The St. Louis Republic., 1904-08-21

and. In an attitude of exhaustion. await
ed results.
Three of the five were "run down as
soon as the dogs could cover the ground
The remaining two were discovered be
fore sunset. It was found that the en-
tire twenty-five dogs could be trained at
once. and so by the end Of the week The
entire force was out trailing. Rapid
strides they made In this week. too.
TAUGHT TO HUNT.
In two weeks time the entire twenty
five understood that when they were let
loose 1t was their business to find a man.
The pack would start out together. noses
to the ground and whining softly. In five
minutes each dog would have started out
on a scent. IL by any chance two dogs
were after the same man the one who
came In second would Immediately start
off on another trail.
The first lesson, which It took the dogs
only two weeks to master. consisted OF
merely securing the country in search OF
soldiers. Perfection in this gained. the
blankets were brought forth and strapped
on. The dogs were then taught to bark
at the man who had apparently tainted
himself from the knapSack. which the
dog carries on his back. Next these ca
nine nurses were taught to guide the
wounded man back to the tents which had
been hastily erected for hospital purposes.
The next step was a little more diff
cult. After having learned to trace Up
the wounded to offer the food and sulnu-
lants and to guide them to the hospital, 1t
was deemed necessary to teach these
clever nurses how to call assistance when
the soldier was too seriously hurt TO move
unaided. With much patience and labor
they were taught to send forth q wall OF
distress which will carry great distance.
This they will keep up for great length
of time when necessary.
Just one more step and their preparatory
education was finished. This was TO teach
the beasts to race to the hospital tent
for assistance in extreme cases. guiding
the surgeon to the sufferer as rapidly as
possible. In order to do this satisfactorily
the dogs were taught to distinguish be-
tween an exhausted man and one Who was
dangerously wounded. When the man
would not move or offer to help himseiI
taught TO seek help at once he was also
taught to run for assistance when the
soldiers so ordered him.
When the wounded man helped himself
to bandges and food. and moved about
the dogs learned that they were to sit by
his side and cry for help until ordered
back to camp or until assistance came
When the first twenty-five dogs had
passed each test successfully and received
their degree, number and blanket. twenty
FIVE more were secured. These were
added to until the staff or canine nurse. nurses
learned much more quickly than the first
pupils. for dogs. like children, are apt
imitators and having the n-ob, graduarsa iiauarsi
nurses 10 OBSERVE, tDc
soon mastered their work.
All this went on in time Of peaca. when
the woodlands and mountains through
which the dogs searched were as quiet
as nature meant them TO be. Now these
sensitive collies are nervous dogs, and II
was feared that they would forget their
mission of mercy and flee In terror II
taken to the front during a battle. In or
der to avoid such Inishap the ofhciais
ordered mock battles. The dogs were first
held in leash during the fighting. and when
all was quiet were set loose: There was
q panic among the 1o5 we'll drilled nurses
during that first battle. and when they
were sent forth on their work, with an
occasional gun popping here and there,
they shook with fear and refused TO set
forth on the trail.
training commenced the dogs had mas
tered every phase Of their work.