The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-05-24
Ny Only Friend
[Original.l

other animal. For me, consider MIN
the most intelligent of all four foot
ed beasts, but perhaps l am prejudicsd
in this opinion, for once owned dog
that loved better than l ever loved
man or woman. He was the only COM
I, Mon l valued while confined within
the narrow limits of ship, often for
years on one voyage. l have always
been prone to shut myself up within
myself and as master could never
bring myself to associate on familiar
terms with any of my subordinates.
found Rex on a wreck when l was
mate of a vessel. He was about to die
of starvation, and took him off and
fed him with my own hands. He WIS
of the collie breed-the larger kind. l
have saved men and women and chill
dren from wrecks but never saw such
gratitude expressed in look as the
starving dog gave me. Ravenous for
food, he seemed to know when l gave
it to him sparingly that was doing
so for his own good and acquiesced
as little child will submit to similar
treatment from its parents.
AS he recovered and filled out he
was a princely animal, and named
him Rex. For years through storm
and sunshine Rex and walked the
quarter deck side by side and when we
turned in at night turned in together,
often in the same bunk. When on
dangerous coast or in bad weather !
left my cabin to go on deck Rex would
insist on going with me and If shut
him In the cabin would whine pitifully
till he was permitted to join me. Then
at my side he would endure rain or
sleet driven against him by furious
wind. l tried at first to induce him to
remain In a coil of rope over which l
drew tarpaulin. but he scorned 1t.
seeming to consider my place Of duty
his place of duty.
We classify living beings, but no
classification can be perfect. Men
have been succored and have murder
ed their preservers, and yet we regard
them as living souls, while we class
my Rex as a brute. He may have
been brute to others; to me he was
only behind me in physical develop
ment. If have soul he had one,
for saw it in his eye, as he saw one
in mine. Be this as it may, he was all
that loved.
One night I went to my cabin and
sank at once to sleep. I should have
constant watching on treacherous
coast in thick weather. l dreamed
that we We're sailing up on broad
beach, and I could hear the sand
grinding under the keel. I heard
sharp bark in my ear and, awakening,
saw by the light Of dawn Rex, his fore
paws on the bunk, whining and tell
ing me with his expressive eyes that
something terrible had happened. Get
ting on deck, 1 found that the ship
had struck submerged rock and was
fast sinking The men, mindful Of
their own lives, had got out the boats
and filled them, and the last boat was
about to pull away. not man in 1t
daring to wake his captain for fear he
would be left behind. Seeing me COM
ing, shame stopped them.
Get aboard, captain!' they shouted.
els every living thing off the ship?"
I asked.
They assured me that all had left ex-
cept Rex and myself. Those in the
for me- and 1 got in, then turned to
| help Rex in. The boat was overload
| ed, and the men We're anxious to be
| Off, fearing to get caught in the vor-
tex that would follow the ship when
she went down, and the moment was
in they gave way. Rex plunged into
| the water and swan beside the boat.
l wished to take him in, but the men
protested against taking dog into a
boat already too heavily burdened.
We We're not in sight of land, and
knew that my Rex, who of all the liv-
| ing creatures aboard the ship had
thought of me In the great peril and
but for whom l should have been left
to perish, could not swim to safety.
proposed to the men that If they would
| give my place to the dog l would look
for some floating object to which
| could cling, but to which the dog
could not. But all protested against
having the dog in the boat lest he
prove uncomfortable With me out of
it. saw the difficulty myself and
gave UP the plan.
Rex SWAN directly behind US, never
/ taking his eye from me for Il mo-
ment. He was fast getting tired, but
gave no sign that he wished to be
taken aboard With his intelligence
have always believed that he took in
the situation and was resigned to it,
l read this in his wistful eye and that
his regret at parting with me over
came his dread of death. After awhile,
when the men ceased pulling for rest
and consultation, Rex swan up beside
the boat. The men in trying to drive
him away endangered our equilibrium.
All protested, and one with revolver
threatened to shoot him.
/ l have given many heartrending or
ders, but none that was so hard for