THE EARTH'S BOUNTY 



never fully recovered, dying from the effects 

 of the wound before the year was out. Jack 

 had escaped any bullets. Both dogs were 

 smeared with blood, so we concluded the men 

 had suffered. 



From the remarks about Rawlings' dog, and 

 the men's evident fright when they recognized 

 Jack as an old acquaintance, we were led to 

 believe that had we been able to trace the men, 

 we might have unearthed the mystery of the 

 tragedy that brought Jack to us. 



Some weeks after the attempted robbery I 

 noticed Jack putting up his head, sniffing and 

 growling several times during the early part of 

 the day. Later he was missing. 



About nine o'clock he crawled into my work- 

 room, dragging his hind quarters helplessly 

 along; he had been shot in the back. There 

 were a few minutes of content, having reached 

 me then the end came. Like his coming, his 

 leaving us was fraught with pain and misery. 



I have wandered far from the practical, but 

 Jack and Rover were such noble examples of 



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