"BOSS."

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 87, 13 April 1927, Page 21

"BOSS."

THE MOUNTIES' DOG. A TALE OF THE NORTH '"'EST. I. Corpuiul Larrance stopped before ilic porch of the mounted police barracks and whistled for his collie dog. The Indian summer day poured sun, and far off at the edge of the world the line ot Rocky Mountains rose glistening. They won t have days like this at home," said the young man, to the •arriving dog; '"give you my word they <lon t Boss. "Go you ten hob it is rain mg on little old Brighton this verv minute." The dog, quick to take his master's mood, pretended a dreamv interest while Larrance sat down on the top step to appreciate the view further. "Sixty miles!" lie murmured, "and thev look as though you could drop a rope on them." He was speaking of the shining peaks. He was a tall, grayeyed Briton, with a beautiful tan "from i his summer's patrol. His eye fell languidly on the golden dog. * "Well, we're not fiends of energy, are we, Boss?"' he drawled, and all those dashed reports to do. Come here and talk to me, you lazy beast." Boss stood and gazed at the inexplicable creature whom he knew bv sight and smell and sound, yet could never entirely comprehend, until Larrance laughed. The affection was mutual, for ' Boss had been put into his pocket three \cars before by the boy's sister when he was leaving Eversleigh Court for this adventure overseas. The do™ was a living link with home, and durin? those first hard months when fatigue and raillery and the tortures of adjustment had nearly broken his spirit, Boss's puppy faith in him had held the recruit steady. With a wisdom rare in youngsters, the collie had kept himself unobtrusive, and so won for himself a place in barracks; and from beiii" < irresponsible and winning, he grew to a certain night when that occurred which won for his master the coveted stripes and for himself the esteem of all ranks, jit had been a case of finding a trail. It was a mere game to Boss, But to Inspec- : tor Oakley the significance was not lost. " And by the way, Larrance," he had said, " give your dog an extra bone from me. He ought to be drawing pav checks." From that time on, tho young policeman had undertaken Boss's education seriously. They sat for a long time ill the sunny stillness without speaking, lost each in his own dreams, until Larrance said, " You do approve of me, don't you, Boss!" His voice had resumed the playfulness for which the dog had been listening. Instantly he unlimbered and began sprawling at the corporal. ■" My gravy, son, down! Clear out! You won't offer to clean them, you know, so don't dirty them. Die, please." The voice was earnest and Boss instantly died, going limp in the dust, apparently not breathing, while his master brushed his paw-marks from the yellow stripe on his riding-breeches. "That's all right, old dear. You're not dead, you know. You've only got a broken leg." At once the dog commenced to dray himself about, his hind leg trailing in the dust, his ears drooping, mouth sagging, the very moving picture of misery. The corporal burst into a loud laugh. "Come on. Get well of it," he ordered. " I can't bear to see you suffer so, old chap. I'll go in and rustle a bite for you. Recover, I say." The collie was immediately himself, | and Larrance rose to keep his promise, I when Sergeant-major Bolen appeared. " Hello, Larrance. Looking for you. The O.C. wants to see you at once. Jump into a coat and make it lively." "Will you chivvy up a bone for Boss? I promised him." "Yes. Hurry into the red, now. The old man's not too glad. Van Hern's been in again, grousing about our poor ways." In less than three minutes Corporal Larrance was standing at attention before Inspector Oakley, who was saying, "I've had to call in Constable Minor, Larrance. He's fallen down on the Twin Coulee case. The stock continues to disappear, and Mr. Van Hern can make the force the subject of much unfavourable criticism unless we clear the matter up shortly. I have sent for you because you put the last case through so promptly, and because you are new to that section. Have you your civilian clothes here?"'

" Yes, sir." " They will come in useful. I propose to release you from other dutiies until otherwise ordered. You will proceed at once to the Twin Coulee neighbourhood and post yourself on conditions. Report your findings when possible. If you need assistance, call on the Eagle-wing detachment. Mr. Yau Hern seems anxious to co-operate.'' "Did he co-operate with Minor, sir?" " I believe he did. On the night that Minor suspected a killing was to take place, Yau Hern drove to the Eaglewing detachment while Minor watched the ranch. But no killing came off."' Yery good, sir," said Larrance. After a few additional injunctions, Corporal Larrance saluted and left. Outdoors, in the soft sunlight, he found his dog masticating a soup-bone. "Come here, Boss," he commanded. "Salute!" The collie left his bone and, standing before his master, barked twice sharply. " At-ten-shun!" Boss froze. "Now listen, sir. We're going off on a lark, you and I. old man. All the money we need to spend, all tho time wc need to spend it. only you obey your superior's command*. * Will must agree to be a good constable and you ?" Boss waved his tail slowly. " Prove it." Boss wagged himself over all. thoroughly, ludicrously. Larrance laughed and went to "get his things. Mr. Wilson \ an Hern was considered the niost successful of the recent settlers in Eagle-wing County. He had come in as government surveyor and had taken up a mixed ranching proposition on the side, about twelve miles from the railroad. His business prospered. Even through the last two winters, when his neighbours lost many head of stock owing to the severity of the season and the adroitness of the cattle-thieves, tho Yan Hern herds more than held their own. His Big-V brand decorated the finest steers in the township, and his neighbours elected him head of the local stock association in the hope that his wisdom, or luck, would arrest their own ill fortune. And for a time, it did. The weather moderated and not even a calf was "lifted." Then, in one ninht. Chuck arren lost fifty yearlings. A | meeting was tailed. Mr. Yan" Hern i made &• ringing address on the lieirligeiice | °f. tho mounted police and offered To go ! with the intention of laying a complaint. pei!»onally to the district headquarters He did so, and again there was a lull .broken eeverelv the loss of gem

Weetils year's crop of colt?. Another, meeting, a fierier speech, another "v isit! to police headquarters by Mr. Van Ilrrn. 1 It ■was three days after this when the • chairman of the local stock association ( was driving home in his buggy with I his survey instruments that he w as' surprised to see the tigure of a man in the road ahead. I?c was on foot, which was unusual in that country. He was accompanied by a large, shaggv do~ who seemed painfully lame. Van Hern had not noticed them before, which wa* strange, hut it was so nearly du.-k that the rancher thought no more about thnt. but reined in and said, " Where arc you going, stranger?'' (To be continued next Wednesday.)