258 WILD ANIMAL CELEBRITIES 



mg termed by the other show people "Bona- 

 vita's Body Guard." 



The first time I ever saw Pluto was at 

 Richmond, Virginia, in Mr. Frank Bostock's 

 wild animal show. He was standing by Cap- 

 tain Bonavita, and, as I went over and be- 

 gan talking to his master, Pluto sniffed me 

 suspiciously, evidently not sure whether I 

 were friend or foe. I noticed that Bonavita 

 kept repeating constantly : 



"Pluto is a good dog. Yes, Pluto is a very 

 good dog. ' ' 



As he interrupted the conversation to re- 

 peat this over and over again, I at last asked 

 him why he did it, and he said quietly he 

 would tell me another time. And when Pluto 

 was safely fastened up, he explained it to 

 me. It seemed that when he wished to make 

 this dog understand that a stranger was all 

 right, Bonavita would say, "Pluto is a good 

 dog," putting a great deal of emphasis on the 

 "good." 



But if he wished to be protected from a 

 suspicious person, he would say, "Pluto is a 



