The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1899-10-21


ehnrge Of. went chiefly on eoastin.
trips, and was absent for short spen,
only, and, lodging rs did with my sis
\ ter when yTas aGhore, never did NOR
tai rlan from the n 1st loving OF v7ive.
or mothers, from the most a16ectionafc
OF fathers or brothers, receive such n
welcome homo as / did from Jaclison.
His joy was almost terrifying. IL eame
to this, that when the neighbors heard
was to return they'd assemble in a
body in the. door to witness Jackson's
delight. You would have thought he'd
spring through the very roof. When
ms demonstrations were over, he'd sit
and Grunt, with his eyes fixed upon me
/ as though he were talking. He was the
only dog / ever met that seemed to
know his bark didn't convey all that
was in his mind. can assure you it
used TO affect me to see him trying to
! give expression to his thoughts by Mt
tering sounds and maneuvcring with his
ears. believe that a deed sailors
soul had passed into that there dog.
Hal but / do then! Never did the Hbc
of SO much intelligence walk on four
legs afore.
'"There came time when Ishipped
as second mate and carpenter aboard u
goldman bound to French port This
gave me chance to carry jackson
along withmc, the skipper not objecting.
had now had the dog about three and
half years-perhaps four. He was still
an active, beautiful dog with a lovely
brown coat of hair, fine as silk, and
eyes as expressive as pretty girls. 1t
came on to blow after we had left port
a few hours, and the weather turned
thick as mud in q wine glass. We got
I the vessel under easy sail; the wind was
a little abaft the beam, and we were
blowing through it reckoning on forty
fatloms of water under our keel when
shortly after six bells of the first watch
the vessel took the ground off the Nor
folk coast; the masts went over the side
and she was wrecked in a breath, beat
ing hard with the seas bursting over
her.
'"Fhere was bit of a declihouse aft,
and most of the men took shelter in II,
! was making my way to that structure
TO join them when the deck blew up
amidships, and to save myself from be-
ing washed overheard, l crawled into
the little caboose, ard when / was
there, feeling horribly lonesome, |
thought of Jackson, and putting nv
head out through the door l whfstled
on the little silver whistle l used to
carry expressly to call him with.
Whether he was aft with the men and
they let him out, suspectinp. .bv his
eapers on hearing my whistle that he
was going mad, whether he had been
sheltering himself waiting for me to
call him, never could tell. The buU
lay with a strong list, and the mir was
white with flying spray. All amidships
the hold was yawningi yet five minutes
after had sounded that whistle |
heard scratching at the gally door, /
and on sliding it a bit open in bounded
jackson.
HE had scarcely entered when lump .
OF green sea struck the caboose. What !
followed is like recollecting the waking
up out OF a swoon. I remember finding |
myself in the water and of scraping at
something with my finger ends. 1t was
the top of the Caboose, as YOU sec it.
there; but didn't know what it was
till the day broke In cropping / put nv
arm through hole and held by it. Just
then heard a yelp close beside me.
put my other arm into the smother
where something showed black and
caught hold of the dog-for the doc il
hoisted him on to nv back
with his tore-paws on my shoulders.
The water was horribly broken and the
-umbllng OF the caboose roof sickening;
yet held on with my arm through the
chimney hole and the dog chung to nv
shoulders, encouraging me as it were
2y sometimes licking my face; and