28 



RECREA TION. 



the other and looked at me, and so that I 

 might keep things square in the canoe, I 

 shifted to the other gunnel and watched for 

 sumthin' to take place. We wuz this way 

 for some time, when the durn little spike 

 horn slipped off'n made for shore. 



"If I wuz ever tender hearted, it wuzn't 

 than, for I plugged a 44 behind his ear 

 with'ut feelin' a bit sorry. 



" So now boys, you've heern my yarn, 

 and I'd like to know what eny of ye would 

 hev done if ye wuz in my place." 



A TRIBUTE TO THE DOG. 



An exchange prints the following story: 



Some years ago Senator Vest went down 

 in Missouri to try a law suit. Another case, 

 a dog case, was on the docket just ahead of 

 him, and he had to wait till this was dis- 

 posed of. One of the lawyers in the dog 

 case asked Vest to help their side, and the 

 Senator said he would. So he was paid a re- 

 taining fee of $25, by the plaintiff, and the 

 trial went on. Voluminous evidence was 

 introduced to show that defendant had shot 

 plaintiff's dog, in malice, and quite as much 

 to prove that the dog was vicious and had 

 attacked the defendant. Then the lawyers 

 made their addresses to the Court, going 

 over the evidence thoroughly. All this 

 time Senator Vest sat with his big round 

 head buried between his shoulders, without 

 saying a word. He seemed to be asleep 

 most of the time. 



" Vest," remarked his associate coun- 

 sel, " it is now our time to close. You do 

 it." 



" No," said the Senator, " you know 

 more about the case than I do; you finish 

 it up." 



" But you must do something to earn 

 your fee, or our client will be sore." 



So Vest rose from his chair, straightened 

 the kink out of his neck, looked first one 

 juror and then another in the face, until he 

 had spent several minutes in making the 

 round of the 12 good men and true. Then 

 he began: 



" Gentlemen of the Jury — The best friend 

 a man has in this world may turn against 

 him and become his enemy. His son or 

 his daughter, whom he has reared with lov- 

 ing care, may prove ungrateful. Those 

 who are nearest and dearest to us; those 

 whom we trust with our happiness and our 

 good name, may become traitors to their 

 faith. The money that a man has he may 

 lose. It flies away from him perhaps when 

 he needs it most. A man's reputation may 

 be sacrificed in a moment of ill-considered 

 action. The people who are prone to fall 

 on their knees to do us honor when success 



is with us, may be the first to throw the 

 stone of malice when failure settles its cloud 

 upon our heads. The one absolutely un- 

 selfish friend that man can have in this self- 

 ish world; the one who never deserts him;, 

 the one who never proves ungrateful or 

 treacherous, is his dog. 



" Gentlemen of the jury," the Senator 

 continued, " a man's dog stands by him in 

 prosperity and poverty, in health and in 

 sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, 

 where the wintry winds blow and the snow 

 drives fiercely, if only he may be near his 

 master's, side. He will kiss the hand that 

 has no food to offer; he will lick the 

 wounds and sores that come in contact 

 with the roughness of the world. 



" He guards the sleep of the pauper mas- 

 ter as if he were a prince. When all other 

 friends desert, he remains. When riches, 

 take wings and reputation falls to pieces,, 

 he is as constant in his love as the sun in 

 its journey through the heavens. 



" If fortune drives the master forth an 

 outcast in the world, friendless and home- 

 less, the faithful dog asks no higher privi- 

 lege than that of accompanying him, to- 

 guard him against danger, to fight against 

 his enemies; and when the last scene of all 

 comes and death takes the master in its em- 

 brace,, and his body is laid away in the cold 

 ground, no matter if all other friends pur- 

 sue their way, there by the grave will the 

 noble dog be found, his head between his 

 paws, his eyes sad, but in alert watchful- 

 ness, faithful and true, even in death." 



Then Vest sat down. This remarkable 

 speech he had delivered in a low tone, and 

 without a gesture. No reference had he 

 made to the merits of the case in hand. Not 

 a word had he uttered about the evidence. 

 When he finished judge and jury were seen 

 to have tears in their eyes. The jury filed 

 out, and in a minute or two returned to the 

 court-room. The plaintiff had asked for 

 $200 damages; the verdict gave him $500, 

 and several of the jurymen wanted to hang 

 the defendant. 





