The morning call., 1891-05-18
A PEACOCK'S REVENGE.
The Terrible Penalty a Vicious
Dog Paid for His Cruelty.

"a peacock is usually regarded as perhaps
the most stupid of animals, but l owned
one few years ago that certainly evinced
a degree of intelligence which would have
been remarkable even in a horse or dog"
This was the statement of gentleman who
owns large model farm situated mile or
two out of town, says the PHILADELPHIA
Item. The writer, TO whom he spoke,
begged for the story intimated, which was
readily given:
"My sister-in-law, who was visiting my
wife, had a little dog of the rat-terrier
breed called Pepper, and of ali the vicious,
malicious brutes l ever came across he was
the worst. He ran the chickens, worried
the white rabbits and made a nuisance of
himself generally. but Solomon, the pea
cock. and Iris and Juno, the peafowls, were
his especial victims. Every chance he got
he would attack these harmless creatures
and tear out their feathers, which he
seemed to regard as a bull does red rag.
Ot course he was driven off as soon as he
was seen to modest them, but one day, while
all the household happened to be absent
he caught Iris in the fine flower garden,
where she had just strayed away
from the others, and injured her so that
she died in few minutes after being res
eued. L was just returning home, and,
lbaTiIS Tue lOWI screaming. L 0dSLtu6u 10
the spot, where l found the Door creature
dying, her feathers torn out in great punches
and Pepper dragging her about by the head.
AS | entered the garden saw Solomon, the
peacock, come running and creep through
the breach in the hedge through which his
mate had entered. He flew at the dog with
a rage that surprised me, screaming Loudly
and bristling furiOusly. Though l would will
ingly have seen the hOrrid little terrier we'll
punished for his cruelty, for his mistress
sake | could not let the bird hurt him, and
when, at the sight OF the inturiated peacock,
he flew to me for protection l accorded 1t to
him.
''My sister-in-law left next day, and we
naturally supposed the matter ended, but
the following autumn-seven months after
she returned TO spend few days with Us,
bringing Pepper with her. l observed him
several times teasing Solomon, but the bird
rutfled his feathers so IhTeateDingly that the
dog gave it up. Beyond this warning to
keep off | never saw the peacock take the
smallest notice of the terrier, and it Is just
this extraordinary shyness that | consider
the most remarkable part OF the Wholr
thing. One day when things were remarkably
quiet about the place, and no one seemed 10
be stirring, | saw from my studywindOw
Solomon deliberately cross the lawn to an
acacia tree.
Anxious to see what attracted the bird,
for it had the air of one with definite ob-
JecI, winch ar set Ouuiy enough on TIE
peacock ordinarily so stately and idle, !
| rose and c"aned my neck to SEE what was
under the acacia. 1t was Pepper and
asleep, as l could tell him from his relaxed
| posture. Solomon made no sound until
fairly upon the dog, when. with
a piercing scream, he pounced upon
him. The terrier tried to spring up, but
the peacock bore him down with his
weight, which rested entirely upon him.
ran as quickly as l could to the tree, but by
the time l reached it Solomon was gone
and the dog lay writing in the grass,
with both eyes fairly scratched out of
their sockets OF course, there was moth
shoot the tortured creature so as to put it
GU: IF hopeless pain. Then had 10 shoot
my peacock to satisfy my sSter-in-law.
thought declare hated to put so clever
bird to death. especially for justidable act
OF retaliation"