People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1895-06-13
Z DOG wEPr.
Grief II the Canine When He Fsund
He Had Shot His Master.

He Had Shot His Master.
Henry E. Dbubing's dog Spot, Of
Stafford village Is as bright and
handsome Q bird dog as there is In
Connecticut, and since that veteran
hunter never treats him harshly, and
Spot has no idea there Is another
man in the world besides his master,
the pair are like two army chums
when they go into the fields to hunt
Nevertheless. Spot sho. his MAJ
ter accidentally short time ago,
and Henry Is still in bed on account
of the mishap with badly manRled
arm, and confronted with the posi-
bility, the surgeon says, that 1t may
be necessary to emputate it The
accident came to pass In a remarka-
bic way. The hunter had been
stalking water fowl on the wide, level
Stafford meadows that lie along the
margin of the sound, and late in the
day, tired with his exertions, ne
tilted his gun against a stone wall
and Topped down on the hard ground,
twenty feet away from it to rest
Spot, young and ardent, needed ne
respite, and he frolicked about the
fields, chasing birds or flying hay
needles or his ,wn shadow with i'm
partial slacrity and zest Finally he
made sudden swift break toward
the wall, where the double barreled
gun was poised, resting on an un-
stable stone, and then, instantly, the
hunter, who. with hsli-cl6sed eyes.
had been watching Spots antics
with lazy indulgence. devining the
possibility Of an accident Of the kind
that in a moment befell him. He
shouted to him "Chsrgsl" and the
well-tralned dog obeyed at once
But the order came a fraction Of a
second too late. Spot had dropped on
the ground with the swift precision
OF machine, but his forepaw shot
forward and struck the stock Of the
piece, which toppled on the hard
earth, and one Of the barrels was
discharged It's charge Of heavy
waterfowl shot struck the aethy
part OF Mp. Dubbing's arm just above
the elbow, and he was thrown back
ward on the meadow. No one could
have exhibited more ooclness, how
ever, nor more heroic pluck. In an
instant he got upon his feet, Invested
himself Of his heavy coat, and strip
ped up his blood.soaked coat sleeve,
then quietly seated himself again,
and 9TH his handkerchief and a por-
tion Of his shirt, bandaged his rag
ged wound He did not even chide
his dog, who had been the innocent
cause OF his misfortune; on the con-
trary he used every means 10 his
power TO mitigate the self-reproach-
ful grief of that animal. who was
evidently almost beside himself with
sorrow and remorse on account OF
the accident Without any doubt
Spot realized at the moment the gun
was discharged the magnitude OF
the mischief be had unheedingly
perpetlated. He flung himself de-
spairingly on the earth, and bowling
and whining by turns in lugubrious
and wsiling tone, he rolled about
there. wailing and clswing at the
frozen clods with his paws Then
he got on his feet, and, crouching,
dragged himself along the turf, and
dropped at his masters feet moan
Ing. In mute but pitifully eloquent
eontritiOn he rubbed his muzzle
against the wounded mans leg, and
fixed upon MS face Q hopeless, i'm.
ploring and mourni.A glance. And
then it happened that the hunter,
touched BY the grief OF his dumb
companion, and who is by no means
selfish and insensate. forgot his own
mishap through his sympathy for
poor Spots distress So, on his
tedious journey back to Stafford he
gave heed rather to alieviatlng the
dogs mental woe than INDUCING q
natural concern on account OF his
own physical pain.
Still Henry did not bestlr himself,
especially on his homeward trip, and
when he reached home he ssuntered
into the house, followed closely by
his sobered and grieving Spot as
quietly and with as little concern,
apparently as if nothing unusual had
befallen him The patient did not
even vince while DR.. Lewis probed
and dressed the gaping wound Spot
did though, many times, as be sat
By his bedside and sorrowtully
watched the surgical operation.
After II was all done, Well" com.
mented Henry, dts lucky les no
worse" The dog, however. II out
ward manifestations are Trustworthy
token of what is passing within,
seemed to feel that the catastrophe
could In no way have been more de-
plorsble, and that he had committed
the one irrevocable and unpardona-
bic sin Yet there are people, no doubt
Who have an Idea that dogs do not
think, and do not understand