Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1889-12-27
Animals as Actors.

Many fnlmals have the dramatic In.
stinct; that IS, they enjoy acting a part
anti making believe" as much as some
children do. An English gentleman
who had once been In the cavalry ssr-
vice, used to tel me great many An.
-.ssgzsnss 'asoyt { L3rs0-LA.s1->ss.ssss..,.
his regiment
"Old Sal, as she was called. had
innumerable tricks and devices of her
own, and was quite the practical ioker
Of the company. A very common one
with her was suddenly 70 nip with her
teeth the man who was grooming her
and when he looked up angrily after
such an unprovoked attack. he wonld
always find her gazing innocently into
the distance as if she never dreamed
OF doing such thing. She knew how
to turn her cleverness to her own pd.
vantage, too. The horses we're Fed
from long trough, with a swinging
bar between each two to keep them
apart aud secure the proper division of
the oats. Old Sal would quietly blow
her own oats into the fartherest cor
ner, and then putting her head over
the bar, blow her neighbours oats
within her reach, eat them, and then
return to her own share.
Dogs are very fond Of pretending,
| know little dog, the especial Pet Of
his mistress, who will assume five or
six different parts in the course of a
game. One of his favorite PLAYS is ia
rush at his mi tress as IL he was going
to make furious attack upon her with
his teeth and claws, but he takes the
greatest care never TO really hurt he =.
Then he Will be exceedingly mournful
and In an instant all life and fun.
changing quite as suddenly into an air
and attitude of resentful Indignation.
and all these with the same ease that
a comic actor ON the stage might show.
But the best netting ever beard a
was done by dog of the kind called
n "lurcher." He belonged to d famous
poacher, who is man that steal, par.
tridges, hares. and pheasants from hi
rich neighbors Many fine lot OF
game did this dog help his master to
secure. The laws in England are very
severe against poaching or stealing
game; for the gentlemen wish to pre-
serve it for their own pleasure. So a
great effort was made to bring this
man to trial and convict him. Very
little proof could be brought against
him however. He had never actually
leen seen with the game In his pos.
session, although this dog had, when,
as the gamekeepers believed, he was
carrying 1t to his master, who had
trained him for this purpose.
He denied stoutly that the dog was
his, or that he knew anything about it.
So the Judge had the dog brought
into the room, thinking that he would
Immediately prove the falsehood Of
this by a joyful recognition. But, to
everybody's surprise, the dog did not
look at the man or notice him at all,
nor would he even come near him. So
the man was discharged as innocent.
But the dog was his, and had only
been taught by his master to pretend
not to know him when anybody else
was present. If you have ever no.
ticed how instinctively dogs tail be.
gins to wag and his ears to witch with
pleasure when he hears his masters
voice, you will understand what fine
piece of acting this was. 1t is a pity
his cleverness should have been used
for such bad purposes.