AFFECTION IN DOGS. 121 



allowed the faithful creature to lead them to the 

 spot where the officer was still fast asleep, the 

 tide having just reached his feet. Had they not 

 arrived at the moment they did, their companion 

 must inevitably have been drowned. 



Another interesting anecdote of the sense and 

 affection of a dog is mentioned by Mr. Backhouse, 

 in his visit to the Australian Colonies. The 

 eldest son of a settler, near Maitland, when be- 

 tween two and three years old, wandered into the 

 bush and was lost. The boy would probably 

 have perished, but for a faithful spaniel that 

 followed him. At midnight the dog came and 

 scratched at the door of one of the servant's huts, 

 and when it was opened, ran towards the place 

 where the child was. A man followed the dog, 

 which led him to a considerable distance through 

 a thick brush by the side of the river, where he 

 found the little boy, seated on the ground, but 

 almost stiff from cold. The dog afterwards lost 

 its life from the bite of a snake, much to the 

 sorrow of its little master, who pointed out to 

 Mr. Backhouse, with evident emotion, the corner 

 of the room where it died. 



A waggoner, attended by his faithful dog, 

 while driving his team, attempted to get upon 

 one of the shafts of the waggon, but fell, and the 

 wheels went over his head and killed him. The 

 dog swam across a river, as the quickest way of 



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