Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-07-08
STORY or A MONGREL.

much as everybody knew hat he was
quito wealthy and always kept his
money in tho house.
His house. which had been built ae-
cording TO his own ideas and plans,
was situated in q lonely spot near a
main road IN the edge Of an immense
forest. And la this he lived quite alone,
except for an old rheumatic and deaf
seravnt girl.
| had often tried TO persuade nm,
to hire q valet. but the very idea was
enough TO make him fly into a rage
and declare that as long as he had
his dog TO wake him up If burglars
should come, be was well able to de-
fend himself.
One day he came 10 my office In town
and said that his faithful dog had sud
denly died and that he must have an
other, not TO do any fighting. as he
would attend TO that himself, but TO a CT
as vidette and notify him of the APP
preach Of the enemy In time for him to
get out OF bed and grasp his rifle, which
he always kept loaded.
He told me hat the dog had died
very suddenly, and Immediately sus-
pected that it had been poisoned. lad
vised him 10 advertise for a new dog,
but this he did not care 10 do, saying
that a man with a large dog had al
ready been TO see him and tried 70
am iAAtAA " AAk @NAAtAAAl-is
And how long after the death OF
your dog did this man come TO YOU
/ asked.
.The very next day he replied.
1T seems that the news must have
spread very fast. Did 0 know the
mani"
NO, / had never laid eyes on him
before
Satisfied that something was wrong,
] said
Now Captain, / should just like to
have a few days rest and II o do not
object, / win go home with you and stay
g. week or so, just so that your old
servant won't be scarce out of her wits
and that I may see that the owner of
the dog does not get the best of you.
The old soldier was delighted at this,
as he always was when any one was
found willing to accept his hospitality,
drink his old Burgundy, smoke his old
Havanas and listen to his stories of
the three wars in which he had covered
himself with glory and won his Iron
gA'ross.
Having disposed Of a good luncheon
IL the nPesthaf7' ye set cut on foot for
the Captains bungalow, as | always
called IL, which was about ten miles
distant.
My room was next to that of the old
warrior. 1t was a roomy den, with
massive furniture and walls covered
with all kinds OF military trophies, and
the first night passed without anything
happening.
The next day the nan came around
with the dog, a great hairy, good nat
ured looking beast of no particular
breed.
/ must la that ] liked the dog much
better than the man, who explained
that its name was Wotan, and that 1t
had been especially trained to keep out
burglars. The price was so low that
could not help advising the Captain to
buy the dog.
When the man had left we chained
the dog in the spacious hall, but it
kept on bowling so terribly that we
decided to take a walk, hoping that 1t
would quiet down before we returned.
But when we came back Wotan was
still bowling. We went to sit down IN
the room OF the Captain by a dusty
bottle of excellent vintage n COM
menced our memories. but all through
the night the dog kept on.
In the morning the old servant told
US that il had refused to eat.
The Captain by this time began to
think OF returning the dog, but did not
know where TO look for the owner.
Two days passed and still the dog
had eaten nothing. In the morning
the Captain proposed that I take a
walk alone, as he had some writing 20
do When l returned. he told me that
the former owner Of the dog had been
in and told him how to treat the beast.
| did NOT like the looks OF things.
especially as 1 heard that the man had
been shown all over the house, which
he declared Interested him very much.
about ten minutes, while the Captain
went down In the cellar for a bottle OF
wine.
therefore carefully examined the
place, and to my surprise found that
the rifle hanging near my old friends
bed was not loaded.
/ showed 1t to him. and he was evi-
IDENTIFY even more surprised than | was,
and declared that he did not UNDER
stand this. as he had put in u new shell
the day before.
After that we were on guaru every
night. and without my feiend suspect
ing it / had two ~gendarnes patrol the
woods back OF the house.
For many nights nothing happened,
and I had just thought Of returning
home. But the next night Wotan be-
gan barking %furiously, | was ON guard
and saw him throwing down a human
form. called RabensteineT and
through the window we saw the dog
standing over a Ia who spoke friend
iy words to IL.
The dog kept ON wagging his tail
and licking the face of the man, but
every time he tried TO move 1t began To
growl and show its teeth. | recognized
the race OF the man who had sold us
Wotans
The Captain rushed u rifle In hand
DO not Shoots we Will capture the
scoundreI alive!" l shouted, but tbs
old soldier was furious IN fired. Tho
shot rang out, and the dog fell down
while the man started to run.
"Blitzdonnerwetteri" the Captain
shouted;.I have only shot the nsongIels
Never mind Captainl' one of the
gendarmes, who had now Gene, shout
ed, 1--WE viii get him. He Is severely
wounded and cannot run far"
Wotan was lying near the revolver
of his former master, dying, but In hi:
death struggles licking the handle
which his hand had touched.
This Is not the first time that
have seer the soul Of "A man In a mon.
grel. and that or a mongrRl In a nan
the Captain said as he caressed ia
head OF the dying dog.