Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-14
Our Chat With the Little Folks.

dogs or not, we are aure that they are
all fond ofdog stories, These animals
are very knowing; indeed, they seem !
sometimes to reason, and We have
known some dogs which really appear.
ed % know more than their masters.
There are" many Interesting stories
about dogs, some of which, from time
to time, We hope give TO our young !
readers. DR.. Beetle says he has one
for US now. So let US hean what it is.
.'@E HOW 4 DOC SAVED 4 sHrp.
IA Yankee sea captain, when in
France, got fine little rat-terrier,
whdch he called Neptune. He took
The little dog to sea with him, he soon
became, quite a sailor They were
sailing at one time IN the Gulf of
MEXICO i'm q dangerous neighborhood,
and had to keep constant watch; for
allalong the coast near which they
were there are long, low reefs and
islands and bars, which havo caused
the destruction of many vessels. Sep
"One evening when the captain
went to bed he told the mate to be
sure and call him by three o'clock in
the morning, for by that time he ex-
pected to be within sight of a light
house which was near a dangerous
reef Of rocks call the sDouble-headed
Shot-keys.' He wanted to look after
the ship himself at that dangerous
place. After the captain went to bed
the mate went into the cabin for some
thing, and while sitting there, being
very tired, he fell asleep. The men
on deck having. no one to watch them
also fell asleep one by one,s and even
the Spanish boy at the wheel, whose
business it was to steer, was about
half asleep.
"Meantime the wind changed, .
stiff breeze spung up, the sails were
filed, and the good ship ploughed
through the ocean briskly, straight
toward the Double-headed Shot-Keys.
The little spanish boy, half asleep at
the helm, knew not of the danger,
neither could he see ahead from
where he stood, for the great sails
concealed the view of the lighthouse
but Nep, good sailor that he was, dis
covered that land was near; he smelt
it, and he saw the light. He rushed
down to his masters state room, and
barked, and jumped as he lay in his
berth. Get down. be still, Nepp
said the sleepy captain. But Nep
would not be still-he only barked
the louder. BE STILL said the cap
tain again, and he pushed the dog
away. Again the faithful little fellow
jumped Up, pulled his masters sleeve.
and took hold Of his arm with his
teeth Then the captain thoroughly
roused began to think something must
be the matter, Ha sprang up, and
Nep ran forward, barking TO the
companion way. The captains head
no sooner came above the deck than
hesaw what was the matter. Right
ahead was the fearful rock and the
lighthouse, and the ship plunging to-
ward it At the rate of nine miles hour
He seized the helm the ship strug-
gled, swung round, and when her
coursesYas shifted, che was so near
the fook that In three minutes more
she would have struck and been q
wreck. The sleeping sailors were
reused to their duty, and the aston.
ished mate rose up from his nap on
the chest, to learn that but for the
faithful dog the waves might have
already closed over them.
"po you wonder that the captain
thinks bis dog is worth his weigh,
in golds He has been offered large
sums Of money for him, but money
cannot buy him. He does not 60: te
sea now. 'Nep went as long is his
master went, and now he makes him
self quietly useful at home by catch,
ing all the rats in the neighborhood.'
This wasscertainly a faithful dog
he WAS more faithful than the sleepy
mate. TIE Only wsy. for either mer
or dogs tosucseea Is BY faithfalnesl
Hold oh and hold OFT, and success il
yours.
'That know to be true" says Mr.
Short. 'I've watched folks q fooa
deal in my time. I've seen some whe
lazy, who sleep when they ought te
work. They never get' along well
I've known some who get discouraged
very eastlys They arc not. the ones
to ppsk ihsjr wsythrough Hsas, Their
! have known others who kept OF
trying NATL they; succeeded. Ifreas
the other Day about . boy Of thil
sort. Here's the story. ~ &
TH1 p1Rs1vERJNo Hox.sF SgZaS
"gE, sid boy adlrsssinea q man
do youswaAt q &bdv tosSuvork ~ frnr ,