Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-08-25

the jewellers and exhibiting none OF that
mistrust of eye which marked his at
tendance upon the sane and the respect
able. He accepted even their uncouth
play without a marl or yelp, hypo-
critically pretending to even like it, and,
I conscientiously believe, would have
allowed tin can to be attached to his
tail if the hand that tied it ON were only
unsteady and the voice that babe him
Gle still" were husky with liquor. He
would see the party cheerfully into a
saloon, wait outside the door, his tongue
fairly lolling from his mouth in enjoy
ment, until they reappeared, permit
them even to tumble on him with pleas
ure and then gambol away before them,
needless Of awkwardly projecting stones
and epithets. He would afterward &C
company them separately home or lie
with them at crossroads until they
were assisted to their cabins. Then he
would trot rakishly to his own haunt
by the saloon stove, with the slightly
conscious air of having been bad dog,
yet of having had good time. We
never could satisfy ourselves whether
his enjoyment arose from some merely
selfish conviction that he was more Sc
cure with the physically and mentally
incompetent from some active sympathy
with active wickedness or from grim
sense of his own mental superiority at
such moments But the general belief
was in his kindred sympathy as q "yal-
Ter dog" with all that was disreputable.
And this was supported by another very
singular canine manifestation--namely
the sincere fiattery of stimulation or i'm
itation. w.
Uncle Billy Riley 1er short time
enjoyed the position of being the camp
drunkard and at once became an object
Of Bones greatest solicitude. He not
only accompanied him anywhere, curled
up at his feet or head, according to I'm
Gle Billy's attitude at the moment, but,
it was noticed, began presently to I'M
dergo singular alteration III his own
habits and appearances, From being AN
active, tireless scout and forager, a bold
and unovertakable marauder, he became
lazy and apathetic, allowed gophers to
burrow under him without threatening
| to undermine the settlement in his fran
tic endeavors to dig them out, permitted
squirrels to flash their tails at him 100
| yards away, forgot his usual caches and
left his favorite bones unburied and
bleaching in the SUM- His eyes grew
dull, his coat lusterless in proportion as
his companion became blear eyed and
ragged, in running his usual arrowlike
direction began to deviate, and it was
not unusual to meet the pair together
zigzagging up the hill. Indeed, Uncle
Billy's condition could be predetermined
by Bones appearance at times when his
temporary master was invisible. 1.-THE
old man must have an awful jag on to-
day." was casually remarked when an
extra fiuffiness and imbecility were no.
ticeable in the passing Bones. At first
it was believed that he drank also, but
when careful investigation proved this
hypothesis untenable he was freely call
ed "derned time servin yaller hypo.
critic. - Not few advanced the opinion
that if Bones did not actually lead I'm
Gle Billy astray, he at least "slavered
him over and coddled him until the old
man got conceited in his wickedness. -
| This undoubtedly led to compulsory
divorce between them, aud Uncle Billy
was happily dispatched to neighboring
town and a. doitor. Bones appeared to
miss him greatly, ran away for two