Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-05-02

OASS oSSA oOOuU ItC IOCl 1llsus
but lit was no longer thus. Some
disease or accident had bent him for.
ward and sideward so that he carried
his body almost parallel with the
ground. A huge hump toward the
lower extremity of his spine added
little to his beauty. His movement
when walking was a puzzle hard to
describe for he undulated-if l may
use this word-from side to side and
up and down, 80 that n doubted
whether he was coming or going.
His big head was set down between
his shoulders and worked in a pivotal
manner, while his eyes, though not
crossed locked in different directions.
A small round cap, which matched
his dirty blue suit of overalls, sat
jauntily or grotesquely upon one side
of his head. l wondered as l looked at
him how he yer managed to get
into his clothes. l heard one of the
soldiers beside me wonder audibly
how the old man could ever lie in
bed. A stubby beard and moustache
covered his face and gave it a rather
wild appearance. In his right hand
he clutcled a small horn, made from
the horn of a COW | think and in the
same hand a small whip. In the
other hand he held the string which
was tied to his dogs neck. The dog
was little, old and grey and seemed
to be a fit partner for the old man.
(Interval)
March, 80, 1918.
We have moved ten kilometers
on to another town, since yesterday,
so there must needs be a little break
in my description. We hiked the ten
kilometers with heavy packs and were
pretty tired when we got in. l i'm.
mediately went down to see the Sal
walton Army captain whom l know
had 81 olen in his hut and he invit-
ed me to stay with him over night,
which offer 1 gladly accepted. He
has a nice cosy room with a real open
fire place. l slept on a real iron bed
i with a mattress upon it for the first
time in many a long day. I also
had a real breakfast with him this
morning and am o seated at his
table finishing this letter.
But l must hurry along with my
story: l followed the queer looking
fellow down the street. The soldiers
ALL turned and looked at him as he
went, by, but the French people show
ed no interest having long since be.
come accustomed to the sight. When
he reached the end of the street he
turned his face upward, put the horn
to his mouth aud blew a loud blast.
The sound had not died away when
out from the doorway came three
whiskered goats that started down
| the street with the old man and his
dog following close upon his heels.
Again the old man blew his horn and
out came more goats from the door.
ways on either side of the street. The
next summons from the old fellows
horn rather surprised me for it
brought forth three white hogs with
huge flap ears which hung down over
their y e and which made them ap
pear quite fierce. 1t was this ap.
pearance of the hogs, which placed
me in doubt as to whether l should
call the old mans charges a flock or
a herd. l decided to call it a flock,
because the next few beasts tn ehorn
brought forth were another variety of
the four legged family in the form of
several sheep When they all got to-
gether there was, to say the least,
some racket. The sheep especially,
bleatted in great distress. l could not
make out the reason for this until a
little girl, directed by the sharp voice
of her mother, ran out from the door
through which the sheep had come,
with a%..little lamb under each arm.
She deposited them in the flock, ran
DdCk anu TctutLcu WIFI TWO more.
They had not yet learned to answer
the old mans horn. They we're claim
ed by their mothers and the noise
somewhat subsidized. All this time the
old man had been scuttling hither ano
thither. He had loosed his dog
whose movements he directed in a
ahrill voice. The dog obeved perfect.
ly l thought. At a sharp command
from the old fe low he would rur
after a hayward animal and bring il
back to the flock and would ther
fall obediently back of him and
await further orders. The old mans
wife soon appeared, coming down the
side street with a small flock of sheer
collected from another part of the
town. The old mar shouted at hel
in a most unusual fashion and for
reasons which I could not understand
She, like her hus band, was old ant
L.n% b,,f oho uoo porch tollor tho,