WAYS OF NATURE 



for him unless he wins her by special and consistent 

 kindness, and throughout her long domestication 

 has kept her wild independence, and ability to 

 forage for herself when turned loose, whether in 

 forest or city street. It is when she is much loved 

 and petted that her intelligence manifests itself, in 

 such quiet ways that an indifferent observer will 

 never notice them. But she always knows who is 

 fond of her, and which member of the family is 

 fondest of her." 



The correspondent who had the experience with 

 his pointer dog relates this incident about liis blooded 

 mare: A drove of horses were pasturing in a 

 forty-acre lot. The horses had paired off, as horses 

 usually do under such circumstances. The doctor's 

 thoroughbred mare had paired with another mare 

 that was totally blind, and had been so since a colt. 

 Through the field " ran a little creek which could 

 not well be crossed by the horses except at a bridge 

 at one end." One day when the farmer went to salt 

 the animals, they all came galloping over the bridge 

 and up to the gate, except the blind one ; she could 

 not find the bridge, and remained on the other side, 

 whinnying and stamping, while the others were 

 getting their salt a quarter of a mile away. Presently 

 the blooded mare suddenly left her salt, made her 

 way through the herd, and went at a flying gallop 

 down across the bridge to the blind animal. Then 

 she turned and came back, followed by the blind 



