Mexico Missouri message., 1901-01-17
Peter and His Cog.
ny NJ w ENERSON


Copyright 1900. Daily story Pub. Cos
Two brutes lay together under
tree in Franklin Park. 1t was mid
night. The moon. at full. shono fair
on the face OF the greater brute;
bloatcd as 1t was. and disfgured Ivy
recent blow from some brother
brawlcr. Half asleep, he drooled at
the mouth like a baby, and murmured.
now and then, half-conscious words of
boozy affection to the lesser brute
crouching beside him. widc-eyod and
watchful. lest cvil come to his evil
master.
lie was white. spotted, lean with
hunger, SCARED all over and lacking
an ear. minus all the toes on one foot
and given to iintpuE this lesser
brute. His tail was forgotten mem
ory; not enough wa left of it to wag.
lie was somewhat fcrociuus at times,
in matters which concerned his Mas
ter He had nothing to be thankful
for. or grateful to, in that Master, but
he had been born In his house. had
owed to him shelter Ills mother had
IT,
bulldog a trained fighter; whereby
had come to him tcuacity Of pur-
pose. a taithfulucss to duty, II COur-
age and devotion which the greater
brutcs of the world might well emu
late.
Tho other brute was not the only
/ bOOZer abroad. Three ill-smClling
swaEgcrors came through the park,
pursuing woman who fled before
them and took refuge in the shadow
OF the tree under which the two hrutcs
lay. The dog spranE to his feet with
growl which quickly became a bark
| of delight He evidently knew the
W man. who fed away from the shad-
ow with even greater haste than she
/ had shown in coming to it. The dog
/ started to follow, the master woke,
| sat up and sworc at him, while he
| paced to and fro between the tree and
/ the squat umhrclla-bush under which
/ the woman was hiding. The three
| brawlCTs staggered down the path,
kicked at the dog. maulcd the man,
| who cried "polirc," while the dog
flew ut the throat of one of them, and
would have killed him if pair OF
watchmCn had not come to the rescue.
Blow after blow fell on him, he only
CleuChcd his teeth the tighter. Then
the greater brute, slowly coming to
an understanding, called the dog au-
thOritatiycly. who dropped OF bloody,
dizzy, half dead from his beating, and
fell to lickiIg the hands Of the man
he had tried to protect.
THE dog is mad said one OF the
brawlcrs; 1--WE chased him in here
XIII him, XIII HIM" The otl RS
laughed and confirmed the lie Yes;
we know the dog; he's mad! XII
HIM"
And the watchman said to the man
who was now fondling the dog
Drive him away from you, We're
gong to sh OF him"
"DoEth all right! thute me inthte; d!
Dogth doin' hith duty; taiin' care o
me, ith hith religion! Thute me and
lcth the dog go home to hith break
faith"
Drive that dog off, | tell you, I'm
going to shoot him, Look out nc s.
Get up and walk towards me-str, hi
now or you'll get a shot yourself
Come on, You're under arrest. anC
were going to Kill your dog!"
"iIain't my dog. I'm hith Dig
Hc'th dethent He takth care o'me
an makth me go home to breakfath'
Don't thute, Don't thutc,"
The big brute held the lesser one il
his arms, the latter whining little
Good dog! Good dog! Go home tt
your brcakfath-go, came from thu
man as he put the dog down anc
struggled TO his feet But the poor
bleeding cur clung SO close to hin
that the burly protector Of the ma
jcsty OF the law could not get beaC
on him.
Kick him Drive him off, / tel
you"
Go home to your breakfath," sal,