Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1899-02-24

| maze. anu, reSefF1HS one req IOk peIt
to pay for nights board and lodging,
he was ready for the homeward march
next morning. He had stuffed his ca
pacious pockets with little parcels of
| tea, sugar, raisins, currants and spices,
| and bore on his broad shoulders a
/ whole barrel of iour-in the Darrel!
To anyone who knows by experience
how awkward a thing it is to carry
1876 pounds of -four in that shape, this
feat may appear quite incredible; but
that Duncan McGregor achieved it, and
for distance of Is miles, is fact that
can be vouched for by several persons
still living. To a giant like our young
Scotchman the mere weight was moth
ing; it was the shape of the package
which rendered the novel task so diff
ficult. The shopkeeper had advised him
TO put the -four in a sack. but with true
Scottish grit he declined to buy one.
and quietly observing that the barrei
would be "unco usefu' to have i the
hocse." he calmly shouldered it and
walked away.
Long before daybreak on the morn
ing of the Both he was on the road. eX-
pecting, Notwithstanding his singular
burden, TO reach home before night.
having told his people that he would
certainly do so, if alive. Indeed, the
family, knowing that to one like Duncan
tramp of II miles over any kind of
road was trifiing matter, and t.aving
no idea of the herculean labor he had
taken on himself, looked for his re-
turn early in the afternoon.
But the cold. bitter, cloudless night
fell and he had not come. Hour after
hour passed away, and Mrs. McGregor
had just said: "Weel, nae doot the
BARN has met wi some delay aboot his
trade, and is biding i the town a
night" when Jennie McGill, pointing
to large staghound they had brought
with them from Scotland, exclaimed:
'For guide sake: what's ailin' wi the
dog? He's snuffin' an tearin' ahint the
doore, seekin' to win oot!" -
Startled by the girls question, all
now looked curiously at the hound, ly-
ing with his nose pressed close to the
crack at the bottom of the door, and
whining impatiently, as if in anger or
fear. Upon seeing that he was at last
noticed. the sagacious brute rose, and,
with bristling back and prieked ears,
trotted back and forth from door to
hearth and from hearth to door, al
most articulately asking some one to
follow him.
"Faither, mitheri" cried Jennie,
Bose> gi'es ma fause warnin'.. There's
wild beasties O. some kim ABBOTT. Wen
better gang AVA till his help"
The old folks were rather inclined to
ridicule Jennie's fears, but she strenu-
ously insisted that something was
wrong, and seemed so deeply distressed
that finally the whole party became
somewhat alarmed, and when she pro-
posed that John McGregor should go
out with her to meet Duncan, no objec-
tons were offered. The elder men
wished to go along, but Jennie said:
''Na, ma, bide We here and TAX care O.
nither and Mistress McGregor; Jack
and NELL brawly DOR lane. Ny puir
Iaddie sail ma perish while I ha' ham
to lift"
''Eh, JEANNE, woman, what's that?"
queried Mrs. McGill. s'Your laddie, say
ye?"
"Aye. mither," replied the now blush
ing girl; 81 may as weel confess tilt,
Duncan and mes to be welded i the
next year"
And then, not waiting to hear the
shower of surprised and pleased excla-
nations, the brave lass snatehed down
her loaded musket, powder horn and
bullet pouch, and. accompanied by
John. who carried his rife and led
the great hound in leash, went out at
once into the cold, moonlit night.
After passing through the small log
and brush-encumbered clearing" the
anxious pair struck the "blazed" forest
trail, and followed it along the track
made by Duncan the day before
Old Bose tugged and strained at his
leash, and the further they advanced
the more eager and furious became his
demonstrations, but he never once gave
tongue.
For two miles the girl and her com
panion held their way, seeing nothing
but thick, bare trees, and hearing no
sound except the crunching of the crisp
snow beneath their own feet; but then,
On turning a slight angle around a
frozen swamp hole. they came upon
sight which caused John to recoil in
horror and Jennie to scream aloud in
| an agony of fright.
Directly in their path, resting up
right on it's end, stood barrel of flour;
| while for many feet around on either
side the snow was trampled down hard
and scattered over with patches of
| blood, broken bones and punches of
hair and furi A little to one side Law
stout hickory. blood-stained staff, rec
| ognized as Duncan's at a glance, and
ewith heart-rending cry poor Jennie
sank to the earth and sobbed out: 'Oh,
my pWir laddie! he's killed an torn to
pieces by the wild beasts!"
| Meantime the dog had became abso-
lutely frantic with rage, and could
| barely be restrained by John, who was
carefully looking the ground over. Now
he spoke in tone which instantly ST.