Smyrna times., 1890-07-02
A Wonderful Dog.
A STORY THAT IS SAID TO BE STRICTLY
THE TRUTH.

Il have owned a good many hunting
dogs, " said F. H. Jermyn, well-known
Scranton sportsman, the other even
ing, but the greatest one 1 ever had
was spaniel, and my last experience
with him was peculiar. got a span
lei when he was few months old, and
he soon became so much attached to
me that he wouldn't follow any other
member of the family anywhere. But
before got through with him he pro.
voked me more than all the dogs I ever
had put together. l owned two more
spaniels that were excellent partridge
or rabbit hunters, and when the young
dog was little more than a year old I
began to try to teach him to hunt with
them. He was better bred than they
were, but | couldn't get him to run
with them for a rod. He kept close to
my heels from the time | started for
the field till | got back. | took him
aheld every time did the others. and
exhausted all my tact and patience
to make something of him-never
abused him always treated him kindly.
but away from my heels | could not
drive him. He obeyed me everywhere
except in the fields and woods, and
toware the end of the hunting season
l made up my mind to kill him.
Il was out shooting for the last time
over in Benton township. The dog
had behaved in the same provoking
way all day, and as l sat resting on a
log 1 called him to me, looked him in
the eye aud said in ordinary tone
"Old fellow, I'm going to blow the ton
of your head off when I get you up in
the woods intended to shoot him
to death just as much as l intended to
go to bed that night, and when got
to an out-of-the-way place in the woods
cooked my gun without looking
around and said Come on old fellow
I'll put an end to you right here sup
posing that the dog was at my heels as
usual. He didn't bound forward. as
expected him to do, and looked be-
hind me. The dog wasn't there and 7
havn't seen him from that day to this.
My name was on his collar, and knew
that somebody in the country would
run across him, but | didn't care
whether they did or not.
The strangest thing about the dog
came later. More than three months
after that Benton farmer called at
my house and wanted to know if | had
lost dog. | told him the queer cir
cumstances, and he went on to saw
that after dark, on the same day after
mad come so near killing the spaniel.
he heard something scratching on his
kItchen door, followed by a faint
whine. He opened the door and in
came my dog. The man lived four
miles from where l had missed the
spanial, and he said that the dog made
himself perfectly at home from the mo-
ment he entered the house, and took
to every member of the family right
along. He said he had hunted with
the sponiel a number of times and that
ne Lad never seen a better bird dog of
that breed. l told him he was well
come to the spaniel and l suppose he
has him yet.
Nov, what puzzled me was. did
that dog know what l said to him when
told him that was going to blow the
Top of his head off when I got him up
n the woods Or did he judge from
my countenance or the manner in
which l spoke to him that meant to
kill him He had never left my heels
before, and seeking protection among
.otal strangers four miles from the
ipot showed that he knew a good deal
more than l supposed he did. ."-Ne,v
York Sun.