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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1888)
THE WEST SHORE. After a time he noticed that the animal was in tently listening to something without, and beyond his vision, although, to the artist's ear, no sound broke the profound stillness. The muscles seemed to be strained to the utmost ; every nerve was quivering, the nostrils dilated, and the whole body had a wait ing, expectant air, though its former posture remained unchanged. Presently the long, shaggy tail began a slow, side wise wag of satisfaction, that grew swifter as the sec onds flew by. The eyelids opened and shut in a rapid, incessant motion, and if a dog can ever be said to laugh, the monstrous beast shook with convulsions and his leering jaws widened into a horrible grin. Did these demonstrations of joy spring from faithful affection toward an absent object about returning? He had known similar manifestations to be the out come of savage gloating over an expected victim. A shadow fell across the doorway, and a powerful figure, shaggy and massive and brawny as tbe beast there, strode in with a rifle across its shoulders and an ugly looking knife in its belt. The dog gave a tremendous leap toward ii Renfrew held his breath and instinctively closed his eyes. Would the dog miss tbe man's throat? A hearty, ringing voice brought the man to a sit ting posture. " Hi, Zeke, my boy ! I take no stock in kissin. Them be ways o' giddy wimmen-folk, wat's alius sloppin' over like a even-full bucket, wen th' surface 's riled a bit. Glad t' see yer pard? Down then, sir, an' gin me yer hand on 't, like th' honest gentleman ye air ; an' faithful, too, I trow, as th' ole clock in my mother's kitchen, that '11 gin th' hour as long as time lasts. A gentleman ' dyed in the wool, bred in the bone,' " affectionately patting the dog's head, while Zeke showed intelligent appreciation by vigorously wagging his tail, lolling his tongue, and by short, quici barks of assent. " An' why not?" glancing for the first time at Renfrew, as if expecting dissent frpm the statement " Thar be dogs thet be brutes, an' thar bo men thet be brutes. It be a poor rule thet won't work both ways, I reckon. Well, now stranger," with the monn- taineer's ready variableness of thought and speech, ; that serves him well in any emergency, " I 'lowed you-uns 'ud bo peart 's a cricket 'fore long. You-uns hed a mighty close call, le' me tell ye. W'en I stum bled acrost ye last evenin', ye jest raved 'boatsummat t' eat, an' nothin' else. I made a big kittlo o' strong broth, an' th' way you-uns wect fer 't made my eyes water ; an' arter thet ye went t' sleep like a baby. Hankerin' still arter th' loaves an' fishes, bo yo ?" as Renfrew's eyes wandered wistfully toward the fire place. " Wall, now, thet be nateral, an' a good omen generally, though not alios, I'm bound to admit. Thar be times w'en a man's stomach 's the very wust jedgo he kin tie to. Th' more bad whisky ho pours into it, th' louder it cries fer more, till th' filthy loech sucks th' vitals dry. Thet air a fac' wuth knowin, an' some men thar bo thet learn it to thcr cost Now, Zeko 'ere knows w'at reason fails to teach man. Ho won't tech it in any shape, Howsomover, you-uns has struck th' right lead, an' no bad konsekences '11 fuller, depend on 't Thar, stranger, eat an' bo filled with th' fat o' th' land-a dish fit fer a king." He set before him a shining tin platter, filled with the savory mess that had been so tantalizing, and which proved to bo some wild game, deliciously cooked and seasoned ; a royal feast, to which tho ar tist did ample justice, and soon really felt liko him self again, Zeke, too, camo in for a bountiful sharo of the feast, which disappeared with astonishing celer ity. " Thet dog 'as a most amuzen' capacity fer stowin' away victuals," remarked tho mountaineer, gazing fondly at tho hugo creature, that secmod oblivious of all else save tho business in hand -tho filling of his inner vacuum to his entire satisfaction. 11 Rut ho bo a philosopher wi' it all. Ho eats anything an' every thing that's set aforo 'im without gruuiblin', an' thot's a long shot more 'an some folks kin do, lo' mo tell yc. Intelligent? You-uns '11 believe it w'en yo git bettor acquainted wi' 'im. Not 'nother dog ekel to 'im to my notion. Kep' purty closo watch on yo, didn' ho, stran ger? I was afcard you-uns might git up an' wandrr off, ye know, an I scz to Zeke, sez I, ' Zeke, don' yo let thet air man git up till I como back.' I reckon of I'd 'a' staid till th' crack o' doom, you-uns 'ud 'a' both been thar yit, wi' stomachs holler 's an ole stump, fer Zeke never disobeyed a order. He'd a' gin yo fair warnin', an' ef yo'd 'a' flung it back in his teeth, you uns 'ud mos' likely been a heap sight th wustoat off." Renfrew thought it tho most likely thing in tho world, and was not in tho least anxious to try tho ex periment Ho at onco suggested returning to camp if the mountaineer would bo bo kind as to direct his course. Rut his host pronounced hirn unfit to roako tho journey before tho next day, and promised to ac company him, on condition that ho would bring his outfit down to his domain and sharo his cabin, and what comforts it afforded, as long as ho remained in tho mountains. Tho idea struck tho artist very fa vorably. Tho location was picturesque and grandly beautiful. Ho could not havo chosen a better spot for awakening dormant powers. Barely, if anywhere, tho priestess of his art had her templo hero. Resides, tho mouutaineer's offer Lad been given in such a spirit of simple, whole-hearted gencrcsity, that ho felt ho could not do otherwise than accept in tho same spirit of simple franknr.
