The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1879-09-26
Hunter, the Greyhound.
BY MRS. M. L. BALDWIN.


Come, little ones; gather around me.
Come close as you can. The more of you
there are and the nearer you get to me
the better, for love to tell you stories.
I like to see the bright eyes grow
brighter, the dimples in the cheeks and
smiles on the rosy lips; for dearly love
good little children, and I like to make
them happy.
am going to tell you some true stories
about dogs. Let me see! Which shall
tell first?
"Hunter, the greyhound, did you say,
Master Harry? Well, then, here it is:
Many years ago family, friends of
mine, moved from an Eastern city, way
out West, where the country was all new,
and most of the people lived in log
houses. There were few roads over the
prairies and the wild deer were very
plentiful.
A neighbor of my friends owned fine,
white greyhound. Perhaps some of you
have never seen greyhound; SO I will
tell you that they are very slender dogs,
with long legs, sharp noses and bright
eyes; they can see a long distance and
run very fast.
This dog was named hunter. He used
often to come with his master to the
house of my friend and he had a way of
making himself quite at home when
there He would scratch at the door
when he came, and when it was opened
for him, would walk right in and stretch
himself on the rug in front of the blazing
wood fire; and sometimes when he found
himself too warm there, would take a
place on the sofa without waiting to be
asked.
I am sorry that he was NOT very care
full about keeping clean. He used to
come sometimes with very muddy feet,
and his nice, white coat all soiled with
mud; but if he was turned from the door
-as he was sure to be when in this
plight--he would jump in at the first open
window he could find, and make himself
quite as much at home as if he were
clean. My friend, who was very neat
and particular in all his ways, at last
kept long whip where he could get it
quickly when needed, and would drive
the dog away whenever he came with
muddy feet.
Hunters master had gone from home,
and he seemed lonely and restless, and
made frequent calls at the house of my
friend, as if he was looking for his mas
ter.
One night the family were all gath
cred AROUND the fire, when they heard
the well-known scratch at the door; and
when it was opened there stood Hunter,
but instead of running into the house
and settling before the fire, as he was in
the habit of doing, he stood outside,
wagged his tail and whined. He would
not come in until called and coaxed for
some time; and when he did come into
the lighted room, my friends were
shocked to see him covered with blood.
They examined his body, but found no
wounds. He was so uneasy and seemed
so anxious to get out that they opened
the door for him, but he was not satis-
fed to go alone. At last one of the
young men of the family said he would
follow him and see what was the matter.
Hunter became perfectly quiet when
this was proposed, and waited quite pa
tiently for the young man to put on his
overcoat, for it was very cold.
Hunter trotted on ahead of the young
man, looking back now and then to be
sure he was coming, until they had
walked nearly q mile, when he stopped
and stood wagging his tail when the
young man came up with him.
What do you think the dog had done?
He had chased deer, caught and killed
it, and then went to the house and told of
it as well as he knew how. The young
man went home and got a sleigh, for the
deer was too heavy to carry so far alone,
and Hunter staid there and watched it
until the young man returned with his
brother.
After this, Hunter became pet in my
friends family and was always welcomed
at the freside; and my friend kept an old
blanket and a fur cape with which he
used to make nice, warm bed for him
on the sofa; for he said, ssa dog who
knows enough to go out and kill deer,
and return for help to bring it home,
ought to be very well treated.