Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1922-07-20


When my brother sat down to
watch him, Rastus climbed imperson-
ally ON his lap and went through his
pockets carefully, taking everything
ut and putting them on the floor,
and then began TO eat the heads of
;Ec matches he had found. When
tfese were taken away, he nipped my
brother, as a reminder that he was
still his own master.
He always became wildly excited
whenever he saw pan or pail with
water in it, and plunged into it in
mad haste, looking most anxious,
feeling all around, and even if pos
sible getting into it.
When | fed him he usually got into
the pan, sitting in the middle OF his
food and making a great mess, as
every mouthful was taken in his fore
paws to eat AS soon as he had fin
ished l wiped his paws on a cloth, and
he endured the cleaning process with
much the air of protest that one sees
in youngsters similarly treated.
One morning he was more mischie-
Gus than usual, and tipped a basin
of water off the low bench in the
81 ullery, when he stood IN his hind
legs and tried to catch the drops of
water in his mouth. Then he got into
an empty enamel wash basin that
stood on the floor and rolled about
in it in all kinds of queer positions,
standing on his head, lying on his
back, AID spinning round and round.
When / tried to sweep, he caught the
broom and held it so that / could
hardly move 1t, kicking and biting
as though he thought it was all done
for his particular amusement. If he
started to do anything and you at
tempted TO stop him he became very
excited, and hurried to do it before
you could prevent him., which result
ed in some very absurd scenes, as
when seeing him headed for a basin
of water, rushed to save it. We both
reached it at the same instant and
grasped it on different sides, it was of
course upset and Rastus, entirely sat
isfied, padded joyously in the spill
ed water. Whenever I had him out
of doors he followed me about like
a little gray WOOD elf He was alert
to every outdoor sound questing
along the ground, feeling in every
hole, and examining everything with
paws and nose.
He was so quick that it was al
most impossible to prevent his get
ting through a door when it was
opened; the usual method was to
grab him by the back of the neck
and, dropping him as far as possible
from the door, run in; but he would
turn the instant he reached the floor
and dart after us, feaTlessly poking
his nose in the crack, which lent a
certain excitment to passing from
room to ROOM All doors interested
him, and he often climbed on a box
that stood near the kitchen door, and
reaching up, tried to turn the knob
with his paws. There was no doubt
in my mind that he was initiating
what he had seen US do.
One day he found out of doors a
small pail nearly full of water and
skinned over with ice, and at inter-
walls he went to it with an hir of wor-
ried and eager haste. plungjng in has
paws and even getting into #. 1t was
so."old that Ifnaly emptied it to keep
him dry. That day, / took him down
to the garden while / dug the beets
and he had a glorious time, digging in
the earth, playing with a tomato,
and then making absurd dashes at
me, all bumped up as though lie were
very savage. When he became too
troublesome l picked him up and he.
gIunted with disgust, but he liked to
be carried, and became quiet as
soon as / began to move, watching
everything with the keenest interest.
If anything was .axen from him,
quick as a flash he snatched at some
thing else, but he was always cheer,
full and good tempered about it.
When he was out of doors his nose
was always alert and wiggling as
though the air was full of fascinat-
ing perfumes, but he did not make
any attempt to hunt, being perfectly
satisfied with bread and milk, though
in wild state he would naturally-have
had a much more varied diet. What
he had evidently suited him exactly,
for he was very fat and growing fast,
and his coat was in perfect condition,
glossy, soft, and dark.
One evening, in spite of all my eff
forts, Rastus Slipped through the
door and into the hall where Betsy.
the collie was lying, wearing the
somewhat injured expression she as
sumed when he was at large on her
premises. | was frightened, but
Betsy showed her breeding and merely
looked worried when the little imp
put up his back and tried TO make
himself look terrifying as he rushed
TO he r white paws to bite them. She
retreated TO the dining room. looking
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