The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-10-06
Styx a Battery Dog.


he WAS fox-terrier h the days when
fox-terriers we're not So common as now,
snd he made his appearance IN the bat
terry one m0rning just as we we're hitch
1 ing up" at daylight to resume the march
interrupted BY a nights rest in the Eicin-
ity Of q small town In Louisiana. He
attracted my attention by running up
and placing at my feet small stick and
then backing of a little way with every
muscle Of his body on the stretch, ask
ing me as pleadingiy as # he spoke to
throw It that he might have the exquisite
pleasure Of Catching it to be brought back
again and thrown.
The captain Of battery has at such a
time something else to do than throw
! sticks for dogs 10 fetch. and when Styx
saw me mount my horse he abandoned
me and started off 10 a sergeant. who treat
ed him with even greater contempt. Moth
! ing abashed, he picked up the stick and
trotted with the column, which was now
morning along the road and into which the
battery hauled from the road side with the
accompaniments of elanking trace chains
and rumbling wheels.
Styx maintained his position somewhere
between our gun carriages all day, refus-
or the sombre infantry, as now and then
changes occurred in the column, and late
in the afternoon, when we halted for the
night, he reported himself at my partieu-
lar FIRE as If he were on duty as an orderly
He asked not for food or searesses. but
putting down a stick at my feet, declared
In his fox-terr.er language that If I would
please throw that for him just once he
would consider ali obligations discharged
in full, and I threw it. He brought It
back before it had fairly touched ground
and worried me for more Of it.
The next day we were IN action. The
enemy had made gallant stand In Their
retreat at a narrow pass, where It vas
most difficult for us to advance. and here
the genius Of sStyx came into great play.
The No. 81 man, as he Is called, runs be-
tween the Timber and the gun when the
battery Is in action, carrying the missile,
or cartridge. from the ammunition chest
to the No. q man, who places It In the
gun, when the enc. T. man sends It home
with the hammer. Styx had Joined one Of
gun detaehments, and was acting as mo
s. man. Receiving the cartridge from
mo. s." who took it from the chest he
rushed like lightning to the gun and de-
livered his burden to the expectant artil-
leryman He was in his element now.
The thunder of the guns could hardly
drown his shrieks of joy as ne rushed
back from having delivered one charge to
get anot1er-this was something ike! Why
hadn't we played that game before? Now
we saw what battery was for.
That day gave Styx reputation through
our whole corps. The commanding general
heard Of him and requested me to bring
him up to headquarters. An adnsring cir
Gle Of officers sat about him one evening
and discussed whether or no dogs could be
generally used In the artillery.
Three days after came the catastrophe.
We were drawn I'D in a line of battle to
await developments, and for 3 long time
nothing developed. Finally q distant bat
terry began to give US its attention. Now
and then shell exploded in our front or
over our heads. Styx was sitting with
eager eyes, in the midst of his favorite
detachment. Suddenly an almost spent
slx-pound solid shot from the enemy struck
in front Of US, and rolled. as it seemed,
slowly into the battery. More fun" said
StyK to himself, and jumped for it For
the first time he had miscalculated. But
then his experience with artillery had been
OF tho briefest The moving mass of iron.
which seemed as harmless as a rubber ball.
crushed the life out of the active little
volunteer.
we all mourned him, and the general
said when told him about il, %Well you
know, war can't be carried on without
some loss."-F. w. Carruth in Indianapolis