Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1908-04-10
CINDERS

Half way through the park the boy
with the dog stopped and looked around
him. A chill wind had sprung up, and
the wide, embroidered path was almost
deserted.
Jimmy 7" muttered the boy. 'sThis
dog-stealin' amt what its cracked up
ter be. I've a good mind now ter leave
the little beast where he is!'
1t had been growing OH the boy for
In hour-this terror. All the elation
Of that first moment of successful theft
had fed, leaving behind a lively fear of
pursuit and punishment. The incrlmi-
hating collar with it's name and address
had long ago been thrown away, to be
| sure; but there yet remained the dog
-"Cinders,'' according to the collar.
"'Tain't with the risk, +" muttered the
boy at last; and with another swift
ylance about him he tied the end of the
dogs leader to.a convenient s~ettee, and
ran down a STE path toward the We
nue..
For one amazed instant the dog stay
| ed ~motidnless, then he strained at the
cord with all his small might, giving a
I Series of frantic barks and whincs. Two
men and a woman, coming up the path,
| glanced at the dog, swerved, and pass
ed by on the farther side. 4 small boy
I SHE'D q stone, then ran but a back
ward glance assuring him that the cord
! still held, he turned and SHE'D a larger
one.
The wind from the east grew sharp
er, and brought a fine, cold rain. The
! dog, exhausted, frightened and hope
lessly miserable, crept under the bench
tor shelter. He was there when the
tall, b~lue~coated man came down the
path ten minutes later, and SO he es-
capped the cold gray eyes of Officer
O'Callahan.
The rain increased with the dark. BY
midnight, hunger. cold and terror had
driven the dog almost wild. Little by
little his jerks and pulls loosened the
| cord about his throat, until one last
frenzied effort disentangied the knot
and set him free. He paused, then
rushed down the path. leaving behind
him the cord still fastened to the settee.
At the edge of the park the dog
stopped. The endless blocks, the lights,
The shadows-all were unfamiliar and
I confusing. Cinders, born and bred In
the Western town that was his masters
home, had never been in New York
until that morning When he had come
! with that same master Oh a visit East,
only to be stolen at the very railroaN
station by the boy who had so quickly
abandoned him. No wonder Cinders
eyed his surroundings in dismay Up
| one street, down another, across a third
trotted the weary little feet, hour af-
ter hour, until at dawn the doc reach
| ed once more the park, and deJectedly
| dragged his way to the bench which
| had SO recently held him a prisoner.
1t was then that-there began for Gin
ders a new existence. An existence of
anxious days and apprehensive nights
Of little food and less shelter Of small
boys with stones, and big boys with
| sticks. His long, silky hair grew soiled
and matted, his body lean, and his eyes
| wild and terror-filled. Once a blue.
| coated, helmeted man With short club
| chased him for some distance, but In
the b%ewilderlng maze of paths he elud.
| ed his pursuer and crouclled under a
| low-hanging bush until the man, pufIiiig
| and swearing, had passed him by. 1t
| was a trying experience, but Il neces-
| sary one: after that Cinders hid when
1 blue coat anne In sight.
Both the park and the adjacent
! streets Cinders claimed as home, bu;
| after his experience with the b~Iue-coat-
| ed man he grew more wary; and when
In the park spent most of his time hid.
Ing under shrubs or behind trees until
night brought darkness and safety.
As for food-sometimes a bread-crust
designed for a squirrel was snatched
| up by his own hungry little Jaws, and
| once it was the squirrel Itself thai
! made Ills dinner. Occasionally a child
with n cooky, or a man with a sand
wh2,l, strolled along unaware of ths
hungry eyes that peered ont from be
! o~rneath tangled hair and Watched for Q
atray crumb thrown aside.
1t was toward the end of the weel
that Cinders, skulking under the trees
In the twilight, came face to face Will
q shabby, hollow-eyed mar on one Of
the park settees.
"Hullo!" greeted the man.
The dog backed away.
"Well, by Joye. you look a littls
more hard up thar I do. Come here
Bir..
The dog did not stir.
Pretty tough old placef this worli
Chg" said the man with a wear!
smile.
Still the dog did not stir.
"HungTyT
Two mournful EYES gaze unsvsrv