Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1901-07-26
A PREACHERS DOG STORY.
Coming From a Good Man II Requires
No Voucher.

| iOb OF go0Q ones, HSn anu OtnerWlSe
On the truthfulness of some be will
stake his reputation for veracity, bu
he tells one which he always prefixe
with the statement that it was tOl(
him by minister of the Gospel, DR.
Bardwell.
''Dr. Bard well used to visit my faith
er's house when I was boy, and tn.
story am about to tell.yOu was related
to me on the occasion of one of these
visits. We were out on the verand;
smoking one evening after supper. The
doctor was fond of dogs, and was {
pretty good sportsman, and natural, /,
the conversation turned on the sub
ject.
Speaking of dogs said Dr. Bard
well, reminds me of a dog which be-
lOnged to friend of mine in Missis
sippi. l had been invited to hold SER
vices at a church near this friends
house, and wrote him to meet me at
the station, some six miles from his
house, on the Saturday afternoon be.
fore Sunday, the day Of the appoint
ment.
| '''He was on time with horses and
we started to his home. l noticed that
a very handsome bird dog followed US,
and having heard that some one in that
neighborhood owned an especially we'll
trained trick dog 1 asked my friend
about it.
"'That's the dog" at the same time
pointing at his dog, which had run
ahead of US and was waiting at the
forks of the road.
~ asked him to make him perform
trick. He got down from his horse,
called the dog, and taking out his
pocketbo0k, held it to the dogs nose.
He then took out a silver half-dollar
and walking some distance in the
woods, raised up large rock and put
the money underit. We then resumed
our journey, and when probably half
mile away. my friend called his dog
and told him to 60 back and get the
money.
"'The dog, without the least hesita-
tion, started back on a run, and my
friend explained as the rock was heavy
the dog would be unable to turn 1t over,
SO would have to scratch under it to
roo ob tho ,,iooa oP rnonau opd no xuould
not probably get home before we reach
ed there, it then being about three
miles further on to his house.
However, when we reached home
the dog was not there. We ate supper
and still the dog did not come, nor had
he put in an appearance when we re-
tired about 10 O'Clock.
So The next morning we got up about
daylight, and hearing noise outside,
my friend opened the door and the dog
rushed in dragging with him pair of
pantaIoons which he dropped on the
floor.
"'Of course we we're both mystified,
but had not long to wait an explana-
tion, for shortly afterward a man who
lived several miles from my friends
house rode up on a mule and inquired
il dog with pair of pair of pan
falcons in his mouth had come into
the house. The dog at this moment
came out on the porch, and the man
said: why, there's the dog now.'
my friend told his caller that the
dog really brought a pair of pantaloons
home with him, but he did not under
stand it himself.
1.-The man said that late in the af-
ternoon the day before he found the
dog scratching under large rock near
the road, and thinking be was after a
rabbit, stopped and lifted the rock up,
and to his surprise found half dollar
on the under side.
''' He put the money in his pocket
and the dog followed him home. The
dog appeared to be friendly. and the
man petted him and gave him his sup
per. At night when the family retired
the dog was put on the outside, but he
Kept up such racket that no one could
sleep on the place, and when the man
opened the door to drive the dog off
he rushed into his bed room and at
once became very quiet, lying down
near the foot of the bed, where he slept
all night.
Early in the morning, the man said.
he got up and opened the window, and
the instant he did so the dog seized
his pantaloons in his mouth and jump
ing out OF the window fled.
1.-The man followed as soon as he
could get his mule.
Hearing this story, my friend got
the pantalOons, and on searching the
pockets found the half-dollar which
he had hid under the rock the after
noon before IN ashville Banner.