The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-03-04
She put her arms around his shaggy

She put her arms around his shaggy
neck. q
81 love you, Quito" she said, enthu-
siastically. Helen loves you! And
let what will happen she'll stand by
you!"
The dog barked understandingly, and
looked into her face with eyes that were
almost human.
A little afterward, a piercing scream
echoed through the house. It came
from the hall above the main entrance.
Ralph rushed out of the library, where
he was writing, and Agnes, Helen and
Mrs. Trenholme hurried to the place.
For moment they all stood petri1ed
with what they beheld.
Quito was holding Imogene pinioned
to the floor with his heavy body, and
his terrible teeth were buried in her
throat! Every hair on him bristled
with rage, and his eyes cleaned like
Goals. Imogene's face was purple, her
eyes starting from their sockets, and
the red blood flowing profusely down
her white neck to the floor.
Ralph snatched a musket from the
bracket in the wall, and struck the dog
a terrible blow, and then he lifted Imo-
gene up. Something like a thrill of
tenderness went over him as her head
sunk helplessly to his shoulder.
"My poor girl" he said, pityingly-
then to one of the servants, William,
run quickly for the doctor!"
vi h har
self quickly.
"Stop, William! she said, impera-
lively. cit is not much. Bind it up,
some of you. want no doctors!"
Ralph took her up to the housekeep-
er's room, and the old woman washed
and dressed the wound to the best of
her ability. 1t was severe, but no SER
ious result need be apprehended.
"Now tell me how it happened?" said
Ralph, seating himself by the side of
his wife.
She replied coldly:
II hardly know. I think the dog
must be naturally ill-tempered. l
brushed against him as 1 was passing,
and instantly he sprang upon me.
Don't question me about it, please? 1t
gives me the terrors to think of it."
Ralph left her and sought Quito.
Helen had taken him in charge, and
with his head in her lap was doing her
best to comfort him for the rough treat
ment he had received at the hands of
his master. Ralph took the animal by
the collar, and Helen saw the glitter of
revolver in his hand. She sheltered
the dog with her body.
enc! no! you must not have him, if
you are going to kill him! I won't let
your
"He has nearly killed my wife, Miss
Fulton; should not feel safe with him
at large. The only way to stop this is
to end his life"
'But tell you, you shall not! Mr..
Trenholme, am your guest, and if I
want dogs life spared, you can't be a
gentleman, you know, unless you spare
it."
Indeed, ! regret to deny you"
'Bu. you need not regret, for 1 will
not have you deny me! You can chain
the dog. But if you kill him, now mark
me, if you kill him-and you shall not
there will come day when you will
be sorry for it!'
Her singular earnestness influenced
him strangely. There was something
about this girl he did not understand.
every WELL" he said, 81 will humor
you. The dog shall be chained.
Come, Quito"
'Thank you," she said. That's
kind. Give me the pistol"
What? Cannot you trust me?"
"Pistols are dangerous weapons in
careless hands. Give it to me. ri
kill squirrel for your breakfast with
it in the morning" And taking the
weapon from his unresisting hand, she
hurried away.