Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1914-12-10

A Good Fighter.

"One OF the queerest fights ever saw"
observed my friend, the timber cruiser,
"was between bulldog and screech
owl"
Seems to me that would be no light
at ALL" challenged, both TO bring out
the story and to express my candid opin-
ion.
81 suppose" he remarked, dryly,
"you'd say the odds were all in favor OF
the bulldog ?"
"Most certainly"
"Well, here are the facts. The cook
in our lumber camp had pet bulldog
that was fiend at fighting. Bill had all
the other dogs OF the camp, and the men,
loo, so COW ed they didn't dare go near
that shanty without cooks permission.
He'd chew the pants, and the boots, too,
right of man he didn'tca 10 see hang
ing round, and the few dogs he could get
sight OF always left his vicinity bowling
with pain.
lone day a lumberjack brought a
screech owl into camp-he'd found it
asleep in a hollow tree. The cook saw
it, and Immediately adopted it. he
named the little fellow Diogenes.
But Bill, jealous as only dog can
be, no sooner spir the little rusty-bro"D
bunch OF feathers oozing quietly i'll
corner OF the room than he went after il,
head on.
"Diogenes heard him coming, for all
he seemed fast asleep. He opened his
eyes wide, iluffed his feathers straight
out all over his body until he looked sew
eral times his natural size, spread his
wings up and back until the tips touched
ABOVE and behind his head, gave hiss
like jet OF steam, and jumped straight
toward Bill. He landed on Bills nose
with both leet, with death grip OF his
claws that reached clear 10 the bone.
Immediately Bills growlS turned TO
how Is, Tor all The world like the Shrieks
OF human being in desperate pain. He
lodged here and there. He ran like mad
all round the room, leaving a trail o.!
ploou behind him. He lay down and
rolled over. He cldwed and snapped.
Ano all The time he "as yelplng as loud
as he cUuld yelp. But DIogenes held on
10 his perch with bUlh ieet, Kissing ike a
Snake. or Swapping his bedk like string
OF imecrackeIs. He was thoroughly un-
oaunled. Ahd really, there was nothing
Bill could do 10 get him OF. The owls
puSiIlon On top of his nose made the
old immune from all hahn, no matter
how hard Bill tired to hurt him.
BILL soon Saw that and gave up trying
10 hurt Dlogenes, or even 10 get rid OF
him. He jusl dropped down in the middle
of The floor and howled at the top OF his
voice. Sill DiOgenes held on, Kissing
and swapping, with every feather on his
slim little booy standing cut at right
angles. He showed no disposition TO
leave his bleeding, bowling victim in
peace. To all appearance, he didn't in
tend ever 10 let 90.
Nv eli, we men had 10 90 TO the res
,ue OF that Lulldog We couldn't Strike
Oiogenes OF any more than the dog
-Uuld shake him off. lor his claws were
ourled in The ileshy part OF the dogs nose.
And you know bullJog has quIle thick
cushion on his snout. We didn't want
10 kill the plucky little bird and then,
too, we v ere afraid # we Did the claws
would slllten, and we'o have 10 dig them
out. Finally, we threw an apron over
. The OWLS head, and pulling him by the
neck, succeeded IN making him let 90.
Bill, thoroughly cowed, ust lay there and
wept all the time we were working with
Diogenes. But he no sooner felt him
sell tree than he shot like bullet for the
window, going through glass and all IN
MS anxiety TO escape. He took refuge IN
Ihe laTthesl Stable on the pl ice, and never,
even alter The COOK took DIoseneS back
~ The woods, could Bill be made 20 20
near that shanty. And, strange 10 say.
rom thIt day on he was Thoroughly
peoceable citizen; for il he ever did
threaten TO CiSturb man, all you had 10
90 was TO give a loud hiss, and Bill would
b. gone like d streak"