The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-05-10
BILL HENDERSON,.
keyue Center
Adirondack

for the mail II by sorted looked ltt
newcomer over ami expressed their N,.v-
eral opinionS a. To his breed some
.-cilated hc had shepherd IN him.
and others swan lac hadn L
See that: hauN he hohS tnat head 81
hiS'u.~ said Israel LulSen>. an old hunt
er. pecriug into the crate Hello thar,
Long Lega,' haow goes it2-hungry- he
ye?~ and the puppy licked the OLD man =
hand.
What We got in thar2-a lion?"
shouted Alfred Hammer from the road
on his way To the lumber shanty-
BY this time the mail WAS sorted and
the crowd ~cutilcd into the store y
kerosene lamp sent long shadows sour
rving over the low ceiling and dilfusea
a mellow light half way down the
counter. at the further end of which
was strewn tumbled assortment of
lumbermcn'S shirts and some old pairs
of childryu'S boots. the remnant IF the
winter stock. Great drifts oL blue to-
bacco smoke floatcd laziiy toward the
lamp and. ascending. were los III the
shadows
The puppy. left alone on the porch.
heard the laughter and the voices pt
the men inside. and began L. ~ hlmv.
When realizing that this only added lu
ms loneliness. ne cooked his head and
looked up al the stars ana the great
range sleeping clear ont against them.
lie could hear the roar OF tho river a.
ii swung through the valley and far
down the road the baying uf the hound.
Then came the sound OF wagon clat-
tering along and the next instant Bill
Henderson refined in his team and called
out:
Dog here for aour folks?"
The door was opened Toy the post
master.
Some Of my womcrn-s relatives
daown in Fort tt Henderson con
tinued. writ that they had one of
them St. Bernarus and wanted we
should take it ! told my wife ~cz 1.
we got enough haound~ IL feel with
out rnin' mt DO Iancv breeds
Ten minutes later the puppy was
lifted out Of the crate and tulnhled into
the wagon. and Henderson drove of.
A. they ratified down the road the ,.nnI
air seemed Ia revive the puppy Itfclt
good L. get out of the close crate. and
though at first he covered against the
dashboard hc began gradually to feel
more like himself. Now and then hc
would put up his foolish shaggy head
and Try Ia make friends with Iivuler-
son But Henderson WAS surly- lie
regarded the puppy a. more OF an en-
cUmbrance than anything else such
friendly beginnings ON the part uf the
puppy were greeted with a kick that
sent him Shivering under the seat
again. Henderson hadn't much heart
even toward his ncighbors. and when
it came To animals he had less
When Henderson reached his cabin
Mandy. his ''womcrn-" came ont with
candle tu see the new dog. and the
puppy was brought into the i-itchcu.
where he walked about avllyvarily and
WAS maulcd 10y the children After a
scanty supper he was turned ont among
the hounds in the wood->hyd. where h,.
lay shivcrinS with cold and fear until
Hendcr>on'S eldest boy came for him I'm
the morning and hitched him 10 "A cart
If hc was not harncs>ed To the cart
10y the eldest boy and IaShed up and
down the road in the broilIn- sun. he
was dragged into the cabin ON wet
days and mauled 10y the rest of the
children. Gne morning ne growled.
Hondcrsnn'S ''vomcru~ said she
knowed that the dog was ugly soon a.
she sot her TWO eyes ON him, and that
lit was nothin' short Of Providence he
hadn't hit some of the young uns-"
Henderson said he'd take him where
he wouldn't get back in "a hurry. and
the next day the puppy was hitchcd
under pcdiler'S wagon and departed
amid the @ihcs of the lIcnder~ IN chll.
dren and the snarliu- OF .hc IIcnder
son hounds. The pcddlcr drcve 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 whincl
! piteouSly.
| When the cart reached the valley
| six miles distant, and stopped in from
| of the post Office. the puppy lay un
| conscious against the hind wheel. hi,
| eyes were closed and blood orzed from
| his nostrils. Some one unhitched tn,
| chain and dragged him a few feet awal
| on the grass under a tree.
| Two men passing stopped.
| Guess he's dead ,aid one. Look
| like he'd been ugly. anyhow said tn,
| other, and they passed on.
The shadows heightened until onlr
| the great slides far up on .'Grea
mountain were high enough To- catcl
4 the rays of the red sun. few lamp
bcamed at the windows dow the singh
street, and a gentle breeze rustled tn
leaves overhead.
When the dew fell the puppy opene,
his eyes
| 1t seemed to him that he was bacl
| once more in the crate at the store. IL,
could see the stars glitter and hear tn
roar of the river.
As the wind freShened and blew
down the valley he staggered on hi
feet and tottered up the road. whin
ing. For n moment he stopped il
front of the store and stood in tn
glare of the lamps. Some village cur
snarled at him. Limping up the yyoodcl
steps, he waited until a man openet
the store door. then he skunk in. bobbe,
his head and wagged MS be,iraggle,
tail.
III bet We the cigars that dog
mad" said a rough Iumberman in
slouch nat.
i goll. Bill. you're right reptile,
his partner, nodding approvingly
This dog your'n. Edo he shouted
sarcasticany, TO a big fellow IL = blu
shirt, as liz opened the door, ana Il
crowd roared To n man
IN tell You what III do sa
another. III give half dollar (,
his hide if anyone n shoot him
a butchers boy lounging against Il
counter bet he could hit him FIR
crack"
just then the puppy settled slow
on his launches. looked up At II
butchers boy and wagged his tail