The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-12-01

hands would stop the savage struggle
But the half-drunken tailor only shout
ed to his dog, urging him on; and no
help came.
Suddenly the pit-dog let go his grip,
and by his greater strength bent his
head forward aud seized poor Satan's
/ right paw in his strong jaws Instant
ly there was heard cracking sound.
The bone was broken like pipe-stem.
That was the method Of warfare to
which he had been trained by savage
human instructors.
Satan felt the horrible pain shoot
through his whole body, and his own
slenderer jaws shut more desperately
on his foes tough throat. But what
could the poor fellow do, thus MANNED
AID weakened! He could only hold
on, in frantic, hopeless way, while
his drunken master loudly cursed him,
and declared that he would yet conquer.
But not so. He was not a fighter,
either by nature or training; all his
reputation for feroeity was not justified
by his instincts or by his past actions.
And while the plt-dog, hardy, savage,
relentless, felt only irritation at the
grip upon his throat, Satan's strength
and courage were fast ebbing.
There was another violent struggle,
confused and blood curdling, and then
the pit-dog tore himself from Satan's
weakened grip, his blood flowing frse-
ly, but his strength unimpaired, and
his savage nature reused to fury. One
quick movement, and he had Satan by
the throat and shook him like a rat.
A deat,'!y silence fell on the crowd;
those who were at all sober saw that
the smaller dog was doomed. The
drunken tailor fairly fOamed, in his
obstinate wrath at his unhappy dog.
His drunken madness swallowed up
the affection which he really had for
his four-footed companion. Poor, des-
perate, dying Satan looked pleadingly,
piteously at him, but that look Of en-
treaty met no response. The brute in
stincts of his master had supplanted
the human sympathies.
Then there was a sickening scene as
the maddened pit-dog shook his help
less antagonist, and set his jaws more
firmly in the unresisting throat. Deeper
and deeper he thrust his glistening
teeth, now dyed red with the blood Of
his victim, until finally there came
great gush of the red stream of life, and
he crouched like tiger over the quiv-
ering body, and the struggle was ended.
Poor Satan, misunderstood through
all his lie, would be misunderstood no
longer.
Then the crowd of idle, brutal loaf
ers, following the instincts which al
ways govern such natures, deserted the
scene, and in a shambling, shamefaeed
way, struggled, in twos and threes,
back to the saloons and stables
The barkeeper, with great difficulty,
pulled his maddened animal away from
the unresisting body; and the tailor,
now deserted, and partially sobered by
the dreadful scene, stood fixed in a stu
pid, frightened stare. He stood thus
several minutes, as if expecting the in
animate form to rise and come toward
him, as of old. Then he spoke, weakly,
hesitatingly: "Satan! Satanl come
herer'
But there was no response. Faithful
Satan gave no sign of recognition; the
stumpy tail and the ragged ears, always
so expressive Of the owners hopes and
fears and sympathies, now gave no to-
ken of life and intlliegence.
The wretched tailor started forward;
he leaned over his faithful companions
body; be gazed into the half closed
eyes, but ne soulful, eloquent glance,
as of old, met him. He laid his trem-
bling hand on the diseolored body, and
it grew colder and colder under his
touch.
Then, for the first time, the truth
seemed to penetrate into his drink-Ob-
seured mind. The full extent Of his
loss came over his british nature. He
groaned aloud; he looked about him,
but his careless, selfish companions
were gone; he knew that he was alone
in the world; his one faithful friend
was dead
Then he took off his coat, and laid
the lifeless body upon it; and, gather
ing the disOrdered bundle into his
arms, he walked with weak, trem-
bling steps, though not now with the
gait of a drunken man-straight over
to the parsonage; and there on the
porch / met him; / met them both,
amid the shadows of evening, as l had
met them in the sunshine Of the morn
ing.
The poor, unhappy man seemed to
trust me, as If confident Of my sympa-
thy; and, as his eye met mine, the stOl
id, fierce expression left his face, and
great tears rolled down his cheeks; with
a groan he laid his burden at my feet.
was moved, deeply moved. know
something about men and a good deal
about dogs; and / knew that these two
had been loving, devoted friends; more
truly sympathetic than are many man
and wife. Never was loving response
lacking from this faithful dumb COM
panion. The very quality which a
man values most in the wife of his
bosom, unfaiIing love, always leaped
out and up from this poor creature to
his master.
laid my hand on the mans shoul-
der, and said, tenderly, 'My man, you
have lost dear friend. Tell me about
it! Come in and sit hereg' And then,
as be hesitated, caught his feeling,
and / added, Certainly, bring in his
poor bOdyl We won't leave it lying
there alone"
So the broken hearted man came in,
laid his burden beside chair, and, seat
ing himself, eonfided his troubles to
me-though I was the younger Of the
J tw0-as child might eonfide in its
father.
When the sad story was told, with
sobs and tears, l had never a chiding
word to add; the mans grief was great;
/ and together we gave the poor, torn