Nov. i 8 , 1905.1 
FOREST AND StREAM 
407 
A Day in Massachusetts Covers. 
board. In those days there were no steam lines to 
Brazil — we were hound to Rio Janeiro — so that specie 
shipments were of common occurrence on sailing ves- 
sels. It so chanced that the four toughs had a hand in 
putting the boxes on board and, of course, knew from 
their weight and markings that they contained money. 
They were put in my stateroom temporarily. Nothing 
unusual transpired on our outward passage, until we 
had been out from Liverpool about three weeks, when 
one night as I was looking into the binnacle to see if 
the man at th.e wheel was keeping on his course, he said 
to me, “Say, Captain, you'll have to excuse me, but 
most of us fellows forward don’t like the four fellows 
we shipped in Liverpool, They’s bad ones, they is, I 
think they are liatching up some plot to make mischief 
on board this ship.” 
I que.stioned him closely; but he could not make him- 
self quite clear as to what kind of a plot the fellovrs 
were hatching, and after cautioning him to be careful, 
I asked him to ingratiate himself with the suspects, and 
gather all he could about the supposed plot and let me 
know. 
All the while Shakins was my constant companion; 
and his marked intelligence bordered on the miraculous 
at times. Some of the superstitious old sailors said 
he was possessed of an evil spirit, and was an uncanny 
dog that was to be respected if not feared. He knew 
several colors by name, that is so far as the ship's 
Hags were concerned, and if told to bring the ensign, 
the jack, or the house flag, he would do it every time 
without making a single mistake. Tell him to bring 
the quarantine flag — “Q” of the International Code of 
Signals — and he would pick it out of 'the nineteen flags 
of the code. If sent for a ball of cotton sewing twine, 
he would not bring the hemp twine, although they were 
in the same locker; in fact, he knew the names of the 
common things of everyday use on board the ship. He 
could scent land rvhen we could not see it, and his 
varying bark — his language — soon became to be as 
well understood as if he had spoken, as we did, a com- 
mon language. To the men he was a canine wonder. 
We were out just thirty-one days from Liverpool, 
vwhen Shakins demonstrated his prowess as a life-saver 
and made himself the hero of the ship. After dinner the 
•passengers, of whom, we had several on board, including 
a family with two little girls, went to their rooms for 
the customary afternoon nap, I had also lain down for 
the same bit of comfort, when I was awakened by the 
cry of “Man overboard!” 
Rushing on deck I ordered the main topsail laid to 
the mast, and a boat lowered, sending a man aloft to 
keep the man in sight that was overboard. Judge of 
our suprise when the man aloft sung out: 
“It’s Shakins that is overboard, sir, and he has got 
something in his mouth, but I can’t just make out what 
it is yet,” 
Just at this time little Minnie Foster’s mother was 
hunting for the child, a beautiful flaxen-haired girl of 
about seven years of age. Several joined in the hunt 
for Minnie, but she was nowhere to be found. Poor 
Mrs, Foster was running about crying, “Oh, my poor 
Minnie, it is she that has fallen overboard! She will 
be drowned!” And then falling into her husband’s 
arms, went into a faint. 
It was not long before the boat was up to where 
, 'Shakins was calmly holding Minnie by the back of her 
(dress, waiting for the boat’s crew to receive them into 
aheir keeping. It seemed to me that the men pulled 
[back to the ship even faster than they pulled away from 
her. for it was but a very short time froni the announce- 
juient that Shakins had something in his mouth until 
Min-nie and her rescuer were again in safety on our 
decks, Minnie told her story before her mother re- 
covered from her swoon. She was playing on the 
transom locker aft and crawled up to one of the stern 
ports, lost her balance and fell through into the sea, 
Shakins saw her go and leaped in after her, I have 
told the rest. When Minnie’s mother came to, there 
was a rejoicing, and Shakins came in for a goodly share 
of that mother’s blessings. The dog was the hero of 
that ship from that hour until the voyage ended sorne 
months later. But before we shall have ended this 
story, it will be seen he was capable of still greater 
achievements. 
The man at the wheel confessed that the tough four 
were too deep for him. He was unable to worm him- 
;self into their confidence, and must give up the task 
T had assigned him, and trust to luck to find out what 
■they were up to; for he felt certain that mischief was 
ibrewing. I resolved to confide in no one but the mate, 
whom I could rely upon implicitly, and to him told 
what the man at the wheel had told me; but we could 
not between ourselves conjure up just what these four 
fellows were planning. We watched them closely, but 
they did their duty well and gave us aft no cause for 
complaint. 
One night the thought came to me that they might 
be in a conspiracy to seize the ship and attempt to get 
away with the specie. I acted upon this stray thought, 
and each hour it weighed heavier on my mind. I loaded 
the firearms, placed them in a secure place, gave the 
mate a brace of pistols — there were no revolvers in 
those days — and began a most careful vigil, especially at 
night. Shakins now, as I remember, never permitted 
me to be out of his sight, and he became more adverse 
to the now to me suspicious four. Most of my sleep 
I took in the daytime, so that I might be better able 
to watch by night. I would go to my room as if to 
take my regular rest, and then when unobserved, come 
out and sit on the transom, behind the cabin stair- 
case, which led from the quarter deck to the main cabin. 
After 10 o’clock at night the light was put out in the 
saloon. Shakins used to lie on the locker by my side 
or on the floor at my feet. 
I had been on deck one night, when the port watch 
was relieved at 8 -bells, midnight, and after passing the 
time of day with the officers, and cautioning the helms- 
man to steer a straight course, went below, and, going 
to my room, struck a match as if going to turn in as 
usual in my own berth; then silently taking my place 
on the transom, began my lonely watch. Shakins was 
by my side. I must have dozed off and been oblivious 
for some time, when suddenly Shakins rubbed his paw 
two or three times quickly over my face. I was up in 
an instant. There in his bare feet, with a big oaken 
heaver behind his backs one of the tough four was softly 
coming down the cabin stairs. Shakins was sitting on 
his haunches, but never a growl came from hint. The 
fello.w made for the door of nly room; I permitted hint 
to enter, then before He could do a thing, I whispered 
to him, ‘/Move, speak, and you die, you villain, at the 
same time wiping a brass pistol barrel across his face. 
“Drop that stick, put out your hands.” And qtiick as 
a flash I had the fellow handcuffed. “Now if you stir 
or make the least noise so as to alarm your con- 
federates, I will blow your brains out certain. I know 
your whole plot.” 
Shutting the door. I turned the key and was just 
going to call the mat-e, who was asleep in his room on 
the opposite side of the cabin, when I saw a shadow 
in the companionway. gliding along the side of_ the 
cabin, was hailed from the deck in a whisper, “Is it all 
right, shall I come down?” I whispered back, “Yes, 
come gently.” Down he came. As he passed me — for 
it was so dark that he could not see me — I grabbed him 
by the arm, and sticking the cold, brass muzzle of the 
pistol in his face — I should say on his face — -said, “Open 
your mouth, and you are a dead man, or stir, except as 
I order, and I will kill you.” Leading him to the door 
of my room, I pushed him in, saying to the pair, “If 
you fellows stir, I AviU send you to hell in a second, 
and don’t you dare give any alarm.” 
Then shutting the door, I ran to the mate’s room and, 
rousing him out, sent him with his pistol to my room 
door to keep guard over my two captives, and to look 
out for any more of the gang that might come down 
into the cabin by the companionway. I then went out 
the forward cabin door, which was al-ways kept locked 
after 10 o’clock at night; and to my surprise found the 
second mate bound and gagged at the main fife-rail. It 
took but an instant to cut his bonds, and telling him to 
go aft with the capstan bar — he going to the lee side 
of the house on deck, while I went up on the weather 
side — I met the third man of the quartette crouched 
down near the end of the house waiting for the signal 
to assist his shipmates. I kicked him and ordered him 
to go aft, and by the time the second mate had reached 
the wheel, where the fourth man of the gang was, the 
tough four were all prisoners. The fellow I had secured 
I marched down the cabin stairs, leaving the second 
mate to look out for the man at the- wheel. All this 
time Shakins was a silent but much interested spectator, 
but never opened his mouth. He seemed to know that 
this was the time for whispering, and he had not 
learned how to do that as yet. 
After sending the second mate down to my room to 
change places with the chief mate, I told the mate to go 
forward and summon all hands aft. Not getting any 
response to his repeated calls, he went forward 
cautiously and found the watch on deck stupid, and 
very difficult to awaken; but the watch below were 
speedily aroused and came aft. My story was quickly 
told, and in a few minutes the wheel had been relieved 
and the four mutineers, or rather pirates, were in double 
irons and securely stowed away in the carpenter’s shop. 
The scoundrels had drugged their watch mates and the 
four thought it was going to be an easy matter to kill 
the mate and me; and it would have been, but for 
Shakins’ waking me up at the right moment. 
After breakfast I sent for the prisoners one by one 
and questioned them. Two refused to talk, but one con- 
fessed the whole plot, and the other confirmed what 
the confessing man had told me. They had planned to 
murder us all, save the second mate, whom they were 
to compel to navigate the ship near to the land; then 
put the specie in the boat, kill him, set fire to the ship 
and make their escape inland and divide the_ money. 
It was Shakins that brought their plans to grief. We 
carried the tough four into Rio, and delivered them 
to the American Consul. He jailed them until an op- 
portunity presented itself and then shipped them in 
double irons for trial before a United States Com- 
missioner at New York. Off Hatteras a vessel collided 
with the ship in a fog, sinking her. The crew were all 
saved, but the four that were not to be sayed from death 
by law perished as they deserved to. perish. 
We finished our loading at Rio and went to Cronstadt, 
thence to London, and back home to New York. 
Shakins was made an idol of. In every port his deeds 
were told, both by the men forward and by us in the 
after part of the ship. Men petted him and women 
kissed the dear old fellow; but they never took away 
one whit of his love for me. He made several more 
voyages with me, but at last his strength began to fail, 
his eyesight dimmed, and I did not want to see him 
suffer on shipboard, so I left him on shore with a 
friend who I knew Would care for him tenderly. When 
I returned some months afterward poor Shakins had 
gone to the Heaven prepared for dogs. He sleeps now 
on the banks of the Hudson in a quiet spot where I 
know he will not be disturbed. I would dearly love 
• to mark his last resting place with a stone on which 
would be engraved a fitting tribute to his memory, a 
token of my love and affection for a friend whose equal 
I have never met. But, alas! I dare not do this, lest 
some dog-hater would disturb even the dust of dear 
old Shakins. Can you wonder I love dogs, and that 
tears will come when I tell of their goodness to me. 
B. S. OSBON. 
A pleasant little story is told by the Geneva cor- 
respondent of the Daily Chronicle about the swallows 
which have been caught in Switzerland by the cold snap 
on their way to Italy, and probably en route for Africa. 
Thousands of the migrants have fallen exhausted and 
paralyzed by the cold at Lucerne and Zurich, and the 
kindly folk have been collecting and caring for the little 
waifs and sending them on by train, when they had re- 
covered, to Chiasso, where they have been set free to 
continue their flight. We congratulate the swallows, 
and we also congratulate the good Samaritans who 
have given such practical assistance to the little 
creatures. — Westminster Gazette. 
All communications for Forest and Stream must be 
directed to Forest and Stream Pub. Co., New York, to 
receive attention. We have no other oMce, 
RES.noNDiNG to a growing healthy sentiment, the 
Solons of the old Bay State have, from tinle tb tinie,; 
shortened the open season when the game birds may 
legally be reduced to possession. The older generation 
of sportsmen can well remember when the shooting of 
woodcock and upland plover was permitted during the 
sweltering weather of July, and of ruffed grouse and 
quail soon after. 
The army of sportsmen has been so rapidly recruited 
in recent times, firearms perfected and rendered more 
destructive, and the number of bird dogs multiplied 
and more highly developed, that the more conservative 
and thoughtful welcome every measure that limits the 
wholesale destruction and extermination of our game 
birds and insures their conservation to coming genera- 
tions. 
The heats of summer time have passed; the half- 
fledged birds that were sought and cruelly slaughtered 
in former times have now reached maturity, and are 
strong of wing; the crisp frosts of autumn stimulate 
renewed energy and impart such a glorious coloring to 
hillside and landscape as the famed pencil of Rembrandt 
never equalled; and the sportsmen of the oldest settled 
State in New England rejoice and are glad that October 
now marks the opening of the gunning season for up- 
land game birds. 
Although this State has been settled nearly three hun- 
dred years, and despite the fact that its population to the 
square mile is greater than that of any other State in the 
Union, its wooded hillsides and valleys, its sprout lands 
and white birch and alder runs with overhanging grape 
vines, the abundance of mast — berries, grapes, nuts, 
seeds and buds — all combine to make such an ideal home 
for our native birds that an abundance still remain to 
generously reward the ambition and skill of the sports- 
man who is familiar with the haunts and habits of the 
game. 
While upland plover, quail and woodcock are in evi- 
dence, the ruffed grouse, here called partridge, are 
more eagerly sought, and the sportsman who can out- 
wit an old cock partridge, who can follow him through 
dense shrubbery, spoonwood, blackberry bushes, 
tangling grape vines and other swampy and woodsy 
growths, and finally draw a bead upon him and pull 
the trigger successfully, when he suddenly breaks coyer 
with a noise like thunder, and with seeming lightning 
speed, can well feel a pardonable pride in his achieve- 
ment, and . challenge comparison for endurance and 
skill with the most successful wing shot of other species 
of feathered game; and in all that goes to stir the 
blood and send a thrill of triumph throughout _ the 
system, the achievement Will not suffer by comparison 
with the deeds of him who successfully stalks big game 
in gloomy forest and mountain fastness far from the 
abodes of men. 
But, again, the lengthened days of the summer solstice 
have come and gone, arid with them the light and 
warmth and flowers of summer time. The days of 
autumn are at hand, and a tempered sun and gentle 
breezes, mellow and bracing, energize and exhilarate 
like wine of rarest vintage. In the early morning hours 
with an old companion, tried and true, and our staunch 
setter in his accustomed place in the vehicle, and all 
well bundled up and tucked in to resist the biting air, 
we are again on our way to old and familiar haunts, a 
dozen miles away. 
'Emerging from the smoke of the city, the country 
looks'hdrowsy at first, but soon the early risers are in 
evid'fence, when we encounter teams laden with milk, 
fiuit and vegetables on their way to market. 
The eye falls restfullp-'^jon the dim outline of the hills, 
and the lifting clouds of mist in the valleys seem like 
nature’s effort to lift the curtains of night and arouse 
herself from sleep. The deep embrasures of the hills 
are still hidden in the gloom of morning, and the 
meadows lie in placid repose. Soon a purple arch is 
thrown across the sky, which a little later is transfixed 
and rent asunder by pencillings of gold. Wisps .of 
clouds sail leisurely across the turquoise sky, when the 
sun soon after rolls above the horizon and dispels the 
remnant of night and ushers in the new day. Our sur- 
roundings were too interesting and impressive for the 
common-places of conversation, and a community of 
tastes prompted the tribute of silence. 
Arriving at the extensive farm' of an old friend, whose 
covers always abound in game birds, and to which we 
had always heretofore been welcomed, repulsive signs, 
“No Trespassing Under Penalty of the Law,” greeted 
our vision and aroused us from our reveries — tnet 
first foul blot of the day upon the fairest of pictures 
• — the overthrowing of the ideal and the enthronement 
of the real. 
Arriving at the home of our farmer friend, we found 
him employed husking corn in his barn. Answering his 
cheery “good morning" in kind as best we could, we 
expressed our regret that he had found it necessary to 
post his farm so as to exclude Italians and other 
foreigners from the city and the Metropolitan water 
works, where many hundreds of them were employed. 
Much to our surprise, he told us that the Italians 
and other foreigners had given him no trouble, but that 
degraded and worthless specimens of humanity from 
the city, some of whom traced their ancestry way back 
to the Mayflower, had run over his. place Sundays as 
well as Mondays, cut his barbed-wire fencing, threw 
down his stone walls, besides doing other damage; that 
when he remonstrated with them they were saucy, 
vulgar, profane, and treated him with abuse and con- 
tumely. They finally became so obnoxious and unbear- 
able that he threatened them with arrest for violating 
the Sunday laws of the State, when they departed down 
through some sprout and pasture land where he heard 
the discharge of firearms. Missing one of his cows 
from the herd that night, he sought and found her the 
next day, in the direction whence the degenerates had 
taken their departure and from whence came the sound 
of firearms, shot to death. 
Offering the expression of our regrets for such gross- 
improprieties as were dealt out to him, and regrets for 
Ins loss, he very warmly, with old-time cordiality, bade 
us welcome and wished us every pleasure and success. 
Caring for our team, we decided to try the two-acre 
