THE DOG 137 



Alps from Switzerland to Italy. Such a place is 

 called a pass. This pass of the Great St. Bernard 

 is very dangerous. Before the tunnels were built 

 through the Alps for the railroads, many persons 

 were obliged to travel over this dangerous route. 

 Not very far from the pass is a convent where good 

 men live and to these good men the dogs belong. 

 Their work is to rescue those who lose their way 

 in the dangerous snow-storms, which are so frequent 

 on the mountain passes. They know an hour before 

 it begins that a storm is coming, and they are ready 

 and eager to start out on their errands of mercy. 

 One dog has a bottle of medicine attached to his 

 collar and the other a large, warm cloak tied to 

 his back. Because of the remarkable sense of smell 

 that these dogs have, they are able to trace any man 

 who has lost his way in the storm. After they have 

 found the lost traveler, and he has helped himself 

 to the medicine and put on the cloak, the dogs lead 

 him to the convent, where he is well taken care of 

 until the storm ceases. 



If the poor traveler has become numb with the 

 cold, or is buried in the snow, they will always find 

 him and will stay by and bark constantly until they 

 are heard at the convent. Then the good monks 

 come out and carry the man to shelter. These dogs 

 are so powerful that they can soon dig a man out 

 of the snow even if he is deeply buried in it. For 

 the wind blows and howls over those high moun- 

 tain passes so fiercely that any one who falls from 

 exhaustion is soon covered over with the whirling, 

 blinding snow. 



