in
the distance, and then dropping them
disconsolately when it proved to be
,ome other than his master.
At military post the cannon is fired
each morning and evening, and ut no
other time except on some rare special
occasion. After gun fire each morn
ing the Ordnance Sergeant at Fort st.
Martin reloaded the gun for evening
use. King Cole, after funny fashion
of his own, went up and with his head
on one side inspected it.
Suddenly the garrison was electrified
by the firing of the gun. Much startled.
officers and men hurried to discover
the cause of so unusual an event, and
with the others came Private Peck.
He was instantly seized upon by
nd Of "a
facts. Taking one other man with him
and Billy as scout, he was soon scurry.
ing away across the chaparral, and in
an incredibly short time Big Brown
was locked up in the guardhouse.
After this event Peck was proudel
than ever of King Cole.
"Oh, no, he hasn't any intelligence.
he hasn't" he would say sarcastically.
"NIy boy had looked all over the post,
an had jest given up the job of find
ing me when that dog up an fired of
the gun. Oh, no, he hasn't any intel
igence."
But theman who had been the sentry
at the guardhouse and who had wit
messed the affair gave another version
of it.
"Yes, sir" he laughingly explained.
''the lanyard that was coiled up on the
beach had been blown down, an that
pup seein' the hand piece bobblin'
about in the wind, grabbed it in his
mouth an started off with it ter play.
So O. course it exploded the caps an
fired off the gun. 'Twould been a
mortal smart dog that would have
knowed what it was a-Soing ter do.
But them kids o Peck's are cuta ones,
and it's them that ought to have the
credit of capturin' Big Brown. st
Louis Republic.