Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1892-03-14
AhoRsE With BRAINS.
Knew the Value of q Watch. and Could
Carry One Like a Man.

Knew the Value of Watch. and Could
Carry One Like a Man.
John Holt, from Tom Green county,
was visiting some of his relatives near
this city few days ago. says Paris
(Tex.) correspondent, and l met him
and heard him tell an interesting story
of a remarkably intelligent animal
''I have just met with very serious
loss" he said. "You know 1 was al
ways fond of hunting, and since have
been in Tom Green county have missed
few opportunities to take day on the
prairies. About four years ago now
became the possessor of a fine young
horse that suited me exactly in gait and
habits, and he has been almost my con-
slant companion since. He was e.
pecially fine in hunting. If / wanted
to dismount and slip around a few hun
dred yards to get nearer covey OF
cartridges or gang of prairie chickens
Dou would stand perfectly still where
left him. When was ready to mount
again had but to call Here, Don? and
he would come running straight to me.
It was more than a year ago that was
walking over the prairie one day, as
often did, with Don following about
twenty steps in the rear, when my
gamesbag, which 1 had slung lightly
over one shoulder. slipped off and fell
to the ground 1 went lazily on several
steps, and then turned and was about
to go back after it, when to my aston
ishment Don came along and picked it
up When he came to me he didn't
show much disposition to surrender it.
and so allowed him to carry it mile
or two. That was the start Of it.
"Often after that he would come nos
ing after the game-bag, and insist on
having it, so that had to let him carry
it sometimes to get rid Of his importu.
mites believe that could soon have
taught him to retrieve. He was born
hunter, if ever horse was, and took as
much interest in the sport as any hunts
man of them all.
zone day about three months ago
had business at ranch ten miles away,
and took in my pocket an exceedingly
handsome gold watch which my neigh
Dor ranchman had sent by me to San
Angelo to have mended. rode Don
and took my gun, hoping to kill some
birds on the way, and, as it happened,
game was unusually plentiful I went
here and there over the prairies, walk
ing several miles, should think, and
made wide detours, and it was not un-
til my game bag was full that any rec
objection came to me of what my mis-
sion was. l felt for the watch, then,
merely to see that it was SAFE
but to my horror it was gone.
went through all my pockets, but it was
| in none of them. turned and COM
menced trying to retrace my steps over
the prairie, but that was impossible.
couldn't follow them 100 yards. l tell
you l felt blank l knew that watch,
besides being a very expensive one, had
been gift from my friends dead wife,
and could not be replaced. While
stood still, trying to think what to do.
Don came close up behind me. put
my hand out to stroke his nose, without
looking at him, and as true as live
that horse was carrying the watch in
his mouth with the chain dangling. /
never was SO glad to see anything in
my life. There wasn't the slightest
sign of a scratch from his teeth on the
watch. He must have seen me drop it
and picked it up, and there is no telling
how long he had been carrying it Poor
fellow! He stuck nail in his foot about
two weeks ago and took lockjaw. I
couldn't stand to see him suffer. /
hired one of the men to hold chloroform
to his nose till his struggles were over.''
st. Louis Globe-Democrat.