The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1912-09-06

ihto ftlbtlItI SeCtiOil o1 TIE OATH. ne
was on the point Of opening this gate
TO pass in among the horses when a
low growl attracted his attention. In
some alarm he took a precautionary
look ahead. On the opposite side Of the
gate stood a huge and vicious looking
bulldog. unclaimed and waiting for him
with IN eager f~erocity 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 acros his brow.
What an e%scape!' he gasped, after a
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 Il lawyer. Anybody
else at home but you?"
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.
l won't hurt you. There was nothing
farther from my mind than a desire to
disturb you. And say. please do some
thing besides growl. Bark, and oblige
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 ~savagefy. Crosby complac-
emily 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 a jerk.
Thunder! be calculated. 1.-The
brute knows a way to get at me, and
he won't be long about it, 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 al accursed idiot was not
to 60 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 a 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 a 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 priyi-
lege.
Crosby, seated on the beam, fifteen
feet above the floor, grinned securely
but somewhat obviously as he watched
the mystified 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 a few minutes Crosby
watched his frantic efforts to leap
through fifteen feet OF altitudinal
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 i'll fooling the dog had inspired,
and a hurt, indignant stare was direct
ed toward the open door through which
he had entered.
whats the matter with the idiots?'
he growled im%patiently. Are they
going to let this poor dog snarl his
lungs out? He's a faithful chap, too,
and Il 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. Pm putting a good deal of
faith in this BEAM" he went on re-
signedly. The timber was ut least tf-
teen inches square.
"Ah, by George. That was a bully
jump-the best you've made. You
didn't miss me more than ten feet that
time. | don't like to be disrespectfui.
you know. but you are IN exceedingly
rough looking dog. Don't get hutfy
about 1t. old fellow, but you have the
ugliest mouth | ever saw. Yes. you
miserable cur. politencss at last ceases
to be Il virtue with me. IL | had YOU
up here I'd punch your face for You
too. Why don't YOU come up, you
coward: You're bowAeeHed. too. and
you haven't amy more figure than IL
crab. Anybody that would take an In.
suit like that Is beneath me THANK
henven.l and would steal sheep. Great
Scott. Where are all these people?
Shut up. you brute. you! I'm getting
n headache. But Il doesn't do any
good to reason with you. can see
that niaiulv srhn fhfno auatt - xa