The pioneer express., 1912-05-03
a big mastin coming towards him

On big masti6 coming towards him
on the jump.
Mad dog!" whispered the tramp
after watching for moment.
Head held high-eyes Q dendish
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 half-blind in his agony. and he
may have taken the man for
shadow.
Gate open and girl In the ham.
mock!" whispered the tramp. "Will
he turn in? II he does she will scream.
and what then? I mustn't take
chances!"
The dog had forty rods to go by
the road. and the man.. by leaping the
fence and making short cut had
only about twenty-five. One jump and
he was over the fence, and then he
struck a cinder-track gait.
The dog stopped for few seconds
at the gate and then turned In. Just
then the girl sat up in the hammock,
and seeing both tramp and dog she
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 mad dog, miss" was the re-
ply as the dusty outing cap was lifted.
He's dead and there's nothing to
fear"
But want to know"
"Just 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! I want to know
what's been going ont"
Don't let him get away, father!"
cried Edith as she came running.
whats he done
''Why, he killed . big mad dog that
was after me! want to know his
name and make him accept thanks"
"Just q mad dog" replied the tramp
with . deprecating smile. but the trio
insisted on making . hero OF him.
Tho Judge handed him q $40 bill,
and when It was refused he cast
around to give reward in some other
way.
"Look here" he said after bit,
there's four solid acres OF thistles
over there belonging to me. I want
'em cut down and rootsd out. I'll give
you SO an acre to do It, and you can
get board with the farmer Just below"
The next day the tramp went to
work with scythe and spade, and It
was twenty-days' Job hs had. Three
or four times in that stretch Judge
Horner visited the deld and tried 70
draw tho worker out, but he did not
succeed very well. On two occasions
Miss Edith called him to the roadaids
fence to praise and pump. but Ill the
Information she got made . brisf 70.
port to her fatherl j.
Say. papa. you know. I studied
Greek?" i
1T was some foldsrol IKE that. I
believe"
"And I can understand & quite well,
md what do you think3"
II think you can't"
"And yesterday when was passing
the thistle-aeld I heard our tramp
wearing in 0rsek!" =
did, oh? Then I must warn him .
that all swearing around here must b
done In English"
It was the tramp's last day On his
Job when strange auto rolled up to ,
Judge Horizons mansion, and IN hour
later his honor and his visitor en-
tered the held and walked up to the
weary and sunburned toilsr. !.
"Ames, I didn't think It was in you'll"
said the visitor a. hs held out his
hand.
"Father!"
'ws'vs kept . little track Of you.
you see"
And Miss Edith? Well . man has
only to save . girl from . mad dog
and hydrophobia, and then excite her
curiosity and romance. and what's the
result? Not over . years courtship
before marriage. and It II eminsnt1
proper at that.