Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-11-20
DISAPPOINTING DOGS.
Tests of Fighting Qualities That Resulte,
Most Disastrousiy.

Most DlsastrouSiy.
"a mans pride in his dog is one of
those things which often exist without
cause and only partially die under dis
that would kill an
Apache" said a keen observer of human
nature the other day.
81 remember farmer who lived near
us when / was boy. He had collie
dog that had been in his family for
years, 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
it was not by any means of the purest
breed, possessed all the virtues of its
mother, magnified and intensified
dozen-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
we told him that his pup was no good
and that we had hen which could
lick the dog in two rounds.
''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
'slcked' 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 up such 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.
1.-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 hen.
~ remember too, an uncle of mine,
who owned farm in another part of
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 big paddock,
where he kept 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, cross be
tween mastiff and bloodhound, as
heavy almost as yearling calf and able
to knock man over as easily as tc
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 OIL
break through which they could get a
each other and tear one another tc
pieces. The ferceness of their aspect
used to put the whole family in tremol
sometimes, thinking of the dreadful
consequences that would follow if 4;
rail some time should be left down or 6
gate open.
"One day my uncle had caught MT
in some particularly wicked piece O.
mischief and had boxed my ears. re
scented this assumption of my father
prerogatives so much that resolved t
revenge myself by letting that dog ant
that boar have 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 uncl,
to the post Office at the time, and they
both came home together. Lion hat
had no fun that day and he started t.
have little chase with the boar, whC
was waiting and ready for him. Ava,
they went, on either side of the fence
one barking, the other squealing, anc
both gnashing their teeth. Uncle be
gan calling Lion off, but the dog paiC
no heed, and soon uncle's anxious ey,
caught sight of the missing rail. Will
a shout he started for the spot, bu
Lion and the boar were bearing dowr
on II at fearful rate and would Ger
tainly get there before he could.
"A cold sweat broke out all over tn
old man, and his face blanched as h
strained every nerve and muscle to pre-
vent the approaching combat, which, j
the animals once came together, coul,
not but end in the death of one or bot
of the valuable combatants.
"But it was no use. The dog and tn
boar were now rushing along at
furious gait, filling the air with dus
and clamor, and scanning with fierc
eyes every foot of the fence that sepa
rated them Presently they came t
the gate and found themselves at las
face to face.
"They stopped, they stared, and the
in wild surprise and abject terror c
each other, turned tail Simultaneous
! and fed like the wind in opposite dire
J tions.
Uncle Zeke breathed long sigh {
: relief, but he never valued either {
them half so much again. IN. Y. Tril
une.
The Restricts Keen Sight
/ Wonderful is the keenness of visio
/ which enables bird, when itself al
, soaring little more than a mere spec
| l. eli 10 hn Z.