The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-09-05
INTELLIGENCE OF CREATURES
tPeek's Sss.I

Some gentlemen were riding on train
 one hot day, and sending clouds ot
 smoke Ont of the windows or the sm0k-
 ing-car, and telling stories to while away
 the time. The conversation turned on
 the intelligence Of animals, and several
 related incidents that had come under
 their observation. which demonstrated
 that animals had sense. One told of a
 horse he had that wsald wait around
 saloons half the night, waiting for him,
 going fr0m one saloon co another, with
 the buggy, and when he was drunk enodgh, and his friends had loaded him
 into the beggy, the horse would go home
 on slow walk, and rap on the windew
 with his nose, and wake the mans wife
 up to let him in, and the next day the
 horse wouk look ashamed of hls master.
 Another told of a retriever dog he had
 that would retrieve nothing bat canvassed
 hams. He wonld steal ham in front of
 a grocery, or tn storeroom of a neigh
 hcE's house. and always bring the ham
 home in good shape. The man said one
 such dog could earn half a living for
 family. Others had stories of cats, COWS,
 and goats, but 6nally bald-headed man
 with red nose, who had evidently been
 out fishing, set his jaw to wagging, and
 that settled it. Said he:
 Few people would believe that the
 hsh called pickercl, could show any
 affection or gratitude to man, but l lEnow
 better. was out fishing this summer,
 for black bass. was using frogs for
 bait, and every little while would get a
 bite, and on pulling up would find that
 hsh had scraped the pants of ny frog
 with his teeth, or that he had taken a hind leg of. It was not a characteristic of the black bass to bite that way, and I was annoyed. would put on fresh frogs, and the fish would bite them in two, not touching the hook at all Every time, after bite, big pickerel would swim along on top of the water, and look up at me with comical expression, as much as to say, 70, why don't you give us mlnnows f put on another hook, and finally had Mir. Plckerel where the hair was short and hauled him in. clicked and acted sorry, and after removed the hook from his mouth let him go, and he dove into the water, and wiggled his tail as much as to say, T am confoundedly obliged to you.' We'll, fshed for an hour and finally caught the same pickerel again, and talked to him like Dutch uncle, telling him he was no gentleman to be fooling around a mans frogs who had never done him any harm, and cali- ing his attention to the fact that 1 had spared hls life before and now had him In my power again, and could kill him if chose, though didn't want any pick erel to eat. Do you know, the tears came into that pickerel's eyes as I talked | to him, and he had a penitent look on | nls face. l have never seen pickerel | look so sorry as he did. Then told him | was going to let him go once more, and | depend on his sense of gratitude to do the square thing by me. said wanted him to hustle around in the water and | try to steer some black bass on to my hook, and l threw him into the water again. We'll, if you ever saw gratitude in a fish's tail, it was expressed in his when he disappeared under the water. He looked back as much as to | say, Boss, you have dene a good deed, and appreciate it, and you can depend upon me- Pretty soon saw the pickerel dart at my frog, and almost lost faith in him, but he passed by, and black bass that was following him took the frog, aud pulled him out, while the pickerel looked up to me and winked. as much as to say, How is that for high?' Soon another bass was hooked, and pledge my word as fisherman that caught fifty-seven black bass in less than two hours, and every time got a bite my pickerel was right there in sight He bad evidently struck school of black bass, and said to them in fish language. Come on, boys, know where there's dead loads of frogs, and they followed him, and he pretended to go for the frog, just to get the bass excited, and would then turn of to one side and let the bass, who did not know the frog was loaded take it. have been to that same place several times since, and as soon as the pickerel finds out that am there, begin to get black bass, and it is as plain to me as the nose on my face, and that is plain enough, it is so red, that the pickerel un what l said, and showed more gratitude than some human beings would, who had their lives saved. Hon. estly, when another pickerel. or bull head, would go smelling towards my frog, my pickerel would drive them away, and say as plain as actions could say,
 You leave that frog alone. That is a private frog, and will take care of it. It was the most marvellous thing ever saw, and would like to have some of you go out with me some time, and see the pick erel work. fit was not intelie ence and gratitude, how do you account for h5" said the bald-headed man, turning to a travelling man who had look of incred- ality in his face.
 Account for it2" said the travelling man. 1t is easy enough to account for 1t. You are a condam liar"
 co" said the red-nesed man, "some- body must have told you" And the ceased.