Hector and the Chickens.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1869, 6 February 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

Hector and the Chickens.

— . >~- ■< »— BY C. A. BALDWINi ♦ Here is a good story for lovers of oanln> eagacity. We ha 7e a big dog, which was sent to v some five or six years ago, when he was puppy, as a " Blue Belton " setter. Tim. however, • develuptid tho .^ct that he wa another kind of dog, and I think he is * mastiff. He was so good-nstured, affectionate, anc courageous that I could not make up nn mind to give him away, and so kept him il the yaid as a kind of guard, without, however, attempting anything in the way o: his education for any particular purpose. Well, I presume, according to his faithfu. dog nature, he thought (for who Bhall saj dogs dent think ?) he ougat to make somt return for his bodrd and lodging, and so ha constituted himselx a special police to watch over the chickens, of which we have some two or three dozen at all times in tne yard, and every evening it is amusing as wall as interesting to see his care of them. Without attempting to chase or worry them, ho takes his position near the door of the hen-house, aud watches intently till all the chickens go in. I had almost said ho counts them , bus waether he does or not, it ia not tae less true that none of them can I stray of?, as they sometimes do, without his manifehtmg unmistakable signs, by barking, or otherwise, of his uneasiness, and nos until the door is locked will he quit his post. This trait has been noticed and remarked j upoj by all the hou=eaold. Tae other evemr.g 1 took him down town with me for a walit, und oa turning to go baok I said to him, ia a natural tone of voice : '• Hector, don't you think it time for you to go home and look a:ter the chickena?" j Not expecting, of course, aay response to fc'ae question, I lorgot lor ths moment that I baa said anything to him; but soon afterward, upon iooKing arouud for him, I could j not find hiiu, ana huriied home, only to liod him at his pose and the chickens all in tho house. 1 locked tne door, and toou the key to the kitchen, where it is kept, thus rtlieving him from hid duty as a sentinel, the wagging of his taii telling us plainly as it could mat he was satisfied with his performance as well as my own. An editor can usually take a joke as well bs uujbody, but there are times, uunng the rubh of business thac he is apt to miss the pome of ihe joke for aome moments. Sucu au instance Happened reoently in a Boohartt newspaper office, whion resulted eerioualv for the joker. The juner in question happened to be tht editor's own brother, whom be hadn't sttb ior dfcn years. Hd oaoie to tae oity to surprise his Drutner and pay him a short vi»io, and being more or Itss giveu to praotiou. juiung, he concluded to watt upon hiorotuer in tha £iuae of the feller "wnai wants ler hok de editor." Hd was a Dig swapping feJow, well fitteu to euaco suca a pars, a aj. when he forced his way into ihd edaur's private office, he had hisnat pulltd down over me eyeß, and a cigar elev.ated at an augle of 45Jegs. f cauaiug mm to look very touga. •'Id aia de suitor V he asked as be faced his brother. "1 gueas you've struck it," replied the other. ' Waal can Ido lot you J" ••Nutmng," returned tha tough man. " It'u me ivuat wain's co do you. Are you prepared to CaKe a youd ncaiug?" •' J?uat'd wuute I live,'- ivpaed the editor, and wun tmaue felted up a lead cut of cnt! Exhibition and tdcumned it into the bad iuau'o taoe, knuoKiug mm clean under tho exenangb mole. J?nt> iorem&ii in the composing room had a roller in ma naud at cue tune, and hearing a strange noise in t'-e office, came running in just ia time tv jump on me toa^h mana etouiitch, aud run tne roller over his face. vVcen the man came to his senses, he expiated his lncie joke, disclosing his identity and all is now p_ace and jjy, oarnng a pmca of his tar that v mubing where the cus glanced off hia face. It took Bouiecicae to get the ink off hia face, and his btomaca ia still a little laino wnere ihu foreuitiu'a uucnoer elevens tracked it up, ouii otaerwiße he is now doing firsjrate. The most favorable day on whioh to race iQc cups is, of ouurse, & muggy one, A rolling «tone gathers no moss, and a Ssiitiug ucu. uaiohed no celluloid eggs. If .stolen jokes could go to heaven when tfltjf died, wnat au aucumng throng woulc meet at tne (iace Beauuf ai when She shade of a roiigious periodical appeared 1 Binnick : " I think I shall apply for a job as fool killer. 1 ' Cynio : ' D>a't! It would be tough on you to have to oommenoe your work by committing suicide." She Was Used to It.—" I'm sorry yonr papa is dead," said a lady to a Pittsburg little girl whose mamma had buried several has* bands. "Oh, that's nothing," replied the child | 'tiftpatmohaodU.*