The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1897-09-30
Even then he would not lose sight o.
The unwelcome visitor until he had fol

IDNcu MN Deh nlH inc h|ptlDNtftts "
oar 4a0-acre farm-alI of which. in Il
beast OF so much Intelligence, clearly
proves. | think. that he had been cruelty
treated by his first owneEs-
On three several occasions this dog
saved my fife, each time displaying a
surprising degree OF calculating judg
ment. sr,@f
Through the whole length of our
farm ran a stream called Etobicoke
creek. and in June, a few months after.
Carlos acquisition by us. when | had
gained his love and confidence. there
occurred one nighta tremendous down
pour of rain. swelling the creek to q
wide, deep and dangerous torrent. Go
ing mex morning, as usual, TO bring
home the cows, then ~pasturing on the
farther side of the stream. | very rash
ly, instead of going around by n rather
distant bridge. attempted to ford the
angry flood. But in "A moment | was
swept off my feet and, by the outward
set Of the current whirletl like a feather
toward It's turbulent center. Being at
ltlut lIillt lildHit W NNltll. l. Npili Ger
tainly have drowned then and there
had not Carlo plunged in and effected
a rescue-and in 4 manner evincing al
most huUan intelligence.
The brave fellow evidently knew that
I was much heavier than himself, and
was not to be retrieved so easily as 4
wounded duck. So, instead of Selling
me haphazard and perhaps drawing
my head under water, be deXtrously
caught hold of the front corner Of my
coat collar, thus, in effect. enabling NE
10 rest my head upon his il | so wished,
However, the moment he touched me !
lost all fear. recovered ny presence Of
mind and cheerfully said: Let go,
Carlo
Seeming to guess my intention, he in
stantly obeyed. whereupon [ slid my
hands along his back and grasped his
stubby tail, when. with Il yelp of mani
fest delight, he struck ~diagonally across
and downstream, towing me safely
ashore to the opposite bank, though al
a point fully 100 yards below where
. had entered the water.
Then it was most touching to wit
hess his JOY. After lovingly licking my
face and hands, he scampered up and
down the bank like Il wild thing, rap
tnrously barking and showing his hap
piness in every possible way, while now
|Gnd then darling back to my side to re-
Hew his caresses and receive my own.
When satisfied with this fun, he col
lected the cows and made them swim
the creek, but did not follow them
across, thinking, perhaps, that ] was
not yet to be trusted alone, and that il
was his duty to accompany ne home
by way of the bridge.
About two months afterward Carlo
saved me from being torn to pieces by
a cougar, an animal extremely rare in
called panther by the Old hunters,
though IL, rue panther does not exist
in amy IF America. AS a full ac-
count of this, adventure has already
| been published, / can only say here that,
, had it not been for my faithful friends
extraordinary sagacity in discovering
the crouching beast and his dauntless
/, courage in attacking it, | should most
4 certainly have become its prey. As il
, was, thanks to the dog, the great cat
was shot by my father, | receiving one.
half the bounty money and my gal
liant hound unstinted praise.
Perhaps dogs may not possess what
t we. in our wisdom, call ihductive rea'
a., soning powers, but Carlo was gifted
: with something marvelously like such
Mere instinct will hardly account fol
his ronIlct in the following instance.