Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-01

Yasha
Continued from page 4


morse 1t is true that the city appropriates
money for the sustenance of he- dogs and this
food is duly delivered; but tina. IS mere ra
ton, whereas the other collation. is not only
social but sporting event.
| Yasha, well fed aristocrat of his kind. stood
| listening for the metallic thump that the
signal for feast or fight. He had not long
to wait; for Selim with the Hump was pat
sense of elapsed time Bang. bang bang! came
| the summons from Selms quarter. Yashas
strong claws seized the grit and he was off like
/ a bullet.
| A snarling pack of dogs were at it tooth and
nail when he arrived. Into them full tilt went
| Yasha. snarling and swapping to right and left,
challenging strong males, ignoring puppies. CIV
ing the females first chance. he himself not in
terested in food. Big dogs drew back. bare
grabbed and bolted and choked and tried
again. One or two of the greediest grabbed at
some females food, to be sent yowling into the
gutter by Yasha, protector of the weak. Selim
with the Hump looked at HIM and laughed.
hooked out toothsome morsel, and offered it
| to Yasha. He held it for moment, and some
| mother snatched it from his mouth. Perhaps
she had the right. Selm with the Hump
watched, approving greatly. so perfectly Turk
| ish were Yashas manners.
| Things were at their noisiest and snarlngest
| when in the distance sounded bang, bang.
bang! All! The pail of Abdullah! OF went
| the pack, yap-yap-yaping with excitement of
of them fouling to roll over and over IN the
gutter, fighting furiouslv.
| Yasha. as usual, was in the lead. and arrived
in time to see the scullion knocking the last of
| the food into the gutter. knowing well that not
| an onion skin or an olive pit would be left. No
| one would have recognized the fighting dogs
for the sluggish brutes that lie around the
streets all day. too lazy to haul out of reach of
| the whip of some cart driver.
PUT this night Yasha had more serious busi-
ness than policing the garbage pals. He
| was on the lookout for his two prospective
allies. His brother who from his black muZZle
was named Kara Burnu, he found little later
RECALLING himself in front of the house of itch
collector of customs. Yasha. to be sociable,
nosed about little. but unfortunately got hold
of piece of chicken smeared with jam made
from the damas,: rose that it sickened him.
He did rot like the smell or taste of roses, hav
ing Travelled much in Eastern Rumelia, where
the rose altar is made. But he affable
with his brot almost to the point of playful
ness, which s. charmed Kara Burnu that he
remained with hin.
Having thus secured one ally Yasha drifted
over to the usual haunt of the other. Although
the dogs of Constantinople have no actual own,
ers they invariably adopt some master and
live in the shadow of his patronage in return
for which they protect his esta blishment from
| thieves. The last recruit was known locally as
| Yavouz, so named after Yazouv the Ferocious.
| Sultan Serm l., who massacred the Janizaries.
| Yasha found Yavouz standing stiff legged at
the entrance of an alley, while some very young
4 puppies, the children of his old age. romped
around him. They would bite at his paws, tug
| with baby growls at the tip of his tail, or leap
up to kiss the austere muzzle of their parent.
| Yavouz stood quite still growing savagely at
| times but secretly enjoying it. When a pup
fastened to his tail. refusing to be dislodged by
mere words, Yavouz would twist about, take
his tail in his mouth and scrape the youngster
off.
| Embarrassed by being caught by Yasha in
this undignifed occupation. Yavo,.z pretended
that he had no interest in the family, snapped
at pup. taking care not to strike It, but awak-
ening such terror that the fat younester rolled
on It's back squalling while the others fed.
| Yavouz looked at Yasha one who would say,
"A deuced nuisance. these brats!''
But Yasha was charming. He shifted with
interest at the pups. and then even romped a
little. as pleasant and eager to please as if he
had owed money to Yavouz He pretended
not to see the last Mrs Yavouz for it was not
Turkish etiquette to notice lady, and alto
gether he was SO affable that the stiff necked
old ruffian felt that he would like to enjoy
little more of his society.
This was exactly what Yasha was after.
With the two best fighters in Stambou next to
himself he felt that he could venture to 60
| wherever he liked; but it was necessary to lead
up to the proposition tactfully. Yasha looked
at the other two then walked across the street
and inspected post Yavouz and Kara Burma
- T. T.