718 
their own dog. They do not enter into his inner 
life and know him intimately. Few realize that 
the dog understands man thoroughly, while the 
latter does not understand him at all. He can 
interpret human language and emotions perfect¬ 
ly. He comprehends our every look, gesture 
and tone of voice, and he can often read our 
inmost thoughts by the expression in our faces 
or our outward actions. How many persons 
can reverse this process and comprehend even 
fairly well their canine companion? The re¬ 
sult usually is, man’s cruelty to his best friend. 
But the dog does have a way of expressing his 
every impulse and emotion, and intimate study 
and acquaintance with him is sure to make us 
more or less familiar with this. For instance, 
just note the numerous signs of gratitude dis¬ 
played by a poor, outcast mongrel in the street 
for even a kindly word or nod from his human 
friend. Of course, we must admit that there 
is a variation in individual temperament among 
dogs, the same as among all other animal kind, 
but these are simply the exceptions among them 
which go to prove the rule above stated. Let 
me relate a true case in point. 
I once knew a poor, honest, hard-working 
Swede, who had a wife and two small children, 
and lived in a small village where I was located 
temporarily. As an occupation he chopped 
wood during the fall and winter months. One 
day, while eating his noon-time lunch in the 
woods, there came to him from somewhere a 
lean, hungry, outcast mongrel. He was of a 
breed that was a cross between a spaniel and 
just' plain dog. He was timid and shy, and 
was afraid to approach the man, but sat on his 
haunches at a safe distance, licked his chops 
and whined occasionally. The great heart of 
the chopper was touched. He threw the outcast 
a crust of bread, which the latter devoured 
ravenously. Then he threw him another and 
finally called the dog to him, patted his head 
and shared his meal with him. As a result the 
mongrel remained with the chopper until even¬ 
ing and followed him home. Arriving there 
the outcast kept his distance from the family 
door. The Swede related his experience to his 
wife and her woman’s heart was impressed at 
once. Between the two they induced the dog 
to enter the house, where they gave him a 
hearty supper and provided him with a warm 
bed behind the kitchen stove. No one appear¬ 
ing to claim the animal, he became a member 
of the household and proved an agreeable com¬ 
panion for the children. 
Now mark this. Without the slightest coach¬ 
ing, it soon became the habit of that dog to 
make a couple of visits each day to his master 
in the woods. He usually turned up once in the 
forenoon and again about twilight, when he 
would accompany his master home. No one 
knew why he did this, and he was always prompt 
and regular in his visits without the slightest 
urging. It seemed to be a part of his self-im¬ 
posed duties about that household. 
One day the Swede met with a serious acci¬ 
dent, such as occasionally befalls a chopper. 
He struck a rotten place in the tree he was 
chopping and the keen blade of his axe went 
through and almost severed his foot at the ankle. 
He was a brave and calm man, however, and at 
once set about staunching the flow of blood as 
best he could with pieces of his clothing. But 
FOREST AND STREAM 
while he was doing this, and in a sitting posture, 
n ch he had almost chopped in two, 
being moved by a strong gust of wind, fell 
and pinned him beneath the heavier boughs. 
The injured man was so weakened by the loss 
of blood he was unable to throw off the tree 
and escape, so, after making frantic efforts in 
that line, he finally became exhausted and lay 
quiet. His mind was clear and alert, and he 
realized the peril he was in as it was very cold 
at the time. 
Thus he lay until half frozen and unable to 
call for assistance. Presently he heard a thresh¬ 
ing around in the brush near by. It was in 
the forenoon and he knew this noise meant the 
arrival of his dog “Jack,” as he had named him. 
The Swede waited calmly. Jack soon crawled 
into the brush and discovered his master’s 
plight. He sniffed at the blood and licked the 
wounds. Then he whined a little and finally 
gave way to a doleful howl. His master knew 
the dog comprehended the situation, but all he 
said to him was: “Jack, can’t you help me?” 
Instantly the dog was off. Away he went 
through the woods, barking furiously at every 
jump. In a short time he arrived home. There 
he barked and scratched at the door. When his 
mistress opened it Jack nipped at her skirts, 
barked and ran about the house in great excite¬ 
ment. The woman was frightened and thought 
the dog was having a fit. She called in some 
of her neighbors, and just as one of them was 
about to brain the poor dog with a club, she 
stayed his hand and said : “I don’t believe there 
is anything wrong with the dog, but I am afraid 
something has happened to Ole” (that being her 
husband’s name). At this remark Jack renewed 
his barking, tugged at her skirts and ran toward 
the door. Thereupon she put on her wraps and, 
accompanied by two of her men neighbors, 
started for the woods. 
Then, indeed, did Jack seem happy and his 
demeanor changed. He showed them the way 
by a direct route. He would race ahead of 
them a short distance, bark, and then return to 
see if they were following him and urge them 
to haste. By this means he led the party straight 
to the injured man. The latter had become un¬ 
conscious by this time. He was rescued from 
his dangerous situation and carried home by 
the men. During the rescuing operations Jack 
was busy every second. His tongue lolled out, 
and his eyes burned with excitement. He was 
here, there, everywhere, chewing and tugging 
frantically at the small boughs imprisoning his 
master, and it was difficult for the men to chop 
them free without striking the dog. Finally, 
when home was reached, Tack quietly retired 
behind the stove, satisfied he had done his full 
duty. To say that that family thereafter prized 
that dog is putting it mildly, indeed. Jack had 
simply repaid a part of his debt of gratitude 
for the kindness which had been shown him in 
his hour of want and distress. The moral to 
this true narrative is this: There are some noble 
qualities secreted within the heart of almost 
any of the dog-kind wheresoever they are found. 
MR. BRISBIN ON LESE MAJESTE. 
Schuylerville, N. Y., May 18. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
Dear Sir: 
I received a letter from Mr. Chase saying that 
he did not see what relation his remarks about 
Governor Glynn had to do with my troubles, 
and as the gentleman lives in Vermont, where 
the laws are honest, I evidently made a mistake. 
When the Commission climbed my orchard 
fence and black-jacked me out of $80, I knew 
nothing about the game laws. In fact, I did not 
suppose that I had violated any law. While we 
killed the bulk of the rabbits with poison, I 
found that in order to ferret them I had to get 
the permission from the commission by petition. 
Our state laws are not democratic like Ver¬ 
mont’s, but monarchical. I had neglected as a 
matter of oversight to petition the throne, and 
was really punished, not for ferreting, but for 
lese Majeste. 
Now there are four classes of people who have 
been promised everything by the politicians, but 
promises were all that they got. They are the 
taxpayer, the working man, the consumer and 
the farmer. Governor Glynn has made a hard 
fight to keep taxes down. Got a compensation 
law for the working man; invited the farmers 
to call on him to make suggestion as to what 
they needed. In fact, I got a personal letter 
myself about a month before my $80 experience. 
I had never met the Governor; did not go there 
as I had no grievance; was a Republican any¬ 
way, but I expect to vote for the Governor every 
chance that I get. 
Now, the Governor, in speaking of the game 
laws, wishing to do something for the consumer, 
suggested, I believe, directly or indirectly, that 
the interest of the consumer should take prece¬ 
dence to the sporting interests, a question decided 
in England a century or two ago in favor of the 
people. When I read Mr. Chase’s' article, signed 
Ex-Warden, I thought naturally that the com¬ 
mission was after the Governor for lese Majeste. 
and that lese Majeste business gets on my nerves. 
If the Governor would appoint as game commis¬ 
sioners a labor leader and the head of the Grange 
there would be less fool laws. There would not 
be so many hired men starved off the farms in 
the winter, and the charm would not be taken 
from farm life, for the country boy, and there 
would be less rushing to the city to compete in 
an already overstocked labor market. 
After reading the laws over carefully, one 
would think that their abject was to make every 
one in the country a criminal and every member 
of the legislature a bell boy to the commission. 
We cannot get any copies of the new laws 
passed last winter up in this part of the coun¬ 
try. The wardens should work this district be¬ 
fore the public get too wise about the changes. 
I have a great curiosity to see the new laws to 
see to what extent the kingdom has extended 
its boundaries. If there is any increase in the 
money taken from the people. Who they have 
painted the stripes on this time, and if they have 
added any words to the dictionary they are writ¬ 
ing. Versatile people those. 
I read your editorial on page 622. It sounded 
good to me. No straddle about that—clear and 
distinct. Looks as though we were really getting 
somewhere. Shows that there is a close bond 
of sympathy between the sportsmen of the state 
and the drunken mechanic, who takes a day off 
with his gun. and whose motto is, “To hell with 
the farmer.” 
C. E. BRISBIN. 
