The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-25

FaHcneS ger strange Ideas and deSlreS sometimes. For a week he had been seeing, smelling, and almost tasting slabs Of firm, white, soft delicious American cheese. He fought off his chaving for a while, then yielded. There seemed to be no danger. Not a cloud was in the sky; the flock was quiet: Ben was wide awake and active; he would he hack. at most. in an hour and half. He said:
 Ben, I'm going to Bluffdale to get some cheese-white, American cheese You stay here, and I'll be back soon. You can have some, if you like it.'
 Ben wagged his tail, and, to show that he understood, put his paws on the mans shoulders. Moss swung rapidly over the hills to the eastward, and his dog friend was left alone.
 Ben went first all around the sheep, which were feeding in small valley with hills on every side. All seemed to be well with the flock, but he went halfway up a neighboring hillside, scuatted upon his launches. and observed them with kindly eye. Now and then he. got up and walked back ohA 1Ol LII IIhC s1 SCAAlLy bil NuAy' It occurred to him that look at the coun- try could do no harm, so he went to the crest of the hill at his back and gazed afar; nothing in sight Three sheeps strayed up the opposite slope. He went after them at top speed, passed beyond them, whirled, charged upon them, made believed to bite them, and chased them furiously back to their hockma tes. Then. with good-natured grin, he re- stunned his watch. Ben would not have hurt sheep for the world. An hour passed.
 He did not know why-he heard noth- ing, saw nothing, smelled nothing-but the bristles on his neck rose in puff. He glanced. keenly across the valley to the hills on the far side. Was it fancy? surely 1t was fancy!--did he see just above the edge of the hill the tip of an ear rise for an instant, then disappear? The sheep were placid. He trotted gravely down into the valley, then up the slope. He had gone but few feet when his Aaring liostrils got scent of something strange and, repugnant. In- stinctively he growled and went faster. Five yards farther, and instinct told him what it was,s~Ar ordinary dog would have tprned tail and saved him. self; rashly brave dog would have gone forward to death. Ben did neither. He reasoned, and in a second of time his course was clear to him. It was his duty to save the sheep first and himself next. f
 He darted down into the valley, bay ing savagely at the scared feeders. There was new note in his voice, and they thought that this time he was going to slay some of them Not stop ping for another nibble of grass, seized with universal panic, the thousand of them bounded up the hills at racing speed. Then in the center of the level little bottom Ben turned and set him. self stcrnly, for he knew what he would see.
 Tearing down the hillside were, three wolves, each seeming as large as calf. One, of solid red hue, was a yard in the lead; two, of a gray nearly black, were behind it; and as they came their wild cry rang.
 Ben did not falter. Never a drop of craven blood had visited that strong heart. One heavy growl tore it's way from him; thereafter until the bloody end he fought his fight as mate as an Indian. With the instinct of his sire's kingly race, that for generations had met danger more than half way, he rushed to meet his foes. The red wolf was his target, and he leaped straight at it's throat. Together they rolled on the brown sWard. But the other wolves turned to aid their companion.
 The wolf is a slieing fighter. It snaps rapidly, it's fangs making gashes, not deep, but numerous and weakening. Ben's hold was the staghound's hold Where his jaws fastened they kept their place, and his teeth were sunk into his enemy. He stood above the big red warrior, squeezing out the life; but the other two each as tall and as strong as himself, were upon him. One gashed his haunches and back in dozen places, The, other seized his right forcing above the knee, and con- trary to habit, held on and gnawed it. Ben did not whimper. The red wolf, put out of combat by that first fatal plunge, grew weaker, checked hard and was still. Ben half turned, and caught the second one by the top of it's gray neck. One mighty wrench broke it's hold upon his leg and threw it upon its back. Then he shifted his grip to the throat and strangled 1t, while the third foe gashed and gashed him.
 The second wolf died, and he wheeled directly to meet the third. All was red before Ben's eyes; his breath came thickly he felt that he must soon fall. But his splendid courage rose in him, and he limped weakly a yard forward. The remaining foe leaped at him, and it's fangs clicked sa.vagely. It missed it's hold, and passing him, darted up the hillside and in another moment was out of sight. Ben turned to watch it, then fell upon his side. He was crim- son where strips of skin hung from his ribs, he was blind from exhaustion; but he heard the rapid step of his friend and the voice which said: "oh, Ben! Ben!"
 Then he felt himself wrapped in a coat and carried tenderly to a creek falf-mile away, where his wounds were washed and his leg bound. Then he