The Red Cloud chief., 1901-06-21
Canine Game Warden.

His name Is Scip and h. is a four
legged detective. From a dog fancier's
standpoint he Is not worth thirty
cents, says the New York Sun. He Is
an understood cur with bright eyes INT
sharp ears, OF badly mixed lineage. He
is owned by one Of the state game war
dens, whose duty 1t Is to examine GER
tain trains coming down from the
game regions, to see that all game
transported Is accompanied by the
| owner and Is in plain sight. and that
there is no smuggling Of game meat
| or birds, or any other evasion OF the
game laws.
When the game season Is at Its
height the wardens' hours a-e long and
busy. Hunters by the score, and car
loads of deer and moose come down
over the line OF the Bangor & Aroos-
took railroad. Every piece of game
must be checked up, and suspicious
PACKAGE examined for ~contraband
game. Cases of game smuggling are
frequent. The Maine law positively
forbids the taking out OF the state OF
game birds under any circumstances.
but the average amateur hunter is
tempted to pack away a brace or two
of plump birds in his gripsack or bag
gage, while the high prices to be OBJ
tanned are a temptation for the pot
hunters to run the blockade and land
goods in the Boston and New York
markets, IL possible. And right here is
..A... C,.- vAA. L. htn wtoslr aud no rms
his board and keep.
AS the people alight from the down
trains few notice u little dog lodging
about among them. smiling at this
handbag and that bundle and acting
FOR all the world like a dog hunting for
his lost master. But Scip Is far from
'ost. Soon the warden hears a plain
tive whining bark and he knows that
Scip has discovered something worth
cooking after. He finds the little dog
nosing about the heels of perhaps an
deliberately logged out sportsman car
rying a big grip. or 1t may be a woods
man, with his clothes and possessions
tied up in a meal bag. The warden
closes in on the game pointed by Scip,
and the astonlshed suspect is invited
into the baggage room, where he is
told to open his baggage for inspection.
There Is usually something Of a stormy
scene. Scip squats close by and looks
on approvingly.
The search invariably discloses game
Of some kind. sometimes a saddle of
~venison, but often a number of birds.
Once in awhile the offender is ignorant
Of any wrongdoing, but it has hap
pened that notorious poachers have
been brought to book by Scip and his
master. The dog has neve made a
mistake after he has come to a point,
and 1t is doubtful IL much has escaped
him.
But inspecting the personal effects OF
the travellers is not all OF the canine
detectives work. After the passenger
are all out he hops into the baggage
or express car and applies his sharp
little nose to everything in sight. FIRE.
1uently he is found scratching abou,
an innocent appearing trunk. case OF
barrel, which article promptly comes
r in for examination. Sci2's star piece
Of work was accomplished a few days
ago, when he broke up a smuggling
scheme which had evidently been II
i. operation for some months withou'
suspicion. While making his usua
inspection of the car for express mat
ter he came across a barrel, to all in
. .cnts and purposes. containing fish, |
, fmelled fishy enough. and was tagged
FISH" Scip shifted at 1t, went on
, and then came back and shifted NOR
thoroughly. Then he sat down an
: considered. Finally he came to a deci
> son and began scratching and bark
ing about the barrel as IL 1t was full O
rats.
II The warden found him in a highl,
q excited state about the fish, an
n thought that the dog had made a mis-
r take for once, but with faith in tn
little animal born Of long experienc
he investigated the barrel and founI
in the center of a liberal lining O
fresh shore cod several dozen OF nice
s plump cartridges.