Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-20
A WONDERFUL DOG.
A story That is Said TO be strictly the
Truth-Did He Know?
New York SuD.l

az have owned q good many hunting
dogs" said +. III. Jermyn, well-known
Scranton sportsman, the other day, " but
the greatest one ever had was a spaniel,
and mylast experience with him was pecu-
liar. got the spaniel when be was few
months old, and he became so much at
tached 10 me that be wouldn't follow any
other member of the family anywhere.
Bnt before cot through with him he pro-
voked me more than all the dogs ever had
nut together. owned two more spaniels
That we're excellent partridge or rabbit
hunters. and when the young dog was
little more than year old began 10 try
TO teach him TO hunt with them. lie, was
better bred than they were, but couldn't
ret him to run with them for rod. he
kent close To my heels from the time l
started for the field TIL | got back. let
him smell of dead birds and rabbits, and
did everything | could think of to teach
him how to range, but 1t was useless.
took him afield every time did the others,
and exhausted all Of my tactand patience
10 make something of him-never abused
HIM. always treated him kindly, but away
from my heels | couldn't drive him.. He
oheved me everywhere except IN tne neluS
and woods, and towards tho end OF tue
hunting season / made up my MIND TO XIII
him. - -. Ill.,;
II was out shGting for the last time
over in Benton township. The dog had
behaved inthe same provoking way all day,
and AS sat resting on log called HIM TO
me. looked him IN the eye and said TO him
in an ordinary tone: old fellow. I'm going
10 blow the top of your head off when get
Won mn in the woods | intended 20 shoot
him TO death lust as much as l intended 10
go TO bed that night, and when got TO an
out-of-the- way place IN the WOODS cockeu
NV gun without looking around ana sald;
Come on, old fellows, I'll put an END 10
Won right here supposlng that the dog
was at my heels rs usual. lie dldn I oouh1
forward As | expected him to 90, and
looked behind me. The dog wasn't there,
and haven't seen him from that dag 10
this. NV name was on his collar. ana |
knew that somebody in the country would
run across him. but l didn't care whether
they did or not. A. l.,
Tho strangest thing about the dog
came later. More than three months after
that a Benton farmer called az my mouse
and wanted TO know if | had lost dog;
/ told him the queer circumstances; anu
he went on to say that alter dark on
the same dav that I had come so near
killing the spanel he heard something
scratching on his kitchen door. followed
bv a faint whine. Ho opened the ,uoor
and in came nv dog. The man lived
four miles from where | had missed the
spaniel. 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 spaniel q
number OF times and that he had never
seen better bird dog of that breed, tod
him he was welcome to the spaniel and l
suppose he has him vet.
Now, what puzzled me was, dlu una
dog know what / said to him when l told
him that was going to blow the top of ms
head off when got him up in the woods
| Or did he Judge from my eountenance OF
the manner in which spoke to him that
meant TO kill him2 He had never lett my
heels before, and his seeking protector
among total strangers four miles from the
spot showed that he knew good deal more
| than supposed he did"