The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-07-08
STORY OF A MONGRsL.
by Count Heinrich Won sohulIern.
l%Coryrlsht. lpO4. hy IN. u. lienrst.l

WI
UCopyrisht, 1904, by w. II. iiearst1
lt old Captain Rabensteiuer had no
had his big watch dog he would surel.
have been robbed a long time ago.i mas
much aH everybody knew that he wa
quite wealthy and always kept hi
money In tho house.
His house. which had been built &c
cordtnT TO HIS own ideas aud plans
waa situated In II lonely spot near
main rond on the edge Of nm immens,
forest. And in this no lived quite alone
except for TN old rheumatic and dea
seravnt Girl.
had often tried to persuade hin
to hire a valet. but the very idea was
enough to make him fly into II rage
and declare that MS long az he had
his dog to wake him UP II burglars
should come. he was we'll able to de-
fend himself.
One day he came to my office In town
and said that his faithful dog had sud
denly died n that he must have an
other, not TO do any lighting, as he
attend to that himself. but to Il CT
as vidette and notify him OF the app
proach OF the enemy In time for him to
get out OF bed and grasp his rife, which
he always kept loaded.
He told me that the dog had died
very suddenly, and l Immediately sus-
pected that 1t had been poisoned. adj
vised him to advertise for a new Dog.
but this he did not care to do, saying
that u man with a large dog had al
ready been to see him and tried to
make him buy the animal.
And how long after the death of
your dog did this man come to you?"
L asked.
The very e day" he replied.
1T seems that the news must have
spread very fast. Did you know the
MANI"
No. I a never laid eyes on him
\ before
Satisfied that something was wrong.
1 said:
Now Captain. should just like to
have 81 few days rest and il you 90 not
object. l will so home with you and stay
q week or so. just SC that your old
servant won't be scared out of her wits
n that l may see that the owner of
the dos 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
HaHanas n listen to his stories OF
the three wars in which he had covered
himself With glory and won his Iron
Cross.
Having disposed of a good luncheon
IN the "Posthof' we set out on foot for
the Captains bungalow. as 1 always
called 1t. 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 man came around
with the dog, a great hairy, good at
ured looking beast OF no particular
breed.
1 must say that 1 liked the dog much
better than the man. who pyulginai
that its name was Wotan, n that it
had been especially trained to keep out
burglars. The price was SO low that 1
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 h we
decided to take a walk, hoping that it
would quiet down before we returned.
But when we came back Wotan was
still bowling. We went to sit dow in
the room of the Captain by a dusty
bottle of excellent vintage and com
menced our memories, but all through
the night the dog kept on.
In the morning The old servan told
US that it 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 ! take a
walk alone, as he had some writing to
do. When | returned, he told me that
the former owner OF the dog had been
In and told him how to treat the beast.
l did not like the looks OF things.
especially as l heard that the man had
been shown all over the house, which
he declared interested him very much,
and had been alone in the rooms for
about ten minutes, While the Captain
went down in the cellar for a bottle of
wine.
1 therefore carefully examined the
place. n to my surprise found that
the rifle hanging near my old friends
bed was not loaded.
l showed it to him, and he was evil
IDENTIFY even more surprised thar l was, |
and declared that he did not under
stand this, as he had put in a new shell |
the day before.
After that we We're on guard every
night, and without my friend suspect
ing it l had two ~gendamnes patrol the
woods back of the house.
For many nights nothing happened,
and l had just thought OF returning
nome. But the next night Wotan be-
gar barking furiously. 1 was on guard
and saw him throwing down a human
form. 1 called Rabensteiner and
through the window we saw the dog
standing over a ma who spoke friend
ly words to 1t.
The dog kept or wagging his tail
and licking the face of the man, but
every time he tried to move it began TO
growl and show its teeth. L recognized
the race OF the man who had sold us
Wotan.
The Captain rushed out rife in hand.
DO not shoot; We will capture the
s%coundrel %alive!" / shouted, but the
old soldier was furious and fired. l'h
shot rang out, and the dog fel! down,
while the man started to run.
"BlitZdonnerwetter!" the Captain
shouted; l have only shot the mongre!."
Never mind Captaln!" one of the
who had now come. shout
W will get him. He is severely
wounded n cannot run far"
Wotan was lying near the revolver
Of his former master, dying, but in his
death struggles licking the handle
which his hand had touched.
This is not the first time that
have seen the soul Of a man in n nom
grel, and that of a mongrel in a man"
the Captain said as he caressed the
head Of the dying dog.