San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14

formidable, in spite of his weight of
years; Bruce, gloriously beautiful and
stately and aloof; young Wolf, with
the fire and fierce agility of tiger
cat. All three had watched him, grim
ly. None had offered the slightest
move TO maSe friends with the
smooth-spoken visitor. Dogs have a
queerly occult sixth sense, sometimes,
in regard to those who mean i'll to
their masters.
This morning, idling along the
high road, a furlong from the Places
stone gateway. Dugan had seen the
Mistress and the Master drive past in
the smaller of the two cars. He had
seen Lad with them. A little later,
he had seen the men cross the road
toward the upper field. Then, almost
on the mems heels, he had seen Bruce
and Wolf canter across the same road,
headed for the forest. And Dugan's
correctly stolid face rippled into a
pleased smile.
Quickcning his pace. he hurried on
to the gateway and down the drire.
But. as he passed the house on his
way to the garage where stood the
other and larger car. he paused. Out
of an ever-vigilant eyc-corner. he saw
au automobile turn in at the gate
way. two hundred Yards up the wood
cd s'ope and start down the drive.
The Mistress and the Master were
returning from the postofficc.
nugan's smile vanished. Fc stonned
in his trucks. and did some fast think.
ing. Then. mounting the verandn
steps, h" knocked boldly 1T si1o doo-
the door nearest to him. As the
maids were in the kitchen or making
IN the bedrooms. his Tnock went I'M
heard. HALF hidden by the vernndn
vir"s. he waited.
The car came down the driveway
and circlod the house 70 the side
farthcst from Durnn. There. nj tho
front door. it hHlted The Mistress and
Lad got out. The Master did not TO
down 10 the garage. Instead. hc
circlcd the house ngain. and rhugced
off IN the drive. bound for the sta
ton 70 meet n guest whose train was
due in another ten minutes
Dugan drew long breath, and
staggered toward the garage. His
walk and manner bad in them an easy
openncss that no honest mans could
possibly have acquired in a lifetime.
The Mistress. deposited Mt the front
vernnda. chirped 70 Lad and started
across the lawn toward the chrysan-
thcmum bed. a hundred feet away.
The summers flowers were gone
even to the latest thin-stemmcd Tcp-
litz rose and the last stalk ot rose
tinted cosmos. For dining table, now,
and for living room and guest rooms.
nothing was left but the mauve and
bronze hardy chrysanthemums which
made gay the flower border at the
crest of the lawn overlooking the lake.
TLither Jared the mistress in search of
| blossoms.
Between her and the chrysanthemum
border was bed of cannas. Frost had
smitten their tall. dark foliage. leav-
ing only copse of brown stalks. Out
of this copse. chewing rreedily at an
uprooted bunch of canna-bulbs. slouchcd
Romaine's wandering sow. At sight of
the mistress she paused in her lcisurely
progress and, with the bunch of bulbs
still hanging from one corner of her
shark-mouth, stood blinking truculent-
ly at the astonished woman.
Now, Lad had not obeyed the mis-.
tress's soft chirp. 1t had not reached
his dulling ears-the ears which, of old,
had caught her faintest whisper. Yet.
he would have followed her, as ever,
without such summons, had not his nos.
trils suddenly become aware of an alien
scent.
Lads sense of smell, like his hearing,
was far less keen than once it had been.
But it was still strong enou"h to regis,
ter the trace Of intruders. His hackles
bristled Up went the classically splen.
did head, to sniff the brcezo, for further
| information as to the reek of pig and
the lighter but more disquieting scent
of man.
Turning his head, to reinforce with
his nearsighted eyes the failing evidence
of his nostrils, he saw the SOW emerge
from the canna-clump. He saw, too
or be divined-the look in her pale lit.
tie red-rimmed eyes, as they glared de-
family at the mistress. And Lad
! cleared the porch s. rs at one long leap
For the instant, he forgot he was
aged and stout and that his joints
ached at any sudden motion; and that
his wind and his heart we're not what
they had been; and that his once-ter-
rible fangs were yellowed and blunt;
and that his primal strength was forever
fled. Peril was facing the mistress.
That was all Laddie knew or cared.
With his wonted trumpet-bark OF chal-
lenge, he sped towar' her.
The mistress, recovering from her sur