Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-04-08

eyes and the looks and manner OF
one with power and wealth. His name
was William Burton, manufacturer
of the famous Burton plows. and
he GOULD have bought this town out.
lock, stock and barrel, and the county
in which the town sat. and very
considerable portion Of the state it
self. What he had come to buy.
though. was a dog.
During the trip down, in his state
room, instead of examining financial
reports or reading the latest maya
zines, old Burton had studied. with
the aid of his spectacles and of Ferris.
his professional dog handler, the
pedigree of young pointer that
lived in this town. He had noted how,
at recurrent intervals in the family
tree, occurred the word Champion.
Already, in the years since he enter
ed, as a hobby, the tield-trial game,
he had bought, at the recommends
ton Of handlers. some hundreds Of
bird dogs. All Of them had been dis
appointments. Now he had taken the
matter into his own hands. Usually
when he took charge Of a thing that
thing succeeded.
A lazy negro at the dreary railroad
station showed him and Ferris the
way TO Jim Arnold's place--a neat.
modest cottage on the edge OF the
town. from whose back yard, as they
approached. came a challenging bark.
A telegram had preceded them. and
Jim Arnold himself, veteran bird-dog
trainer, owner Of the young pointer.
came out to- meet them, hobbling
painfully on a stick.
Ferris could have explained the hob
BILE and the stick. It's the kind of
thing you see now and then among
tield-trial men. Earlier in the season.
while running IN field trial the very
dog who had brought the visitors
here. his horse had fallen, crushing
Arnolds knee. Jim Arnold could never
ride a horse again. Consequently,
Jim Arnold could never again run a
dog in a national championship race
With the crippled man came his
daughter Jessie. a slim. dark-eyed
girl, pretty in a serious sort of way.
Burton was hardly conscious of her.
but Ferris respectfully raised his hat
Dog men knew Jessie Arnold because
she sometimes rode with her father
and helped him handle. She had been
with him when his knee was crushed
and had held his head in her lap till
the doctor came.
a FTER the briefest Of greetings
\ the three men, followed by the
girl. went around TO the rear yard
Here. in lot inclosed by Il high wire
fence, wagging his tail like any other
dog, was the national championship
hope.
Great dogs, like great men do not
always look the part. This one did
He was a big white fellow, his ears
and a portion Of his head liver brown.
His head was nobly carved, his back
long and straight, his legs rangy,
clean-cut; his tail thin, like a lance.
He was all a pointer Of the highest
breeding ought TO be. But to the
man who knows dogs there was in
his eyes something wild, headstrong.
Let him out Jess" said Arnold.
The girl opened the gate and he
sprang out. He ran eagerly around
the yard, inspecting the familiar
premises to see if there had been
any other dog there recently. Every |
motion showed unbounded power, as |
il the yard, and even the town IT. |
self. were - small for him. No,
until Arnold called him twice, and
severely. did he come to them. But
no ~
his distinguished visitor His eyes
sought first his masters face, then
the face of the girl There they
rested moment in alteration. Then
he reared gently up against her, ears
thrown back, appraised eyes affec-
tionately searching her face.
Old Burton had been looking on
with impressive countenance. But
from the moment his eyes rested on
this dog he wanted him. His bunch
told him that here was a champion,
and he went by lunches. He looked
at Ferris. quickly, significantly. Fer
ris nodded in IL way which indi-
Gated that he would like to speak in
private. Millionaire and handler
withdrew a few steps from father
and daughter and dog.
Il don't like that look in his eyes,
whispered Ferris vehemeutly.
Il do said old Burton.
: In Arnolds little overfurnishcd
parlor the business was transacted.
But neither the young pointer out
there nor the girl who remained with
him was TO know anything about
It. So far as the dog was con-
moves IN mysterious ways. AS for
the girl, it was her father who re-
qucsted that the trade be kept a
secret from her.
"She sets a lot of store by Drake"
he explained. She picked him out
from the litter when he was a pup.
She's fed him and raised him. People
are always comm to see him. She
thinks that's the reason you come
just to look at him
BURTON glanced at the crippled
- trainer with slightly hardened
eyes. He resented this intrusion of
the human element into a deal, par
ticularly when that human element
was a girl. 1t was a way of break
ing things up. However. for a while
things went smoothly, though the
conversation was carried on in low
cred tones. Three thousand was the
price agreed upon. 1t was a good
price for Arnold to get if the dog
did not win the championship. 1t
was a poor price IL he did.
For to own a national champion