The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-03-21
By P. G. WODEHOUSE
Copyright by George II. Doran Co.
CHAPTER xvI--Continued.


vate vendetta with the clock that no
Ordinary happening would have had the
power to distract him. What occurred
NOW was by no means ordinary, and Ii
distracted him like an electric shock.
AS he sat on the floor, passing ten
der hand over the egg-shaped bump
which had already begun TO manifest
stseif beneath his hair, something cold
and wet touched his face, and para
Eyzed him so completely both physl-
cauy and mentally that he did not
n10ve q muscle but just concealed
where he sat into solid block Of Ice.
He felt vaguely that this was the end.
Efts heart stopped beating and he sim
ply could not imagine Ii ever starting
again. and, IL your heart refuses to
beat, what hope is there for you?
At this moment something heavy
and solid struck him in the chest, roll
ing him over Something gurgled asth-
matically In the darkness Something
began to lick his eyes, ears and chin
I'm a sort OF ecstasy: and, clutching
out, he found his arms full of totally
unexpected bulldog.
Get outv' whispered Sam tensely,
recovering his faculties with jerk.
Go away!"
Smith took the opportunity Of his
tfps having opened to lick the roof OF
tlls mouth. Smiths attitude In the
matter was that providence In It's all
seeing wisdom had sent him human
hefng at moment when he bad reluc-
family been compelled to reconcile him
self TO a total absence Of such indis-
pensable adjuncts to a good time, and
chat now the revels might commence.
He had just trotted downstairs in
rather a disconsolate frame Of mind
after waiting with no result in front
o. Webster's bedroom door, and 1t was
q real treat 20 meet q man, especially
one seated In such jolly and sociable
manner on the floor. He welcomed
Sam like a long-lost friend.
Between Smith and the humans who
provided him with dog-biscuits and oc-
Caslonally with sweet cakes there had
always existed state OF misunder-
The position Of the humans was quite
clear. They had elected Smith to his
present position on straight watch
dog ticket. They expected him to be
one or those dogs who rouse the house
and save the spoons. They looked to
afm TO pin burglars by the leg and
hold on till the police arrived Smith
simply could not grasp such an atti-
frde Of mind. He regarded Windles
mot as a private house but as a social
eiub, and was utterly unable to see
any difference between the human be-
snRs he knew and the strangers who
dropped In for late chat after the
place was locked up. He had no in
tention OF biting Sam. The idea never
eDterad has head. At the present mo-
zns1ES what he felt about Sam was
ehxt he was one Of the best fellows he
had ever met and that he loved him
Hike n brother.
Sam, In his unnerved state could
mot bring himself to share these
amiable sentiments. He was thinking
hftteriy that Webster might have had
Ghe intelligence to warn him of bull
dogs on the premises. 1t was Just the
sort OF wooden-headed thing fellows
ydid. forgetting facts like that. He
suc1rmbled stifly to his feet and tried
600 pierce the darkness that hemmed
Hhfm I'm. He ignored Smith, who SNUFF
fdsd sportiveiy about his ankles, and
tznade for the slightly less black OBJ
hong which he took TO be the door
IeadIng into the hall. He moved war
lily. but not warily enough to prevent
Aim cannoning into and almost upset
ting a small table with a vase on It.
The table rocked and the vase jumped,
and the first bit Of luck that had come
% Sam that night was when he
reached out at q venture and caught
1f Just as 1t was about to bound onto
the carpet.
He stood there, shaking. The mar
rowness OF the escape turned him
cold. f he had been an instant later,
xheye would have been crash loud
enough to wake a dozen sleeping
homes This sort of thing could not
90 on. He rlust have light. 1t might
Be- q risk there might be chance of
somebody upstairs seeing 1t and COM
izg down to investigate; but 1t was a
risk that must be taken. He declined
60 60 on stumbling about In this dark
nsas any longer. He groped his way
wSsxh Infinite care to the door, on the
waM adjoining which, he presumed,
the electric light switch would be.
1T was nearly ten years since he had
last been inside Windles. and it never
occurred to him that In this progress
sive age even a woman like his Aunt
Adeline. Of whom he could believe al
enost anything. would still be using
/ candles and oil-lamps as q means Of
illumination. His only doubt was
whether the switch was where 1t was
in most houses, near the door.
II is odd to reflect that. as his
searching fingers touched the knob. a