Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-09-06
A DOG HERO.
A Canine outcast that Saved Boys
Life.

While the poor fellow was wandering
about, apparently in search of some one
to take charge of him. Having always
felt special sympathy with such canine
outcasts, | Immediately adopted the
creature, who, by constantly licking my
hand and wagging his delighted tail,
manifested his appreciation of the
kindness.
What to call my new piece of live
stock somewhat puzzled me; and while
thinking aloud on the subject happen
ed to pronounce the word Carlo, at
which the dog pricked up his ears and
bounded and pranced about in the
most energetic manner, as if to show
me his happiness because had actually
guessed his name. | had secured Il
very atfectionate and, as / soon learned,
courageous companions; of no particu-
lar breed, he probably weighed about
eighty pounds. His dingy black coat was
extremely rough and shaggy; his head
and ears much too large for the rest of
him, and what might once have been
very respectable tail had lost about half
its original length. so that the vigorous
wagging of it which he often INDUCED
in seemed to destroy his balance and
twisted him about in most comical
fashion. Indeed, it was an actual ex-
ample of the tail wagging the dog.
A day or two after my find, when at
the railway station about to leave for
Florida, set my traveling-bag down,
and the instant my back was turned it
disappeared. Though no one was OBJ
served to 90 out or in, careful search
failed to reveal either the bag or the
culprit until Black Carlo, who had
been quietly smelling about, suddenly
pounced upon very solemn and inno-
cent-iooking old negro, who was sitting
on large dry-goOds box This ancient
darky had excused himself for not help
ing hunt for the bag "because de rheu-
matism has froze up all my bones" But
the dog, without the slightest regard for
the old fellows age or infrmity, grabbed
him by his coat-collar, and unceremon-
iously pulled him over backward,
tipping up his seat, and exposing the
stolen property which this expert thief
had placed under the box when no one
happened to be looking. The rapidity
with which the dusky scamp left the
depot proved the falsehood of his talk
about rheumatism; and he would surely
have made good his escape if Carlo had
not overtaken him just as ne was dart
ing through doorway, and getting a
firm grip on his immense foot, held fast
until a policeman came up.
One evening. after long tramp
through the interior, we came out upon
the sea-shore, where the bottom, being
smooth and gently sloping, offered OPP
portunities for u good swim, which some
of the party improved, leaving their
arms and luggage at our camp, back on
the high ground. In these waters there
is always more or less danger from
sharks, but rs this particular locality
gave no signs of the murderous crea-
lures, our boys tumbled in without fear,
and Charlie Butler. n mere lad from Sa-
vannah, to show what he could do,
swan out to n coral reef, nearly mile
from land. Before he was ready to re-
turn became tired of the sport and
went to look after the preparation of
supper. | had just succeeded in max
ing the cook understand what sort of
meal we required, when sudden out
cry told me something was going wrong
on the shore. Grabbing Il rifle and
fastening back with Carlo Mt my heels /
beheld Batter some distance away,
swimming with all his might, and only
few yards behind him the vertical fin
of huge shark. There seemed no pos
sibility that the boy S life could be saved;
we were without boats, and fish and
man were so nearly in line from us
that Gid not dare to fire. In n second
Black Carlo, compromising the stu
alton, dashed through the surf and
started to swim toward Charlie with a
speed have never seen equalcd by any
land animal. The boy having leisurely
covered most of the distance between the
reef and shore when the man-eater
started after him, was comparatively
fresh, and when he saw noble dog
Fastening to his help made q final, des-
perate effort to escape. In another in
slant Carlo was close to him. just then,
however, the shark, having come near
enough, turned so that we could see his
white belly glistening in the twilight,
and was ready for the spring that would
surely have ended Charities life when
Carlo. leaping clean over Butles's form,
appessieu Io 10 stIalght ihbo hie HUH
sters mouth; and the latter, having got
his supper, disappeared in deep water,
while the lad in few seconds was safe
on the shore. That night our joy over
our comrades rescue was mingled with
sorrow for the life so gallantly sscri-
feed in his behalf And to this day
the memory of that thrilling scene fills
me with sadness tor the loss OF Black
Carlo. my dog HERO Cottage Hearth.
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