The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1903-09-12
Childhood's Happy Days
The Wild Dog Of Quagmire Swamp.
BY J. POLK RACINE.

the fierce tempest. if one had been con-
cealcd up in Il large cedar tree. that
grew III the meadow next the Elk. they
would have been treated to Il grand little
| picnic of their own. for such Il Skylark
| rs Donna Belle and the hellcd colts We're
| having was ludicrouS in the extreme
| Pretty Mad Cap lead the call in every
| race. She had found an old COW hell
and she had strapped it to Black Joe'S
archcd neck, and such Il ringing rs Joe
gave that hell was IL plenty. At times
when Joe would make Il daisy run. and
then turn and rear up and hug one of the
others around the neck. and she almost
| slipping from his glossy back. then her
| sweet hilarious laughter would roll off
and completely drown the wild gingle
| of the many bells. She was dressed in IL
| blue drilling gown. and she had Il straw
| five penny bit hat on her pretty glossy
brown curlS. but they We're streaming
beautifully streaming all over Black
| IoeS back. Her little feet We're bare
| but ScrupulouSly clean and white. and
she Kept her hair well braided ut all
| times. But she is now about tired. and
she changes her position on Joe. and
SmOothcS her hair with comb. which
| she takes from the back of her head. then
she galops to Vinegar HILL that she
might pick up some summer queen apples
to stay the cravings of hunger which
| cruel monster had crcpt to the vitals of
| our little darling.
Just AT this time there is Il wild r1lmor
| atioat hcrcahouts. ii is to the effect that
| there is II wild dog which prowIs the
meadows and forests at night killing
calves and sometimes nearly half grown
cattle, and that this monster canine ken
nellcd in Quagmirc Swamp. He had
been seen by several and old Uncle
Charley Gibbons while hunting AIller's
oxen had come right face to face wild
de ugly dcbhil." as he said
The fcrocious beast had his lair far
back in the jungle and where he came
from to Quagmr" Swamp. 10 one knew
at that time. The hrutc'S ears had been
clipped from his huge head. and he was
entirely minus of tail. for that lower
npp"ndage had also been shipped from
his great body. Many there were. who
said that the monStrouS canine WAS really
wild animal which had escaped from
Dan RiccS circus. But the SupcrStitiuuS
of the ncighhurhOod all declared that the
old black thing was nothing less than
old Nick himself. But the darkicS. how
they did cut and run when passing the
forest and old Quigmire Swamp And
poor old Charley Gibbons couldn't cut
and run, but he could. ard did carry his
old truSty flint lock muSkrt with powder
well up in the pan. and with the old
Jade cooked and pointed toward old Quig-
Dtir, ,t.Iil,
across the meadow adjacent to the
Swamp when passing that way.
Very many of the folk said that Donna
Bell" knew more about this what is it.
than all tn" others put together But
Mad Cap could not be interviewed by
anybody save old Aunt Dinnah Gibbons.
Many of the most curious had tried il
on. hut they soon CAV" it up. for invali-
ably Donna Belle would show them
Black Ioo's pretty white foot locks.
But the throat cutting went on. and one
might when calves were scarce there
ahoutS. Their" was terrible racket down
at old CharIcy>. just after Charley had
laid himself down for the night. Aunt
l'lnnHh had Il very pretty ten months old
hcif"r calf just running loose in the lot
surrounding the house. Aunt Diunah had
been fetching l'rdy into the house ever
since tn" 30 devil had made his home in
'luagmir" Swamp. until this very night.
llinnah had named her pet Pi"dy. and
why. | don't know. For there was not
Il pie on the snow white beauty from the
tip of her nose to the tip of her tail.
Aunt l'innah blew out the candle, and
good Lord she exclaimed, for then it
WAS that dear LITTLE Pied started nrouu1