Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-11-11

JOEY's DOG.
Joey, a small, curly-headed boy, was
capering around the old raftered kltch-
en-, standing. on his head, turning
handsprings and generally upsetting
his small body in the manner of small
boys when they wish to express any
wild joy which may possess them. The
occasion of this outburst was the ar
rival of new dog that Uncle David
had just brought from the village.
Uncle David was not really Joeys
uncle, but when Joey was a wee little
baby, his papa and mamma had been
taken away from him, and Mr.. DAVID
Cram, the owner of one of the largest
farms in the district, had brought him
from the desolate little hut in the vii
lage, and put him in his wife's big,
motherly arms, saying: well, ma,
guess you had better cosset this little
lamb ding with the others for awhile
So Joey had grown up on the farm,
neither knowing nor desiring any
other home.
On this particular day Uncle David
had been to the village with load OF
turnips, and while there one of the
villagers came up to him and asked
him if he were willing to have dog
to keep His family were moving to
the city where they would not be able
to have dog, and knowing that he
would be well cared for at Uncle Da-
vid's they begged him to take him.
,r,hI ir,1
to Joey and said: There, if you want
him enough to take care Of him, you
can have h;m!"
Joey gave a little Shrek of delight,
and emphatically nodding his head
said: ooh, oh, l do want him, Sir"
The dog, an intelligent setter. made
friends at once of them all, particu-
larly with pair of young steers,
Joeys own especial property. Joey al
ways drove them, for little farm boys
have their work to do just as much
as grown-up men. Although Joey was
only seven years old he carted the
farm produce from the fields to the
barns. One day, when Joey was help
ing Uncle David cart apples, he left
while he went on q chase after fas-
cinating red squirrel. Tige started to
run with him. But Joey bade him
stay and guard Box and Cox (Joey's
names for the oxen). With a little
whimpering sigh he went back to his
duty. A whisking tail of chipmunk
flying along a nearby stone wall
proved too much for him, so with a
bound he went dashing after it. How
ever, his dog conscience began to prick
and he reluctantly gave up the chase
and raced back to find the oxen mean
derng into the corntleld, where the
bars had been left down. He stood
guard at the opening so they couldn't
get through, barking all the while so
furiously that it attracted Uncle Da-
vid's attention in the next field, and
the corn was saved.
But with all his goodness, Tige had
one grave fault. 1t was his delight to
get into a sheep pasture and chase
the poor, frightened creatures, and
scatter them in all direction, when
they would set up such a bleating and
baa-ing, then Tige would grin with
glee. Just as sometimes the bigger
boys chase the small ones and then
laugh at the sport. At last they had
to tie Tige up to punish him. Poor
Tige would cry and mourn, but he
had to be taught that it was naughty
and wicked to chase the sheep. One
day Joey went to the village with
Uncle David, and for some reason left
Tige behind. When Tige discovered
that his master had gone, he started
forth to meet him. He missed him
while chasing a woodchuck into his
hole, and came home alone
A loud voice from the kitchen:
81 tell you that ere dog of your'n
killed my sheep for I saw him skulk-
ing off. I amt mistaken, an 1 say
you've got to kill him" Tige at this
moment walked in, and, going up to
Joey, began to lick his hand. Joey
threw his arms around the dogs neck,
and, looking up at the man said:
you shan't kill my dog-he didn't
kill your sheep, did you, poor old
Tige?"
Tige looked around, troubled by his
masters grief, commenced to bark and
lick his face. trying, in his dumb fash
ion, to comfort him.
"Well, he killed my sheep, and If you
don't kill him-I will" the man re-
turned dcggedly.
Uncle David looked for a moment
sadly at Joey and Tige in the corner,
and said quietly, "Tf you say upon