32. The Old Dog Saves His Master

p. 194

32. THE OLD DOG SAVES HIS MASTER (25)

A person went hunting, leaving an old Dog to keep watch of his house. One time when the man started out the Dog followed him, and the man said, "Stay and watch the house." When he said that the Dog whined because he wanted to go. Then the man said, "Why do you keep coming out whining like that?" He started out and the old Dog came after him. Then the man sat down in camp, and his Dog said to him, "Persons are following who want to kill you. I am whining because I am sorry for you." And he said, "Gather a lot of wood and place some big sticks of wood close by covered with your blankets so as to look like a man asleep. Kindle a big fire and go a little farther and hide. Two men will come and, when they get close to the fire, will think, 'That is the man lying there now,' and they will prepare to shoot. You, too, prepare your gun. When they come close to look, they will say, 'That is the man lying there.' Then both will shoot and, believing the man is dead, go to look at him. When they reach the fire shoot one of them down and the one who escapes pursue with a knife and kill!" This is what the old Dog said. And the old Dog added, "When you have gotten back, let me eat first; afterwards you can eat."

Everything happened as the Dog had foretold. When the would-be murderers shot at the supposed man, one of them said, "Now I believe we have killed him." So they went up to him and, while they were there, the man shot one of them down. He pursued the other and stabbed him with a knife. "Let me alone," he said, but he killed, him.

Then they started back and reached his house, and when he had had the old Dog eat first the latter went out to the edge of the yard and sat down. As be lay there he howled and died.