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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1888)
THE WEST SHORE. 7 a: 'J .tfv.-? AM ' to buy up Texas lauds an' come oyer thar an' rough it part o' th' year. Now they air a-buyin' purty much over all th' kentry. This guv'ment's a lettin' too many furriners gin'rally a comin, an' they air a goin' to prove a nest o' yaller-jackets, thet '11 stick like leeches, an' sting an' keep on a stingin' th' wusser, th' more this guv'ment tries to lick th' devil outer 'em. Got away frum my text? Thet's a fac', stranger. Well, in th' days o' th' Nazarene thar wuz prufets an' false prufets. So in our times thar be sov'ral types o' preachers. One builds his sarmon fast, then tacks on a tex' to suit. Tother takes his tex' any whars in th' .bible an' sticks to it like grim death, an' makes all on 'em bristle wi' damnation an' hell. Anuther likewise takes his tex', but sails straightway off wi' favorin' winds till he be clar onto' 1 ! sight o' land, an' mebbe he kin git back an' mebbe not. But, stranger, I be a good cruiser; I'll make th' harbor arter a while," and he laughed a hearty, wholesome laugh, that r- was pleasant to hear. " Well," he con tinued, "th' boss brought over a heap o' sarvants, an' his sister (he wuz a widower), an' his unly chil', a darter o' ten, wi' her maid an' guv'ness, an' Zeke thar. Vi'let wuz th' apple o' her father's eye, an' es purty es a pictur. Her eyes made me think o' nothin' but th' blue o' summer skies, an' her fluffy yallei hair bed th' gleam in brightness o' th' horizon w'en th' settin' sun gil's it She wuz like an angel o' light, flittin' hither an' yon, wi' a pleasant word or a bright look fer all, an' wuz th' idol o' th' sarvants. She an Zeke wuz fas' frien's, an' alius together. Many's th' time I ha' found her asleep wi th' dog for a pillar. Her father, too, sot great store by 'im, an fer th' best o' reasons. Th' dog hed a pedigree thet couldn't bo beat nowhara. His mother wuz a Bernard, wi' a streak o New Foun'lan' blood som'ars back in th' lino ; an' his fa ther, a full-blooded English bulldog. " But better 'an th' purity o' his pedigree, waz th' mem'ry o' his dog's fidelity. Oncet th' master went in bathin'. Fer some onaccountAble reason, ho be come frightened an' lost th' power o' motion. W'en he wuz sinkin' fer th' last timo, he felt 'imself caught by th' arm an' dragged to shore saved by his faith ful shadder. Another timo ho hed reached hum at dusk wi' a large sum o' money. He brought three gentlemen to dine wi 'im. Th' dog wuz overjoyed to see his master, but to oncot showed strango aversion to one o' th' three visitors, by snappin' an' snarlin' at his least movement. Later on ho manifested great oneasiness an' kep' up a constant beat through th' rooms an' halls, snifUn' an uttcrin' low growls, alius endin' wi' his master's bed chamber. His conduct wuz so sing'lar thet th' master an' two o th guests detarmined to sarch th' house an ferret out th' cause. Th' third visitor suddenly complained o' foelin' ill, an' excusin' 'imself, tuck a hasty leavo. On sarchin' his private room, a man wuz found hid behind a largo foldin' screen. Ho hed a long, sharp knife on his person, an' artcr'ards confessed thet his purpose wuz murder an' robbery, an' implicated th' third visitor cs a pardner in his plan. ' Twuz unly nat cral thet Zeke wuz over artcr'ards re- rrorrlrul na Inrrrrfluf. trim in Hi nml- I , 7': , 1 "You-uns knows how slick a olo 7'Y.r? r wagon runs arter it's smartly cleaned y r an' grcasod not a creak nur a jar no- wham. Wftll. At tlr mm! o' t iron month I hed things ! .1 ill y Lf f. u j fl I I ,s J, ... in tip-top shape, an' tuck prido in in akin' th' best showin' uv any over seer in th' kentry. Th' boss wuz migbt'ly pleased, cs ho orter be, fer it wuz all outgo with t'other man at th' helm. He wuz al ready talkin' o' goin' back an' leavin' rno in full charge he hed thet confidence in me. But now th' most on accountable sarkimstanco happened. I never could understand it no more 'an th rest uv 'cm. Even Zeke, to this day, is at a loss how it ever could, or did, happen." In affirmation of this statement, th) dog suddenly gavo vent to a stiilcd howl, that was liko a sobbing cry. " Jes hear 'im nowl Don' tell mo ho don' under stand every word thet's said. I'd stake all th' gold in Californy on thet p'int A dog's mem'ry lasts wi' his life. Es a rule, they never fergit a kindnoHS or a in jary. They're purty much liko human folks arter all, an run th' same gamut o' natur an stock. I ha'
