The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-22
Bright Stories For Young Readers.

Then the same thing over again.
Would please throw a stick for MIN?
Only once: once would be enough. But
l had learned his capacity and his utter
mendacity on this particular question
and dismissed him to the care of q nom
commissioned officer This man had
diering and he confined TO me that the
recruit was of the finest breed, of a very
rare variety, worth a fabulous sum in
"Hengland.
A great day that proved for the cor
poral, was not so great for the dog. The
latter seemed TO have some glimmering
of the relative Importance of a captain
and a corporal and to be greatly disgust
ed at leaving the former for pne larter.
In fact what with his notion of losing his
official position as the captains dog and
the further disenchantment of no stick
throwing, he became somewhat moro5e
and suspicious were entertaned that he
intended TO go over to the enemy. AS
this desertion might involve him in the
most serious consequences, orders were
given TO keep a strict watch upon him,
and it seemed evident that these orders
We're as fully understood by him as by
those appointed ITO guard him. for he de-
clared by vigorous waggingS OF his stump
of a tail that he had no intention of leav-
ing the battery, not the least. How
ever he might be treated, neglected or
caressed-entertained or snubbed-it was
all one TO him. OF course, if no one was
ever to throw stick for him, that in
deed! Could he make anything palmer
than that? Wasn't that to be understood
-comprehended by the dullest intellect
In short, had a dog no rights!
The next day we were in action. The
enemy had made a gallant stand in their
retreat at q narrow pass, where it was
most difficult for us to advance, and here
the genius of StyX came into great play.
The number FIVE" man, as he is called,
runs between the timber and the gun
when the battery is in action carrying
the missile or cartridge from the ammuni-
ton chest to the number two. man,
who places it in the gun. when the num-
Der one sends it home with the rammer.
Styx had Joined one of the gun detach-
ments and was acting as a number five
man. Receiving the cartridge from mum
Der six who took it from the chest, he
rushed like lightning to the gun and de-
livered his burden TO the expectant artil-
leryman. He was in his element now,
The thunder of the guns could hardly
drown his slrieks of joy as he rushed
back from having delivered one charge
TO get another-tfis was something like!
Why handnt we played that game be-
fore-now he saw what a battery was for,
That day gave Styx reputation
through our whole corps. The command
ing general heard of him and requested
me to bring hum up TO headquarters. An
admiring circle of officers sat about him
one evening and discussed whether or no
dogs could be generally used in the artil-
lery.
Three days after came the catastrophe.
We were drawn up in line of battle to
await developments, and for a long time
nothing developed. Finally a, distant bat
terry began to give us its attention. Now
and then a shell exploded in our front or
over our heads. Styx was sitting with
eager eyes, in the midst of his favorite
detachment. Suddenly an almost Spent
six-pound solid shot from the enemy
struck just in front of us, and rolled. as
it seemed. slowly into the battery. more
fun!'' said StyX to himself, and Jumped
for it. For the first time he had miscal-
culated. But then his experience with ar
tillery had been of the briefest. The NOV
ing mass of iron, which seemed as harm