The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-03
CHAPTER II.
THE GRAY DOG.

ID
THE GRAY DOG.
The 's,in stared brazenly down OF, a
gray farmhouse, lying long and low IN
the shadow OF the M,,lr Pike; on tho
ruins Of petitioner ana barnkyr. relics
of the time OF raids, 1t looked; on
ranges of whitewashed outbtiildngs; on
gUody array Of dark-tlatched ricks.
Es In tho stack yard, behind the lengthy
range OF stables, two men were thatch-
ing Ono lay sprawlrlg on tho crest
Of the rick, the othor stood perched on a
ladder at a lower level. ,., q Il.
The latter small, old, with shrewd
Thornton, who had served the Moores Of
Kenm,ilr for moro than half century.
The other. on top OF the stack wrapped
apparently In gloomy meditation, was
SAINT Todd. A solid Dalesman he, with
& huge hands and hairy arms; about, his
face an ,lncomely nlireole OF stif, red
hairs and on his features, deep-seated,
an expression Of resolute melancholy.
"Ay, the Gray Dogs. bless emf the
s'enl not nohow. Known EN- ony time
this sixty year. I have. and nlver knew
a bad I'm yet, Not as / say. mind We. as
any on EN- coons up to Rex son o.
Rally. All. he was a one. was Rex!
Yves never won Cup since his day !. q
Nor niver shall agin, 20 may de-
pend, said the other gloomlly. Tx
NJ Tamrnas clucked irritably. 5SSS
''G'long. sam'l Todd" he cried. 70
nlver happy onlcss yo' maxim yoselt
r1iser'ble. nlver! see sich a chap. Niver
win agin? Why, oor young Bob he'll
max a right lin, i tell yo', and should
know, Not as what he'll touch Rex son
o. Rally. mark We! I'm niver sayln 80
sam'l Todd. All, he was one, was
REX! I could tell Gyo' tale or two
O. Rex mind me hoo
The big man interposed hurricdly.
1--WE heard 1t afore, Tammas, welly
ave" he said.
\ Tammas paused and looked angrily up.
"Yo've heard it afore. have 70, SAM
Todd?" he asked sharply. And what
have yo' heard afore?" 3 iS
70 stories, OVID lad---yo' stories O. Rex
son O. Rally.
(which on em7'
"All on en-, Tammas, all on 'cm-mony
4 q time. I'm fair sick on EN-, Tammas,
II welly am" he pleaded,
The old man gasped. He brought down
Il his mallet with a vicious smack.
58.'I'll nlvcr tell yo a tale Eagin. SamI
Todd not If 70 was to go IN yo' bend
\ cd knees fort. Nay;it bain't no man.
ner o. use talkin' Niver agln. says !. 4
II nlver askt yo'" declared honest
Snm'l.
Nor it wouldna ha' bin no manner
O. use IL 70 had said the other vi
ciously. "t'll niver tell 70 n tale agin
{if I was to live to DO hunderd.
"Yo'll not live to be @ hunderd, Tam
mas Thornton, nor near IT. said SAINT
brutally.
rs "IIl live as long as some. warrant..
the old man replied with spirit. III
live TO see Cup back 4 ken1nutr, as
said afore.''
"If yo! do.. the other declared with
emphasis. .'Samr Todd niver spake true
word. Nay nay. lad !; yo'rc OVID. yo're
wambly, your times near run or J ~
the more nstook.
'.For mussy's i sake hold yo tongue.
Sam'l Todd! It's clack-clack all day y
The old man broke off suddenly and.
bucklcd to his work with suspicious
5vlgor. MAX a show yo' bin worktn'.s
lad" he whispered Here's Master and
cor Bob" 81
AS he spoke. tall gathered man With
weatherbeaten face. strong, lean, aus
tere, and the blue-gray eyes OF the hill
country came strlding into the yard.
And trotting soberly at his heels, with,
the gravest, saddest eyes ever you sa W,
a sheep-dog PUPPY.
/, a.
dashed here and there with lighter
touches, like n stormy sea n1oonlit. Upon
his chest an escutcheon OF purest white,
and the dome Of his head showered. ms
It were, with sprlnklng OF snow Pcr-
5fectly compact, utterly 1.-THE, inimitablY
graceful with his airy-fairy action; a
gentleman every inch. you could not help
but stare at him--Owd Bob O. kenmuir'
At the foot Of tho ladder the two.
no
forcpaws on lower rung. looked UP,
slowly waving his slvery brush
"a proper Gray Dog" unused Tammas,
pazint, down into the dark face beneath
him. Small. yet big: light to get about
on backs o. his sheep. yet not TOO light.
VITA coat hard atop to Keep DOL Dh Ia
land weather. soft as sealskln pcneath,
And VII them sorrerful eyes On nm ~
9nivcr goes but wi a good I'M. Ama1st ne
minds me o. Rex son o Rally.
ooh, dear! Oh. dear. groaned saml.
BUT the old man heard him not.
"Did 'Enry Farcwethcr tell 70 hoo,
he acted this mornin', Master?" he IN
uuired, addressing theBman at the loot,
OF the ladder.
NAY" said the other, his stern eyes,
lighting. XIX.
'.Why, twas this way. It seems, Tam
mas continued, Young bull gets lsself,
loose somegate and marches DOT into
yard, o'erturns milkpail, and prods owd
pigs r. ribs And as he stands lookin'
about un, thnkin' what he shall be up
to next cor Bob secs I'M. An what 70
dom here. Mr.. Bul?' he seems to say,
scockin his ears and trotun' UP gayllke.;
Wr that bull bloats fit to bust 'isse'f,i
lnshes wi IS tail, waEgles his head and
get agate o. chargn I'm. But BOD leaps
cot q way quick as lightnin' yet cool as
butter. and when he's done his foolin'.
drives un back agin.
"who seed all this2" interposed san'l.
sceptically. ~
"ilnry Farewether from the loft, So
there. Fatead!'' Tammas replied. and
continued his tale, $50 they goes on;
bull chargin. and Bob driyln ,n back
and back. hoppln. in and DOT agin, quiet
as a cowcumber; yet determined, AT last
Mr. Bull sees It's no manner O use that
gate. so he turns, rares up. and tries =.
iump wall Nary bit. Young doE
inmps, in on i'm and nlps him By tail,
WI that, bull tumbles down IN hurry,
turns VI IA kind q groan, and marehes
back into stall, Bob after nun, And then,
dang me!"-the old man beat the ladder