Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-01-27
1t was a singular idiosyncrasy Of Car


after coming into our possession. lie
one of this race approach the hous
without showing the most violent an
ger. and if the red man still persisted
he would seize some part of his dres
and prevent his farther advance unit
some member of the family interfered
I Even then he would not lose sight o
/ the unwelcome visitor until he had fol
lowed him beyond the boundaries 0
our 400-acre farm-all of which. in
beast of so much intelligence. clearl,
proves, think, that he had been cruelty
treated by his first owners.
On three several occasions this dog
saved my life. each time displaying 6
surprising degree of calculating judg
ment.
Through the whole length of ouT
farm ran 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 night n tremendous down
pour of rain. swelling the creek to a
wide. deep and dangerous torrent. Go
ing next morning. as usual. to bring
home the cows. then pasturing on the
farther side Of the stream. ! very rash
~, instead of going around by 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 whirled like feather
tou,orJ Zee f,rlulon4 canfar pafpp "a .
that time unable to swim. ] would Ger
tainly have drowned then and there
had not Carlo plunged in and effected
A rescue-and in a manner evincing al
most human intelligence.
The brave fellow evidently knew that
was much heavier than himself, and
was not to be retrieved so easily as a
wounded duck. So. instead of seizing
me haphazard and perhaps drawing
my head under water, he dextrously
caught hold of the front corner of my
coat collar. thus. in effect. enabling me
to rest my head upon his if l so wished.
However. the moment he touched me
lost all fear, recovered my 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 yelp of mani
fest delight, he struck diagonally across
and downstream. towing me safely
ashore to the opposite bank, though at
a point fully 100 yards below where |
had entered the water.
Then it was most touching TO wit
ness his JOY. After lovingly licking my
face and hands, he scampered up and
down the bank like a wild thing, rap
turously barking and showing his hap
piness in every possible way, whlenow
and then darting back to my side to re-
new 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 it
was his duty to accompany me 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
western Canada even at that early day.
called panther" by the old hunters.
though the true panther does not exist
in any part of America. As full ac-
count of this adventure has already
been published, can only say here that,
bad it not been for my faithful friends 4
sagacity in discovering
the crouching beast and his daHntless
in attacking it, | should most
have become its prey. As il
was, thanks to the dog, the great eat
was shot by my father. receiving one
half the bounty money and my gal
amt hound unstinted praise.
Perhaps dogs may not possess what
we. in our wisdom. call inductive rea-
'oning powers. but Carlo was gifted
with something marvelously like such.
Mere instinct will hardly account for
his conduct in the following instance:
)ne summer morning, in March. 1884.
was standing at our back door, which
overlooked the creek and q little field
opening out of the barnyard beyond. |
N this paddock were at the moment |
'risking a number of February-bo |
ambs. while their mothers were nib |
bling such chance tufts of grass as had |
escaped the winters frosts
While l looked delightedly at the in |
locent creatures gambols. a great, |
yiant gray wolf, having sneaked unob-
served from the forest, a half mile
further up stream, suddenly leaped |
he low fence. dashed through the flock.
eized a lamb in his mouth and was off |
orestward like flash.
Carlo lay doing in the sun at my
eet. Look, Carlo. lookl" cried.
pointing to the retreating wolf In an
instant he caught sight of the ma
auder. but did, he rush across the creek
n direct pursuit and thus prematurely
larm the brute. give it long start and
hus entail upon himself probably
opeless stern chase? No: he did some
hing far wiser and more effectual.
4