Evening star., 1946-07-05
This and That
BY Charles Z. TrdceUeI.
SIXTEENTH STREET.


Dear Sir:
Il have enjoyed your columns in the
Washington Evening Star. One Sunday
recently had unique experience with
dog. I thought you might be inter-
ested.
THAT afternoon I was hiking on the
towpath of the Chesapeake d Ohio
Canal above the wooden foot bridge Of
Cabin John. On my return route, Just
above lock No. 10, two of my friends
who had bicycled much farther than /
could walk, stopped by to pass the time
OF day. They were also on the return
route.
With them was very friendly black
and-tan dog, about the size Of a mastiff.
My friends told me the dog had fol-
lowed them up and back, Just attaching
himself to their party as dogs will do.
"As my friends finally speeded along
on their bikes the dog attached himself
to me and followed along. Every person
I met, asked If they knew where the
dog belonged. No one knew, and 1t was
apparent finally that the dog was lost.
When I finally came to the Cabin
John foot bridge where had to turn of
to get the trolley back home, the dog
was still with me. felt that, since he
had not yet turned of to go home. he
must belong to some one who lived
below Cabin John.
SO tried the usual method Of point
ing down the Canal, and trying to order
the dog to go home Some people at
the foot bridge offered to try to hold
the dog till was out Of sight. So
crossed the foot bridge, went I'D the
foot path, waded the stream on the
stepping stones, and was almost up to
the Cabin John trolley terminal, when
I heard frantic barking.
AT the sound Of the barking.
thought the dog might be the one who
had followed me. turned back, and
found it was the same Cog. This dog
had followed my scent across the foot
bridge, and across the stream on the
stepping stones. Since the stones are
rather wet all the time, think this
must have been a remarkable dog.
Upon finding him waiting for me
after wading the stream, I decided
to try to walk the dog home. I felt
sort of obligation in the matter. This
time my luck was with Ire. I had
gotten the dog just about one thou
sand feet below the foot bridge on
the towpath, when 1 met some people
who knew the dog and where he
belonged. They offered to take him
home.
Il have read and heard MANY dog
stories, but this one beats aLything
I have yet encountered. never
thought dog could follow scent across
a stream
would you tell me II this story is
unusual for the local run of dog stories?
Sincerely, H. M. D."
This is good story, but we don't
believe it is so unusual
Our local dogs are really something,
as the vernacular has it.
We can recall story of an Irish
setter which lived on the other side of
the Potomac. He was taken in an
automobile across the bridge, across
the city and out to a kennel in Mary
land.
Several days later, here came the dog,
bedraggled, with sore and wet paws
and legs.
He either had crossed the bridge or
swum-swam the river, no one was ever
quite sure. but one thing was certain,
he had come back alone, a distance Of
about is miles.
The scent our correspondents four
legged friend followed was not on the
stones, but in the air above them.
Each human has his own particular
odor for dog, sign which there is
no mistaking.
In this case there had not been
enough time elapsed for the scent to
evaporate.
The dog was on hot trail it could
not miss.
Such stories renew our faith in mans
best friend. There are many things
dogs do impossible to any other animal.
In these days Of the more or less rapid
decline of the human spirit, let us
be glad Of stories which show that dogs
are still dogs in the best tradition.