Oct. 12, 1895.J 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



B2i 



THE OARSMAN'S DOG. 



Crouch'd by the door of the hut he lies, 



And naps the hours away, 

 While on the river the oarsman plies 



His skiff the live-long day. 



"Twas in the gray of the early morn 



The boatman took his oar, 

 When sadly followed the dog fo-lorn, 



And watch'd him from the shore; 



As deftly gliding the waters clear, 



By skill of oar and might, 

 Master and craft made the islands near, 



And pass'd beyond the sight. 



Back then he turn'd to his dreary bed, 



His path to wend alone, 

 Heavy of heart, with lingering tread, 



And moan'd the lov'd one gone. 



Quick are his ears to detect each sound, 



Lest any dare intrude; 

 While, sentinel like, he guards the ground 



About the homestead rude. 



'Til set of sun thuR his vigils keep, 



Then tripping o'er the lawn, 

 Hastes to the river's embankment steep, 



And waits another dawn I 



'Tis when the boat his keen eyes shall view, 



Which bears his master dear, 

 That plunging in he may breast the blue, ( 



To greet him with glad cheer. 



Spying the skiff as it homeward brings 



The oarsman o'er the lee, 

 Into the waters at once he springs, 



With welcome, joyous glee. 



Reaching the vessel, he clambers in, 



And dripping ev'ry pore- 

 Shakes— and then leaps to his master's chin 



And licks him o'er and o'er. 



Lolling— aye, laughing— he wags his tail, 



And 6eats him at the prow, 

 As landward fast thus they proudly sail, 



What dog so happy now! 



In deep'ning shades of the early night 



They make their home retreat; 

 No darkness there— because all is bright 



Beside his master's feet. 

 Sept. 23. B. H. Lyon. 



DAMON AND PYTHIAS. 



Jackson, Mich. — Editor Forest and Stream: I resur- 

 rected an old letter the other day which, I think, is good 

 enough to be deserving of a place in the Forest and 

 Stream. It purports to be the letter of one dog to another 

 very dear canine friend, the two having become sepa- 

 rated owing to one removing with his young master to the 

 Western country. 



The two had lived together at the same house and an 

 unusual friendship had developed between them. The 

 purported writer, Bruno, was the senior of the two, and 

 a most remarkable dog he was, having on countless occa- 

 sions given exhibitions of intelligence which were nothing 

 less than human. He was a big fellow with a strain of 

 Newfoundland in him, and was devotedly attached to the 

 young children at his home, with whom he was always 

 ready for game. He was also very fond of accompany- 

 ing the colored man, William, to the country, where he 

 went frequently for the purpose of getting wood, hay, 

 etc., from the farm which Bruno's master owned. On 

 these occasions he generally devoted himself td wood- 

 chuck hunting, and great was the sagacity which he dis- 

 played in the pursuit of his quarry. It may also be 

 adaed that he was a great fighter. He was rather slow 

 to pick a quarrel, but when once he became embarked in 

 one he was a veritable terror, his size, strength and in- 

 domitable courage making him more than a match for 

 almost any dog that he ever encountered. 



Van, the other dog, was a well-bred setter, being a son 

 of Burgess's Eob Roy, and early in his career he came to 

 entertain a profound admiration for Bruno. He was also 

 very fond of William and the two horses, Dolly and 

 Lady, and he soon came to be a regular member of the 

 country party. Bruno was quick to discover that he 

 could utilize his services in nunting woodchucks, and 

 William used to aver that Bruno would frequently station 

 Van at one end of a hole, after which he would begin 

 operations at the other end, thus penning the woodchuck 

 in between the tw* and making his escape impossible. 



Van, when about a year old, nearly died of distemper, 

 and was only saved by the persistent attentions of his 

 mistress, which Bruno makes reference to in his letter. 

 The postscript refers to dogs who lived in the immediate 

 neighborhood of Van's old home. 



The letter was written by Mrs. J. C. Wood, Bruno's 

 mistress, and it seems too good to be lost to the world. 

 It is as follows: 

 My Dear Van: 



1 have just returned from a ramble with William in the 

 country. I am weary, sad and dispirited. The woods 

 and the woodchuck holes only made me think more of 

 you and our many happy hours together, hours which 

 were sometimes prolonged into a day and night ere we 

 thought of returning home. 



Do you think of all this in your new home? Do you 

 ever sigh for the old barn with Dolly and Lady as your 

 companions? or are you so happy in your new surround- 

 ings that your kind mistress who brought you through 

 your childish diseases and attended so strictly to your 

 diet and your old Bruno are alike forgotten? 



I sometimes fear that your master, finding you rather 

 undisciplined, may resort to severe measures in order to 

 make you "charge" and "heed." If such should be the 

 case I trust you will be patient, and remember it is for 

 your own good that he does it, and that it is necessary in 

 order to bring about the training that a dog of your breed 

 should have. 



A bird dog is very different from one like mysel"; still 

 I feel that it I had been trained a little mure in my youth 

 I should have avoided many dangers which have been 

 { near bringing me to an untimely end, which only the 

 kindness of my friends have prevented. You know what 

 a temper I possess and what a passion I have for fight- 



ing. Now these are trails which no well-bred bird dog 

 should possess, and I trust you will try to avoid them. 

 Although your disposition is quite different from mine 

 still none of us are quite perfect, and you know you did 

 have a mischievous habit of occasionally nipping men by 

 the pants and other parts of their persons. 



I take the liberty of thus talking plainly to you, my 

 dear Van, feeling that my years give me the right to ad- 

 vise and diredt the young. I feel, however, that my days 

 are nearly numbered, and that a few more fights and I 

 shall be no mere. I am thankful that my lines are cast in 

 so pleasant a home, and that my dying bed will be 

 smoothed by the hand of affection such as few dogs pos- 

 sess. 



I have just asked William if he had any word to send to 

 you, and he says — and I will put it in his own peculiar 

 phraseology — "Tell him I'm jest a-hitchin' up to go to the 

 farm, and if he was here I know he would be a-hollerin' 

 to go, too." 



William, if he does have a black skin, was ever a kind 

 friend to us. 



Now, my dear Van, although I have volunteered so much 

 advice, I cannot close without admonishing you on an- 

 other subject. There is much expected of you; do not 

 disappoint your master, but let it ever be your aim to be- 

 come a most accomplished hunter. Try also, as much as 

 in your power, to protect the house and the lady where 

 you are staying from tramps and burglars. 



My rheumatic paw admonishes me that I have written 

 enough, and I must close with much love to all. Your 

 affectionate Bruno. 



P. S. — Guess Levy and Flossy Mabley send love. Turk 

 Groom and I are still sworn enemies. Ned Higby always 

 goes on the other side of the street. Jip Chapin is failing 

 slowly. Bruno. 



Since this was written both dogs have passed to their 

 final rewards. Bruno's dying hours were indeed smoothed 

 with the hand of affection, and he could scarcely have 

 been more sincerely mourned had he been one of the 

 human members of the family. 



Van fell -a victim to the malevolent poison fiend in his 

 new home in Kansas City, but not before he had demon- 

 strated to his master's satisfaction that he had hearkened 

 to Bruno's advice, for he developed into a superb field dog. 



Peace to the ashes of these two canine friends. W. 



ROVER. 



Brave old fellow who saved the house on at least one 

 occasion, and once he saved a young lady from a ruffian 

 tramp who had just been given a nice plateful of dinner. 

 The Iriend and mistress of the house was just going out 

 one warm August afternoon as this burly fellow, calling 

 himself a poor hungry man, stopped to ask for food. So 

 she called for her young friend to see that he be well 

 served. "Bring the things here to the hall rack, please, I 

 must be off now. Good by I" But no sooner had the 

 lady d< parted than the fellow took up his well-filled plate 

 of food and walked into the dining room, saying in gruff 

 tones: "That's no way to treat a man. Front halls are 

 not dining rooms." Then looking about he said com- 

 mandingly: "Now just get me some pepper for this meat. 

 Hain't you got some kind of pepper sauce?" 



In fear and trembling this was brought to him. Next 

 he wanted some ice water. In great terror the young 

 lady started to do his bidding, wondering what in the 

 name of high heaven he would next demand. Just then 

 he espied a glass decanter, toward which he was no 

 doubt beginning to. direct his thirsty attention. 



Brave as she tried to appear, she now expected that 

 he would soon start up stairs to rob the house. Great 

 beads of perspiration dropped from her forehead. She 

 knew it was useless to cry out. She was then too far 

 from the front door. What was to be done? Her heart 

 beat so fast that she might betray her fears. In agony 

 of soul she invoked some aid; some one to call to her 

 from the neighbors' back windows; the door bell to ring; 

 oh I anything. Just then by some good chance noble 

 black Rover with his heaving white breast came up from 

 the entrance to the side door leading into the room, 

 though not allowed to enter with perfect freedom; yet he 

 came bravely and fearlessly, as though deeming it his 

 sacred duty, yes, as though by very instinct feeling danger 

 was lurking within the home where he, poor little puppy 

 dog Rover, had once been so tenderly cared for when 

 having fallen down a hatchway he was painfully mangled. 

 Rover loved life as all well ordered beirgs should and 

 was soon thereafter thankful for life, liberty and human 

 love, for this wise Newfoundland animal was very fond 

 of his human friends. Well, dear, big, happy Rover — 

 how inexpressibly timely was your coming; your most as- 

 suring caress; your growl and unwelcome sniff, as, look- 

 ing hastily at the stranger, who had changed so suddenly 

 all of his rude demands, and looking fairly amazed as 

 saying in subdued tones: "A savage-looking brute of a 

 dog — where did he come from?" "Yes," said the young 

 lady, regaining her courage, "and you had better be gone 

 quickly, or Rover will teach you a heroic lesson. Go 

 quickly!" which he lost no time in doing. 



Oh, the terror of that half hour or less of time! Strange 

 to relate, the dog had not even been thought of during 

 the severe crisis, and not before his shaggy form appeared 

 in that dire time of need. 



This same dog would weep if he was denied the privi- 

 lege of eating apples with the family, as they did winter 

 evenings. He could also count when told to bring two, 

 three, four or five little apples; could assist also in house- 

 work by getting the dust pan, the brush, the little broom, 

 the duster and other needed articles. 



One day Rover became greatly perplexed, as, trying to 

 bring the large broom up a winding back stairway, after 

 much effort, some whining and delay, he proved that 

 some dogs can reason as mortals do; for strange as it may 

 seem he took the broom through the lower rooms into 

 the front hallway and then up the wide straight front 

 stairway — he waff determined to succeed. 



He could not bear to be scolded, but really was the 

 happiest dog when told that he was a noble fellow and 

 not at all lazy or bad. Sometimes a member of this 

 family of four persons would say, "Come here, Rover. 

 Now listen and do as told. Help us with the housework 

 and when done you may have a nice walk to the bakery 

 or meat shop," to which he gave a happy bark of delight. 

 Why, we often said he laughed witn j jy just as truly 

 as he wept with disappointment when given no candy ox- 

 apples. 



But to conclude these facts of dog understanding. As 



the tramp gave him a parting look of hate, repeating 

 "that is an ugly brute," which the noble fellow seemed 

 quite to understand, for he growled him fairly out of the 

 yard; then he had the sense of feeling that his work was 

 well done, as lying down near the young lady's feet he 

 seemed much pleased whenever any of the family spoke 

 of his acts. 



He loved to see long dresses on ladies, looked admiringly 

 at such, though he would after step on the moving trains 

 out of sheer delight. 



On Sundays his master would take him to his store, 

 which was a long walk, though in the city of Cincinnati. 



His mistress yet lives, we think, in Chicago, and we 

 hope she may chance to read of her Rjver so bold and 

 brave, the dog friend who guarded her home faithfully 

 and well, yet finally met with the sad fate of many of his. 

 knowing kind, that of cruel poisoning. 



Now, we love to hope that Rover may still live and 

 understand in some better world where poisons do no 

 longer exist — of course in some further progressed and 

 more ethereal state. Why not? Who can deny this 

 quality of soul? Is not all evolution more likely to exist 

 than retrogression or annihilation? At least wheresoever 

 there is once the germ of any noble impulse and higher 

 desire, how can we deny some degree of conscious im- 

 mortality? To such may we not ourselves perform much 

 toward making immortal by our teaching these lower 

 beings? as we are wont to speak of them. Wisdom and 

 love can surely create unlimited possibilities. Perhaps- 

 man has arrogated too much unto himself. I have noted 

 many times pathetic things done by horses and even 

 by birds, the latter while South one winter. 



I will now inclose a quotation concerning a noble horse 

 that wept. I know that many animals do think and 

 reason. I will also request Dr. J. W. Dennis to speak of 

 an interesting thing done by a dog once owned by him. 

 Following is the excerpt mentioned: 



"Do horses weep? is a question discussed by our con- 

 temporary the Admiralty and Horse Guards Gazette. 

 It tells us that there is a well-authenticated case of a 

 horse weeping during the Crimean war. On the ad- 

 vance to the heights of Alma, a battery of artillery be- 

 came exposed to the fire of a concealed Russian bat- 

 tery, and in the course of a few minutes it was nearly 

 destroyed, men and horses killed and wounded, guns 

 dismounted, and limbers broken; a solitary horse, which 

 had apparently escaped unhurt, was observed stand- 

 ing with fixed gaze upon an object close beside him; 

 this turned out to be his late master, quite dead. The 

 poor animal, when a trooper was dispatched to re- 

 cover him, was found with copious tears flowing from 

 his eyes, and it was only by main force that he 

 could be dragged away from the spot, and his unearthly 

 cries to get back to his master were heartrending. Apro- 

 pos of the intense love that cavalry horses have for music,, 

 a correspondent of the Gazttte writes that when the Sixths! 

 Dragoons recently changed their quarters a mare belong- 

 ing to one of the troopers was taken so ill as to be unable 

 to proceed on the journey the following morning. Two 

 days later another detachment of the same regiment, ac- 

 companied by the band, arrived. The sick mare was in a 

 loose box, but hearing the martial strains kicked a hole 

 through the side of the box, and making her way through 

 the shop of a tradesman took ner place in the troop before 

 she was secured and brought back to the stable. But the 

 excitement had proved too great and the subsequent ex- 

 haustion proved fatal." Alto Ventura. 



[We have received the Dr. Dennis story referred -to 

 above and it will be published in the near future.] 



^aaitQba Field TrialsJClub. 



Manitou, Man., Sept. 30.— Editor Forest and Stream: 

 In accordance with the rules the annual meeting of this 

 club was held at Morris, Monday evening, Sept. 9. 



In the absence of the Prtsident, F. G. Simpson, who was 

 unable to be present at the trials owing to pressing busi- 

 ness engagements, the Vice-President, J. M. Avent, was 

 called to the chair. 



The minutes of previous meetings were read and 

 adopted, after which the meeting adjourned till Tuedayat 

 noon. 



The adjourned meeting was called to order at 12 sharp, 

 Tuesday, when the following resolution was passed: 

 Moved by C. C. Chipman, seconded by W. F. Ellis, that 

 the annual meeting for the election of officers, etc., be 

 now adjourned to meet again this fall at Winnipeg at the 

 call of tne president. Carried unanimously. 



The meeting then adjourned. 



John Wootton, Sec'y. 



Bloodhound Pedigrees. 



Boston, .Mass. — In a recent issue of Rod, Gun and 

 Kennel Wm. Carey, of Winchester, 111., advertised some 

 bloodhound puppies for sale, stating that they were sired 

 by Alchymist. 1 wrote to him, and in reply he said he 

 had two litters by Alchymist for sale, one litter out of 

 Katie Chester and the other out of a St. Hubert dam. I 

 showed the letter to Dr. Lougest, the owner of Alchymist, 

 and he has asked me to write and deny most emphatic- 

 ally the authenticity of the pedigree. Alchymist never 

 warded Katie Chester, nor the St. Hubert dam. 



James Stewart, M.D. 



393 West Springfield Street. 



Continental Field Trials .Club. 



Indianapolis, Ind.,Oct. 3.— Editor Forest and Stream 

 The f ollowing named dogs have been dropped from the 

 Continental Field Trials Club's Quail De-r by for non-pay- 

 ment of second forfeit: Charlottevilie F. T. Kennels' 

 Dowlah and Amen, C. G. Stoddard's Coinage, J. B. 

 Turner's Abdallah Romp, Damon & Holmes's Blazeaway, 



Avent & Thayer Kennels' Fleet's Pet and , H. R. 



Edvvaras's Harwick, T. G. Davey's Brighton Maud, F. R. 

 Hitchcook's Tory Celia. P. T. Madison,' Sec'y-Treas. 



New England Kennel Club. 



Following is the list of officers elected for the ensuing 

 year: Prtsiuent, E iward Brooks; Vice-President, Samuel 

 Hammond, Jr.; Secretary -Treasurer, David E. Lovtland; 

 Bjard of Governors, tne above with Aodrew B. Cobb, 

 Francis M. Curtis, Uscar W. Djnner, George H Fletcher, 

 Jean M. Grosvenor, Jr., James L. Little; Bench Show Com- 

 mittee, Edward Brooks, Samuel Hammond, Jr., Francis 

 M. Curtis. D. E. Loveland, Sec'y. 



