Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-02-11
DOGS HAVE A LANGUAGE.
A Curious Instance of CAhine saEacity Re
lated ~ an OI.serxer-

A Curious Instance of Canine Sagacity Re-
lated by an Observer.
A correspondent writes In reference
to some recent article on dogs: 1t is
proof to me that the animal kingdom
has language of its own, or some
means of articulation among them
selves, not understood by man. To
more fully illustrate my candid belief,
l will relate an instance of animal
sagacity which came to my personal OBJ
servation few years ago.
AT the Box Hotel In Crool1ston, Mimi
some six years ago, my attention was
more than once called to two dogs that
were allowed TO lpiter about the hotel
Office. These dogs were the greatest of
friends; in fact, so ''chumny'' as to call
forth admiration from the various hotel
guests.
One afternoon one Of the dogs which
had been basking in the sun on the floor
of the Office suddenly gave bound and
started for the door. | Immediately
stepped to the door and opened it and
the dog passed out, going in the direc-
ton of the Manitoba Depot where /
observed some ten or twenty other
dogs holding a pow-wow. Then 1
closed the door and resumed my seat
Immediately l heard terrible COM
motion in the direction in which the
dog had gone. Stepping in the door,
/ observed that a full fiedged dog
fight had begun. Arriving at the scene
of the battle | found that my dog friend
of few minutes previous was the I'M
der brute in a big fracas. lie was howl
ing with pain, while a big Newfound-
land dog stood over him making the
fur fly. A blow on the CANNES Uranium
from n ball club in the hands of small
urchin who stood hard by soon put a
stop to the Nnwfoundland's ferocity.
The under brute started for home pell
nell, and when / arrived at the hotel
found the poor brute at the office door
bleeding I'd bruised and awaiting in
gress ] opened the door and passed
into the Office. the dog following me.
Lying on the floor in close proximity
to the Office stove reposed the sleeping
carcass of my little bested friends COM
panion. He was large brute of the
mongrel species--a cross between a
bull dog and a mastiff The poor con-
quered brute, upon entering the Office
proceeded in the direction in which his
dog friend lay stretched upon the floor,
! and going up to him commenced to
smell him from head to foot. Presently
the sleeping dog rose to sitting posi-
ton, and gazing at his conquered friend
some two or three minutes, seem to
take in the situation at once-that his
dogship had but lately received a terri
BILE whipping. After little more
smelling on the part of the conquered
brute, both dogs started toward the
door. l stepped to the door, opened it
and the dogs passed out. Both dogs
started in the direction of the depot
platform some 400 or 500 feet south of
the hotel, where they espied several
dogs, among their number being the
big Newfoundland, the object of their
vengeance. Going up to the big New
foundland dog, my little conquered
! friend turned up his tail and commenced
to growl, the big Newfoundland doing
likewise, each dog going round and
round in a circuitous route while thus
| parleying, the big hotel dog On the
meantime standing hard by watching
! proceedings. Presently the hotel dog
! gave spring and landed good hold on
the jaw of his big opponent. Both dogs
reared in the air, the Newfoundland
coming down the under dog, and the
chewing he received in that fracas |
suppose he never forgot my little con-
quered friend nipping the big rascal
from behind at every chance presenting
itself. To be candid about it, the hair
from the hide of that poor martyred
Newfoundland actually filled the air,
and worse whipped dog never skunk
from the field of battle.
After the fight was over both hotel
dogs returned home, and from their
actions after their arrival there, should
! judge they never allStved the matter to
worry them to any great extent.-Kan-
sas City Star.