River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1899-04-06

hears about the humane society he will
take care to practice his cruelty where
there are no witnesses. The only
chance to catch him will be in the next
few days He never reads the newspa-
pers, so he will not know any thing
about what was done last night until
some one tells him.
IF that is the case let us watch him
a., day tomorrow sort of shadow
him. What do you say?'
I'm willing. Wen have to give up
our fishing trip, but | would rather
catch Jerry Snafiles on a humane So
ciety hook than all the fish in White
water creek"
The next morning when DObhin was
driven out to his work he saw two boys
lounging on nearby corner. Every
) or 20 minutes during the whole day
somewhere he would catch a glimpse
Of the two figures. and once, when the
dray was empty, they paid Mr.. Snaf-
iles five cents apiece for ride the
length of the street.
But time went fast and it began TO
look as if Jerry Snaflles would not be
hooked. Dobbin stamped at the flies.
got his tail over the lines and was
stupid about backing and turning, all
to no purpose. Jerry's whip rested
in its socket and Dobbin's rusty coat
received no welts. The truth was hat
Mr.. Snatfles had got double pay out of
a woman for moving stove and, con-
Sequently, was in an unusually good
humor.
Dobbin could see how weary the boys
were becoming and what disappoint-
ed look was creeping into their alert
brown eyes. and he began to do some
thinking. There was one thing that
always brought down his masters
wrath upon him; if he should chance
to Slip and fall the air would be full
Of whip lashes and his old hide would
be criss-crossed with marks. But some
how he hadn't seemed to slip that day,
and-but why couldn't he make him
self slip? OF course he could. Then
his ears went down deiectedly as he
thought of how il would hurt. He
would have TO go down, because he all
ways had, some place on the stretch
y
and it did hurt so to strike on the
hard bricks; but do it he would. He
was nearing the slippery stretch now.
and trying to put his sore shoulder
and rheumatic hip, upon which he
must fall out of his mind, he trotted
resolutely along. Turning his head
TO see if the boys were near, he grad
ually worked his way to the edge Of
the street where the asphalt filling had
not worn off, and just as Jerry called:
"Har, thar! Whar ye goin'|' there
was scr-r-r-r, scr-r-r-r, crash! and
Dobbin was down. in a moment Jer-
ry was off the dray and his whip was
singing through the air.
Hold on, there! don't you strike
that horse again!" cried the shrill
voice of BERTHE Andrews.
But the whipping went on, and the
| boys, white with excitement, seized the
mans right arm, exclai1ning in chorus;
I'VE are members of the Humane So
ciety! Don't you dare strike him
again!"
Members of nothing!" said Jerry.
sneeringly shaking off their hold. we
hain't got no sich society here. guess
| can whip my own horse eff wanter
| an you'll git it too eff We don't git out, .
and the whip was raised for action
There comes the president now. ="
| cried BERTHE. Hello, Mr. Humane
Agent, come here and arrest this man;
he is abusing his horse shamefully."
Then for the first time Snaffles began
| to realize that there was some truth
in the boys statement, and he cow
cred back and lowered his whip.
Keep an eye on him, boys" said
the presidents hurrying up. until !
| can see how badly the horse is hurt"
He called some men who were pass
ing and together they unbuckled the
harness, drew the dray back. and with
great difficulty got the old horse on
his feet
Coming over where Jerry was stand
ing. looking frightened, the agent said:
MY man, this will probably cost
you a heavy fine. and perhaps the work
house"
And what about the horse?' asked
Bertie's cousin. sis he much hurt?"
lie was in Il terrible condition be-
fore this occurred" was the answer.
He is old and has been starved and
abused until he was not fit to be
driven; now he has a badly bruised
shoulder and | think the most merciful
thing | can do will be to order him
shot
At that moment. a farmer who had
been looking the horse over spoke up:
XIII him, are you going to? Per
haps he would rather sell him to me.
| will give five dollars and take him
right off your hands"
1t did not take long to convince Mr.
Snaffles of the wisdom of accepting the
proposition. The next day old Dobbin
was taken out to the farm where he
cooled his feyered feet in fragrant dewy
pastures, and grew round eating green
clover and sweet timothy hay; where
the heaviest load he draws is the rake
in harvest time, and the greatest bur
den his crooked old back bears is the
barefoot boy who rides him after the
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