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.