El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-11-30
FAITHFUL DOG
SLAIN BUT He
KILLS HIS HUN
Stray Who Became Pet of
Platoon Hangs To Ger
mans Throat To End.

7 ONDON, Eng, Nov. Sole came TO
l. the platoon one day when It was
billeted in a shattered garnet IN the
back area The men. barefooted and
in shirt sleeves. sitting on the floor
reading the letters and examining the
parcels which the post had just
brought them, became suddenly con-
scious Of something foreign in the
room. and Crabtree, first to look up.
saw the intruder looking through the
door.
Eth Wot are you doin' here?" asked
Pvt. Crabtree. Where the ell have
you come from2'
The intruder in the language COM
mon to his kind, barked an apology
and lay down, his muzzle on his fore
paws. and turned over on his back as
II dead He was a dog, shabby gray,
with big splotches Of rusty brown on
his coat. a war waif of dubious an
.eestry. Where ne had come from was
a mystery
Crabtree got 10 his feet and went
toward the animal The dog shrunk
back toward the doorway, its ears
down and its tail between his legs.
Frightened are yerl" asked crab
tree in a coaXing voice Poor old
doggie. Frightened and -ungry, may
be-"
The man went back to his parcel.
took out a tin Of biscuits and threw
one 10 the animal The dog, evidently
hungry, gObbled it up and looked for
another. A second was given and a
third, for Crabtree liked dogs. In Is
minutes time the old soldier and the
stray dog were the greatest pals i'm
0. -aanr
aginable. Alatey' was the name sven
him by Crabtree. and the name stuck
and the dog became the mascot OF
the platoon and the pet OF the battal-
ion Everybody, from cook 10 colonel,
came 10 know Matey and all loved
him
Huns Flung Back.
At midnight on a certain date. az
ter an hours strafe. the curtain Of
fire raised itself forward and the men
rushed back right into the teeth Of the
rafding enemy. Following a sharp en-
counter, in which bayonet. bullet and
bomb played part, and the Germans
were flung back across no mans land
When this was done certain pla-
toon. led by Pvt Crabtree, raced along
the trench toward the bay which IL
had left when the men got the order
10 retire. in that bay was dugout
and the guardian OF the dugOut, the
dog "aMtey," was probably there now
excitement OF the moment he had been
forgotten and left behind The men
had not seen him since they left, but
during the bombardment they had
sreat difficulty in restraining Crab
tree from going back to see what had
happened to his dumb friend.
Pays Supreme Sacrifice.
They came TO the dugout and at the
door in the darkness something gray
and formless was TO be seen Crab
tree bent down over the strange bulk.
examined il with his fingers and then
stood upright with a curse
i'Wot is it," asked Squadder Shorey.
Its POOR old Matey," said Crabtree.
And 'es dead"
But that doesn't look like a dog"
said ShOrey. Its a man. It's
Jerry"
IT'S a Jerry" Crabtree affirmed IN
a choking voice. "A Jerry with Matey
at his throat And the two OF them
are dead"
He tried to get in. suppose" said
a voice from the crowd And Matey
wasn't 'aving any skylarkin's so e
went for i'm. caught him by the throat
and done him in"
And he stuck the dog with his
bay'net as the animal was getting at
him." said Squadder Shorey- --Gawd-
it's a shame, and i'm such q dawg-
Never was there a better IN Wasn't
e a grand animal. Crabtree2
But Crabtree did not answer. for
there are moments when the tongue
fails TO give voice to the feelings OF
the heart