Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1902-07-17

remained simply "yaller dog. !" What
more could be said? His actual name
was Bones, given to him no doubt
through the provincial custom of con-
founding the occupation of the individ-
ual with his quality, for which it was
pointed out precedent could be found in
some old English family names
But if Bones generally exhibited no
preference for any particular Individual
in camp, he always made an exception
in favor of drunkards. Even an ordinary
roistering bacchanalian party brought
him out from under tree or shed IN
the keenest satisfaction. He would &C
company them through the long, stray
Cling street of the settlement, barking
his delight at every step or mlsstep OF
the jewellers and exhibiting none of that
mistrust of eye which marked his at
tendance upon the sane and the respect
able He accepted even their uncouth
play without a snarl or a yelp, hypo-
critically pretending to even like it, and
1 conscientiously believe, would have
allowed tin can to be attached to his
tail ii the hand that tied it on were only
unsteady and the voice that babe him
"lie still' were husky with liquor. He
would see the party cheerfully into
saloon, wait outside the door, his tongue
fairly lolling from his mouth in enjoy
ment, until they reappeared, permit
them even to tumble on him with pleas
ure and then gambol away before them,
needless Of awkwardly projecting stones
and epithets. He would afterward &C
company them separately home or lie
with them at crossroads until they
were assisted to their cabins. Then he
would trot rakishly to his own haunt
by the saloon stove, with the slightly
conscious air of having been a bad dog,
yet OF having had good time. We
never could satisfy ourselves whether
his enjoyment arose from some merely
selfish conviction that he was more Sc
cure with the physically and mentally
incompetent from some active sympathy
with active wickedness or from grim
sense of his own mental superiority at
such moments. But the general belief
was in his kindred sympathy as a ''yal-
Ter dog" with all that was dereputable.
And this was supported by another very
singular canine manifestation-name
the sincere fattery of stimulation or i'm
itation.
Uncle Billy Riley for a short time
enjoyed the position Of being the camp
drunkard and at once became an object
of Bones greatest solicitude. He not
only accompanied him anywhere, curled
up at his feet Or head, according to IN
Gle Billy's attitude at the moment, but,
it was noticed, began presently to un-
dergo singular alteration in his own
habits and appearances. From being an
active, tireless scout and forager, a bold
and unovertakable marauder, he became
lazy and apathetic, allowed gophers to
burrow under him without threatening
to undermine the settlement in his fran
tic endeavors to dig them out, permitted
squirrels to flash their tails at him 100
yards away, forgot his usual caches and
left his favorite bones unburied and
bleaching in the sun. His eyes grew
dull, his coat lusterless in proportion as
his companion became blear eyed and
IcSSSIl, LII Ills USUAL diIOW1lk6
direction began to deviate, and it was
not unusual to meet the pair together
zigzagging up the hill. Indeed, Uncle
Billy's condition could be predetermined
by Bones appearance at times when his
temporary master was invisible. ''The
old man must have an awful jag on to-
day. was casually remarked when an
extra fufhness and imbecility were no
ticeable in the passing Bones. At first
it was believed that he drank also, but
when careful investigation proved this
hypothesis untenable he was freely call
ed a ''derned time servin yaller hypo-
critic" Not few advanced the opinion
that if Bones did not actually lead I'm
Gle Billy astray, he at least "slavered
him over and coddled him until the old
man got conceited in his wickedness. -
This undoubtedly led to compulsory
divorce between them, and Uncle Billy
was happily dispatched to neighboring
town and a doctor. Bones appeared to
miss him greatly, ran away for two