Evening star., 1923-02-18

over to Swygert If he wants them. but
| Comet must have the best I'll write
Larsen tonight. Tomorrow crate
Comet and send him Off"
Just as no dog ever came into the
world under more favorable auspices.
| so no dog ever had bigger send off,
than Comet. Even the ladies in the
house came out to eXclaim over him.
and Marian Devant. pretty. eighteen
and a sportswoman, stopped down,
caught his head between her hands.
looked into his fine eyes and wished
| him, Good luck. old man." In the liv-
ing room men Iaughingly drank toasts
| to his future, and from the high
columned front porch Marian Devant
waved him good bye as he was driven
| or to the station. a bewildered young
dog in a padded crate.
Two days and two nights he trav-
eled. At noon of the third. at a
dreary railroad station. in vast
prairie country, he was lifted. crate
and all, of the train. A man, tall,
lean. pale-e eyed, came down the plat
form toward him.
Some beauty here, Mr.. Larsen"
said the station agent.
Yes" drawled Larsen in a medita-
| tive, sanctimonious voice. Pretty to
the eye. but he looks scared-sr-
timid.
"Of course he's scared" protested
| the agent. so would you be II I was
to put you in some kind Of whale OF a
| balloon and ship you Off to Mars"
The station agent poked his hand
through the stats and stroked the
young dogs head. Comet was CRATE
full. for everything was strange. He
had not whined or complained on the
trip-but his heart had pounded fast
and he had been homesick and be-
wildered.
And everything continued TO be
strange: the treeless country through
which he was driven, 4 country of
vast swells, like a motionless sea: the
bald house, the group Of red barns.
where he was lifted out and the crate
door opened; the dogs. settlers and
pointers. who crowded about him
when he was turned into the kennel
yard.
They eyed him with enmity, these
dogs; they walked round and round
him with stiffened tails, but he stood
his ground staunchly for youngster.
returning fierce look for fierce look,
-growl for growl, until Larsen called
! him sharply and chained him to his
own kennel.
He wagged his tail, eager for
friendship, as the man stopped to do
go He pushed his nose against the
mans knee. but, receiving no word or
encouragement, he crawled with dig
nifty into his box. There he lay, pant
ing with the strangeness Of 1t all and
wondering.
"One Of George Devants pointers,
drawled Larsen to his assistant
Pretty to look at, but-er-timid
about the eyes. I never did think
| much Of that breed"
TOR days Comet remained chained
to the kennel; stranger In
strange land hundred times at the
click of the gate. announcing
Larsen's entrance, he sprang to his
feet and stared hungrily at the man
for the light he was accustomed to
see in human eyes. But with just
glance at him, Larsen always turned
one or more of the other dogs loose
and rode Off to train them.
This he could not understand. Yet
he was not without friends of his own
kind. He alone was chained up, and
now and then another young dog
s1rolled his way with wagsing tail
NV ;,o ~
bond of sympathy which is not con-
fined to man. At these times Comets
spirit returned: he would want to
play, for he was still half puppy.
Som etimes he picked up stick, shook
it. and his partner caught the other
end. So they tugged and growled IN
mock ferocity. and then lay down and
looked at each other curiously.
Had any attention been paid him by
Larsen, Comet would have gotten over
his Inconsistencies. He was no milksop |
He was like an overgrown boy of at
college, or in some foreign city. sensi- !
tive, not sure Of himself or his place
in the order of things. Had Larsen
gained his confidence it would all
have been different. And as for Lar
sen. he knew that perfectly well.
One brisk, sunny afternoon Larsen
entered the yard. came straight to
him and turned him loose. SO great
was his JOY at freedom that he did not
see the shrewd light in the mans
eyes. In the exuberance Of his spirit
he ran round and round the yard, |
barking into the faces Of his friends.
Y fa$ y, nf he yy1n q
ed hie horse and commanded him to
heel. He obeyed with wagging tail
A mile or two down the road Larsen |
turned into the fields. Across his sad
die was something the young pointer
had had no experience with--a gun.
That part of his education Thompson
had neglected. or at least postponed,
for he had not expected that Comet
would be sent away SO soon. That
was where Thompson had made a
mistake
At the command HE on" the
young pointer ran eagerly around the
horse, looking up into the mans face
to be sure he had heard Alright Some
thing he saw there made him rnomen-
tarily droop his ears and tail. Again
there came over him the feeling OF
stangeness. OF Inconsistencies. mingled
this time with dismay. Larsen's eyes
were slits OF blue glass. His mouth
was set in a thin line.
Had Comet seen a different express
sion, had he received a single word of
encouragement. there would have
been no calamity that day. II he had
trusted the man, he would have with