Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-11

LOOKED up from my book who's
there?" called. But no one answered
Yet there was no mistaking it-that
sound of labored breathing. It came
distinctly through the doors that led
out from the library to the covered porch Low
down. too; almost level with the brick floor
outside. Only the bottom panels OF the doors
are wood the balance glass. Yet could see
no one.
"Who's there?" asked again, and got an
answer this time, hoarse and gruf.
got up and went over TO the door.
what do you want?"
And I got another answer, hoarser, gruffer.
"wel" I gruffed back "who do you think
you're soaring, wufnng around all over the
place? Come right inv And swung back the
door.
What came in might have scared stouter
heart than mine. Only was used to it. 1t
was like this every time The Shadow drfted
through our neighbOrhood. In hmped Inc
Mugger, CRIME from nose to tail, and bleeding.
OrSr mess, that bulldog.
On rim was every outward sign of q beating.
But with The Mugger's breed you mustn't 60
BY outward signs. Slasned to . CORY fare-thee-
well, The Mugger looked up at me with that
crocodile trap of his spread wide in happy
smile of victory. This was the sixth unmercifM
hide-ripping he had taken from The Shadow;
bat, as in every other case, he thought he'd
won the fight. Perhaps he had. It's how the
heart looks not the hide. At any rate, knew
the signs. The Shadow had once more passed
through.
The Shadow was the terror Of our suburb
big wolflike, wolf -cruel cross-breed. Nobody
knew who owned him. No one knew whence
he came. But come he did, at intervals through
our community, and nearly always LETT small
children mourning, bewailing some pet creature
that lay dead
THERE was dainty-footed little goat two
doors below us named Philomel. She
gamester that one, and she might, with her
hard head and flying hoofs have held The
Shadow off, had she been free, till help arrived.
But the children found her dead between the
shafts of her small wagon by the tree to which
she had been tied.
And just across the street from US were
Anthony and Cleopatra, the most devoted,
grandest. waddlingest, quackngest pair of ducks
tha61ever kept their own and neighbors gardens
free of snais, both murdered on their own lawn,
and left there; not even carried on for food.
Pet Dummies, Kittens even a parrot, put out
ON his stand to catch the sunlight; and then,
ct last, our next-door neighbor, DR.. Phllbns
puppy. Midnight Dan; all murdered BY The
Shadow. who always picked some gentle
creature, smaller, weaker than himself. He
almost got The Mugger.
I came upon their first encounter just in
time. The Mugger was still standing, wide
braced to the onslaught and trying valiantly
for his hold But he was swaying. He wasn't
much more than a baby then and fine game
for The Shadow, who was cutting him 10 rib
bons. Before long one of those swift rushes
would have knocked The Mugger over, turned
his throat up But got there in time
It was his first fight, and he took a beating
in it, poor little happy-go-lucky, that would
have broken the courage and ruined the trust
ing friendlmesS of almost any dog. But The
Mugger a bulldog He had had splendid
time and was genuinely sorry when had to
come along ard spoil the party. And the
whole world was as muSh his friend after that
murderoys business as before. With one excep-
ception. A dog who makes old Sourmug his
foe has made a foe for good He isn't much
of a starter and, to tell the TRUTH he looks q
poor bet up the back stretch and around the
turns but he is one grand little flpisher, and
think he knows it, for he always sticks for that
no matter how tough the going may be.
And so each time thereafter that The Shadow
visited our neighborhood The Mugger galloped
gayly into him and got lovely beating. At
first The Shadow liked it, although he was sur
prised and puzzled always TO see The Mugger
coming in to get It. The Mugger was good
hunting He was smaller infinitely slower
and The Shadow soon found that the squat
dog couldn't punish with that understood, bull
batting jaw of his. He took fiends delight in
cutting up The Mugger
No doubt OF IT. he could have killed the
bulldog had he Had tire nerve "'Bdt after Siasli-
ing iii lind odt u While, 1ilding me AEtsgef d.
Impossible to put a hoid On Is the thing nom
which We named rim. ned feall3e agaf that
the wy TO '0veft6rh his IdW BfO&d- aeed
enemy wasn't wfftten IN ne b66 ma 'TfieF