The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1892-05-12
SNAPS INTELLIGENCE.
Eot Much Of u Dog tn Look At, But
That's Very Smart.

That's Very Smart.
'Why don't | enter him In the dog
show" said the tramp. kicking a
hungry-lOOking mongrel cur that
watched him with an intelligent eye
and tried to lick his hand; because
they amt givin' no prizes for intelli-
gence; only fer good looks. and that
amt Snaps strong point Is it, you
brute?" he added sharply.
The writer was in doubt whether
this query had been addressed TO him
or not until he saw the dog fairly grOvel
In the dirt at his masters savage tone.
Here" said the tramp. fishing from
out his rags acracker OF the free-lunch
counter variety and holding il out TO
the dog. Snap approached with one
eye on the cracker and the other on
his masters toe. What was left OF his
tail stood up hopefully. The tramp bit
the cracker in his own mouth. Down
went the tail between Snaps legs. The
tramp bit of half the cracker and held
out the rest to the dog. Up went the
tail again. Getting the mOrsel at last,
Snap swallowed it at one gulp without
d wink. and wagged his tail frantically.
did YOU notice the tail?" said the
tramp. "He talks with il. It's short
one. but it's gabby. He's a stump
orator.
"'Where did ! get him?' Up the
State bout year gone. was on the
tramp and came TO a farm house. The
woman give me a meal il I'd take the
dog away and drown il. i ats the
dinner, took the dog out in a fat
bottomed boat on the river, threw him
into the middle OF the stream, and as
he rose TO the surface | struck him on
the head with an oar. intending to
stun him. / didn't hit him square,
though, and fell in myself, and was
Just about a goner, when darned II the
brute didn't push the oar over TO me
and help me ashore. We got on the
other side, and he's stuck to me ever
since.
Hes saved my bones many a time,
too, when I'm drunk. 'How's that3'
Why, whenever l fall he throws him.
self under me and 1 come down on him
with a thump that makes his eyes bulge
out But he saves me from the stones.
O, you needn't laugh. It's the truth
I'm tellin' you. He's got more sense
than most men, If he is a mongrel.
IL fooled him once" though" said
the tramp. with a laugh, land fooled
myself at the same time. Last spring,
when the sun was gettin' real warm. I
got a queer idea that I'd like a bath,
as was lyin' by nice little pond. So
j stripped and piled up my clothes on
a high bank. Snap had run of in the
woods. but he came back after / had
been in the water awhile, and. smelling
my clothes, squatted down on them to
guard them. The water was real
warm, and stayed in a good while.
When came out don't think l was
ever so clean since the time my mother
used to wash me. went up TO my
clothes and Snap began TO growl. /
swore at him and tried to pick them
up. but he bit at me so savage that !
had TO retreat was so clean that I
couldn't make the dog recognize me
without my old buds on. There was
not a stone TO be found. Finally, l got
hold Of a big stick and We started in to
have free fight for the clothes. He's
not big dog, you see, and never was
half fed. so me and the stick wss too
much for him. | nearly killed him,
though, before | got the clothes, and
when dressed myself and he knowed
me, he was the sickest-lookin' dog in
four counties. II was a week before
he wagged his tail after that--N. Y.
Trihuna