Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1915-08-13
&kEEx2GS2E3GNGXSXN

cluded the big New Orleans Antique
exchange. the Louis XIV Furniture
factory. small shop for old-fashioned
jewelry, molasses warehouse, and
the old Dubois home.
There was certain relief for him
in reaching out for a door-knob In
plain sight; there was sure satisfac-
ton in passing the trap corner be-
tween the furniture factory and the
'Jewelry store, where some one might
be lurking with gun to stick in his
best Of all, he could see plainly the
vicious great Dane which Armand Du.
bois, cowardly miser that he was, kept
to protect the hoardings in his house.
i There is. just before dawn. a breath
less space, an awesome gap. in which
the moon is making ready to surrender
:,her silver scepter to the sun; 1t was
at this awesome hour that private
twatchman Hopkins unlocked the
ifront gate to the Dubois home.
Slipped softly up the front steps, and
ftried the door-knob for the twentieth
stime that night. At his first step on
ithe walk Alert, the vicious great Dane,
had growled. and bounded toward him
on the long wire to which he was
chained so that he could run the
length of the house and guard the rear
door and windows. The great beast
chafed on his chain while Hopkins
passed within six feet of his swapping
Jaws. to try the side door. AS he as
cended the steps, Alert ground out a
Eeries of cultural growls and barked
III low. vicious rumble. as was his
lnvariable custom.
When Hopkins mechanically tried
the door and passed back along the
walk. the dog raced beside him on his
wire, straining, Jerking to lessen that
six-foot gap, struggling to get at him;
swapping, growing. Armand Dubois
had trained his dog to make friends
with no one. and he himself stood ten
yards away and threw meat at him
through a window at meal-times.
When Hopkins had gained the front
gate. he took his customary deep
breath of relief and continued on his
round.
Fifteen minutes later he was back,
and Alert greeted him with his usual
growl. and disputed every step he took
toward the side door. Perhaps it was
the influence of that uneasy period
Just before dawn, but Hopkins felt
that Alert was the least bit fiercer
than usual.
But everything was all right, the
doors had not been tempered with,
though Hopkins laughed at the notion
OF anybody getting as far as his first
step into the yard without Alert arous-
ing all Royal street.
Just as he was approaching the
front gate again and gasping for his
usual deep breath of relief, a window
on the second floor of the Dubois
house flew up; Alert made an instan.
taneous bound, flung himself in the air
= toward the nightcapped vision framed
In tho sash, was jerked back to the
ground by his chain and lay stunned
;for moment while the nightcapped
figure screamed:
Y Help! Robbers! Thieves! Rob
bers!"
!. Windows in several nearby houses
Apopped up. Night Waterman Hopkins,
Balancing at the dog, dropped his cleo
Uric stick, pulled his gun, and dashed
Howard the front stairs. The dog
scrambled to all tours, emitted a lion
like roar, hunched together. and with
Shripping jaws and wild glazing eyes
eprang for Hopkins Just a. he grasped
3the porch.rail. The running wire drew
taut. held. and then snapped with q
loud report. Alert. free from his chain,
bprang for Hopkins. The nightcapped
: Dld man In the window threw up his
hands. screamed Mon Dieu!" and
dropped limp. half over the sill. Hop
kins threw himself back, and pulled
1t the trigger Of his gun with both
hands.
x A crash Of bone. an agonized groan,
jAnd Alert bumped over in a heap on
the cement walk at Hopkins feet, his
massive skull crushed In by q big bull
aet
Hopkins Jew up the steps and
pounded on the door, fumbling his key.
chain blankly, and trying to force the
door. for Dubois nature was 80 sus.
picious that he would not even allow
his Waterman q key to his door, lock
ing everything from the inside with
bolts and padlocks.
Keeping one eye On the quiverina
heap at the foot Of the steps, Hopkin.
pounded until the soft clap of hustline
steps in shiftless slippers came to hi
expectant ears.
THAT you. Hopkins?" came an anx
ious cry in . cracked voice from with
in. u
yes. MI. Dubois. for the love o
heaven, open up! told you this woul,
happen II you
The door was opened q crack befor,
he finished, and the frightened fac
that had appeared beneath the night
cap in the window started out.
FOR Gods sake. come int" crie'
old Dubois Querulously. grasping Hor
kins' shoulder with palsied hand. an
milling him within @'Thapa'a q naat