Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-04-10
it, if possible. and he was prepared to
give almost any price to gain posses
Just a White Dog.

tColliers Weekly
When Zeb Vance trotted into our
yard on the end of a lariat tied to a
saddle pommel, did not appreciate
him. He was sent to us. two lone Wom-
en-, as n guardian. and he looked "a
pretty slim chance Of dog to do pro-
tectors work. Nothing in his appear
ance gave us the least hint that Witnln
a week our colored neighbors would be
referring to him as that there bull
TERROR of Mis- Morton's.'
He was such an inoffensive looking
little fellow that we asked why the lar
lat was used. Zeb let his tongue slip
negligently out of his mouth and sat
down to listen to the answer to our
question While Mr.. Cooper was un-
tying the cord from the saddle, and eN-
planning its necessity. Dicky Browne,
our pampered cat, strolled from the
house onto the porch and began to
make his toilet in the sun shine.
Zeb saw him and gave leap of ec-
stasy tina. freed him from the saddle
There followed nass of white. yelp,
at cat call. Then cat, dog, rope, mar
and two women raced for dear life
away UP the road.
After which we understood the lar
lat.
Zeb's bringing up made him an IN
congruous member of our feminine
household He had belonged to an
Ashville man who had trained MN TO
fight, and had added to his income by
holding Sunday afternoon receptions
ut which Zebby was the guest of honor.
The little dog had become notorious,
and the police had warned him out OF
town.
Then he came to us. and made UP for
the lack of strenuousness in his own
life by adding TO the excitement OF
ours.
All small creatures were Zebby's prey
on sight. Dicky Browne began to have
paresis after few encounters. Sister
and I were threatened with 1t too, as
the result of the anxiety that kept us
rushing to the window to see If any
thing was doing every time we heard
bark.
Usually there was something doing II
a mountaineer happened to be passing
the house. gun on shoulder and hound
at heel. We grew experts in methods
Of choking, foot pinching and applying
cold waterfall warranted to make
bull dog lose his grip.
AS time went OH Zebs amusements
grew more and more restricted. Once
unknown to us, our negro man TOOK
him for a walk. should as soon have
taken an unclaimed tiger for stroll.
1t was fragments of pig that we had to
buy that day. and Zeb never again had
chance to act as companion.
Once he went to the village chained
underneath the carriage. He sent tele-
pathic insults to all the dogs In the
town, and they fell on hi min body.
He was outnumbered but not outclass-
ed, and he whipped the lot of them,
amid the cheers of the loafers. But
he never went to the village again.
Once he chased our best-beloved
white Wyandotte rooster around the
house around the chicken-yard, around
the stable. Uncle Sam made a close
third, and struggled fer fourth place.
Every once in twenty seconds the dogs
laws snapped down on the cockerels
tail: that was swish OF feathers. and
Zeb passed an annoyed and rapid paw
over his mouth and galloped on. He
was diverted from the chase only by
shaking the low-hanginE bough OF
tree at him. He sprang at IT, ana
when Sam let go of the limb Zeb was
swung high into the air. There he
hung, weeping real tears as his jaws
grew tired; but he had been trained
never to let go. and the branch had to
be cut from the tree to rescue THIS
slave to mistaken duty.
This tree performance and pulling up
the we'll bucket came 10 be the two
forms OF Zeb's daytime exercise, for he
had to be chained up almost all day.
Zeb was the most affectionate little
creature in the world, and he was ca
ger to make friends with all human be-
ings, but no one outside the family
could be persuaded that his feeling
toward them was not the same as ms
attitude toward quacrupeds. Inc
school children made q circuit of half
mile to avoid passing the house. The
milkman always stood on the farther
side of the woodpiie and peered over 1t
until he had ascertaineG Zeb's where
abouts, and the purveyor of eggs never
ceased shouting until lie was assured
from the kitchen that advance was safe.
We turned Zeb loose every night that
he might have clear field wherein to
do the protection act. For long tins
he used never to leave the place. We
often saw him playing in the moon
light by himself; for the others dogs of
the settlement We're not eager to be his
But after several months
he, began to. roam, as was proved to us
by his returning in the morning with
81 SCARED face and an evident head
ache.
Occasionally boy would ride up on
a mule while We're Were at breakfast
and announce. Mis- Merton, Paw says
he lows if you don't keep your dog at
home nights he'll have TO shoot him."
Then we had to go TO Paw" and hui
initiate ourselves.
AT last there happened fight that
brought us to the reluctant decision
that Zeb's unpopularity among our
neighbors had reached climax. AS
sister and were returning from drive
we saw men running from all direc-
lions toward our cottage. The air
seemed full of shouts ard ladders and
advice and pals of water-the usual
of the burning out of a
chimney AS we drove into the yard
the cook came out of The kitchen to
see what the excitement was in the
front of the house. With her came