SOME OTHER DOGS. 



29 



menced to dig in the ground, evidently be- 

 lieving father had gone down instead of 

 np. My father returned soon, which put a 

 stop to the excavating. Choco had made a 

 hole about a foot deep. I have never seen 

 such manifestations of joy as Choco ex- 

 hibited when he ran to meet my father. We 

 chaffed father about that for a long time. 



My uncle came and went irregularly, 

 sometimes being gone a month or 2, and he 

 finally stayed away entirely ; but Choco did 

 not seem to miss him greatly. 



Choco's sense of honor was fine. Many 

 a small dog's part has he taken when the 

 little fellow was getting the worst of a 

 battle. In the 10 years Choco lived I never 

 knew him to have but one fight of his own. 

 As I did not see the commencement of it, 



1 do not know whether he was justified or 

 not, but believe he was. His previous 

 character warranted that conclusion. 



Choco's one mistake in regard to right 

 and wrong was that he would let a man 

 put his coat or dinner pail in the barn, but 

 would not let him get it again. Some one 

 of the family would have to get the article 

 and hand it to its owner. 



I have laughed until exhausted many a 

 time to see that dog laugh. He would draw 

 the corners of his mouth back and look so 

 foolish, especially when gaiters were put on 

 him. One member of the family gave him 



2 pairs of discarded cloth shoes. I used to 

 tie them on his feet. After getting used .to 

 the performance, each foot was held up in 

 turn until all were shod. Then he would 

 jump up and run around, raising his feet 

 higher than usual. Some one would open 

 the door, when he would run out into the 

 village, circle around and come home again, 

 evidently thinking the trip up town part of 

 his act. 



Choco and the butcher became great- 

 friends. It seems that the way to a dogjs 

 heart also is through his stomach. 



One night at bedtime the dog was not to 

 be found. We went to the butcher's to see 

 if he knew anything about Choco. He said : 



"I'll bet a hen I've locked him up in the 

 market. Well, never mind;, now. He's 

 probably damaged all the meat by this time 

 that he will." 



When the butcher started out in the 

 morning father went with him. They found 

 the dog shut up in the market, but none of 

 the meat had been touched by canine teeth. 

 As a reward for his honesty he was given 

 a chunk of liver, which he ate ravenously. 



Not only was this dog honorable, but he 

 had a taste for music. In my repertoire was 

 one selection that would bring him into the 

 room as soon as the first bars were played. 

 He would sit on his haunches, wag his tail, 

 turn his head, this way and that, with evi- 

 dent enjoyment, and look much interested, 

 never leaving the room as long as that 



composition was being played. I played it 

 2 hours once, to see if he would tire of it, 

 but at the end of that time he showed no 

 signs of fatigue. When other music was 

 played he would retire, but come again 

 when his favorite was commenced. That 

 was years ago. The music is lost and I 

 can not even remember its name. I have 

 wasted more effort trying to remember that 

 air than on anything else ever forgotten. 

 As the wheel of memory turns around the 

 name of that composition does not come 

 up. Possibly it was located on the outer 

 surface of the tire and has worn off with 

 many years' use. I should like to play that 

 piece to other dogs and watch its effect. 



The third dog is a Scotch collie, owned 

 by my father-in-law, across the way. This 

 dog drives the cows fairly well, but waltzes 

 better. When the team starts out for work 

 in the morning Shepherd goes ahead, danc- 

 ing as prettily as any belle in a ballroom v 

 round and round, reversing every fourth 

 turn, backward and forward, with the 

 greatest precision. He has a daughter, 

 owned by a neighbor, and she is bringing 

 Shepherd's gray hairs in sorrow to the 

 grave. She gives him an awful drubbing 

 whenever he passes her house. Of late our 

 driver stops when nearing the premises. 

 Shepherd leaps into the wagon and passes 

 in safety. The team is stopped again when 

 the danger is passed and Shepherd jumps 

 out and goes on his way. Needless to say 

 this dog does not approve of the new woman. 



Although I have paid little attention to 

 Shepherd, he is fond of me. I once went 

 for a 3 days' visit to my parents. The sec- 

 ond day the dog put in an appearance, evi- 

 dently having come to find me. I fed him 

 well, intending to take him back the next 

 day on returning. In about half an hour 

 he was missing. On arriving home I told 

 my father-in-law's people what time the 

 dog came and when he disappeared. They 

 said they missed him during the morning, 

 but he was there at noon. He could not 

 have tracked me, as part of my journey was 

 by rail. 



Shepherd at one time thought he would 

 live at mv house, but he gave it up on hav- 

 ing a bell rung vigorously close to his ears. 



This dog is not allowed to follow the 

 carriage, and often when it is drawn out 

 he disappears, only to emerge when it is a 

 mile or so away from home, following at 

 a respectful distance. A mile farther brings 

 him abreast of the horses ; another mile 

 finds him leaping, waltzing and running 

 ahead of the team. No one has ever been 

 able to make him go back. Whipping has 

 been resorted to with no effect. He curls 

 down in the road, making himself as small 

 as possible, and takes the punishment as a 

 good child takes bad medicine; but he will 

 not budge. 



