Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1898-02-18
THE DOGS OF WAR.

On the left OF the pup lines CT Greek
infantry lay ON the high, bare hills,
firing without intermissiou. Gray smoke
went up and backward from all these
lines. Sometimes wounded men came
from there and passed the pup as he sat
Rejecting in the roadway. Directly in
his frcnt q mountain battery of The
Greeks wns roaring, and the horses and
mules of the command were browsing
the gTaes in a sheltered place not far
from the pup. Some soldiers lay in an
Gpturned furrow Of brown trenches.
II the pup had studied the vast green
plain OIL his right, he would havo seen
black lines and lines still fainter than
black, and these lines were all Turks.
frequently a crescendo Of boots and
hurting noises was In the air above
him. and the shells crashed as they
struck. Moreover, there was sometimes
n curious singing of great insects. But
for all these things the pup did not
care.
He was a little pup, not larger than
n kitten, but he was fat and fairly
Emothered in long white wool, marked
here and there with black, and no had
every indifference of q fat pup. Two
soldiers came that way ON their return
to the front, and, seizing him, paused.
One stopped and offered him gently a
Lit Ct hard biscuit, bat he had been
used 10 other food, ard, with the iuso-
lcncc Of babyhood, he scorned the gen
cfcsity of these men who had stopped
under fire to give him assistance. They
laughed then and strcked his long hair
CId vent away to their business.
The pups interest was always the
thing directly under his nose. lie was
really in the battle of Velestino. but
what he wanted to do was to waddle in
his curious way among the stones of the
roadway and smell at them and fall
oycr them whenever he forgot that be
was top heavy. Although he was not
larger than a cake of soap he had some
thing elephantine in his movement. His
little legs were still very weak, and he
yprawled and straddlod oven the road
in IA way that one would expect CT a
LADY elephant. Once a cavalrymau with
orders galloped past him, and u hoof of
tho gray charger missed him by a little,
but he didn't care for that either. He
was busy with his geological survey.
The Examiner correspondent came
along from the firing line ut hat time
and stopped when he saw the dog. The
dog had been trying TO scratch his near
ear with his off hind leg, but he stopped
when he saw The Examiner correspond
ont Thru lgrln1 uf anpl, nfhar IN ro-
Elective silence. TIE pup had q crafty
eye, and he put his head on one side
and surveyed the correspondent with
much attention to detail. Another shell
came close then, and your correspondent
said, Come ON, pup" He took the pup
in his arms.
The dog was naturally named Veles-
tino at once. There was a thought in
the correspondent mind of calling him
Loot But then he was not really loot.
He was simply a Greek pup deserted by
his relatives and friends in a most try
ing hour, who had accepted the assist
nee Of a correspondent of The Exam
liner. His home had probably been in
one Of the stone huts that stood here
and there along the road, now all lone
ly. His owners had probably scuttled
ont at word Of the coming Of the Turks.
But he didn't care about this either.
He simply lolled on the correspondents
arm and blinked fatty at the passing
landscape.
When the correspondent arrived where
his horses awaited him, he gave the
pup Velestino into the hands of his
Greek boy and stood and admonished
him sternly for five minutes about the
individuality Of losing that pup. The
boy g%rinned and took Velestino In his
arms.
Later the pup got under a particularly
heavy artillery fire. While the CORE
spondent's party was crossing a bit Of
plain the Turks opened fire on a near
by house. One would have thought
they had opened on the pup, because
they came nearer TO the pup than they
did 70 the house. There was some *
element The stragglers in the road
scurried everywhere. The correspond.
ent had a bit Of trouble with his horse,
which had been hurt in the back by
some kind Of fragment, and when il
was all over he looked around for the
pup, the two servants and the other
horses, and there was zone.
Late that night in Volo a KNOCK
came to the correspondents door, and
as ne called out it opened, and th'
Greek boy appeared, with a bow and
grin.
where is the pupf" said the CORE
Gpondent instantly.
The Greek boy had brought a larg'
piece Of shell which be said had almos
killed him, and he exhibited it proudly
where is the pup"
The boy said he was sure he was go
ing to DO killed When be beard the shell,
and he now considered his escape to b
a miracle. The correspondent arose i'm
presaively to his feet. Where is th'
pup3'
Well-poor Velestino, poor GORE
epondenti--they were united only to %