Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-09-07
FRISKY BALDER.

had very lively sense of humor, and
not only liked to play joke himself,
but could appreciate one that was
turned on him.
His mistress was of slight figure,
weighing less than hundred pounds.
In one of his clumsy rushes of delight
her. he bounced against her, and fairly
knocked her down. He seemed to con-
slider it charming joke, and had no
doubt that she enjoyed it as well as he
did, for from that day he was always
trying to repeat the performance. If
she started for walk, and wanted his
escort through the woods, he was more
than ready to go. He came bounding
and frolicking about her as though he
were puppy, always plainly aiming to
dash against her. She had to dodge
him, and finally she did not dare to
leave the steps till he had Gained him
self little. All the while he would
stand wagging his tail and looking at
her with most mischievous expression
in his eyes, knowing just as well as she
did that she was afraid of him.
When he saw that she would not &C
while he behaved so, he quoted down.
and trotted gravely along beside her,
with all the dignity his position of pro-
tector called for. But the very next
time she made ready for a walk the
same performance was repeated, and
more than year later the dog remem
bered the joke and tried to play it up
on her again. On others of the family,
of whom he was equally fond, but who
happened to be of larger size he never
tried this particular prank He would
bound and frisk about, to be sure, but
he did not throw himself against them,
as he did against his little mistress.
Sometimes. however. the tables were
turned upon him in droll way. He
was very fond of hunting, and greatly
excited over every woodchuck hole he
found. always believing that some day
he should succeed in digging one out,
though he never accomplished that feat.
In his daily walks through the woods
with his mistress, there were certain
well-Snown retreats of the willy foe.
that he never passed without a call.
One of these was at the farther side OF
a pasture that bordered the woods,
where grazed a herd of cows When.
ever the walk led that way Balder
slipped under the fence, crossed the
field and made his. visit to the wood
chuck, shifting eagerly at the hole,
and throwing out peek or so Of earth
every time.
There were forty or fifty cows in the
field, who evidently had their opinion
of dogs, and one afternoon when lie
passed through they all stopped graz
ing and fixed their eyes upon him. lie
spent his usual five minutes there and
started back. The cattle meanwhile
had plainly been considering his ease.
and when he came along on his usuel
trot. paying no attention to them. they
arrived at Il decision. One of them,
who had not vestige of horn with
which to fight, took the lead lowered
her head and started directly for him.
Instantly the whole drove, with one
accord, lowered their heads. and start
ed on a run in the same direction
The dog understood, though he did
not seem to look at them. He dis
AeilnNu " run. buJ HC AulChGHCd ilIS
trot little, and just little more, till
an instant before they were upon him
he slipped under the fence where he
had gone in. Once outside, he stopped
and looked back at them in silence,
then glanced at his mistress with an
expressive wag Of the tail, which said
as plain as words: Wasn't that
joke?"
This passion for hunting was such
that he would attack any animal he
met, from mouse to a grizzly bear,
and one unlucky day he found in the
edge of the woods a porcupine, and
without hesitation few at m In
few moments. the household, which
was not far off. was startled by fearful
cries. with barking and sounds of war
fare, and man was dispatched 10 see
what was the matter. He rescued the
wild beast whom he had sense enough
to know was friend Of the farmer.
and the dog came limping home. with
not only his forepaws. but his mouth,
full Of sharp quilts. His tongue and
the roof Of his mouth We're completely
covered and they hung from his lips
like i fringe. of course he was nearly
wild, paving his mouth and rolling on
the ground in his pain.
Ills distressed young mistress seated
herself on the ground. took his head
in her lap. and with he help of two
men. tried to pun the barbed quilts
out. Naturally this hurt. and the suf-
fering animal snapped at the men, who
were afraid with reason his for
mldable teeth. 1t looked for awhile
as if bullet through the brain would
be the only way to end the matter. as
has often happened TO dog who VIII
meddle with this well-arned beast
In this dilemma a visitor suggested
chloroform, and a supply was hastily
brought. His heroic mistress saturated
her handkerchief and held it to his
nose, and then sat there holding his
head ard administering the drug as
needed, until the two men had pulled
out every quill II was tedious opera
ton, but it was thoroughly done. and
when the patient came to consciousness
he was entirely relieved, and more than
a hundred porcupine quilts strewed the
grass around. His mouth and jaws