The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-02-18
The HAMBURGER CO..
MARKET STREET.
RUSTYCOAT'S LAST FIGHT.
He Tackled an Otter and Lost His
Life in Finishing Him Up.

scranton (Pa), Corr. n. Y. Sun.
City sportsmen who have put up at Mark s..
Leyalley's place on Tunkahonna Creek in the
last 6ozen years recall with pleasure the
friendly face, the large, honest eyes and the
intelligent ways Of Mr.. Levalley's famous old
hunting dog Rustyeoat. The dog was half
shepherd and half hound. His scent was as
keen as foX's ana he would follow the track
of bear. deer, fox, a coon or rabbit
He wasvery friendly to children. and he liked
TO have the neighboring youngsters come to the
house. Mr.. Levaley's pointer Jep had hatred
for children. and whenever the pupils OF the
district school approached the dooryard gate
he had the habit of dashing out aud frightening
them away with his sp!eful growls and yelps
Ii Rustycoat was III hearing when the snappish
pointer acted In that Way toward the children
he would give Jep licking. send him bowling
TO the kennel, and coax the little ones 10 enter
the yard. where he was won't 10 give vent TO
DIS ITlendliness Dy gambollng With Them Till lie
tired them out
Rustycoat, who was nearly IA years old, be-
came so badly crippled with rheumatism few
months ago that be could hardly walk when
he crawled Out of his pen in the morning.
After he had hobbled around for while he got
limbered up little, but he was so stiff and
lame that II was impossible for him 10 trot or
run. The faithful old hunting dog grew worse
right along, and he suffered so much that Mr..
LevalIey finally decided 10 put him cut VI his
misery.
On Saturday OF last week Mr.. Levalley and a
Deighbof set out 10 dig some building stones
from an old quarry near the bank Of the creek.
Mr.. Levailey took The lame old dog duwn
10 the creek fer he puTpOse OF killing
him. When he got 10 the creek he didn't have
The heart TO Kill the poor old dog. 80 he put III
the undesirable JOB till the afternoon. Rusty
coat began TO hO6ble and sniff along the bank,
and it wasn't great while before Mr.. Leyalley
noticed that he had lain down close To the
stream, with his nose over roet, as though he
was watching for something.
The soil over the layer of stones was frozen
solid and Mr.. Levaley and his neIghbor drew
some coal 10 the spot and built fire on it 10
thaw ii out, Then they cur brush until dinner
time, and when they started for the house the
old dog was still watching at The root. Mr.
Levalley called TO the dog and Rustycoat
wagged his tail, looked wistIullv at his master
but didn't stir. When they returned from din
ner the old dog was in the same position.
Within half an hour they heard the water
/ splashing, and looking toward the creek tney
saw the old dog struggling with an otter under
the root. The old cripple had evidently dropped
! upon the otter the moment IL stuck its head
from under the root, for he had il by the
neck, and, although the otter was biting him
viciously on the shoulder, he hung to il and
rugged and twisted 10 drag II out OF the water.
The neighhor seized a club and started
10 help tho old dog, but Mr.. Leyalley inslstedlou
hts letting the animals fight it out. The otter
tore the dogs hide terribly. but Rustycoat kept
his viSelke hold Without finchipg, and inch by
Inch The crippled old dog. lugged his antagonist
along the bank I'LL he reached the edge OF the
blazing Goals. when he gave the outer a fine
ana threw 1t upon the fire. The otter suueale6
aud sprang out, but the dog caught IL, aud aftel
| another long and fierce .tussle. In which ths
uog 8 nose was torn open, he again flung tnS
outer INTO The fire. This time the otter had il.
! teeth set In RusIycoars neck and IL took th(
| DOG win u, both landing on the bed of Goals
iheh Mr.. LeValey undertook 10 rescue the dog
Dut he was TOO late. Both Rustycoat and tht
outer crawled out OF the fire still chuched bu
| they had been fatally burned and after few
gasps Doln stretched out and died.