The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1897-09-04
MY FRIEND CARLO.
" ~ ~
A STORY OF ANIMAL
SAGACITY.
SAGACTY.

NOTWITHSTANDING the fact thai
IN dogs have been written OF so vol
uminously, l venture TO offer an abso-
lutely authentic sketch Of one whose
transcendant merits while in life well
deserve such recognition.
TO give a detailed account OF this
noble creatures extraordinary doings
would fiji large volume; therefore
will conhne myself 10 recording a few
of those which deem the most notable.
Early in the spring OF 1888, when
was nine years old and living in the
township OF Toronto, Canada, my father
bought from the six Nations" Indians.
then occupying a reservation on the
river Credit, eight miles from our farm.
a dog, whom, in honor OF a deceased
predecessor, we named Carlo. This ami
mal was said TO be then two years old.
Tie weighed, perhaps, 60 pounds. and
was not particularly prepossessing in
appearance, being OF mixed reddish
color, with an unusually large head,
dropping ears, tremendously powerful
Jaws and a tail no more than ten inches
long. That member had never been
locked, however, but was an heredi-
tary popularity, as was amply proven by
the fact that many of Carlos progeny,
which after awhile, became quite numer-
Gus in our neighborhood, were brought
forth with precisely similar tails-a
very strange, and so far as my obserya-
ton goes, quite unique circumstance.
j have known hundreds Of dogs born
with only rudimentary tails, but never,
except in this instance, OF any that
came into the world with one apparent
~ cut off in the middle.
At first none OF us thought much of
Carlo; but il was not long before we
discovered his value, and 10 me he soon
became constant companion, play
mate, protector and friend. Little by
little, as his good qualities were re-
vealed, we found that his sagacity was
wonderful and his courage and faith
fulness beyond all praise. Not only in
one role did he excel, but as watchdog,
hunter, retriever, cattle driver and
sheep herd he was perfection itself. He
feared no living thing, and would, on
occasion, tackle bear, wolf or lynx
as readily as deer, fox or rabbit
or course he could aot, unaidcd, kill
n full-grown bear nor an adult wolf.
but would often harass and dctain one
or the other until the pursuing hunter
got near enough 20 shoot IL; but he did
once, after n terrific fight, kill large
lynx, an animal so formidable that not
one dog in thousand will face IL.
a curious popularity OF Carlos was
that although the game he was AT the
moment chasing might never have been
sighted by the listener, any such,
thoroughly familiar with him, could al
ways tell of what kind IL was merely by
the dogs manner OF baying, and also
whether the scent WINS fresh or stale.
lie had one style OF bark for deer, an
other for n bear, another for wolf and
rtill another for fox, wildcat, rae
coon or what not.
He was the very best "coon dog" l
ever saw or heard Of. and would kill
one OF these mischicvous creatures,
however large and fierce, In less than
five minutes after coming mp with IL.
The raccoon always throws itself upon
it's back when fighting, and, instead OF
diminishing around, swapping az and
tearing the skin as ordinary dogs do,
Carlo would Instantly seize Il by the
throat and never let 60 until IL was
dead. thus not damaging the pelt at all.
Between the ages OF II and II years
coon hunting by night was one OF my
favorite sports, and when following
Carlo his voice always told me as plain
" as by articulate speech whether he
was running on hot scent, had caught
HIS quarry on the ground or had freed
Il. I'm the latter case my comrade and
I would build fire and chcp down the
tree, whose top could scarcely crash TO
the earth before Carlo would have the
coon. Never once did he let one escnpe
40 aurfhor trna