WHAT THE DYING DOG THOUGHT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 2, Issue 629, 26 November 1880, Page 2

WHAT THE DYING DOG THOUGHT.

" Yes, it- has some at last! -I am badly hit 1" I will crawl into, that hfedge, if I oin ! and''the wounded •, "dog 'slowly crawled into the' great goxse hedge .and laid down, while' ; the shepherd (who had 'shot him fromthe othereideof the hedge) fastened to see . whether., his. shot had takan.eflect, He,quickly., potceived that the dog was bfidlywounded,-and .returned tQ. the hpnte station' for' some.tneans-tb get his qtiarryout of the hedge. ' • Meanwhile, the wounded dog gazed out PI the lovely Bummer morning—upon the clear blue sky, decked with clouds of flossy-whiteness-upon. the' brifliant sun and' verdant sward - and panted for breath j and thought of why he was lying there, with that dull, curious pain in his side, and his inability to move, A feeling of sickness, too, .was creeping over him, and, he laid down his head, yet still kept his eyes-now not so clear of sight as they were a few moments ago—upon the glorious day outside. •"Yes,"thought Spot, "that bliol was meant for me. There was no rabbit near this time 1 ■ That man meant to Bhoot me. He has gone to the house to get some of the other dogs to drag me away from herb. He will be back directly, I know; but I don't care much what he does now. I never saw him before. I wonder why he wanted to shoot me? That shot, too, down at tho tent ,in the' bush last night must have been intended , for me. Why was that,? My first old master, with the kind voice and caressing hand, lives there. I badly wanted to get near. him; yet he cam.o, out of his tent and pointed his guu at me. I felt the shot fly past me, but there ' might have been a rabbit there. Surely he didn't intend to shoot me, for I'can remember him as far back as I can remember anybofly. I wont down to the teiit"purposely to'find him, too, although' itis.now a longtime since he sold me. No, the gun was ; not pointed at me.; What a- mistake I made to run ■ away I All, Ijiught to have run away this time" when saw the gun; then I should not 1 feel this curious paimin my ; Bide. I won-; der whether I can lick it," and Spot tried to turn his head to the wound, ' " No, it is of nb use/'continhod he to himself/ again sinking his head, I ought to have! run away, like I did a day, or two ago, when the men from the big house chased: 1110, What a run that was I They nearly : caught we, too, juat as I had .fairly got, the lamb down and .was going to eat it. That.lamb must.be over in the field now.: How it bled, and,how pleasant it was to taste the blood!,.

i ;, w ? d , e £;have been dated so lately? What ; haveJl done that my o d meters hunfcima Arid point their cads iu™ 6 , , ?, 3 - lfc be( >atiße.l would.not hunt the rabbits -up iri ! the 1 hills for the &an who now tome upand beats me? .Whydid he beat melDiduot that dun-colorei ' 081,8 ' T'ger,' almost f^^ll^^ie^jber^i'yetllthinlc.lgave hiw nearly as much as I got. Whyehoald f. hunt,.with .that disagreeable lot ? There la not a dog in the Valley that can hunt ® . rabbit,like I can; and.take itoufcy too/to Jay at my'inaster's feet, but I won't hunt with Tiger, and if evfr t get near that ivhat pain 1" and spot drew himself together with,dyina agony/" , f . , ' ' 8 .., But J the spasm passe, and Spot; panting a little more quickly and meekly, oontinued his soliliquay, ' Hour th raty l feel I How pjeaiant.a <suck'<. at that little jaitfb would be now 1 rl wa» coming down to find it thu morning raw'

Well he never .beSthift, so I. cim trdomplain about him, ontyihe was' to shoot me."' Hi/re Spot and growled once ' he waa thinking oyer his • iTiger/. And his" 6y6s ;, graw:' ; he could, not .distinctly.see the. ;ahinin^so gloriously side of the hedge. Thaii. all." kiE-: once: he; recovered hfc Jhejitd;' tliev j^i'6 1;B^®P?., l-^! I ®^?lv®ph^ l^r eturnin<»ifr^fc r the house, and he raiseH hiß head and,listened.' "Ah I here" j cpraea ; , ! that. tnan,"j tlibuf ht ■ .?Pss». , lly?ihe;ffon't'firid f don't ctire'w hSthfifheyoM^lKfeel^y 4 twed sieepy. I- think I shallgo to sleepy I ,land jrity a long-drawn Inoan'Spntslept^