The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1906-01-11
Trusty and True

home when they were but rev
months old. They looked much like
corn-dodgers done up in fur. Their
heads, necks and bodies were all OF
the same thickness; their noses were
very short and blunt, and their small,
percil-like tails stood out stiffly.
They grew very rapidly; but were
such idolent good-natured puppies
that 1t seemed as II they would never
be of any value. Even when they had
grown pretty large, any cur Of the
neighborhood could whip either OF
them by one fierce assault. They were
harmless as kittens up to the third
year, when Trusty weighed thirty-six
and True forty-three pounds; two
more strengthening dogs being rare
ly seen.
At this time an arrogant, bleat-
ing hilly-goat, of rowing disposition,
came up from the stables one day,
scaled the paling fence and took pos
session of the front yard at the house
when father and were in the fields
at work. Mother, being very timid
and nervous, was afraid of the goat,
and closed all the doors against him.
Then Billy entertained himself by nip
ping her rare plants, nosing among
her flowers and charging into the
latticework of honeysuckle vine.
The dogs were at their kennel. True
lying asleep outside its door, when
Billy approached and challenged him
to battle. True, not understanding
his taunts, rose in mere good-natured,
stupid curiosity and was walking to-
ward his lordship, when Billy deliver
ed stunning blow fair in the dogs
face and knocked him senseless upon
the earth. The goat then sprang
away and prepared for another as
sault
Billy was brave and strong. He
had put to fight the largest sheep
and the most savage hog, and had
even felled huge OK at single
blow from his bony frontal. Now he
delivered his second blow just as
True was rising but missed and ran
over him, striking the kennel. This
awakened the sleeping Trusty, who
came lazily forth just as the goat
made his third charge into the open
mouth of the now angry True. With
OuS SUOTL WuOOl. nO JOihSu LID
mate in the fray.
Mother, who was watching from a
window, felt sure the goat would kill
my dogs, and nothing but fear of him
prevented her from going to their
rescue. Feeling that she could not
endure to witness their destruction,
she turned from the window till the
noise of the battle had ceasea. and
when she looked again poor Billy was
dead-dead as Hector, and like him
was being dragged from the battle
cid.
This fatal engagement awoke in
our dogs sense of their might, and
a reprehensible fondness for battle.
4 They thrashed all the dogs that had
bullied their good-humored youth !;
they charged upon a FESTIVE COW be-
cause they heard mother expostula-
ting with her, and they nearly killed
poor bossy; finally they disposed of a
tramp who had attempted to bully
mother until, in her terror, she ran
screaming toward the kennel and call
ed on Trusty and True.
Fertunately for himself the tramp
stood still in abject terror, and the
dogs. whc had never yet attacked a
humas being, contented themselves
with holding him prisoner, while faith
er and l ran in from the field on hear
Jag mother ringing the dinner-bell
wildly. Then mother tainted; but
she soon rallied and cried 20 faith
er, did they kill him."
trat, &c oil inhf
The dogs did not take hold of him.
Thank Cod" said she. 81 thought
/ had murdered him."
NO" said father, che is out there
under guard. What has he done?"
She then told us, whereupon father
seeing that the tramp had merely
been insolent, sent the huge bulldogs
to their kennel and let the man 60
A little later mother exclaimed, ooh,
that tramp almost frightened me to
death, but / did not want the dogs
to kill him. Father, you must get rid
OF Trusty and True, or l shall cause
them to do something that we shall be
sorry for"
But father seemed to like the dogs
better after that. They had no more
serious adventures until seeding-time
that autumn, when | was about six
teen years old, hearty and strong as
any farmer boy.
One day I was blowing with very
gentle horse, old Gray, in field adjoin
ing the stable lots where a large
black Spanish donkey lazily walked
about. l knew q vicious donkey to be
a dangerous foe among horses, and
was aware that such one sometimes
> attacks man; but l had no fear Of
Mr.. Jack, for a high picket fence sur
rounded the lot, and strong gate was
it's only outlet to the field.
Boy-like, had left my horse hitchet
TO the pillow, and was perched in some
bushes by the side of the field enjoy
ing feast Of wild grapes, and think
ing of nothing else, when the lout