The San Francisco call., 1910-08-21
ny ARTHUR MADISON


river. But Ned happened to come along
Just as the hired man. was lifting the
last or five pups from the wagon to
meet his watery end
After some coaxing, Ned marched Off
home with his new possession, a real
bull pup-which he hoped for reasons
of his own, would prove to be a eight
err Even now, while his eyes were
hardly open. the four footed founding
had the marks of Fighter" as the
one black spot on his otherwise per-
fectly white body was located over his
left eye, giving him an ,unmistakably
sporty look.
When Ned arrived home he did not
meet very kind reception from his
mother, who did not like dogs. "The
very ideal she said "of bringing a
puppy dog to the place. and espe-
clally such an ugly little beast! You
certainly can't keep him in the house:
you'll have to find quarters for him
In the barn. Ned, If you keep him"
All right mother. I'll raise him nv
SELF" and he started toward the barn.
But how are you going to feed him.
Ned? You'll have to take along n
baby's bottle-the poor helpless little
thing" Then unable any longer to
resist mother pity for the woebegon.
midget, she took him up in her arms: /:
and when he began to cry she hunted
up baby bottle, filled it with warm
milk and sitting down with the pun
IN her lap placed the rubber nipple In
MS mouth. Choppo, however, did not
need much instruction in the art OF
getting milk out of bottle, for he
went at 1t like a professional mixer.
ana as the white liquid joy flowed
within, the short, stubby tail wig
wagged the message that he was "weli
and happy"
ohoppo waxed fat and sturdy under
the care of Mrs Merrill, who. having
thus been completely won by Choppo's
ugly charms, would allow no one but
herself to prescribe his diet, and make
his bed-which was not in the barn.
AFTER Few weeks Ned considered that
Choppo was old enough to be initiated
into the third degree" of bulldogs"
and mysterious visit to town was
made, with Choppo under Ned's coat.
When they returned, part of poor
Choppo's tail and ears were missing.
winch Mortified his mother so that she
could hardly be convinced that 1t was
perfectly natural that all bulldog
fighters had their ears and tails cut
snort that is to say, the dogman cut
the ears and bit off the tail; and.
anyway, it was necessary to have his
tail and ears short to correspond with
his name, as "Choppo" was the Span
ish way OF saying shorty"
AS soon as Choppo got used to his
tailless tail and his ears got well, he
was started in on his training. Ned
taught him the usual tricks Of begging.
saying his prayers, dead dog and ioz-
ems of others, but the sport that Choppo
liked most was riding in the basket on
the front of Neds bicycle.
One day Ned thought he'd give
Choppo a bicycle ride to town. Choppo
wagged his stub with great glee as he
was lifted to his seat In his obserya-
tion car. Ned rode into the street AMI
was about to pass the Days house,
next door, when Percy Day opened the
gate and let out his big shepherd dog
and began to "sic" him on the hI-
cycle tourists. The shepherd rushed
down the street, barking and whiting
around in front of the bicycle, and
finally Ned wheel ana pup were triyped
up and thrown into heap in the dust.
Ned found his clothes torn, his elbows
sadly bruised and his bicycle bent. but
little Choppo. unhurt, was barking