NEIGHBORHOOD NUISANCE 215 



Dick said nothing further, but leisurely walked 

 to the fence, vaulted over, and came face to face 

 with me. 



"Good boy, Dick!" I said, as he looked up in 

 surprise and some sheepishness at getting caught ; 

 " I did think you were in for a warm time." 



"Huh!" said Dick, "that old cuss, I could 

 lick two of him. Hear him swear," he continued. 



And indeed the old man was giving the best 

 imitation of the army of Flanders I had ever 

 heard. He danced up and down and threatened 

 every sort of vengeance a distorted mind could 

 think of. 



We paid no further attention to the wretched 

 old man, but left him to cool off. I was too much 

 pleased with the unexpected fighting qualities of 

 my first-born to care enough about old Cyrus 

 to listen. To tell the entire truth, I was the least 

 bit disappointed that the old man had backed 

 down so promptly, for I possessed a deal of curi- 

 osity to see Dick in action. 



A few days afterwards, a dog that occasionally 

 came to the house, an inoffensive, good-natured, 

 trampish animal, was shot on the old man's land 

 and probably by him, although nobody saw him 

 do it. We heard the shot at dinner, heard the 

 agonized yelping of the poor animal, ran out and 

 found him dying in the rear of the old man's 

 house. 



