Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-04

cOmbed his halr AT least once In W.
days, and no one had offered ~ "chum
up" with him!
Forty rods beyond the residence OF
Judge Horton, for this the big house
was and II was his daughter Edith in
the hammock, the tramp sat down
again. There was no hurry. On his
left was a four.acre lot grown up to
thisties, and It was q bit Of scenery
for the wayfarer. His eyes had
roamed over the field when they were
brought back to the highway to rest
on a big mastiff coming towards him
on the jump.
Mad dog" whispered the tramp
after watching for a moment.
Head held high-eyes a iiendish
green-slavering at the mouth. Those
were the true signs. The tramp stood
up and grasped the stout stick by
which he carried his old satchel Over
his shoulder. The dog came straight
at him, but at the last moment
swerved aside and passed on. He
was lf-blind in his agony. and he
may have taken the man tor a
shadow.
Gate open and girl in the ham
mock!" whispered the tramp. "Will
he turn in? If he does she Will scream.
and what then? ! mustn't lake
chances!"
The dog had forty rods to go by
the road. and the man. by leaping the
fence and making a shor cut had
| oply about twapty.fiyo npa hmm md
he was over the fence. and then he
struck a cinder.track gait.
The dog stopped for a few seconds
at the gate and then turned in. Just
then the girl sat up in the hammock,
and seeing both tramp and dog b
screamed. The tramp let out another
link. and he was at the foot OF the
steps when the mad beast came racing
up with growls OF agony or anger.
. With a full swing OF his stick the
tramp bowled the dog over, and three
or four more blows finished him.
"What-what is IT," demanded the
girl.
Just a mad dog, MISS" was the re-
ply Is the dusty outing cap was lifted.
He's dead and there's nothing to
fear"
But l want to know"
Just u mad dog"
And the tramp had reached the gate
when Judge Horton and his wife came
driving up, and the Judge leaped out
and seized the man by the collar and
exclaimed:
Hold on. here! | want to know
what's been going on"
Don't let him get away. father!"
cried Edith as she came running.
whats he done
why, he killed a big mad dog that
was after me! want to know his
name and make him accept thanks"
Just a mad dog" replied the tramp
with q %deprecating smile.
The Judge handed him a $40 bill.
and when 1t was refused he cast
around to give a reward In some other
way.
Look here" he said after a bit,
there's four solid acres OF thistles
owe there belonging to me. | want
'em cut down and rooted out, I'll give
you $40 an acre to do 1t, and you can
get board with the farmer Just below"
The next day the tramp went to
work with scythe and spade, and 1t
wal a twenty-days' Job he had. Three
or four times in that stretch Judge
Horner visited the field and tried to
draw the worker out, but he did not
succeed very well. On two occasions
Miss Edith called him to the roadside
fence to praise and pump. but all the
information she got made a brief re,
port to her father!
Say. papa. o know l studied
Greek?"
1T was some folderol like that.
believe"
And ] can understand 1t quite well.
and what do you think
II think you can't"
"And yesterday when | was passing
the thistle-ield ! heard our tramp
swearing in Creek"
did, Ell? Then ! must war; him
that all swearing around here must be
done In English"
It was the tramp's asst day on his
lob when a strange auto rolled up to
Judge Horizons manson, and an hour
later his honor and his visitor en
tered the field and walked up to the
weary and sunburned toi!er.
"Ames, ! didn't think 1t was In you'll"
said the visitor as he held out his
hand.
Father"
"We've kept a little track OF you,
you see."
And Miss Edith? Well a man has
only to save a girl from a mad dog