A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



A big Newfoundland dog was the first to 

 appear. The moment he saw the coon he made 

 a fierce rush, but Satan sprang lightly into 

 the air and landed on the dog's back. Swiftly 

 and savagely he delivered two blows on the 

 dog's eyes. The big brute tore himself away 

 from the coon and frantically rubbed his eyes 

 with his fore paws. When he could see a 

 little, he " dusted " for home, a sadder but 

 wiser dog. 



The next dog was a small one, and Satan 

 gave him a slap under the ear that landed him 

 outside of the ring, or beyond the length of 

 the coon's chain. This dog did not go home, 

 but went to his master for sympathy. He 

 could not be induced afterward to look at the 

 coon. 



Dog number three proved to be a yelping 

 cur. He did not attack the coon, but danced 

 around him, yelping all the time. He dis- 

 tracted the visitors with his incessant yelping. 

 His master could not call him off. Satan 

 set a trap for the cur, and caught him, too. 

 He went to the stake, pulled in the chain, 

 42 



