Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-23
CASE OF THE ANCIENT HOUNDS.
Their Evident Understanding of the
Situation and Its Effect on Their
Owner.

| ioined us in the library. THE teie-
phone rang only once while I was al
dinner. and the office is as empty az
my pipe here"
"They keep you tolerably busy, doc
| tor" 1 remarked, handing him the to-
bacco jar, and recalling that he hat
ioined us at the table just as we wert
analyzing the first nince pie of tht
| season.
Yes, a doctors life is a hard one
and we veterinarians are no excep
| ton. But we meet with many inter
esting experiences and some puzzlinf
ones as well. Take the case of the twt
ancient hounds whose acquaintance
made this summer.
Driving through Camp hill ont
morning, approached a handsome
and extensive estate, when MAI
standing at the entrance gates address
ed me by name and requested a few
moments conversation. He was a to-
tai stranger to me. but | was not sur
prised at his knowing me, for have
been a fairly familiar figure through
out Germantown and it's vicinity foi
| the past 20 years. He explained thai
| he was caretaker of the estate and hao
! two hounds about II years old which
had grown very feeble, besides los
| ing most of their teeth. So he wish
ed them, as he expressed it. to be put
| to sleep but as I already had an ur-
! gent case in the neighborhood | prom
! ised to call the following day, although
| could have wished 1t We're on a diff
! ferent errand, for my most hardly
! earned fees are those which come from
taking life.
THE next day 1 drove up to the sta
bic at the rear of the house and was
greeted by the caretaker, who wore 9
slightly puzzling expression, but in.
! formed me that he would have the
dogs ready in a few minutes. His few
minutes stretched to nearly a half
hour, when he returned with the news
that the dogs We're nowhere to be
found. He apologized profusely, bu
as my next engagement was pressing
/ could wait no longer and arranged
/ to return at the same hour the mex
day.
That evening, however, the mar
called at my Office and explained th'
mysterious disappearance of th'
| hounds.
made no mention, sir, he said
| of my talk with you until after break
fast this morning, for I knew my wifi,
| would take on a bit, and so she did
but l persuaded her to go to town TO
the day and it would be all over whei
she returned. The dogs were in tn
/ kitchen with US at the time, but afte
they had their breakfast and my wifi
| lot
sunny back step, as they always dc
Then 1 went about my work in tn
stable and thought no more of the mat
ter until you arrived.
Well, sir. after you left saddled
horse and went over the estate bi
by bit. 1t covers the best part of G
acres, and is marked off by a higl
wire fence with a fair-sized bit o
woods to the sides and rear And a
the extreme limit of the estate crouch
ed together against the wire fence,
found my two old hounds. 1t wen
through me like a knife, sir, when
remembered how, in their yeunge
days. they had taken that fence lii1
BIRDS, and now, because Of that fence
they could so no further. / called ther
by NAME, bat for the first time in thei
lives they would not obey their master
l dismounted. but at my approach the
shrank from me, and although the da
was warm and they had Travelled fal
they shook as from an ague. Coaxine
and commands failed alike to NOV
them, SO l rode back to the house, an
it was not until 1 returned later in th
cart with my wife that they finall
yielded to her entreaties and jumpe
III the cart with u.s.
1t CIT ME to the heart to see ho,
they avoided me, but pressed close t
my wife, as though asking her pre-
lection from their own master.
And when l remembered how W
had raised them from puppies and tina
old age was their only crime I wa
ashamed to look the faithful old fe
lows in the face. By the time we ha
reached the house l had made up m
mind that my home was their HON
until their time came, and bless m,
sir, if 1 don't believe the raseals kne7
it, for they didn't jump out at til
kitchen door with my wife. but ker
on with me to the stable, just as the
have always done since they were bi
enough to walk back.
So, if you please, sir. and If it's a
the same to you, l came to ask if yo
would just call the whole thing off,
Il assured him." continued the doc
tor, that I had never lost a fee wit
a lighter heart, and he walked dow
the street whistling Old Dog Tray t
rag-time and keeping step as with
mind relieved.
Since then I have visited the es
tate several times to attend the horse,
and those dogs receive me with grea
friendliness and even escort me to til
street when I leave. Now, who ca
offer a satisfactory explanation of the
behavior on that first occasion ?,-
Philadelphia Record.
IN THE COUNTRY OF TIL