The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-06-08
ua@0@Ooae@ae@e
; CALAIS SHAM FUNERAL
BYETABLANTYRE SIMPSON. $

ooeeseeeesseSeeeeee
John Gorrie had long determined to
emigrate to New Zealand, but had re-
manned in his native county of Fife as
long as his mother was alive. When she
was laid to rest in Cults kirkyard, he
and his dog sailed for ''the strong New
England Of the southern pole" His
brothers had preceded him some years
before, and each had taken with him a
collie from the old homestead, black and
white dogs, rather small in size, but wis
er than most. Since their departure, for
fear Of importing hydrophobia, reguli
tions had been put i'll force not allowing
home dogs to land in the Australasian
colonies unless they underwent a quaran-
tine of deadly length and yigor, which
few survived.
John Gorrie, who had seen promising
scions OF this piebald dog family so with
his brothers, rejected the warning that
his Gala would not be allowed to land.
He paid his dogs passage, stubbornly de-
termined that his slim four footed friend
should also herd the hocks on the virgin
lawns" OF brighter Britain. Gala was
gentle eyed, supple creature, as clever
shepherdess as ever drove the silly sheep
to market. She had n sorry time of II
during the passage, for the cramped
space and steamboat laws i'll suited one
whose 1.-the limbs could carry her untir-
ingly. John Gorrie, standing at the bows
of his good ship. n burly, hard featured,
shrewd man, wore n glum look on his
stern face as he wondered how his good
collie was to be landed. The very idea of
killing his valuable and constant compan-
ion made the heart of this big man very
sore. He treasured that meek, wistfIi
faced black and white dog rs much as he
treasured the pecketbook which contain
cd all his worldly wealth.
He met with nothing but Jobs com
forters on board. The captain one day
on inspection paused to say to him brief
Is, 81 wonder q canny Scot like you was
befooled into paying that collie's pas
sage" The carpenter offered to take Gala
back to England, but John replied, ard
rather pit her doun myself than gle her
awa'." He knew CALAIS heart would
break elf he left her. He still had
mulishly stubborn belief that somehow
he could land his dog. He had written
to Sandy Gorrie the mail before he sail
ed telling him Gala and he were coming.
Sandy, he knew, would meet him at the
Ruff (whcre the steamer first toucheh,
and he hoped their two Scotch heads
would have wits enough in them to devise
some plan to evade the law and save his
white breasted Gala before he was forced
to disembark ut Dunedin. The thought
of "pitting doun," as he called killing the
fond dog which gaZed on him with its
loving raised to his puzzled face, cost
that stoical. hard featured man many q
sorrowful day, many wakeful night. 1t
was a cold September spring forenoon
when they arrived at the Bluff, and the
new land had a grim air about it which
John said truly minded him of hame."
The steamer had to wait Il day there.
"You must declare poor little Gala"
said the purser to Gorrie. II don't think
she can even get chance of being quar-
antined, for they have an extra panic on
about home dogs just now"
AYE" answered Gorrie, with the sulky
brevity of his native Fife.
GOOD, Gala-nice old lass" said the
purser, stroking her intelligent, long head.
at is a pity you brought her."
aye" again answered Gorrie, looking
down into her plaintive, beseeching eyes,
for with her ready instinct she guessed
mischief was brewing.
Sandy Gorrie came on board to meet
his brother John, and as they stood talk
ing together the New Zealand farmer
praised Gala, for she was endeared to
him also by memories Of home.
"She is real. like fathers 'pyat.' 1t is
an awie peety, man, about her, and
mine that I called Magpie deed last
NIGHT, mind you; she was nigh II years."
said Sandy.
"Whaur did she dce?" said John eager
~.
"At my sister-in-law's over there. Mag
was getting that auld Mrs. Christie she
kept her when l was in the north, and
last Sabbath she just lay doun and
OWNED and deed"
"Whaur Is the bodyF
Buried by yon cabbage tree" said
Sandy, pointing to lone, shock headed
tree which stood as sentinel over rocky
bay and behind which rose smoke, telling
of q homestead in the hollow.
man." said John earnestly, light of
hope cleaning in his deep set eyes,
''howk her up, and I'll save my bonnie
Gala. We dinna sail afore the NIGHT,
and I'll dac wi your Maggie as the cap
tain did wi the sodgers. She'll be the
example, no my Gala. l went to
reading at Ladybank, last Martimas it
would be. and the meenister, no ours,
but anither, he tellt about three sodgers
that were DOT late frae camp when that
Duke OF Wellington was fetching in Spain.
Weel, the duke he said they were to
hang for II, but SO mony guild men were
killed the captain he was lathe to sacri-
fee three strong chaps, but the duke
said for an example to the ithers it
maun be. The captain he was clever
yum. He sent off the three men to anither
part Of orr army, and he takes three
deid men and hangs them on tree. The
morrow's morn when the general gaed
by he saw three deid men. and his
sodgers saw three deid men, and they
were a fair contented, for the dcid men
who were no use mair they made as
good an example as il they'd done away
wi the three live lads"
John Gorrie brisked into sudden alac-
iity. He went ashore. Gala was tied
up on deck, a troubled dog, looking with
anxious eyes after his masters recedins
figure.
What about the dog that has been
declared?" asked the customs officer.
II don't know" said the captain. 1.-The
Scotchman who owns her is ashore just
at present. I'll speak 10 him myself when
he comes back. Nice dog too. The Ia
dies aft are all making such an cutlery
ABOUT it. The dog was fayorite with
them, she is so gentle and intelligent"
"Gerrie, the owner, is ashore, but he
said he wad be pitting her doun this
nicht,' and he sent the customs and the
laws of his new country to the regions
below" remarked the purser, initiating
Gorrie very creditably. Hell dae it
hisser. None of your mangling. A stane
and string and hnppit in bit of his
ain plaid"
That afternoon Gorrie brought from
the shore "muckle stape." He Vas ST.