The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1912-07-27


glance down to things near at hand,
to heaps of bleached bones from an
old slaughter pen which had stood
upon the spot, and to some bits of
crumbling wood beside him. One heap
still kept a semblance of form; some
faithful burro had shaken off it's last
burden there, and lain down to rise
no more. Northcott turned from the
sight with sigh.
Poor, faithful friend!" he thought.
"They are our brothers, as she said;
brothers of sharp, short day."
Turning, he was brought face to face
with the dog that sat upright at his
side.
Good Bianco!" he said impulsively;
and Bianco answered by lifting his
paw courteously, and laying it upon
his masters knee.
Had Bianco been dog of differ
ent breed and temper, he would have
sensed, then, before the man did, what
was to happen to disturb their tran
guilty; but he was friend of shep-
herds and of gentle sheep-a dog of
peace.
AS Northcott raised his eyes after
moment from the collie's face, he
saw a sight that paralyzed him with
terror. Over their heads some fifteen
| feet in, air, on pinnacle of rock
crouched the great panther that had
for a week terrorized the ranchmen by
| it's daring.
In the moment Northcott realized
his peril to the full. He was absolute
ly helpless, without weapon of any
kind. He noted the animals poise,
the rhythmic swing of the shoulders,
the set of the merciless jaw, the sat-
isfaction in the eye of the monster
cat that had marked him as her own.
He saw that he had one moment for
strategy, and only one. One more
crouching swing, one more oscillation
of the burning eyes, and that last
chance was gone.
What Northcott did then, he did
without further pause for thought.
Leaning from where he sat he chose
a piece of the crumbling wood by his
side, and balanced it in his hand.
Fixing the unsuspecting eyes of the
collie with masterful glance, "Bian-
co." he said.
Bianco stood at attention, loyalty
ready for work or play, whichever it
might be.
Get it," Northcott cried, in log,
| h0 Of
from him into the open.
Bianco went after it like flash. He
had retrieved for Northcott before in
an idle hour. The movement distract,
meant that is should. She settled
lower on her launches for new sight
ing and another aim; she was fam
ished, and Indifferent to the sort OF
prey.
The dog had caught the fragment
in his teeth, and turned.
Stand" NOrthcott commanded
"Stay where you are!" He knew he
must keep the dog in the open til
he could shrink to deeper cover him
self. He would try tactics of train
ing, new to him but familiar to the
dog; the shepherds calls. "Put i
down." he commanded. ITO the
head! To the foot now! Now to the
head"
Bianco took to the game as a child
might have done, proud to show tina
he, too, could fancy bit of wood tt
be naughty lamb.
AS Northcott spoke guardedly, h
!, moved, silently and more quickly thai
it can be told-and so gained the trai
in the shelter of shoulder of thu
rock. From that vantage point, h
, turned to look at Bianco, scapegoa
that he was, dancing faithful and ga.
upon the shining sand, and at tn
peril on the pinnacle above.
Even as he looked, he saw the pan
, Their launch into the air with a bird
, like swoop, her great claws spread.
Then, when it was too late, h
, realized, in frenzy of remorse, tn
p despicable thing that he had done
: the craven thing that he had don
| OCSouoCs oI IhO A4O4CA
O when the chance of choice befell, hi
v better self had not held sway.
"Bianco!" he cried, and rushed fol
O ward.
q The fated dog covered to earth, an
did not heed.
J. The sharp report of gun revel
J. berated among the rocks. From nit
way in air, the panther hurtle1 hea7
lily to the ground, a dying horror tia
had been living menace It misse
# it's prey by few feet, and lay paw
= ing the air in the agony of it's deaf
4 wound
Northcott saw then that ma
o stood between the two animals.
n was Manuel, who, reversing his gul
e 1eaped upon the lion and dubbed
q while it's TANKS heaved and it jaw
=. stiffened in death.