84 British War Dogs 



thing I was rather afraid of was the runs at night, when 

 there is generally more shelling, but it makes no difference, 

 they run quite as well in the dark as the daylight. The 

 only fault about the big Collie ' Scott ' is, that he is rather 

 a good-looking dog and everybody will make a fuss of 

 him if they get a chance, therefore, if any soldier calls him 

 he will stop to be made a fuss of ; the bitch being a bit 

 savage-looking doesn't get spoken to, and she is absolutely 

 the best." 



Keeper Rea, who also went to France in the early days 

 of the movement, makes the same complaint. These men 

 both testify also to the fact, which was amply proved later, 

 that the night time made no difference to the dog when at 

 work. 



" Old ' Tray ' is still as steady and faithful as ever, and 

 is as sure as day and night and he can jump as good as any 

 of them. ' Joseph ' is a good one and fast, only not as good 

 as old ' Tray '—in rough ground ' Swallow ' is doing grand. 

 I am keeping him in practice all the time. Pte. Reid, 

 of the 13th R.H. of Canada, is at the same place as myself 

 and we work the dogs between us. I take his and he mine. 

 It is a hard job to keep the lads from making a fuss of 

 them, it seems as though man and dog were made to go 

 together. We are down on our old front again. (The 

 dogs are running from 3 to 6 kilos per day, so keep in good 

 condition. We have snow on the ground and it has been 

 very cold ; to-day it is thawing a little, the ground is covered 

 with snow still. Some very heavy strafing going on — 

 steady here now. We got a bunch of Germans last night 

 all dressed in white overalls and white smocks. I was 

 thinking they would be a good rig for the Salonica dogs 



