Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. IIVarious
General
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. VII, December 1850, Vol. II
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
"About noon, I happened to be standing at the door looking toward the
direction which the Englishman had taken when I perceived a dark object
moving slowly along. Presently I heard howls of distress, proceeding
from a wounded dog that was dragging himself toward me. I ran to him,
and recognized the Englishman's grayhound. His head was torn, evidently
by a bullet, and one of his paws broken. I raised him in my arms, and
carried him into the house. When I crossed the threshold he made evident
efforts to escape; so I placed him on the ground. Then, in spite of the
torture he was suffering, which caused him to stagger every moment, he
dragged himself up-stairs, and began to scratch at the door of the room
where his master had slept, moaning at the same time so piteously, that
I could scarce help weeping myself. I opened the door and with a great
effort he got into the room, looked about, and not finding whom he
sought he fell down motionless.
"I called my father, and, perceiving that the dog was not dead, we gave
him all possible assistance, taking indeed as much care of him as though
he had been a child, so much did we feel for him. In two months he was
cured, and showed us much affection; we found it, however, impossible to
take off his collar, even for the purpose of binding up his wounds. As
soon as he was able to walk, he would often go toward the mountain and
be absent for hours. The second time this occurred we followed him. He
proceeded as far as a part of the road where a narrow defile borders a
precipice; there he continued for a long time, smelling and scratching
about. We conjectured that the Englishman might have been attacked by
robbers on this spot, and his dog wounded in defending him. However, no
event of the kind had occurred in the country, and, after the strictest
search, no corpse was discovered. Recollecting, therefore, the manner in
which the traveler had treated his dog, I came to the conclusion that he
had tried to kill the faithful creature. But wherefore? This was a
mystery which I could not solve.
"Bevis remained with us, testifying the utmost gratitude for our
kindness. His intelligence and good-humor attracted the strangers who
frequented our inn, while the inscription on his collar, and the tale we
had to tell of him, failed not to excite their curiosity.
"One morning in autumn, I had been out to take a walk, accompanied by
Bevis. When I returned, I found seated by the fire, in the common-hall,
a newly-arrived traveler, who looked round as I entered. As soon as he
perceived Bevis, he started and called him. The dog immediately darted
toward him with frantic demonstrations of joy. He ran round him,
smelling his clothes and uttering the sort of salutation with which he
honored you just now, and finally placing his fore-paws on the
traveler's knees began to lick his face.
"'Where is your master, Bevis? Where is Sir Arthur?' said the stranger,
in English.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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