Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-08-13
head and walked off. the dog so
eagerly at my heels that l had to be
careful how moved.

out my pocket-knife and cut the rope
from the dogs mouth.
His gratitude was heart-breakine !;
1t almost seemed at first as if he would
die oft And I cried; I couldn't
help it, and you know very we'll I'm
not one of the snlvellng kind. Yes,
Mascot, it's all right now; you needn't
lick my face, and we're not going to
part. There, lie down again.
Well, as scon az be became little
more calm, or I might say as soon as
we became more calm, looked at nv
watch 1t was of no use to think of
the train now; I couldn't possibly
catch it. The dog kept his gaze on
me as.if he feared l should leave him.
We%alked, he at my very heels, un-
til we came to hack stand. l took q
carriage and | put Mascot 4 had al
ready named him in my mind-on the
front seat then | placed myself oppo-
site, and told the driver to take US out
to Northrup street-that was a good
half-hour's drive.
SO we started. Mascot didn't like to
be as far away from me as the dis
tance between the front and back
seat. He was continually reach
ing out paw, and presently I lifted
HIM over beside me. / hurt his poor
burned flesh as | did so, for he whined,
then hurriedly licked my hand as if in
apology and to assure me that he
would allow me to hurt him if l
wished to do SO.
We lived here then, and my wife
was in the garden when the hack
stopped at the gat,. She saw me with
a smooch Of blood, the dogs blood, on
my face, and gave little scream as
she ran forward. She had believed
that l was already miles away on that
train.
"l'm all right" / hastened to say.
'and I've come back because I've
saved this fellow. I hope you'll like
him."
stepped out, and Mascot stepped
out after me, or rather with me, in his
fear lest he should get left.
He was not a reassuring object. Hsf
hair was full of mud aud blood; there
was cash in his under lip; and he
was now beginning to feel stiff and
sore. Tic stood pressed against my
ankle while l paid the driver.
Fortunately my wife had had dog
when she was child, and if you have
ever been intimate with good dog,
1t makes all the difference in your feel
ing toward the whole canine race
Having become convinced that l had
met with no accident, Margaret looked
at the new conner all instant, then she
held ont her hand and said softly:
Poor fellow ! What a hard time
you've had -
Mascot extended his head and licked
the tips of her fingers; then he
glanced up at me and said, q m going
to love her, too-but not quite SO
we'll.
We took him into the kitchen and
put MIN into the sink We washed
MN, We clean,ed his wounds with
warm water aud CASTLE soap.
How gentIe he was, and how he
tried TO bear II. Then We put an Old
hianNet In the corner, and h. sat stiffiv
down on It, He ate a basin of bread
and milk, and then we left him. But
he would cry. | went back to him
three or four times, and he seemed
per ectiy happy while | remained. At
last Margaret suggested that | leave
him something OF mine | dropped
my handkerchief be~.lc nm. He INT
his chin on it, and wnea We left him
alone he didn't whine again.
| was glad | ca led HIM Mascot f,r
that very night one Of the firm. to
whom | had sent word that was de-
tanned from starting on nv business
trip that morning. came out and SAID
they had dec-lsdalo pu, me IN another
department, Win five hundred inllars
I