76 THE BAKKING DOG. 



ness, plain as if it were noonday. They were ' dirty dogs/ 

 filthy brutes, ill-favored mangy curs all, and there they sat 

 and barked at the clock, barked at the mirror, at the store, 

 barked at one another and at me, with the same monotonous^, 

 meaningless, idiotic bow, wow ! as of old. 



I had two rifles and a double-barrelled fowling-piece, 

 sitting in the corner of the parlor adjoining our sleeping- 

 room, the gifts of valued friends. My wife, wearied with 

 the day's watching, had sunk into slumber on the bed beside 

 me. I woke her gently. 



" ' Make no noise,' I said, ' but bring me the guns ; do it 

 carefully.' 



" ' What on earth do you want of the guns ?' she inquired 

 in alarm. 



" ' Don't you see those infernal dogs ?' I answered, ' bring 

 me the guns, and I'll make short work with the howling 

 curs.' 



" ' Why, husband,' said she, ' there are no dogs here,' 

 and as she lighted the gas the curs vanished away. Bat 

 I saw them in the darkness. It was only when the light 

 flashed through the room, that they fled from it, and I heard 

 them barking in response to each other through all the 

 long night, till the dawn crept over the world again. 



" Years ago, I saved a boy from the meshes of the law, in 

 which his evil ways had involved him. I admonished him 

 of the end towards which he was hastening. I showed him 

 that the path he was treading led to destruction, and he 

 left it, as he said, forever. He apprenticed himself to a use- 



