Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-01-24
Whitrumh's S Cogots Dag.
HITCOMB kicked his dog,
kicked him savagely. That
was eighteen years ago at
Sun1Y- q alnnll settlement

~ kicked him sayagely. That
Y Z was eighteen years ago at
Sunhy. small settlement
on Pepper Creek. in the then Dakotas.
/ We Curiously looked at the dog to as
certain what effect this particular kick
would have On him, for it was at least
/ the one-thousandth that he had re-
ceived from his master in the course
/ of. three years Of troubled life. Usual
I ly this dog took the Kick, dropped his
/ tail skunk into a corner and watched
| his master out Of q single eye until
the latter's good humor was restored.
/ This afternoon he did not do this. lie
/ turned away without Il yelp, set his
| scared body on the trail to Portland,
and temporarily disappeared.
! Whitcomb was the deputy sheriff OF
+ the county, stationed at Sunhy. He
/ regarded himself as master of any
I thing and everything in the town.
Men that kick dogs usually carry that
! opinion with them. Whitcomb in Sun
| fly stood for the law and his own
ends. When the two conficted the
! law went fishing. But it was a singu
! lar thing that while Whitcomb carried
! so much authority and imposing pres
| encc around he never met man who
| dared to defy him but be Immediately
| became his best friend. Men that kick
dogs have that popularity, also. 1t
| was singular, too, that the only thing
III Sundy which Whitconb ever out
rageously abused was his coyote dog.
This he kicked at every opportunity,
kicked so hard that Watson, the
frsighter, looking into the dogs blood
shot eyes cne day, said sententiously
to Whitcomb:
He'll turn on you some day"
The dog came frcm nowhere. He
drifted in out of the wilds Of the
buttes one day and Immediately at
tacLed himself to Whitcomb. Perhaps
he had 4 cross Of coyote in him; more
probably he did not. But he was long,
lank, heayy-fanged big Of muscle,
marvellous in cndurance-he ran one
day sixty miles behind Whitcomb's
gray Indian mare without a sup of
water He minded his own business
strictly, even as TO other dogs. The
few of his own race that disturbed
him We're killed so quickly that they
did not realize he was at their throats.
Why he took to Whitcomb no one
could explain, but he did, and although
kicked from pillar to post, beaten
with pistol butts and cut with quirts,
he was loyal to his first choice. That
is, he was loyal until this particular
day, when he was kicked for the last
time When he trotted away from
Whitcombs Office, although he did not
know it, he forever severed himself
from that individual.
Watson, coming across the trail with
provisions, met him at Grass Butte, n
mile from town. He was high up the
butte perched on a shelf looking far
into the West. Watson whistled 10
him, and he came down, dragging his
big but bruised frame after him slow
| u. He licked the freighter's hand,
shifted at the horses ana then returned
to the vantage point he had occupied,
only this time he faced the East look
ing toward Sunfy.
Watson was not sunerstitious fel-
low, but when he rode into town and
passed Whitcomb's Office be called out:
Going over Grass Butte way to-
night:"
Whtcomb nodded. Watson shook
his head.
That dog Of yours is out there, and
he's waiting for trouble
Whitcomb laughed, shool; himself,
and remarked:
Il reckon he'll never bother ne-he's
just bit sulky.'
IAN right" answered Watson, "but
| know these coyote dogs, and l know
your dog, and he's waiting for you