Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-03-30

=
MAY I make use Of your story - said
I to him Is We parted. @@
"With all my heart" hcarcplied. '.And
if you like, III send you up my memo.
randa. Goodbye"
And this is the use have made of it..
CANINE SAGACITY.
=. The first case is one which occu, ed at a
fashionable watering-place on the east
coast Of Ireland, some twenty years ago,
and exhibits the remarkable sagacity 0
. dog in carrying out the dictates Of the
animal passion for revenge. The jctty
which stretched along the small harbor
was at that time used as promenade by
the elite among the sojourners Of the coast,
which, after the heat of the long summer
days, they RECALLED themselves with the
fresh evening breezes waited in from the
sea. Among the frequentcrs Of this fash
ionable resort was gentleman Of some
position, who was the ewner of a fine
Newfoundland dog, which inherited the
timc-honored possession Of that noble
brccd-very great power and facility in
swimming; and ut the period Of the even.
ing when the jetty was most crowded
with promenaders, his master delighted
to put this animal through q series of
aquatic performances, for the entertain.
ment Of the assembled spectators. Amusc.
ment being at q premium on the coast,
these nightly performances grew into
some thing. like an ''institution,"
and the brave "Captain"- such
was his name-..speedily be.
came = universal favorite on the jetty.
1t happened, however, that among the
new arrivals on the coast there came q
certain Major in her Majesty's army, &C.
companicd by two bulldogs of unusual
size and strength, and of very great value {;
but value in q bulldog being universally
proportionate toits beauty, the appear.
ance Of the Major and his dogs excited
no very enthusiastic pleasure among the
aesthetic strollers of the jetty. On the
first night on which the major presented
himself, nothing unusual occurred: and
the Captain Owed and swan as before.
But on the second evening, the brave
old favorite was walking quietly behind
his master down the jetty, when, as they
were passing by the Major and his dogs,
one Of these ugly brutes flew ut Captain,
and caught him by the neck in such a
way as to reuder his great size utterly
useless for his defense. A violent strug.
gle ensued, but the bulldog came off the
victor, for he stuck to his foe like leech,
and could only be forced to release his
hold by the insertion Of bar Of iron be.
tween his teeth: The indignation OF the
bystanders against the Major was of
course very great; and its feryor was
not little increased when they saw the
poor Captain vending his way homcward,
bleeding, and bearing all the marks Of
defeat. Some two or three evenings at
ter this occurrence, when Captain again
made his appearance on the jetty, he
looked quite crestfallen, bore his tail be-
tween his legs, and stuck closely to his
heels. That evening passed
away quietly, and the next, and the next,
and so on for about q week Captain
still bearing the aspect of mourning. But
one evening, about eight or ten days after
the above encounter, as the Major was
marching in his usual pompuous manner
along the jetty accompanied by his dogs,
something attracted his attention in the
water. and walking to the very edge of
the jetty, he stood for moment looking
down into the sea. Scarcely had the two
taken up their stand beside
their master, when Captain, Selling
the opportunity for which he had so
long looked rushed at, his former con.
lueror, and catching him by the back Of
the neck, jumped off the jetty with his
foe in his mouth, down some twenty feet
Or more into the sea. Once in the water,
the power of his enemy was crippled,
while Captain was altogether in his own
clement; and easily overcoming all efforts
1t resistance, he succeeded in resolutely
keeping the bulldogs head under water.
The excitement on the shore was intense.
the major shouted and called out "My dog,
my beautiful dog! Will nobody save
hing" But no one seemed at all inclined
to interfere, or to risk their lives for the
ugly dog. At length the Major called
out, "l'll give fifty pounds to any one who
will save my dog!' and soon afterward a
boat which lay at some little distance
pulled up to the rescue. Even then, how.
ever. it was only by striking Captain on
the head with the oars that he could be
forced to release his victim, which was
taken into the boat quite senseless from
exhaustion and suffocation, and was With
difficulty brought to itself again. Cap.
;ain, on the other hand, swan in triumph
10 the shore, amid tho plaudits of the
who shared, in sympathy, at
east, his well-earned honors Of revenge.
More remarkable than the sagacity in
carrying out the desire for revenge dis.
played by the Newfoundland dog in the
above case. is that which the following
illustrates:
A gentleman Of wealth and position in
London had some years ago country
house and farm about sixty miles from
the metropolis. At this country resi-.
dence he kept number of dogs, and
among them 4 very large mastiff and =
Scotch terrier; and ct the close of one of
his summer residences in the country, he
resolved to bring this terrier with him to
London for the winter season. There b..
ing no railway to that particular part Of
he country, the dog travelled with the
servants in post'carriage, and on his ar
'Av6A ~ VAC tOWuuVuSo WAS OTOUkut OUT
to the stable where large Newfoundland
log was kept Is watch dog. THIS latter
looked with anything but
pleasure on the arrival of the little intrud.
r, and consequently the Scotch terrier
nad not been very long in his new home
when his canine master Of the stable at.
lacked him, and in the language ofhuman
beings, gave him sound threshing. The
title animal, could, of course, never hope
~ himself to chastise his host for his in.
lospitab!e welcome, but he determined
hat at all hazards, by some agency chas.
iscment should come. Accordingly, he
ny very quite that night in q remote
corner Of the stable. but when morning
lad fully shone forth he was nowhere to
,e found. Search was made for him, as
he phrase says, high and low, but with.
'ut success, and the conclusion arrived
It was that he had been stolen.
he third morning after his disappear.
nee. however, he again showed himself
n London, but this time net alone for, to
he amusement Of every one. he entered
he stable attended by the big mastiff
rom Kent. This great brute had no