River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-10-22
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DISAPPOINTING DOGS.
Tests of FighTing Qualities That Resulted
Nost Disastrously.


Tests of Fighaing Qualities That Resulted
Nost Dissstrously.
"a mans pride in his dog is one of
those things which often exist without
cause and only partially die under dis
couragement that would kill an
Apache" said a keen observer of human
nature the other day.
Il remember a farmer who lived near
us when l was boy. He had a collie
dog that had been in his family for
years. a faithful servant and brave
defender. 1t had litter of pups. all of
which died except one. and the old man
persuaded himself that that pup, though
il was not by any means of the purest
breed. POSSESSED all the virtues of its
mother, magnifed and intensified a
iozen-fold
HE came over to our house one
warm spring day with the shaggy little
pup peeping out of his big overcoat
pocket and he began to brag about the
good qualities of the animal. We boys
were always ready for fun. and we had
little black Spanish hen, with flock
of chickens that was as cross as two
sticks In order TO 'chaff' the old man
I
and that we had a hen which could
lick the dog in two rounds
1.-THE old mans pride was hurt He
took the pup out of his pocket and fol-
lowed us outdoors to pit him against
our hen. My brother drove the hen and
| her brood up to us and the old man
'sicked' his pup on to her. The hen
thought the dog was after her chickens
and with vicious squawk she dashed
around behind him in the twinkling of
an eye, and, fastening her strong beak
firmly in the long hair of his back, be-
gan to beat him so vigorously with her
wings. and kick mp such a cloud of dust
and such Robbery generally, that the
pup, though certainly not hurt, became
frightened almost out of his wits at the
queer attack, and fed, yelping and
bowling as if for his life, with the hen
still holding on TO him for a score of
yards
THE old man could not help but join
in the laugh we all enjoyed, but he felt
so crestfallen that when he went home
he drowned the pup that was licked
by a hen.
Il remember, too, an uncle of mine.
the state. We boys used to go and visit
him occasionally. and when we did he
always cautioned us not by any chance
to leave open the gate of a big paddock,
where he kept a prize thoroughbred
boar, of great size and fierceness, with
curling tusks and erect bristles This
boar was the deadly enemy of my
uncle's pet dog, fine beast, a cross be-
tween a mastiff and bloodhound, as
heavy almost a yearling calf, and able
to knock a man over as easily as to
bark at him.
This dog and this boar used TO make
faces at each other, so to speak. through
the closely built rail fence that sur
rounded the paddock. The dog would
bark furiously at the boar, and the boar
would foam at the mouth and champ
his great tusks at the dog. They would
both race along the fence like mad,
meanwhile looking for any hole or
break through which they could get at
each other and tear one another to
pieces. The fierceness of their aspect
used to put the whole family in a tremor
sometimes, thinking of the dreadful
consequences that would follow if a
"a
gate open.
Zone day nv uncle had caught me
in some particularly wicked piece of
mischief and had boxed my ears. ! re-
scented this assumption of my fathers
prerogatives so much that resolved to
revenge myself by letting that dog and
that boar have a free fight Accord
ingly I pulled out an entire rail from
one part of the fence surrounding the
paddock and lay low TO await results.
Lion, the dog, was away with uncle
to the post Office at the time, and they
both came home together. Lion had
had no fun that day and he started TO
have a little chase with the boar, who
was waiting and ready for him. Away
they went, on either side of the fence
one barking, the other squealing, and
both crashing their teeth. Uncle be
gan calling Lion off, but the dog paid
no heed, and soon uncle's anxious eye
caught sight of the missing rail. With
a shout he started for the spot, but
Lion and the boar were bearing down
on il at a fearful rate and would GER
tainly get there before he could.
"A cold sweat broke out all over the
old man, and his face blanched as he
strained every nerve and muscle to pre-
vent the approaching combat, which, if
the animals once came together, could
not but end in the death of one or both
of the valuable combatants-
But it was no use. The dog and the
boar were now rushing along at a
furious gait, filing the air with dust
and clamor. and scanning with fierce
eyes every foot of the fence that sepa-
rated them. Presently they came to
the gate and found themselves at last
face to face.
They stopped, they stared. and then
in wild surprise and abject terror of
e; ch other. turned tail simultaneously
and fed like the wind in opposite direc-
tions.
Uncle Zeke breathed long sigh of
relief but he never valued either of
them half so mach again."-N. Y. Trib-
une-