Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-11-18
THE DOGS LIFTED Paw.
1T TELLS A STORY THAT IS
QUITE UNIQUE.
Why Harry DelgAr's Black Terrier WIZ
Not Drink Except with such Caution
as If the APsehes Were Stalking Hin
"A Lively Memory.

The pets on Harry Delgar's ranch
in New Mexico have been few in
number. but of rare quality. There
is only one now, an aged little black
dog. who is so fat he does not care
to romp with the children except
during cool evenings, and so old that
his hair, that was once black, is now
turning gray. This dog is remark
able in only one respect When he
wants a drink, or when water or
milk is placed for him to drink he
goes to it with pace so slow that il
takes him from fifteen TO thirty
minutes 10 travel across a common
country kitchen. When he sees the
water he turns toward it and then
with a deliberation that is astonish-
ing TO stranger and very pitiiul to
one who knows the story. lifts one
foot carefully in air, and after look
around. as slowly and carefully puts
it down a slight distance in advance.
Then another foot is put forward in
like manner, the whole bearing OF
the little fellow throughout his jour
ney being that Of hunted beast in
abiect terror of Its life.
Something like ten years ago. when
Victoria and his savage band were
raiding the white settlers in Southern
New Mexico, this dog was frisky
yOungster. the property Of George
Doyle, prospector who was develop
ing a prospect near the mining camp
OF Cooney. While Doyle labored on
his claim that was up in gulch some
little distance from the camp, Vic
toria surrounded the camp, stretch
ing line OF pickets between Doyle's
claim and the settlement Victoria
did not know that Doyle was up the
gulch, and that was a lucky circum-
stance for Doyle. Neither did Doyle
know of Yictoria's presence for. some
time, but along towards night he
learned that trouble had come by
hearing the shots fred in the fight
ing.
When Doyle learned the true state
OF affairs his food was gone and his
water canteen was empty. In all
directions save one a desert land
stretched away for many miles, and
it was desert with which Doyle
was unfamiliar.
Crouchiug in his prospect hole
with his dog beside him, Doyle con-
sidercd the matter until darkness
came, and then determined TO try TO
work his way through the Indian
pickets into Cooney where his friends
were. Fortune favored him, and
when daylight came he found himself
in thick clump Of willows a few
rods from the creek and fairly safe
from observation. He would, indeed,
have felt secure but for the dog 1t
was a lively, restless beast. and
Doyle was in constant terror lest its
movements or an unexpected yelp be-
tray him. He was on the point OF
cutting his throat on several occa-
sions during the day. but refrained
from feeling he should show the
beast the mercy he could not obtain
should he fall into the hands OF the
savages.
Meantime the man as well as the
dog had suffered terribly from thirst.
for it is an arid as well as a hot region,
but Doyle scarce dared move even
his hands while daylight lasted. And
then. just as evening was coming on.
two big Apache boys chased a deer
so close to that clump Of willows
that Doyle could see them between
him and the stream. while their
yells seemed to ring in the air long
after they were gone and all such
sounds had ceased. The scare that
Doyle got by their advent was so
great that in spite OF his torment he
lay still all that night with his dog
beside him.
But when night came again and
its GOODNESS had somewhat revived
| him Doyle could endure the thirst no
longer. 1t was better to get one
good drink, he thought, and then
risk torture at the hands OF the
Apaches than to die OF the torture
he then suffered. Thereupon, when
the stars showed that midnight had
passed, Doyle and the dog started
for the stream whose ripping had
for more than two days sounded In
their ears as the music OF heaven
might sound to souls in perdition.
With the utmost deliberation and
care Doyle, on his hands and knees
raised o hand, looked cautiously
around and eventually put it down a
little way in advance. Then his
other hand was put forward. after
which one knee was as slowly brought
up. In his mouth he carried his
knife to stab the dog to death, did il
make an iucautious movement, but
the faithful animal, keeping always
at his side, advanced paw only al
Doyle moved forward limb, looking
around the while with the same
anxiety that was manifested by hii
mastor.
Doyle says that through caution
he took more than an hour TO cover
two or three rods, but at last hi
dipped his face in the stream anC
found relief
With his thirst satisfied Doyle re