Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1879-01-04 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

TIIEATRICAL DOG STORY. "ONCE upon a time I was present at the performance of the celebrated dog piece. 'The Forest of Bondy,' in a small country theatre. The plot turns upon a wellknown story, the discovery of a murder through the sagacity of the victim's dog. The playbill descanted most eloquently upon the wonderful genius of the 'highly trained' animal, and was sufficient to raise expectation on tip-toe. Yet it had evidently failed to impress the public of this town, their experiences probably have rendered them sceptical of such pufferms, for the house was miserably bad. The first entrance of 'the celebrated dog Cassar,' however, in attendance upon his master, was greeted with loud applause. He was a fine young black Newfoundland, whose features were more descriptive of good nature than genius, He sat on his haunches and laughed at the audience, and pricked up his ears at the sound !of a boy munching a biscuit in the pit. I could:perceive be was a novice, and that he would forget all he had been taught when he came to the test. While Aubrey, the hero, is passing through the forest at night, he is attacked by two ruffians, and after a desperate combat is killed ; the dog is supposed to be kept out of the way. But in the very midst of the fight, Caisar, whose barking had been distinctly 'heard all the time, rushed .on the stage. Far from evincing any ferocity towards his masters foes, he danced about with a joyous bark, 'evidently considering it famous fun. Aubrey was furious and kicked out savagely at his faithful dung,' thereby laying himself open to the swords of his adversaries, who, however, in consideration that the :combat had not beCn long enough, generously refused the advantages. 'Get off,:you beast! growled Aubrey, who evidently desired to'fight it out without canine ,interference. At length tvhen the faltering applause from the gallery began to show that the gods had bad enough of it, the assassins buried 'their swords beneath the victim's arms, and be expired_ in great agony; • Cresar looking on from the respectful distance to which his master's kick had sent him, with the unconcern of a person who had seen it all done at -rehearsal and knew it was all'Aitim, but-with is decided inkiest of eye and ear in 'the direction of the biscuit, muncher. In the next act he. was to leap over a style and ring the bell it m farmhouse, and, having I awakened the inhabitants, seize a lantern which is brought out, and lead them to the spot where the I 'villains have buried his master. After a little prompting Cmsar leaped the style and went up to the bell, round the handle of which was twisted some red cloth to imitate meat—but there never was a more matter-of-fact dog than this; he evidently hated all shams, even .artistic ones; and after a sniff at the red 'rag he walked off disgusted, and could not be induced to go on again; so the people had to rush out without being summoned, carry their own lantern, and find their way by a sort of canine instinct, or scent, to the -Scene of the murder. But Cmsar's delinquencies Culminated in the last scene, where, after the -chief villain, in a kind of lynch law trial, has stoutly asserted his innocence, the sagacious ' dawg' suddenly bounds upon the stage. springs at his throat, and puts an end to his infamous career. Being held by the collar, and incited on, in the side scene,. Cicsar's deep • bark sounded terribly ferocious, and seemed to foreshadow a bloody catastrophe; but his bark proved worse than his bite, for when released he trotted on with the most affable expression of countenance, his thoughts still evidently bent upon biscuits; in vain did the villain showlaim the red padapon his throat and invite him to seize it. Cwsar had been deceived once and scorned to countenance an imposition. Furious with passion, the villain rushed at him, drew him up on his hind legs, clasped him in his arms, then fell upon the stage arid writhed in frightful agonies, shrieking, 'Mussy, mussy, take off the dung;' and the curtain fell amidst the howls and hisses of the audience."—From Belgravia.•' •  ' lOLF.