The sun., 1902-11-02
PLOVER COtLD SWIM AND DIVE.
Spaniel's Experience Beginning With
surprise and Ending In (haErin.

The story Of the quail that swan. printed
recently in THE Sun, calls TO mind the
experience of Patsy. a black water spaniel
that lives on the Mississippi River little
way below Prairie du Chen. Patsy fancies
himself swimmer, and with cause Prac-
tically he would as lief be in the water AZ
on land and he does not mind the weather
His owner was walking near the river one
day last September when a golden plover
flushed directly in front and circled to the
left. II fell at the crack of the right barrel
and dropped into the current. starting down
stream Immediately.
The bird was slightly stunned by the
shock, but only the tip OF one wing was
broken so it soon sat upright and started
for the bank. some twenty yards dis
tant. Meanwhile Patsy with joyous
yelp, without waiting for the word, had
sprung in and was cleaving the water
toward il
The plover saw the dog ten yards away,
turned and started out into the mile-wide
stream. Patsy knew as well as any natural
ist that the golden plover has not webbed
feet and is not supposed TO swim, and though
a BIT puzzled he still believed that he had
an easy thing and did not put on much steam
He neared the bird gradually. but surely,
and when within foot of it opened his
jaws TO take II in, The Jaws came together
but there was no plover between them
1t had dived neatly and cleanly and was
out of sight.
Patsy, though astonished by this time,
swan in circles until he saw the bird re-
appear ten feet away. Then he took up
the chase with ardor.
As he was much the faster of the two he
forced the plover TO dive again shortly.
which II did as soon as he thought he had
IL. The water. Of the Mississippi ia not
clear enough for dog to see any great
distance under the surface and though
Patsy took TO diving. too, he could not
find his quarry and came up each time
unsatished
The man on the bank watched the duel
with interest. He knew that there was no
danger Of his dog drowning and he wanted
to soc how long the plover would last
Though i,s legs were lorg and slender
and its feet unwebbed, lis lung capacity v
wGs all righ, and a, The end of fifteen
minutes 1t showed little fatigue. Pasty,
however. was blowing prCdigiously as
muoh from rage and disappointment az
from cxertion.
The fortunes of III chase led the pair
first out into III stream and h n near
to the hank. both meanwhile going steadily
downstream. 1he man kept opposite and
now and then called to the dog to encourage
him
They came to a place where tho water
had wash d under bank three feet high
making an ov"'h 1nging shelf. Tho plover
dired. came M a foot outside Of this shelf
and foated idly for moment. 1t was
tired by this time and It's bill opened widely
as soon as IL got air.
Patsy rising two yards away. his shagg
forelock streaming rushed at it with pow
erful strokes, The pover gathered all
It's remaining strength. brought down
lis wings hard and leaped upward. It
just cleared the edge Of the ledge and
landed on top Of il. a second latter it had
scuttlod into the bushes and long grass
Patsy tried wildly to climb up the ledge,
but naturally could not do il. He went
under cnce or twice then gave it up and
had to swim twenty yards down before
he could find a landing place. He wanted
TO resume the hunt Immediately, but his
owner restrained him. The man thought
that the plover was entitled to go free.