The Elbert County tribune., 1908-06-04

loosely OF warpins. pitch-oozing lit
ter Of planks. On boulder outside
Grissly Ben sat down and tossed
away his dusty hat. BY habit he
turned to speak to his dog. For mo-
ment n granite slab. half buried In the
sand, took on semblance OF his part
ner. A tenderness came stealing to
his eyes. Then the stone resolved
itself into what 1t was and Knocked his
weary mind till something hurt, deep
down where the natural sweetness Of
his nature abided. He started. The
rest and the coolness Of the evening
were somewhat restoring the order In
his brain.
"Pard." he said. Roger" But there
was no response.
Tired as he was. the man arose. and,
retracing his steps. climbed the dusty
trail OF rocks and sand. far over to
the lonely place whore Roger had been
left.
The dog was no longer there. BY
the fading twilight the herder found
the print In the dust where his dog
had lain, but Rogers trail led up the
hill, and OBVIOUSLY over sandy slopes
In the general direction OF the camp.
And seeing one of the footmarks pressed
but lightly in the dust. Old Ben was
aware that the dog was lame, that to
get to the camp he was limplng.
The man, when he came to the
shack once more, found his partner
there before him, lying in a corner of
the shelter. his head toward the wall.
and making no sign OF a greeting.
Taking his seat on the rounded rock.
as before. the herder watched the big,
shaggy form, and knew his companion
was far from being asleep. More
poignantly lonely than ever before
SO lonely, indeed, that the isolation
seemed to be gripping his very soul.
as II to make 1t shrek for mercy
Old Ben at last prepared his supper.
"All ready. Roger" he said when
the task was finished. but Roger lay
unmoying in the corner.
Come on, boy. come" he coaxed
sincerely. Roger. I'm sorry fer what
I done. The heat must have went to
my head. Come on--Pm sore and
sorry" After moment OF waiting. In
vain, nG huQtd. diohoit bhh JOb
ease up. Jest a little. and be friends?
Come on and eat little supper :.
Can't you come-can't eat? :.
Well, amt very hungry myself"
He was; he was starving. but his
hunger was for something far more
vital than food He went into the
shack and kneeling on the floor he
placed his hand on Rogers shaggy
coat.
"oh. God Almighty" he said. 1t
was both a prayer and cry OF his
anguish in one.
The night went by in It's solemn
majesty: and when the dawn was bring
ing to the shepherd all the haunting
dreams of one SO wrung, the sheep,
far away on the hillside. sounded some
note OF alarm that travelled fully
mile before 1t came to the ears OF
Roger In the shack.
There is nothing so quick as the
ear Of mother, strung to vibrate In
stantly at any tiny sound her babe
may utter; there is nothing, save
such mother, with a keener sense
than a shepherd dogs when the fold
is needful of his care.
Lame and stiff as he was. and weak
from lack Of nourishment. the shaggy
old Roger arose from the floor and
limped silently out of the shelter, to
answer the call of the distant lambs.
He halted Just outside and looked
In doggish yearning for moment
at the dimly outlined figure Of the man
his master. A low, Involuntary
whine escaped him. but he could not
utter bark to wake his partner. even
now, so deep was that feeling akin to
shame still deadening his heart. The
something faithful to duty. burning
with undiminished force in his being,
had responded, however. to the call
for help that the sheep had bleated.
and starting quietly away he presently
began to run, at pace he could hold
for an hour, and followed far across
the silent slopes, in the scented trail
the flock had scored through the
brush. He came upon the army of
stupefied, dependent creatures. hud-
died together, afraid and helpless in
the face OF danger not yet actually
present. Instinct, coupled with a sense
OF smell not yet wholly atrophied
within them, had warned the sheep of
impending carnage in their midst. Be-
yond this warning. vouchsafed them
by nature, they were stricken with de-
fenselessness. So long had domestic
herds before them relied upon help OF
man that even the prompting to fee
was gone from their softened intelli-
gence. They stood all trembling for
the slaughter, smelling-as Roger
smelled-a gaunt she bear that was
rapidly nearing their position.
In his swift. wise way. bringing
them confidence, inspiring blind obedi-
ence In all the band, big Roger in
stantly began his work Of herding the
thousand wool-rolls toward the camp.