Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-08-11
NO. 30.
Rescued BY A Dog.

Fort Craig to the Rio Ora nde for bath
Among them was Captain Jack Crawford.
After being in the water about three-q quar-
tiers Of an hour Captain Jack started to
cross toward the other side over a sand-bsr,
on which the water was only from SIX
inches to foot deep. Several of the others
had followed Jack, and they had consider
able fun tripping each other and rolling
over in the water, while two of the boys
got Jack down in the shallow water and
tickled him in the ribs until he was nearly
exhausted with laughter, he being very
ticklish- In order to get away from his
tOrmentors Jack rolled over towards the
deep water on the lower edge of the bar,
and when he got up on his feet he kept
backing down stream, and although there
was not over two feet of water where he
stood, yet the current was so strong that il
would carry him down should he lose his
footing. lie kept splashing water on those
who had been tickling him and bantering
tnem TO come on after him. when suddenly
he made two or three desperate efforts TO
get back, but failed. Yet he said not a
word or the Others might have joined lands
and reached for him. No one dreamed for
moment that he was trying to extricate
himself from the qmcksand. All at once
he went down like piece of lead. Even
then We thought he had taken dive until
he was under water longer than a man
would willingly stay, and, indeed, no one
would have noticed this particularly had We
not heard a peculiar sound, more like the
roar of lion than anything else, and the
next instant Jacks dog, ''Hero, beauti-
ful ST. Bernard, was seen swimming
towards his master, while he set up a howl
that seemed to say, I'm coming" Jack
came up about twenty-five yards below
where he went down and right in the centre
Of terribly swift current, near where the
river would make u quick, sharp turn. He
was nearly exhausted when the sand broke
from under him, and, striking a whirlpool,
he could make little or no headway and
had TO use all his strength to keep from be-
ing caught in the suction. Hill, a soldier,
orderly for General Hatch, soon as he saw
the dog 60 for Jack ESQ sprang in the cur
rent, but Hero got tc ja.c.. first. iusf ss he
was going down the second time, and tax
ing him by the hair of the head brought
him above water. Jack, who never lost
his presence Of mind, caught the dog by
the back just above the hip, and the faith
full Hero brought him safe 10 shore, nearly
mile below where he first went down.
This was really a narrow escape, as an
officer and five soldiers went down nearly
in the same place few years ago and were
never seen. A wagon and team of mules
disappeared in the river two years ago and
have not turned up yet. An old Mexican
brought Jack over from the opposite shore
in boat, while Hero never ceased licking
his hands and face until he came out of the
boat. In about an hour Jack was all right
again, except that he had headache and
could not hear good, his ears being full of
water. He told his experience as follows:
when | got away from the boys | felt
kinder weak The derned cusses, they
tickled me till | couldn't kick: then when
| got near the lower end of the bar felt
the sand getting softer and my feet seemed
to stick as If they were being drawn down,
and had 10 keep pulling them out one
after another, when, all at once the whole
bottom seemed to drop right out of the
river, and down it went, and that under
current Just held my nose on the ground;
for little while, by Jove, l thought /
never would get up, and IN those few sec
Onds under that current of muddy water
saw more strange sights, in my mind, than
ever Jules Verne pictured fifty leagues
under the sea. When | did come up the
first thing I heard was Hero, then turning
round saw the dear old boy coming for
me with all his might. believe I'd lost
my senses if | hadn't seen that dog, but Just
then that old SpOttsylvania hip wound
stopped my right leg from doing any service,
and felt that ] had struck a whirlpool. /
kept on the outer edge as much as possible,
and believe | must have made about a turn
and half; when | felt had to 90 took
a long breath, shut my mouth, and the
next thing | knew Hero had me by the
hair. Ii was the first time | ever felt like
having my scalp lifted, at least above
water. As soon as got mOuthful Of air
Hero left go, and | caught hold of him by
the hips, when he tOwed me ashore. tell
you the hot sand was good layout for me.
| was never so much exhausted, and if
had been drowned | suppose the Coroner
would have said II was accidental drowning,
instead of being tickled to DEATH Captain
Jacks dog is without doubt the finest speci-
men Of the st. Bernard that | ever saw.
He is eleven months old, weighs l25
pounds. and is white as snow, hazel eyes,
and a very broad forehead and most in
telligent face.