Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-07-07

inches OF rope dangling at his heels
a rope whose frayed and tattered END
showed the marks of sharp little teeth
Rathburn gave it up after that, and
Stub stayed on.
AS the days passed food became
scarce In the cabin. 1t had been some
time since Rathburn had gone to town
for supplies. Then came the day
when a great Joy came into Stubs life
his master spoke to him. 1t was not
tie old fond greeting, to be sure.
And so 1t came about that Stub, In
obedience to that sharp command, fire.
quently scampered off with his master
to spend long days in the foothills, or
following the mountain streams. Some
times 1t was a partridge, sometimes it
was squirrel or rabbit-whatever
gun. Stub learned very soon that it
must be brought at once to the mas
ter and laid at his feet.
1t was on one of the days when
work. not hunting, fillId the time, that
Rathburn came home after a long
days labor to find Stub waiting for
him with a dead rabbit. After that il
came to be common thing for the
Cog to trot off by himself in the morn
ing; and the man fell more and more
in the way of letting him go alone, as
II left his own time the more free for
the pursuit of that golden sprite who
was ever promising success just ahead.
frrh- Stfrh IL
spent the long days in the foothills or
on the mountain-side, and soon be-
came expert in his hunting.
Gradually as the days passed there
came still another change in the life
at the cabin. Rathburn's step became
slow, and his cheeks sunken. Some
times he did not leave home all day,
but lay tossing from side to side on
his bunk in the corner. At such times,
If the result of Stubs hunt were eat
able. the man would rouse himself
enough to stir the fire and get sup
per; and always. after such day at
home. Rathburn was astir the next
morning at dawn and off in feverish
haste for lo,g days work to make
up for the long day Of idleness
But there came time when he
could not do this-when each day
found him prone on his bunk or NOV
ing feebly about the room. Then came
a night when Stubs bark at the door
was unanswered Again and again
Stub demanded admittance only to he
met with silence. The door, though |
Unattached, was swollen from recent |
rains. and 1t took FIVE good minutes |
and all the strength OF one small dog |
10 push it open a narrow foot. and |
then there were only silence and a |
dying fire by way of greeting
Stub dropped his burden on the |
floor and wh'ned. He was particu- |
arly proud tonight: he had brought
home n partridee-tha first he had |
'ver cnught without the aid of his
masters gun.
The figure on the bed did not move.
The dog picked up the bird he had
iropped and walked toward his mas
er. This time he laid his offering
lose to the bunk and barked.
The man stirred and groaned. For
ong minutes the dog stood motion
ess, watching; then he crept TO the
re and almost into the hot ashes in
is efforts TO warm the blood of his
hivering little legs.
In the morning the fire was quite
Ut, Stub stretched his stiffened body &
nd gaZed about the roen Over ON I
lie bed the man did not stir nor I
peak. The dead bird lay untouched /
t his side. There was a whine. a
ark. and a long minute of apparent ,
then the dog battered r
cross the floor. wormed himself ,
trough the partly open door, and took /,
lie trail that led TO the foothills.
Three times Stub brought TO the
-eless. silent cabin the result of his
ly's hunt and laid it at his masters
de, and always there was only
lence or low groan to greet him.
On the third night 1t snowed-the :.
ST storm of the season. A keen
md swept down the mountain and
ayed hide-and-seek with the cabin
or, SO that In the morning a long
r Of high-piled snow lay across the =
bin floor. q
When the men from the village II
)ughed their way through the snow q
d pushed open the door, they
'pped amazed upon the threshold
king AT one another With mingled
Irm aud pity; then one Of them con a
ering his reluctance, strobe for Il
I'd. lie stopped for moment over M
prostrate form OF the man before ~
turned and faced bis companions. "
Boys, he's gone be said husklly ~
! in the silence that followed, four
d barred their heads
. Was dogs low whine iha' nrsl
red into aellon the man ~ tbs "a
NJ, ne looked down gHd hls sFes III
N luminous ne saN me nreiess IN
lgh. fhe drlfled sn0N ana lhe heN 10
N dog keeplnF Haiehfpi spsfa 0fs' ~
We ~ lneu 900 ana faBihffs w ~ -
% pllf ffnffn siA ani muisly hi.