A Man and His Dog

A MAN AND HIS DOG
By Stewart Edward White

THE Man was in town buying an outfit, and incidentally, indulging in a last carouse. Like a good general, he made sure of his supplies first. As an incident to the carouse he got into an argument with a little unarmed man, and being magnanimous, merely knocked him down with a pistol barrel, whereby the little fellow had brain fever instead of no brains at all. Then the Man came to the end of his money, and sobered up. The following morning he gathered together his traps and left town. He had a heavy covered wagon, drawn by four mules, and in the wagon were provisions, blankets and prospecting tools. Under the axle dangled two empty pails, and still below them slouched a lank hound, with upturned eyes and blood-red lower lids. The Man sat on the seat smoking a pipe. He wore his broad hat a little more sideways than usual in honor of the occasion, had on a brand-new set of jeans, and a glittering belt full of brass cartridges to fit the ivory-handled Colt's .45 that stuck out of the open holster. A Winchester was slung inside.
Once clear of the straggling town the Man turned out across the open prairies. At each little hollow he would check

Đọc bản gốc tại Wikisource tiếng Anh