The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
QUEER ANIMAL STORIES
INCIDENTS IN BRUTE LIFE SHOWING
REASONING POWER.
Two Old House Cats Who Shared Each
Others, Joys and sorrows-COw
and "A Dogs Friendship.

Have animals a language of their own?
If not, now do they communicate their
ideas to one another? Do they reason as
We do? For the answer to both questions
read the following stories, and if they fail
to convince you, my love for animals has
clouded my judgment, for the facts related
convinced me years ago:
Wegg and Boffin were two cats Wegg
was a cat of Maltese extraction. black
as night. villain from choice and in every
way counterpart of his namesake except
in being one of the handsomest things that
ever happened, for he resembled a hand
some black tiger. Boffin was a common
gray cat. but as well named, for gentler,
kinder, sweet-tempered creature never lived.
Both cats were very large, weighing about
eighteen pounds each. Wegg was very in
dependent and generally Gid as he pleased,
and had his own way in everything. He
was natural born fighter and hated
strange cats. and never allowed one a min
utes rest till he had driven it away. One
evening, just after we had finished supper,
we were looking for Wegg to give him his,
but he could not be found, nut Boff1n was
On hand. After giving Mr.. Wegg up as a
bad job, and while we were all sitting in
the dining room, it being summer the doors
were all open, in walked a strange cat.
Boffin looked at him, concluded he was too
big for him, turned and went out of the
room. A few minutes afterward we were
surprised to see Wegg and Boffin coming in
together, Wegg in the lead. with his fur
all standing end and his tail pushed
out the size of ones arm. He walked
up to that strange cat, and without any
delay, rushed at him. and for few minutes
the air was full of eats and fur and things,
but the strange cat wasn't in it," and as
soon as he could made a bee-line for the
road few rods away Wegg, after he
had watched him safely away, stretched
himself smoothed his rufled fur, went up
to Boffin, kissed him, put his head to Bof-
fins for minute so, as much as to say,
Didn't do that in good shape?' and then
went out of the room to resume whatever
mischief he was at when BONN found him
and to return an hour or two later and set
up a howl because his supper wasn't ready
Tor him, and talk about it for an hour more
as though he We're the worst abused cat in
the country. Boffin sat there after Wegg
ne had lie left winkl,iIng his great big eyes. saying
TO himself, ~Wegg, Wegg, what a villain
you are! How did Boffin know where
Wegg was? Does it not all prove that he
knew where he was. went to him, said
There is strange cat in the house. too
what YOU can do, and that Wegg said
show him to me-, III make short work of
nm II WtE5 ndu not D66n told, WHY
fight? Poor old Boffin died when he was
ten years old. Wegg lived to be eighteen,
and was brought from the mountains to San
Francisco, and lies buried here, for, villain
as he was, we were all fond of him and
could not leave him to strangers. who would
ways. g
Pet was only little bay mare not over
thirteen hands high, but high-spirited,
gentle, lovable little creature. She. at the
time of which write, had little colt of her
own and had adopted another whose mother
had been accidentally killed. In the country
where we lived all horses not in use were
turned loose TO run at will on the plains
Our corral gate was generally left open so
that any of our horses could come up to the
Rouse If they wished. and nearly all were
pets, there was generally one or two around
looking for sugar or biscuits. One day ]
was going out of the house when / saw Pet
and her two babies coming through the gate
As she seldom came up thought there was
something wrong, and she looked thin and
the colts looked half starved. The poor lit
tie creature came to me and put her head
in my hands and seemed to be in trouble.
What's the matter with you. old lady?'
said /. For answer she turned her head to
one side tried to open her mouth and /
saw that her jaw seemed to be paralyzed
and that she was unable to eat and was
starving. / went to work at her at once
got some soft meal made it into small balls
and put them way back in her mouth where
the same way, got brandy and rubbed her
jaws till she began TO be able to move them
little and then she went away. Every day
for over week that little creature came
up to be doctored and fed until she got well
and able to feed herself. What prompted
her to come to the house? Did she not say
to herself, Those people up there have al
ways been kind to me; perhaps they can
help me; II | stay this way I'll starve
and my babies, too
Baby was cow we had raised. When
born she was so little that we gave her
the name-Baby. Ponti was ST. Bernard
dog. At the time Baby was born the dog
was little puppy and we may say they
grew up together, for they would play for
hours together. They grew till Baby got to
be a big COW and Ponti a very big dog.
One day Baby was missing and we came
to the conclusion that she must have a
little calf of her own, so my brother took
the dog and went to look for her. Now it
calf is wild with fear and anger at the
sight of a dog near her young. This is
case where the COW had good sense and
knew the dog was her friend My brother
found the cow and calf and when they
came to the house my brother was on one
side of the COW, his hand on her back the
dog was next to the cow on the other side
and the calf on the extreme outside and
the cow as unconcerned as if it were the
natural state of affairs. 1t was a sight to
be remembered. Was it not reasoning on
the part of the COW? Instinct would have
THAT dog is my friend. played with me
when | was little, will fight for me and
mine now. So l have no fear"
Barney was a little Mexican burro. For
good, hard, deep thinking, for the most
wonderful cunning, this little jack beat any
thing in the animal way ever saw. We had
a mine some ten miles from our house. and
we used Barney to pack small loads of
beef, etc, to the miners at work for us. AT
times he was used at the mine to pack
water. When at the mine and not in use
he was tied in a stone corral, but he In
Variably united himself after day or two
and would strike out for the valley To
show the cunning of this old rascal, he
never walked where he would leave a foot
print but picked out the rocky places,
knowing that the boys would hunt for him
in the hills before sending over to the val
ley for him, thus giving him a, longer vaca-
ton. When in the valley and not in use he
was generally about the house begging for
sugar or something else he fancied. Very
often he would hear us say: I'VE must
pack Barney over to the mine tomorrow;
the boys are out of grub again" To-mor-
row would come but no Barney was to be
found We would hunt an hour or two for
him, give 1t up, hitch up a team and go
over to the mine. After the team was well
on it's way and out of sight, Barney would
~,