Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1908-05-01
DON'S MUZZLE.

Richard was playing on the lawn
when two men passed the house talk
ing. ITS the law" one man was say
! ing. "If you keep dog, you've got
to have him muzzled, or the police
will take him."
do you suppose they mean it?'
asked the other man. I'VE wouldn
like to give up our dog"
"Of course they mean 1t. You'd bet
ter get a muzzle right away. I'm
going to take our Rover down this
noon and have him fitted"
Richard was badly frightened. He
thought of Don curled up in his bask-
ct by the back door, and wondered If
the police could find such tiny lit
tie fellow. To be sure, Don had a
sharp bark for such crumb of dog,
and he usually barked at the wrong
time. The little boy ran hastily to
the house to ask grandma about the
muzzle, after first looking to see that
Don was safe.
"Puzzle?'' said grandma, who could
scarcely hear a thing. you know
what a puzzle is. Richard"
II mean a muzzle," explained Rich
ard, as loud as he could. ITS some
thing for dogs"
"Of course there are puzzles about
dogs said the dear old lady. Run
away now, dearie. Grandma is very
busy"
Suddenly Richard thought of the
big store down town, where his grand
ma sent him on errands. The very
next time he had to go for sugar or
thread or eggs he would ask ons of
the clerks, for he had heard grandma
say Mr.. Smith kept everything for
sale in his big building. He shook
all the money out of his bank and
wondered IL that would be enough to
buy a muzzle for tiny Don.
Richard. Please run and get me
ten cents worth of soap" 1t was
grandma calling, and Richard ran
faster than ever before to do the err
rand. He tied up the pennies and
dimes in his dirty little handkerchief
and almost forgot about the soap in
his eagerness to ask about the muz-
Gle.
want a muzzle, do you, sonny?
That's right. The policemen are after
every dog that's running wild. viii
this be big enough?" asked the clerk,
holding up a large wire frame, with
several straps attached.
yes, think So" said Richard,
pouring out his money on the counter.
"Ten cents too much" said the
man, putting a paper around the muz-
zle. Don't let your dog go without
this, son, OF you'll get into trouble"
When he. got home Richard hurried
to get Don and curl him up in the
wire frame. 1t was tight fit, but
the little dog put his head down be-
tween his paws and made a little
ball OF himself as If to help his mas
ter. While Richard was trying to see
how the straps worked, a man in
uniform came along and stopped to
watch the fun.
Having trouble, boy?" he asked.
with twinkle in his eye.
"Yes," said Richard, seeing it was
q policeman. Some men said all
dogs had to have muzzles, but didn't
get one big enough, ! guess. You
won't take Don away, will you, Mr..
Policeman, until can run to the store
and ask the man for a bigger oneY
How the man in the blue suit did
laugh!
How do you expect your dog to
grow in that thing, sonny?" he asked.
That's just the reason want to
get bigger one" said Richard, hold
ing up the muzzle with the poor little
dog squeezed into 1t. I'm afraid this
one will hurt him."
The policeman called a big dog and
showed Richard how to use a muzzle.
'Your dog won't need one for a long
time yet" he said kindly. He is only
puppy"
Richard Is big boy now and often
laughs about Don's muzzle; but it was
q long time before he told any one Of
his mistake. for the man at the store
gave him his money back, and sold
the muzzle to a boy with dog big
enOugh to draw cart-Hilda Rich