Evening star., 1919-03-30
VESLE. LITTLE WAR DOG. RESCUED
FROM HUNS, NOW A TRUE YANK

ing, smoking town of vignculles with
the 1st Division when it smashed
onward, making &. Junction with the
26th division coming from the
west. thus closing the jaw of the
trap that pin"aed out the German in
vaders. Through til" rigors and blood
and death OF the Argc1ne fighting
night at Varennes with. the 2Sth
Division while German shells were
dropping at the rate of one a min
ute and the roads were choked
with American wounded and German
prisoners passing to the rear. Vesle
slept serenely calm in the safety of
his new-found protection. Although
he wasn't keen for the big bursters
he never thought of running away
and leaving his friends. He was per-
fect1y willing to take his chances
with them in whatever cover they
could find.
All this made Vesle regular war
dog. Now in the days of peace he is
receiving the attentions and acclaim
that go to the veteran who has stood
shellfire. He has been a favored
passenger on Gen. Pershing's train.
He has been received by many
British and French generals in
Amiens. Rheims and Scissors. and he
has been introduced to almost every
lifts a shaggy white paw, gives a
curt waggle or two with his tail, and
then modestly goes back and lies
down under his masters chair.
Was Painted at Versailles.
Besides all this, vesle probably is
the only stranger dog that ever in
vaded the sacred chambers of Madame
de Maintenon in the Palace of Yer
sailles, and then upon express invi-
tation. The American painter Dana
Pond is making there great can
vass showing the military members
of the war council. 1t shows Gen.
Belin for France. Gen. di Robilant
for Italy, Gen. Sackville- West for
Great Britain and Gen. Bliss for the
United States.
Pond looked critically at his can
vass one day recently and remarked:
Il need some small animal in this to
give it a little color
Some one, of course. thought of
Vesle, and the artist asked that he
be brought to Versailles.
Here, Vesle. 'cochet'." commanded
Carroll. (Cochet is French for Tie
down and Vesle understands very
to-. The pup. selecting a place just
at Sackvil,e Vests feet, lay down,
cooked up his ears and looked very
interested while the artist worked.
He had three sittings, and now he's
in the historic painting. He has oc-
cupied a chair in a box at the Follies
Bergere, he has bathed in the Marne
and the Rhine. Now he gets an en-
forced bath every Saturday night in
a tub with the rest of the family
His adventures are legion.
Now in United States.
Just now Vesle is in the United
States visiting between the homes of
his two owners in New York and Chi
cago. 1t was hoped to have him on
exhibition at the Animal Rescue
League bazaar. given at Rauscher's 8
March Z and 8, but the little fellow
is very timid and shy after his ex-
periences and the long journey across
the ocean. and he doesn't understand
English anyway and is i'll at ease
in the presence of strangers, SO the
plan was abandoned.
The French say Vesle is of a breed
called Barbatte-dogs raised and
trained to lead the blind. An Ameri-
can dog fancier would say his blood
was a little of spaniel. little of
shepherd and just a little of plain
black dog.
But Vesle is true friend What
more could any one ask of any friend ?