Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1895-08-16
JACKS DOG, LEO.
BY MARY RO WE

open door, as we sat together Al Olu-
ner in the old farm house. shaggy,
unkempt, gaunt and hunrry-looking,
he fastened a longing eyc-he had bat
one-on the rapidly disappearing
viands. As no one noticed him. his
anxiety and suspense presently became
unbearable.
Wow" said he, gently.
1t was a humble, propitiatory little
bark, such as dog who had been 50
unfortunate as 10 lose his master would
naturally learn To use when presenting
himself 10 strangers. As we stared IN
surprise he shivered visibly, with head
and tail indicating very low spirits.
Then, not receiving his accustomed
marching orders in the dreaded Get
out" he ventured 10 lift his mead and
whine a little.
Still nobody came 10 kick him. So,
after another short pause, and glance
of most anxious inquiry, Jacks dog
elect-rose up suddenly OH his
launches made his back as stiF and
as straig ht as a grenadier's, pointed
his nose straight up at the zenith, and
emitted long, loud, most melancholy
howl
"Sakes alive! cried Jacks mother,
with her hands TO her head.
But Jacks father laughed, and Jack
was delighted. He not only managed
to place a sumptuous repast before the
hungry tramp, but also succeeded in
smuggling him over to his stronghold,
the barn, where the dog without mas
ter and the boy without dog soon
made a compact and rubbed noses on it
The rest of us looked coldly on the
poor, shabby tramp-he was SO mani
testify of no account He was not
handsome, nor aristOcratic, nor we'll
hammered. He was incurably lame in
his left forefoot, and had but one eye
the result, probab bly,. of some dreadful
conflict in his unknown past. And
though that surviving eve remained
peculiarly bright and wacchful, one
eyed, three-legged dog could not eX-
pect 10 be regarded by the general
public as a valuable acquisition.
But Jacks dog seemed not TO expect
admiration. He had evidently poor
opinion of himself And though he
soon learned, under the stimulus Of
Jacks friendship and protection, TO
Try himself with an air of spirit and
self-respect. no dogs tail was ever
more quickly depressed by an unkind
word than his.
However, Jack loved him devotedly.
He used 20 brag about him to the other
boys. Sam Peters had a lovely young
northumberland least his uncle had
"a beautiful creature, but stupid, Jack
said. just simply stupid, when COM
pared with Leo-the somewhat am
bilious name which Jack had bestowed
on his favorite. Leo was short for
Leonidas.
That dog Of mine now he would
say, with fine air Of proprietorship,
"why, he'll fetch the cows quicker
than l cam This feat sam was labor
ing heavily 10 teach TO the handsome
and dignifed, but as yet strictly orna-
mental, Bruce. And he's just the
smartest dog with the sheep! lie can
do anything hSs a mind to with them.
He's a Scotch collie-partly. don't
know what the rest OF him IS, con-
cluded Jack, rather lamely.
y
lowly, cudgelling his brains the while
for something noteworthy that his dog
Bruce could do. "he always sleeps ora
rug close TO my door. l guess bur
glar would have lively time of it if
he tackled US"
Not If he carried pistols" struck in
Tom Ketchum. why, your dogs
scared TO death Of a frecracker"
THAT pup of NINE" Jack began
again, Il could shut him up in a yard
full of chickens and rabbits and things
like that and starve him for three days
besides, and he wouldn't touch one of
'em-I don't suppose. Why, he's aw-
fully faithful l wish you could have
seen him when the team ran away
last week. I'd left my coat on the
seat and told him TO take care of it,
and he curled up on 1t just as if he
was going TO sleep-but he wasn't
They ran moren two miles, an pa and
after EN-, clear down by jerks mills,
and through the creek and up Ander-
sons hill, and they were SO tired when
they got to the top they just pulled up
and went to feeding by the roadside.
well, sir"-Jack drew a long breath
-"when we came up with them there
sat that pup on that coat of mine, just
as cool as a cucumber, sirl And he
looked at me, and he grabbed that
coat with his teeth-see? Amt they
rippers? And he held it up and shook
1t 10 show twas all right and sort of
laughed in his way-didn't you, old
Teller, hey2 There, can't he laughP
See2 Look at those teeth-and that
eyer
Jacks fathers farm lay near the top
OF an elevation known in that locality
as Mutton hill. AS its mamie implied,
sheep raising was at that time one Of
Its prominent uses. Consequently the
disposition, morals and manners of its
canine population received good deal
of attention. One dog addicted TO an
occasional moonlight raid on the sheep
pens of his vicinity is pretty sure to de-
moralize others; and a couple of will.
ing, vigorous dogs-they usually hunt
In couples-will do dire execution in a
very brief time.