The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-10-23
"And n crick," cried Davy, en-.
tbusiastically.

Enthusiastically.
"Yas, and crick that can rise and
spile the whole road for spell, said
the old man, cheerfully. "'Tain't
sech little thing nohow. The road
commissioners would have to put up a
bridge, the county a-payin' fer 1t.
Wal, wal, the cap'n may help along
his man runnin' fer Office, but I'll
keep the county from a-layin' out n
pile o money on the new public
road"
Two hills and hollow creek we're,
indeed, to be found in the bit of
meadow land that the church people
we're talking over in meeting with the
lie road.
Old King got in the habit of paying
daily visits to the meadow; he liked
to mako out who the people were who
quarreled every time they hnd to shut
the gates, and he liked to see them
stare about to see if the Durm was in
sight, for tales had been growing in
regard to the Durm.
"Jest about ms playful as n cnlf
runnin' 'rougd its mother" solilo-
quized Davy Sr., watching his proper
ty down in the meadow enveloped in
a cloud of dust of his own raising.
"He amt old enough yet to turn into
bull meat. But Dove best keep his
dogs from worrying the critter If he
don't wnnt 'em tore to pieces. The
little feller were goin' into the hound
with n stick; he amt Altered o.
nothin', but thar won't be nobody fer
to keep the Durm back eff the dogs is
in his wny. Them dogs is wuth
heap o. money, the Cap'n brags, but
the Durm amt gunno stand back fer
that. ! reckon he thinks he's wuth
more'n onery dog.
The old man was standing at the
outer gate one day when he beheld his
enemy lead his horse through the
other gate, pause a minute, then pull
n rail from off the fence, leave the
gate open behind him, his horse
standing loose, and run full speed to-
ward the creek. Then up the meadow,
flying along ut breakneck speed, now
pausing an instant to horn the sod,
Davy King beheld the Durm.
"One o them dogs" he muttered,
and then he raised his voice and
yelled, "You shet that gate, will
you!"
But the Cap'n did not heed il he
heard.
''Thnt bulls wuth more'n onery
dog. You tetch the Durm, and I'll
have the law on you" Old Kings
trembling hands tore n rail off the
fence beside him, and he, too rushed
for the hollow, shouting furiously
that he'd kill the dog at the first lick.
Half way down the hill he stood
still as il something had caught him
and held him fast. Below him in the
hollow he saw n toll figure standing
waving a little red coat at the Durm.
They brought the puny little grand
son home in triumph to his grand
mother, n number of neighbors pass
ing through the bit of meadow in
time to witness the cap'n's victory.
The boy had not n scratch upon his
small person. He was declaring,
through his tears, that he would have
hit the Durm if he'd had come any
nearer. He was furiously angry with
Cap'n Dove for killing the Durm.
They brought the old man more slow
and carefully, the cap'n tenderly hold
ing up his head. The sudden shock
had made him faint. He had had a
bad shake-up, the cap'n slid.
"Yes," muttered old Davy, febly,
while mother stroked his clammy
hands. 'T hollcred to him that I'd
have the law on him of no struck the
Durm, and then seen the little fell
ler. Yes," he added, with n weak
smile, "they'll git the road after all
} through the little feller. You'll be
pleased to have it thataway, Ireckon.
Washington Star.