St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-05-18

As the wind freshened and blew
down the valley he staggered on his
feet and tottered up the road. whin-
ing. For moment he stopped in
| front OF the store and stood in the
glare OF the lamps. Some village curs
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 his bedraggled
! tail.
'I'll bet We the cigars that dogs
mad" said rough lumbe-man in a
slouch hat
Il goll, Bill, you're right" replied
his partner. nodding approvingly.
This dog your'n, Ed?" he shouted.
sarcastically, to a big fellow in blue
shirt, as he opened the door, and the
crowd roared to a man.
iii tell You what I'll do" said
another. ''rll give half dollar for
his hide il anyone III shoot him.
A butchers hoy lounging against the
counter bet he could hit him "3rst
crack"
Just then the puppy settled slowly
on his launches, looked up at the
butchers boy and wagged his tail.
Look out-dOn't We come near me, 81
said the butchers boy.
The next instant a well-iirected
boot rolled the puppy into the road.
He staggered to his feet and stood gaz-
ing up at the crowd on the porch, his
limbs trembling. The storekeeper
came out with a box of cartridges and
a Winchester. Throwing a shell into
the magazine he handed the rifle to the
butchers boy.
There was pause.
Cit that hind sight fine on him" 1t
was the man in the slouch hat telling
the butchers boy.
''Hyar" came stern voice out of the
dusk. and the next instant the OLD
hunter, Israel Lukens. had the butch
er's boy by the throat.
You young skunk" he thunderet!,
wrenching the rifle away from the
butchers boy. Thought yed be
paowerful cunnin', didn't We? l see
that there puppy when he came daown
to the center. Thar ant nothin' tie
matter with that dog; he's been used
awfully. Henderson's folks had him,
and them young ones liked to kill
him."
The old man loosened his vice-like
grip and the butchers boy skunk into
the store. One by one the crowd fol
lowed sheepishly, while the puppy
trembled against the OLD mans bo>t-
leg. When the latch clicked on the last
men Israel took the puppy in his arms.
Poor leetle cuss," he said. rs he
carried the puppy down the road to
his cabin.
And SO the puppy lived with Israel,
and one August day the old hunter left
his cabin at daylight with his dog.
Hadn't We better GIT a couple of The
boys to help We, Israel, if you're ago;n'
to git aout them hemlock?" said Jeru-
shy his wife, as he left.
81 presume likely had" said Israel,
leaning on his AK at the gate. Frank
he's ought to went to the center to-
day to git them shingles. and Pete cal
calated he'd go fishin'. No." he con-
tinued. Il guess I'll make aout we'll
enough alone, thar ant SO much but
what kin handle it." and, shoulder
ing his AK, he disappeared in the woods,
talking to the dog.
1t was about noon when Jcrushy fin
ished her washing and sat shelling
peas in the coolest corner Of the sum-
mer kitchen. Outside in the tangled
garden the bees tumbled lazily over
the flowers and the yellow jackets
crawled in and out among the lunches
of dried herbs hung under the caves of
the rickety porch. Below from the
valley, swimming in the August heat,
came the harsh droning of the mill,
broken at intervals by the delicate
ping, as the log left the saw.
Thar" she said to herself, starting
up as the mill whistle blew. Il hain't
more'n had my hands out of the dish
water and it's plumb noon" She felt
tugging at her skirts, and
looking around she saw the dog.
wall, if that don't beat ALL said the
old lady. readjusting her steel specta-
cles. "What ails ye-stop it, We fool"
But the dog kept tugging at her
dress
Got a mushrat, have YEP" said the
old lady, coaxingly. ''Wall ! presume
we'll have to go and see it fore ye'l
git your satisfy"
At her willingness to follow the dog
his hold and ran ahead, bark
ing incessantly.
The two crossed the road and fol-
lowed the trail of the path leading to
Israels "leetle piece" rs the hunter
called his lumber cutting. When he
reached the brook the dog stopped,
to the right and left; suddenly
he stopped and began to howl, and
Jerushy, looking at the edge of some
alders, saw the print of Israel's shoe in
the mud.
Then the truth seemed to flash across
her mind.
"Suthin's happened to Israel or that
dog wouldn't perform like that, I'll
ye," she said, hurrying on.
The dog barked sharply and plunged
on through the woods, the old lady
as best she could, calling at
intervals:
Israel, Israel, wha- be We? BE We
hurt?''
Suddenly the dog stopped and list
ened. and Jerushy heard far up the
faint halloo.
Ten minutes later she found the old
man buried under a hemlock. unhurt.
but una bic to move hand or foot.
AS Jerushy stood by wringing her
hands the dog tried to ferret himself
the pile OF debris, tugging at
lSraels coat.
''Oh, Israel, be you a dyin'?" moaned
Jerushy.
"Dyin'? No." Israel replied. 81
hant hurt none-ye see, l mistrusted
this here tree want agoin' to fall
right, but fore I knowed it she come
down top of me. If it want for that
young spruce l presume likely it'd
! killed me. And he came and told
ye!" said the old man. 'Wall, l
s~anr'
When the neighbors came and hauled
the old man out the dogs joy knew no
bounds.
Thought he wasn't no rood. did -