The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-05

with none to claim or care for him. Be
| yond the assertion that he had come man
days in wagon, and run away from la
man who whipped him, Jackie could tie
| nothing. Even the dog he could only sa!
| 1t had always been his friend. fought hi
/ battles, shared his crusts ard whippirgs
and in the dark stolen away with him ron
the dreaded wagon
The boy grew into the Majors heart. He
would look at him till his heart seemed
to beat through its scared crust. and his
eyes would blink softly. He was such 4
| fearless, healthy, thorough boy, just such
| as his own son. At that poinl
he would pause, swear, and romp with the
! Vagabond.
For the dog! 1t was an impossible beast
| Outside the two brown depths of its
mournful, loving eyes it was a dull dead
yellow. from the tip OF its tail to the end
of its nose, the color of clay-pit Half Of
its left ear was bitten away. leaving but
tasseled edge Its hard, bony skull was
scanned with scars; it's shoulders were
dented deep with ieeth-marks; its left
hind-leg had a great hole in it. which lent
it permanent kink and ridiculous limp.
1t was evidently fearless warrior, and in
a quiet, sneaking w2y-with its tongue
edgeways lcking-it was given to vain and
pround dreams OF its wounds.
For real pride in Ign, however, Tinker
had no chance against Jackie. The boy
loved the deg, and with the passion of five
years he adored without discrimination. 1t
was yellow, ugly. delormed, lean, with a
limp, without grace; but it was Tinker.
his friend, faithful. loyal; and the boys
heart, recognizing kinship of ideal. de-
manded no more.
When Major Brand and he fell out. and
inf fOr
Jackie was something of a Turk. Katie
was sure tc find him later. his bare, brown
arms circling the yellow, knotty neck of
the hound-the child sound asleep, tie
dog lazily watchful. suspicious though
friendly.
So things went on for four years Then
came the bugie caIl-Kruger's voice defy
ing the stars in their courses. And Major
Brand joined his corps and went to the
front with Methuen's fighting division He
had tried hard to induce his wife to go
to Cape Town. But with true colonial
tenacity she pleaded her duty to him and
the farms averring that with the farm
hands she's could always hold the home
stead against marauding patrols-an opin-
ION which-Jackie stoutly shared.
The boy had grown a handy, intelligent
little feIiox-lwith language composed of
a strange medley of words-English, KAT
fir, and Taal alternating indiseriminately
There was not much Of the country within
fifteen or twenty miles of the homestead
that Jackie had not explored, his brown,
bare legs astride of a pony and Tinker
ever at heel. His boast to keep sharp
lookout was. therefore, accented by the
major with becoming gravity.
Strangely enough, the most Respondent
member of the household on Brands de-
partare was the yellow dog. Like most
he had ever had loving hand
for the ugly. faithful cur. and Tinker's
appreciation of the fact lad only been
equaled By his evident wonder.
For days after the Majors departure the
dog wandered restless and unhappy about
the house, shifting curiously at the doors,
and. as night grew near, whimpering. i'll
at ease and anxious. His perturbation
reached a crisis when the booming Of the
big guns away toward the Orange River
broke the sultry stiffness OF ths air round
ireendip Farm. When the first boom
cached the little homestead Jackie and
he dog were sitting on the stoop, engaged
n the genial occupation of teasing the pet
monkey. With his one and half ears
'ricked upright Tinker sat listening. every
low and then giving vent TO a snarling
Shimper as the dull roll Of the echoes |
AIDED and swelled and died among the out |
ying kopies.
Jackie, hinging his arm round his friends |
,ech. tried to comfort him by many an |
Ingenious trick of teasing. But for the first |
ime in his experience Tinker took no no. |
ice Of him. His eyes had a red glitter /
n them; his SCARED. ugly nose shifted |
ersistently at the wind; even and again
quick tremor ran through his limbs.
hen, almost before Jackie was aware of |
~ IL !, 49,.
Tipped from his side and, with tail erect
nd snout TO ground, was racing north
ard over the veldt
The boy was after him in minute, his
lind alert at the thought of rock rabbits.
is brown legs twinkling feverishly among |
ne long grasses. But ii was a hopeless
ursuit The dog. giving no heed tc his
dice. kept ever straight on in a long.
reless stride. which finally took him out
sight. Exhausted and resentful. Jackie
licked his way slowly back. Ee thought
e had lost Tinker for good anG all. and
is little figure quivered with passionate
niger. as some two hours later he related
is loss to Katie. and detained against
lie ingratitude OF all living things. es-
scially yellow dogs.
Ill
Ten O'Clock sounded from the little clock
ung on the wall in the large. round hut
lat served Katie Brand for drawing-room. |
log fire slumbered in the open hearth, ;
lie lamp on the table had burned low
Id was smoking lazily. Mrs. Brand lay
leep in the cushioned cane chair, book | /
zen on her knees. {
She had wearied of Jackie's plants for
e loss Of the dog, and, sending him early |
bed, had INDUCED in the luxury OF soli-
de The almost impressive stfIInecr IF | I
e night had made her drowsy, and so it ;
as that she never heard faint whimper-
g and scratching at the door, and that
e swift patter of feet from the COM
door had passed her unheeded.
zen the opening Of the door and Jackie's q
" guTgle Of joyous welcome as he krelt
the side Of his painting yellow friend U
He'd to rouse her
Suddenly Jackie. with low cry of alarm.
lrted back and dragged the dog to the
N light. His hands and nightgown were
aimed with little red flecks like red snow
kes. anasTinker seemed like a piece Of
lzy patchwork-heIe daub of mud, here !,
streak Of natural yellow, and everywhere
ubs Of that fiaky. damp, staining red.
e dog with low whimper, licked at his :,
.ster's face. and then, seizing his night !,
wn, dragged him toward the door again. \
ekie. a little perplexed, snatched his
wn away and watched with curious gaze r.
: antics Of the dog. First he ran out, g
IN paused. yelping softly. Then back m
same again. and again seized the boys al
wn. and, dragging him a little way to-
I'd the gate. paused again and whined | n
king up at him with speaking, beseech-
: eyes. W
Jackie began to tremble with excite a,
mt He felt he was on the brink of an et