The Van Buren press., 1897-09-25

cattle. Among these WAS three-yeae
old hull. which we had always thought
a unite gentle animal. In fact, l had
often ridden to and fro on his back.
The evening being chilly, | was wear
inc at the time one of those eamlet
eloaks lined with red flannel, which
were very much in vogue for boys in
those davs. A strong wind was blow
ing. and lust as we got within about 80
wards of the bull, heavy gust threw
one side of the cloak over my shoulder,
thus exposing a large expanse OF the
lining.
On catching sight of this obnoxious
color, the bull changed in one moment
from a peacefully grazing beast to a
maddened monster, and, with hoarse,
believing roar, lowered head and up
lifted tail, charged furiously upon me.
There was no shelter-not even
stump or tree near us, and the erazed
brute had but so yards or so to come.
Flight on my part would have been
worse than useless, even II | had
thought of it, which | did not. But,
in INV mortal fright. l did think to
oasp: Carlo! Carlo. Sick him.
Carlo!"-a needless command. Tor,
swift as an arrow and fiercely as an en-
ragged tiger, the good dog sprang for
ward, not sqnarely in front OF the bull,
but with little detour. Then, wheei-
ing about. he came alongside the
beasts shoulder, and deftly seized him
by the nose. Now the tables were
turned with a vengeance. No longer
was the bulls deep roar the eNultaht
trumpeting of an assured eonquerori
in a second il changed to the pitltul
ealf-like bleating of a beaten coward,
as, distracted by pain and frlght, ne
tossed his head aloft in vain attempt
to free himself from the vise-like grasp
of those Jaws, which would never let
90 except at masters bidding or un-
til victory was achieved.
Finding all his efforts of no avail, the
frenzied creature now set off In MAD
run, carrying the clinging dog VITA
him and utterly unable to strike the
latter with his forefeet.
Around and around the field wildly
careened the interlocked eombatants.
while the other cattle, scared out OF
their wits at the strange spectacle,
scampered away, leaving their whllom
lord and master to his fate.
For what seemed to me full halt
hour and to the bull probably an age OF
torment, the running fight continued,
the sorely punished beast growing
every moment weaker, until at last he
sank to the ground utterly eXhaustedi
whereupon Carlo came back to me, joy
ously wagging his short tail, and with
his beautiful brown eyes and triumph
ant bark seeming to ask: Wasn't that
well done, master?"
After this severe lesson no creature
could be better behaved than was the
conquered bull, who thenceforth in Car
los presence always put on a particu-
larly subdued air, while l might have
Haunted my red-lined cloak in his face
a hundred times without exciting him
to more than an intense disgust.
BY such deeds as / have herein re-
lated, as well as by his invaluable serv-
ices in the hunting field and on the
farm, my dog became famous through
out our whole township, and. had been
base enough to do so, might, scores Of
times, have sold him for more than the
price of frst-rate horse.
He lived to be 13 years of age, and
then, though apparently in good health,
painlessly died one day while his grand
old head rested lovingly on my knee.
| buried him on the bank of the stream
wherein he and / had so often dis
ported ourselves, and full-grown man
as then was, am not ashamed to con-
fess that shed childish tears over his
grave, which | afterward marked by
large stone slab, taken from the creeks
bed and rudely engraved by my un-
skilled hands: ''My Friend Carlo;
Faithful Unto Death. IN. Y. Ledger.