The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-07-04
EACH DOG PLAYS
HIS PART IN WAR
ONE DIES FOR COUNTRY WHILE
OTHER ONE STILL LIVES.
PART OF LARtE WAR MACHINE
German Dog Used AS a Messenger
Shot While On Duty--VaIuabIe
Information Received in AIumi-
mum Message Box.
fBy Fred S. Ferguson.l }

l
(By Fred S. Ferguson.)
| With the American Forces in Pic
ardy, May 10. (By Mail. )-This is
the story of two dogs. One lies stark
and stiff out in No Mans Land. He
gave his life for the country of his
master, German officer. He was
shot by an American sentinel while on
duty as soldier, carrying a message.
The other dog still lives, but for the
coming of Americans to the little viii
! lage that was his home he might have
died of neglect and starvation. This
dog is now known as Tommy" Just
what his French name was no one
knows. He's of the crossed bull and
fox terrier variety, has had a bath
since he fell into American hands,
and is getting fat on the left-overs
of food from American messes. What
ever he was in the days of his puppy
hood, he's a Salvation Army dog now,
and the friend of every soldier who
lives in or passes through the village.
l II there is anything soldier in the
field loves most next to his letters from
home, his smokes, and his bunkie, it
is dog. Consequently there is a
feeling of pity as the men in the
trenches look out over the parapet and
see the stiffened body of the Boche
dog. He happened to be born on the
other side of the Rhine. Therefore
he was an enemy. He couldn't rea-
Lee XEyht nj
one his foe. He only knew that
when he was called, and something
was slipped in the little aluminium
container on his collar, he must go to
the place to which he had been taught
to go. Neither did he know that when
he galloped beyond the German wire
and out into No Mans Land his lean
form was silhouetted against the sky
in the gathering darkness. He knew
only that this was the short way to
the next post command.
Part of War Machine.
Though only dog, ne was part of
the monster German war machine
that is menacing the world.
Corporal Clark, of u Company Of
the - Infantry, loves dogs as much
as any soldier. But, you must re-
member, the Boche dog was born on
the other side of the Rhine. He was
ClaTk's enemy. The corporal raised
his gun and fired. The Boche dog
dropped dead Clark slipped out
through the wire, unfastened the dogs
collar, and brought it back. The col
lar was sent into headquarters.
The little aluminium message box
that hung at the dogs throat was op-
ened. The message contained valu-
able information as to relief in the
which it is necessary to know. The
colonel of Clarks regiment sent him
a note commencing him for shooting
the dog, declaring it showed him to be
"a quick witted soldier of action"
Tommy Was French.
Tommy" doesn't know the story of
the Boche dog. In the first place he
doesn't understand much English yet.
Then he's having too much fun frol-
licking with the American boys to lis
:, ten. Tommy" has lived through the
tragedy in his life, and forgotten it,
When thousands of men, like the
Boche dogs master swept forward and
captured Montdidier, just across the
way from where Tommy" lived, his
people fled. They were farmer folk
They piled what household goods they
could on their high two-wheeled cart,
climbed on top, and with probably an
old man or little boy driving the
horses, they hurried away. Tommy"
was forgotten in the haste to flee from
the wrath of the German guns and
men.
He wandered around djsconsolate
for days while strange French colo
malls lived in the house his folks had
left. Then they departed, and the
Americans came. The Salvation
Army moved into his house. He
wagged his tail at the sight of a wom-
an. And when the little woman
Preached down and petted him, he was
glad all over. He was going to like
her, he decided, so he didn't run and
hide as he did when the Colonials
were about.
Didn't Like Bath.
Tommy" was dirty, but when the
matter of a bath came up, he left ev-
eryone know the dirt didn't bother
him. He made an awful fuss about
| it,. But when finally bathed, he let
everyone know he even liked being
clean. Now he has a little strap for
a collar, and is as proud as any Amer
ican dog.
II Tommy" has real good luck may
be he'll see the United States some
day. But If you don't see Tommy"
may be you'll see the collar of the
other dog 1.-The dog born on the other
side of the Rhine-among war exhib- /
its in Washington.
It's pitiful little thing when you |
stop to think that the dog which wore |
it---being a dog-was just as playful |
a "A "A ~