San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-14
BY ALBERT PAYSON TERHUNE
Illustrated by Charles Livingston Bull

shotgun. from the study wall, and for
a handful of shells.
She KEPT her head, though she saw
she was powerless to save the dog she
loved. And her soul was sick within
her at his peril which her puny efforts
could not avert.
Running across the lawn, toward the
house, she met halfway the maid who
came trembling forth with the gun and
two shells. Without stopping to glance
at the cartridges-or TO realize that
they were filled with Number Eight
shot, for quails-she thrust two of them
into the breech and, turning, fired
pointblank at the sow.
Lad was down again, and the SOW
no longer on a squealing rush, but
with new cold deadliness-was gaug.
ing the distance to his exposed throat
The first shot peppered her shoulder
the tiny pellets scarce scratching the
tough hide.
The Mistress had halted TO fire. Now
she ran forward. With the muzzle not
three feet from the sow's head, she
pulled the trigger again.
The pigs huge jaws had opened with
deliberate width. One forefoot was
pinning the hclple.sly battling dog tc
earth. while she made ready TO tear out
his throat.
The second shot whizzed about hei
head and face. Two or three of the
pellets entered the open mouth.
With a sound that was neither
grunt nor howl. yet which sIvorcd OF
both, the sow lurchcd back from the
flash and roar and the anguishing pair
| in her tender mouth. The Mistress
whirlcd aloft the empty and useless
gun and brought it crashing down or
| the pigs skull. The carved mahogany
stock broke in two. The jar of imDac
knocked the weapon from its wielder':
numbed fingers.
The SOW seemed scarce to notice thu
blow She continued backing away
and champed her jaws as il to locate
| the cause Of the agony in her mouth
the flash Of the gun.
The Mistress took advantage Of thu
moments breathing space to benz
over the staGgerinGly rising Lad; nnr
catching him by the ruff, TO urge hin
toward the house. For once. the bi:
| collie refused TO obey. He knew PHI
nature better than did she. And h
knek the SOW was not yet finished
with the battle. He strove to brcal
free from the loved grasp and to stag
ger back to his adversary.
TIE Mistress. by main strength
drew him, snarling and protesting. TO
ward the safety of the house, Pant
ing, bleeding. Keeling, pitiably weak
vet he resisted the tender urging. ant
kept twisting his bloody head back fOj
a glimpse of his foe.
Nor was the precaution useless. For
before the Mistress and her wounde,
dog were halfway across the remain
ing strip Of lawn. the sow recovered
enough Of her DETECTED wits and fur!
to lower her head and gallop down aftc
them.
At her first step. Lad, by a stupen
dous effort, wrcnched free from tn
Mistress clasp, and flung himself be
tween her and the charging mass o
rork. But as he did so, he fount
breath for n trumpet-bark that sounde'
more like n rallying cry.
For, dullcd as were his ears, the!
were still kecner than any humans
And they had caught the sound o
eight flying paws amid the dead leave
of the drive. Wolf and Bruce, com
ing home at a leisurely trot from theii
ramble in the forest, had heard the
two reports Of the shotgun, and had
broken into a run. They read the
meaning in Lads exhausted bark as
clearly as humans might read n print
cd word. And it lent wings to theil
| feet.
Around the corner Of the house tore
the two returning collies. In a single