The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1905-04-12

Q o when the subject came up
4 Il in his store one evening,
HoRP "the most remarkable I've
ever seen was big mongrel that
looked like cross between deer
hound and buffalo dog.
THAT dog belonged TO Barefoot
Kelley. who used to trap along the
Missouri hereabouts Kelley went
barefoot six months in the year. He
always trapped out all winter by him
self, bringing his catch up OF down the
river when the ice ran out.
zone spring, as he pulled in at our
landing, he had company in his boat,
a big, rough dog with a coat of spotted
gray and yellow.
"'Thls is Sinjer. my pardner.' he
said, when he came into the store with
the dog at his heels. He came to my
shack in a blizzard
"At first Sinjer was just dog to
us, but it was only week or two until
he did feat which made him char
acter.
Barefoot had come down early.
when the ice was still running. and a
cold snap came on about the middle of
April and closed the river. A day or
two later, when the trapper and his
dog were loafing inside the store, |
stepped out Of doors on some errand.
Il had gone but a rod or two when
l noticed a wolf trotting across the
river about a quarter of mile distant.
called back to Barefoot that here
was a mark for his rifle. He came to
the door and followed my finger with
his eye, then called to his dog. Sinjer
responded promptly, and Barefoot ran
down to the river bank, pointing to-
ward the wolf. The dog gave chase
and went across the ice like a yellow
streak. The wolf gave him single
contemptuous look, and trotted on out
of rife shot
mot until Slnjer was almost upon
him did the wolf pay any attention.
Then he turned in a flash, and | ex-
pected to see dead dog in less than
twenty seconds. Instead Of that. after
a minute or so Of as pretty fighting as
l ever saw, there was dead wolf ly-
ing on the ice and a yellow dog sitting
on his launches, bowling for his mas
ter to come and take the pet
That's Sinjer.' said Barefoot, ms
proud as a peacock, the best wolfer on
the Of Missouri
''The interest Of everybody at the
post had been reused by this time.
Barefoot went out and dragged in the
dogs catch, and showed group of
Us that the VOLTS fore legs were both
broken and its throat neatly cut.
''The irapper then told us that this
was the seventh wolf or coyote peIt
his, dog had secured in the three
months they had hunted together
and that every wolf Sinjer had killed
had one or both fore legs broken. His
dog would as soon tackle buffalo
wolf, he said, as a jacSrabbit, and we
could easily believe him
"Slnjer's points came out one by
one. 1t was hard to tell we used to
say, whether Barefoot had taken Sin
Jer into partnership or whether the dog
had adopted the trapper Slnjer was
perfect bodyguard. No man could
touch a thing belonging TO Barefoot
unless he was ready to fight that dog.
And there were some things Barefoot
himself couldn't do without punish
ment.
zone hot day, when the dog was "
ing sound asleep In the store. Barefoot
got up softly and stole on tiptoe out of
the door, motioning me TO follow and
note what would happen.
Barefoot went to the river hank
some rods away, and began walking
back and forth. Then Sinjer walked
up, and with an anxious whine, bolted
out past my legs. The dog no sooner
saw Barefoot than he ran at him.
growing, whining and yelping, with
queer wags of the head. He scolded
as plainly as any termagant OF a
squaw. But he wasn't content with
scolding; he ran in behind Barefoot,
and slyly nipped the calf Of his leg. un.
I'll the man cried out with pain.
"Then back that dog came, dropplng
into his old place under a counter. and
growing in surly fashion until Bare.
foot entered and took his seat on n
barrel.
He al'ays does that when | sneak
away from him. said Barefoot. 4
aPays get plnched,' and he rubbed his
leg and grinned like schoolboy who
had been switched.
$50 for three or four years Barefoot
and Sinner came and loafed and went
ON as regularly as the seasons. The
dog killed wolves until, in wicked
light, he broke two front teeth and got
whipping After that he ignored
wolves, and ceased even to chase coy
otes.
"rhen one April day Barefoot drlfted
down the river, and there was no dog
in his boat.
where's slnjerT everybody asked;
and Barefoot with face as sober Il
II he'd lost brother, answered. Dead. i.
THAT was all he would say about the
dog for a long time, and he sat about
the store llstlessly, until one evening
prompted to do his dog justice,
reckon, he told me his story.
"He had built a shack In the Bad