Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-09-06

| into another section Of the barn. He
was on the point of opening this gate
| to pass in an 0ng the horses when
| low growl attracted his attention. In
| some alarm he took q precautionary
| look ahead On the opposite side Of the
| gate stood q huge and vicious looking
| bulldog. unclaimed and waiting for him
| with an eager ferocity that could not
be mistaken. Mr.. Crosby did not open
| the gate. Instead he inspected it to see
that it was securely fastened and then
| drew his hand across his brow.
"What an escape.'' he gasped, after
long breath. Lucky for me you
growled, old boy. My name is Crosby.
my dear sir. and I'm not here to steal
anything I'm only lawyer. Anybody
else at home but your
| An ominous growl was the answer,
and there was lurid disappointment IN
the face of the squat figure beyond the
gate.
Come, now. old chap. don't be nasty.
| won't hurt you. There was nothing
| farther from my mind than desire to
| disturb you And say, please do some
| thing besides growI Bark, and obllge
me. You may attract the attention OF
some one
BY this time the ugly brute was try
| ing to get at the man, growing and
snarling savagely. Crosby complac-
entity looked on from his place of safe
| ty for a moment and was on the point
| of turning away when his attention
| was caught by a new move on the
part of the dog The animal ceased
| his violent efforts to get through the.
gate. turned about deliberately and
raced from view behind the horse
stalls. Crosby brought himself up
with jerk.
"Thunderr' he calculated. 'The
| brute knows a way to get at me. and
| he won't be long aboutit, either. What
| the dickens shall by George, this
| looks serious! He'll head me off at
| the door if / try to get out 'and-Ah,
the fire escape! Well fool you, you.
brute! What an accursed idiot | was not
| to go to the house instead OF coming
He was shining up a ladder with lit
| tie regard for grace as he mumbled
| this self condemnatory remark. There
was little dignity in his manner of
fight, and there was certainly no
| glory in the position in which he found
| himself q moment later. But there
was a vast amount Of satisfaction.
| The ladder rested against a beam
| that crossed the carriage shed near
| the middle. The beam was large
| one, heWn from a monster tree and
was free on all sides. The ladder had
| evidently been left there by men who
had used it recently and had neglect
| ed to return it to the hooks on which
| it properly hung.
When the dog rushed violently
| through the door and into the carriage
! room, he found a vast and ineXplicable
solitude. He was, to all appearances,
| alone with the vehicles under which
he was permitted to trot when his
| master felt inclined to grant the privi-
| lege.
| Crosby, seated on the beam. fifteen
feet above the floor, grinned securely
but somewhat obviously as he watched
the mystifed dog below. At last he
| laughed aloud He could not help it.
The enemy glanced upward and blink
ed his red eyes in surprise; then he
stared in deep chagrin, then glared
with rage. For few minutes Crosby
watched his frantic efforts to leap
| n "a
| space. confidently hoping that some
one would come to drive the brute
away and liberate him. Finally he be-
gan to lose the good humor his STRAIT
egg in fooling the dog had inspired,
and hurt, indignant stare was direct
ed toward the open door through which
! he had entered.
whats the matter with the idiots? p
he growIed impatiently. Are they
going to let this poor dog snarl his
lungs out? He's d faithful chap, too,
and a willing worker. Cad, | never
saw anything more earnest than the
way he tries to climb up that ladder"
Adjusting himself in a comfortable
position, his elbows on his knees, his
hands to his chin, he allowed his feet
to swing lazily, tantalizingly, below the
beam. I'm putting a good deal of
faith in this BEAM" he went Oh re-
signedly. The timber was at least if
teen inches square.
"Ah, by George. That was a bully
iump-the best you've made You
didn't miss me more than ten feet that
time | don't like to be disrespectful
you know, but you are an exceedingly
rough looking dog. Don't get huffy
about it, old fellow, but you have the
ugliest mouth | ever saw Yes, you
miserable cur, politenesS at last ceases
to be virtue with me. If had you
UP here I'd punch your face for you
too. Why don't you come up, you
coward? You're bowlegged, too, and
you haven't any more figure than a
crab Anybody that would take an in
suit like that is beneath me (thank
heavenD and would steal sheep. Great
Scott Where are all these people
| Shut mn Won brIlte wont I'm ~ot+in q