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

Satan's master was somewhat disap-
pointed in him. The dog did not show
any signs of that ferocity which he
had been led to expect; yet his appear
ance was savage enough to make him
an excellent guardian of his master
house and property. And that was the
irony of the situation. that the huck-
ster's Deighbors gave him a wide berth,
and even admired, at distance, his
threatening aspect; while he, poor fell
low, looked wistfully at them, and felt
weary of life, he so much longed for
sympathy and affection.
Satan's stay with his master was
brief. The huckster, in few weeks,
sold out his business and left town; and
since the dog had cost him nothing,
and he had no affection for the animal,
he left him behind, homeless and for
saken.
Satan was now without any human
ties whatever; and to be without such
helps to upright conduct is as danger
Gus for dogs as for men; at such times
the steps downward to disreputable
ways are very easily entered upon; vice
beckons most persuasively when virtu-
Gus influences are absent; and living,
hoping, loving soul, whether in mans
body or in dogs must have compan-
ionship and sympathy as safeguard.
So j. came about that Satan made
friends ofvarious degenerate specimens
of doghood; or, rather, he allowed
them to make friends of him; and to-
gether they foraged in alleys and back
yards and led a preearious existence in
the lower streets of the town. Often
he thought Of his old home, with its
merry group of playmates; and gladly
and quickly would he have sped across
the country to his shelter and its love,
had he not recollected, with sadness
and pain, the sharp words of dismissal
which had sent him forth.
So he shut his great grief within his
breast, and tried to find some new
friend among the crowds of the street;
but although each day he hoped for
some passer-by to give him friendly
word, yet each day the hope grew more
dim. Harsh words and unkind looks
were his portion; and as the cold wealth
er came on food, even of the worst
kind, became scarcer and scarcer, and
poor Satan knew, for the first time in
his life, what real, gnawing hunger
was like.
One day he was searching among the
refuse barrels and waste heaps of va
cant lot for some scraps of food. He
was searching in desperation. Sud
denly he caught sight of few mOrsels
of meat, as they were thrown out into
the lot from the rear door of restaur-
ant; in an instant he leaped forward;
in those morsels there was a respite
from starvation for some poor four
footed creature. Satan sprang toward
the food, seized it, and was about to
carry it away when he heard a savage
growi behind him, and turned, barely
in time to avoid the spring Of another
larger dog, who also had set eyes of
hungry intent on the coveted meal.
Then came a louder and more threat
ening growl from the larger dog, as he
recovered himself and made straight at
Satan's throat. There was no time for
reflection; Satan had no desire to fight,
but here was an unjust attack. The
scraps of meat belonged to him by all
laws of prior seizure; yet this larger
dog, trusting to his superior strength,
was bent upon taking them from him.
For moment, only, Satan reflected
and hesitated; he must have what be
longed to him, if, indeed, he could keep
it, which seemed unlikely.
The big hungry dog again sprang
forward, and Satan dropped his morsel
and met him with open mouth. The
greater weight of the would-be robber
rolled Satan over upon his back; but,
by lucky snap of his strong jaws, as
he rolled, he seized the other dog firm
Iy by the throat. There be hung. The
big dog growled, and swept him from
side to side over the ground, raising
cloud of dust; and then, lifting him
fairly from the earth, shook him saw
agely in. the air; but, all The time, Satan
by the instinct of self-preservatiOn,
more than by any definite plan Of
battle, held silently by his throat, and
resolved that there he would stick.
OF course the noise and the sight of
the struggle drew idle spectators, like
flies, 10 the scene. Some of them ex-
pressed delight, and some horror; but
all showed profound interest in the
proceedings. Satan had his eyes shut,
and could not see them, but he heard
them, and he hoped each minute that
somebody would interfere. He dared
not let go his grip, for he knew that
the big dog had strength and weight
enough to kill him, if it were once
brought to bear fully upon him.
But the big dog was now the more
frightened of the two; and his grOwls
had become subdued to whine, and
his efforts became less and less yigor-
Gus. Presently big blacksmith mus
tered courage to seize Satan, and stout
wagner ventured to clutch the other
dog; and as soon as Satan saw that his
foe was likely to be held back he loosen
ed his jaws and gladly retreated from
the struggle.
The big dog was iu no condition OF
mind or body to renew his attack, and
skunk away; Satan, hardly less fright
eaed, yet pressed by hunger, at once
b thought himself of the scraps Of
N at, and quickly took possession Of
them, his hunger soon banishing his
fright. The crowd OF idlers, some OF
whom had seen him before, were
unanimous IN his praise; they had not
the words to fully express their salts
faction at the s'gameness" of 'the little
un." His feelings Of fright and his in
stinet of desperate self-preservation
they interpreted as an innate love of
bloodthl1sty strife; and they one and
sill agreed that such pluck had not been
seen in that town since the remarkable