The Midnight Fire.
ON THIS farm were large barns where the blooded horses and bulls were housed at night, each in his own stall, and over all were great hay mows where the hay and feed for them were kept.
Billy was fastened in one of these stalls every night, because previous to this he had eaten all the blossoms off the lemon tree, which was the pride of the mistress; chewed the bosom out of his master’s dress shirts for the starch that was in them; nibbled the trailing vines off the hanging baskets on the front veranda; and chewed the sleeve out of the cook’s new red calico wrapper that was hanging on a line outside to dry. Stubby, however, was allowed to rove around at will, but he always preferred to be locked up with Billy, as it was so lonesome when left alone outside.
As luck would have it, on the night of the fire he preferred to remain outside to gnaw on some bones he had hidden and to have a talk with a little hairless Chihuahua dog that lived on the farm. Had it not been for this, Billy might have been burned to death and this story brought to an untimely end, besides Stubby would have lost the chance of making himself a hero.
It was near midnight. His feast and chat with the Chihuahua dog were over and he was lying asleep just outside of Billy’s stall. Suddenly he was awakened by something hot dropping on his head and paw. Jumping up to find out what had hurt him, he saw flames pouring out of the open windows of the hayloft, and as he looked the frightened faces of two tramps appeared at the windows and then disappeared, only to reappear at another window where there was less fire. This window they climbed into and stood prepared to jump, but hesitated before taking the risk from that height, until the flames drove them off and they half jumped, half fell, to the yard below, where they dropped uninjured upon a pile of straw. They had scarcely landed when Stubby was after them, barking and biting at their legs, while they took to their heels in double-quick time, glad to get off the premises. Stubby did not follow them, for he knew that he must hurry back and awaken the household so some one would come and unlock the stall door where his beloved Billy was fastened. He ran back to the barn and commenced to bark, telling Billy that the barn was on fire.
“I knew it, Stubby. I have been smelling fire and smoke for the last half hour, but did not know where it came from. My stall is so dense with smoke I can’t see, and if it were not for this strong rope around my neck I would be out of here, for I could easily butt down the door, but this rope is as tough and strong as iron. I have been chewing it ever since I smelt the smoke, but it still holds together. I have pulled until my neck is nearly severed from my body and still it won’t break or slip over my horns. The horses and cattle are all in a panic and are snuffing and pawing like mad.”
“Keep on chewing, Billy, while I run to the house after help. Everything is quiet there; the night watchman sneaked to the city when every one went to bed and he has not returned, and at the house all are fast asleep, never suspecting that their property is being destroyed and their cattle in danger of cremation. Oh, why did the watchman leave his post?” And Stubby literally flew to the house and barked and barked, jumping against the door to make more noise and calling to the little Chihuahua dog to help arouse the sleeping inmates.
Every minute the flames rose higher and higher and the blazing building lit up the landscape for miles around. But the inmates slept serenely. Stubby ran to the back of the house and upset a lot of milk pails, knowing they would make a terrible clatter as they rolled about on the stones, then back again he ran to his master’s door, growling as before. At last a sleepy voice called out:
“If you are after a cat, let her alone and lie down; don’t arouse the whole household with your noisy barking.”