The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1908-09-18
cars HOUR ron REyENoE.s
Where the Yellow Dog Made the Mis-
take % Ills LIE.

gt.lsf ifsSs 81
According to the traditions OF q
country known as the United States Of
America freedom is sweet. and accord
ing to various alleged nature takers
freedom is as sweet to a cat as to
man, writes Washington CORE.
spondent
Minnie agrees with the nature fax
ers, and as Minnie Is cat, she should
know. She has had an abundance OF
time in which to taste the bitters Of
servitude, and could she talk, she
would say that the sweets Of freedom
make delightful contrast.
For nine long, cruel years Minnie
has been in bondage, but her emanci-
patton proclamation was signed when
the law went into effect to muzzle all
dogs in the streets of Washington.
Minnie's masters-for she had not
one, but many-were cruel, overbear-
ing, and inhuman to an extent that
would have made one Simon Legree.
whose deeds have thrilled melodrama
audiences for half a century, blush
with shame for his lack of knowledge
of the pr ger and most soul-rending
methods Of torture.
During the aforementioned nine
years every dog, or rather every cur
and mongrel, whose habitat is known
as the fish wharf, had used every
method known among lower class ca
mines to make Minnie miserable, and
when it is known these same ours and
mongrels live by their dog wits, there
fore possessing more than ordinary
intelligence, some idea may be gained
of the extreme way in which Minnie
suffered.
Then came the law whereby ever,
good-for-nothing or cat-killing dog was
muzzled. And with. the adoption of
muzzles as canine fashion their teeth
were rendered practically useless, at
least in the pursuit Of their hereditary
prey, the feline tribe.
Minnie learned this about five sec.
onds after she spfed the first dog she
had seen wearing muzzle. He was
large yellow dog and vicious, having
in his veins bulldog blood.
Seeing Minnie. Spike, the yellow
cur, in accordance with a custom Of
years standing, made a rush for the
cat According to custom Minnie
should have made hole in the atmos.
phere by boiling, leaving a little trail
of fire behind her where her rapid
exit burned the air; but Minnie, being
possessed of certain amount of curl
osity, waited, and ran the risk of be.
ing mauled in the desire to learn about
the funny-Iooking straps about the
dogs mouth.
Minnie waited. The dog came on,
and as he ran toward the cat her back
rose, her tail assumed a perpendicu-
lar position. and grew large, and the
hair on her back and neck stood up
right. She was a picture of fury in
carnate. On came Spike, and as he
cushed Minnie grew more angry.
When the dog was ten feet away
Minnie leaped straight upward, her
paws extended and ready for action.
AS the dog passed beneath Minnie
came down, 20 claws digging into the
hide of the yellow dog. Spikes mo-
mentum carried him some distance,
and before he could stop Minnie had
used her opportunity to the best ad-
vantage. Spike, barking, bowling and
growing at one and the same time, in.
creased his speed, but Minnie held on
until far away from the field of bat
tie, and then she jumped lightly to
the ground and was up a tree before
Spike missed her weight on his back.