The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-21

Martin started forward in alarm.
"Hol on" cried he, II got some
chickens in that thar coop!"
The tall man turned and wrung his
hand in a mock access of gratitude.
Thank you! thank you!" he cried.
| fervently. ITO think how near l came
to having the blood of those innocent
chickens on my head! 1 shall never
cease to feel grateful to you, sir!''
He marched over to the coop and
pinned the envelope square in the mid
die of it,
There" said he, stepping back with
an air of satisfaction. Now the chick
ems are perfectly safe!"
! The proprietor grinned very doubt
! fully. Several men laughed one after
the other. as the joke penetrated.
You go to h, Steve" said the fat
man, bubbling all over.
He raised the long six-shooter with
an easy gesture.
They're just as good as meat" he
! asserted confidently, as he squlnted
| ensued
Always cock your pistol before
shooting" Frank finally admonished in
| a soft and didactic voice.
Murphy, red-faced, muttered some
| thing about self-cockers and tried
! again. This time the pause was sue
ceeded by a deafening report. and the
pistol leaped wildly. From the COOP
burst a single frightened squawk. Muir
ply beamed.
All crowded about the box, examin-
ing for the bullet hole. On the in
slant, Frank became wildly and tri-
| umphantly excited, dancing about the
motionless end of an index finger which
pointed toward the unscratched COOP
The marksman looked nonplussed for
a single instant. Then his face cleared.
ut went right in through that" he
claimed arrogantly. pointing the barrel
of the revolver toward a small knot
hole. The other two men at once gave
vent to snorts of derisive contempt.
prove that it didn't" insisted the fat
one. Just prove that it didn't, and
I'll pay up He tucked his thumbs
into the lower pockets of his waistcoat,
supporting the revolver pendent on one
forefnger and smiled broadly.
! Billy's straightforward mind saw 10
diplomacy beyond the memorable logic
of the situat ton. Thar ought t. be a
bullet hole in tn other side of tn coop
them" he suggested in a modest voice.
Murphy cast upon him the glance Of
reproach.
81 give up he confessed with grieved
dignity, and, without awaiting an in
vestigation, turned toward the saloon.
1T means drinks" he observed la
conically. "All of you." he added to
the crowd
Near the door Peter fell in with the
procession. The tall man seized lpon
him before even that experienced ami
NAL could escape. After al ineffect-
ual lunge or so backward toward his
launches, the homely dog seemed to
realize that no harm was intended, and
so became quiet. Stevens passed his
hands rapidly down Peters back and
launches, lifted him first off his fore
legs, then off his hind legs, watching
carefully the exact position he assumed
when he touched the ground again,
pushed his gums away from his teeth,
and moulded through the fingers the
outline of his head.
It's genuine Airedale," he assert
ed with interest. "Who does he De-
long to, and where did he come FROM"
Nobody knew
Il don't suppose there's another west
of the Mississippi" he went on. TITS
peculiar breed, built for scrapping."
The men gathered about with a new
interest in Peter. Don't know just
what the strain is. but it's bred in the
valley of Aire, in England. The Ia
boring classes there mostly make fur
niture, and as they work by the piece,
they can take all the time off they want.
Consequently, they're sporty lot, and
go in for cock fighting and racing and
badger batting, but. most of all, dog
lighting. They evolved this strain
from something or other. good Aire-
dale Can lick anything except a Great
Dane, and he falls down there only
because the Danes too big for him"
Il know of bull terrier" began
Murphy.
Your bull wouldn't be ace high.
Look at the teeth on him! Get on to
the thickness of those bones! Do you
think teeth would stick on that slip
perry bristle coat of his? Or, if they
did, do you think they would get into
that tough loose hide very hard?" He
suddenly released Peter and stood UP.
Frank, said he, come here and size
up this pup"
Peter shook him and walked gravely
into the arms of the adoring Kid. The
Kid had listened open -mouthed to ev-
cry word of the experts statement.
But Frank had disappeared. The
incipient filtration had developed.
Continued in Next Sundays News)