The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-01-21

Jessie did bang the gate, and
there were tears Of rage in her eyes
as she did it.
The next time Jim returned from
the township from the usual weekly
sale of vegetables, he brought with
him a large brindled dog with a
prognathous jaw, and in a few days
the brute vas quite at home.
"That'll be legal enough to suit
him." he reflected, every time he
gazed on this latest addition to the
defenses.
Two days afterwards Jessie came
round again.
"Father says if your dog keeps
gnawin' our cows legs he'll turn the
pigs loose again."
"And amt they loose? ?" asked
Jim innocently. "Now l come to
think of it, l amt seer them for
nigh on a week; but that might "a
been on account O. our dog Tiger.
He's got a real relish for pig meat"
$50 you'd better look out" Jessie
concluded, flaming.
"l'm real obliged to you, miss"
said Jim politely. you'll find the
gate in the same place, and the
hinges are still holdin'."
Jessie closed the gate quietly, in
order to disappoint her enemy, but
the satisfaction she derived from
this action was only triAing.
A week went by without any overt
act of battle on either side. Then
an event occurred which brought
matters to a crisis.
The brindled dog, Tiger-his sus-
picions probably aroused by the con-
tinued inactivity of the Jorgen pig
geries and cowyard-took it into his
head to make a sudden raid on the
enemy's camp. Being challenged by
the Jorgen rooster, who was doing
sentry-go ON top of the manureheap,
he promptly made an attack on that
bird, and in less time than it takes
to relate that astonished fowl was
minus a head.
Jessie, at work among her milk
pans, heard the noise of the con-
fict, and running out armed with
the broom, found herself confronted
by the brindled dog. "Good dog"
said Jessie, drawing in her skirts,
her heart beating loudly.
Tiger growled.
Meantime jim had missed his
latest recruit, and, ~suspecting the
direction he had taken, he strolled
down to the boundary fence.
"Jim!!" called Jessie, as soon as
he hove in sight. ooh, Jim, help
me-"
Jim put a ~leisurely leg wei the
rail, then he paused. "You won't
be havin' me up for trespass? ?" he
asked cautiously.
"No, no." said Jessie hurriedly.
"Only please come and call him off"
jim surmounted the fence, and
slouching across dismissed his sup
porter with an ungrateful kick in
the ear.
Then Jessie burst into tears.
"You are a low coward, Jim Flot-
ter" she said, "to set your dog on
to a girl"
81 never set him on" said jim,
staggered by the words but more by
the tears.
"You did," said Jessie; "you sent
him in here to worry me. And Pm
sick of it all, and | wish l was
dead"
"You can't think I'd set a dog on
to a GIRL" said jim, flushing land
if you're sick of it. som dead
sick"
"Then why don't you stop it?'.
said Jessie.
"Well, you see," said Jim, otis
like this. The old mans too SAN
guine; and he's got too much fence
to look after. He's bitten off more'n
he can fair chew. But Pm thinkin'
that if a young fellow took up a bit
O. land and put a sorter shanty on
it, and run a good strong fence
round a little bit at a time, extendin'
it as time went on, always keepin' it
that strong that nothin' could get
through; and supposin' he had n