38 
ee a 
The Young Folks. 
The Friend of Man : Some uses 
of the Dog. 
(Continued from last issue.) 
III.—Watch-Dogs. 
A famous traveller, who spent many 
years in Armenia and highly 
He tells 
cur joined his 
Syria, 
praises the dogs of the country. 
how, upon one occasion, a 
caravan at Trebizond without invitation, 
and made himself one of the company. 
He followed the caravan a distance of 
nearly three hundred miles. The 
kindness which the dog received from the 
men of the caravan he repaid by keeping 
watch over their horses by night. 
Mr. Landor, a traveller in Thibet, 
gives an account of a 
incideut. He was awakened one night 
by the noise of stones being flung at his 
tent.. Going outside, he fired from his 
gun into the air. This scared away the 
cowardly Thibetans, who ran off in the 
dark. A dog however, which had been 
disturbed by the noise of the ‘stones and 
the shot of the gun. remained near the 
tent for the rest of the night. In the 
morning Mr. Landor petted the strange 
dog, and gave it something to eat; and 
from that day it attached itself to him 
and his servant, and travelled with them 
wherever they went. 
Both these dogs were domesticated 
animals,-but the two incidents show us 
one way in which wolves or jackals may 
be tamed, until, little bys little, they 
become ‘useful watch- dogs 
nearly similar 
If we can 
imagine a hungry wolf « or jackal following 
acarayan or a wandering tribe for the 
sake of the waste food left behind, and 
bringing up its little ones to the same 
kind of life, we can that in course of time 
the wolves or jackals 
tamer. 
would become 
They would become less afraid 
of men, and less disposed to attack them, 
At the same-time, they would be anxiou, 
to drive away all other wild animals — 
‘THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
January 1, 1910 
which were likely to share their food ; 
and thus by degrees they would become 
faithful watch-dogs, devoted to their 
owners, but fierce towards enimies and 
thieves. 
Dogs have long been used for keeping 
watch. ‘Thousands of years ago the 
Egyptian boatmen on the nile took them 
upon their boats to keep watch while 
they themselves went on shore, In 
Eastern countries they have been used 
for centuries, and are still used, to guard 
the flocks from the attacks of wild 
animals. When the Dutch were colon- 
ising South Africa, two hundred and fifty 
years ago, they imported dogs to watch 
in their settlements, and they found them 
a very useful protection 
stealthy Hottentots. 
against the 
Every one knows how cleverly dogs 
have now been trained to keep watch and 
guard, and how they can mind their own 
business in this respect The dog which 
is told to watch a coat or an umbrella or 
a pile of luggage takes little notice of 
any stranger until he tries to take the 
object which the dog is guarding, when 
the latter grows fierce and dangerous. 
Many yard-dogs will let a stanger enter 
a yard, but they will on no account let 
him go out again until their master bids 
them do so. 
some incident which shows the sagacity 
of watch-doys. One was related in a 
newspaper many years ago. A_ horse- 
stealer broke into a farmers stable one 
Nearly every one can recall 
night, took out a horse, aud rode away 
uponit. Fortunately, the farmer’s dog 
was in the stable at the time, and though 
it could do nothing to prevent the theif 
taking the horse, it set off iii pursuit of 
him as soon as he rode off. It followed 
about three 
barking as loudly as it coul.l all the time. 
him closely for miles, 
Fearing that the dog’s barking mjght 
lead to his pursuit and capture, the thief 
at length dismounted from the horse, 
turned it loose, and ran away with the 
blinkers. the dog took no further 
notice of him, but remained with the 
horse until they were both found by the 
owner. 
—W.A. Atkinson, in ‘The Prize.’ 
The Idlers. 
Bird upon the housetop, 
Kitty in the sun, 
Think that life’s all pleasure, 
Frolic, rest, and fun. 
Oh, you silly creatures ! 
You’ll find out some day, 
When you’re old and wiser, 
Life is not all play ! 
Birdie, you’ll be building 
For yourself a nest ; 
Then you'll teach your birdlings 
Home, swiet home is best. 
P’r’aps you'll have to feed them ; 
P’raps you'll have to sing ; 
P’r’aps you'll go long journeys 
On your little wing, 
You, my pretty pussy, 
You must catch the mice ; 
Let the children stroke you, 
Always soft and nice. 
With some little kitties 
Of your own, you'll be, 
Oh, so very busy ! 
Just you wait and see ! 
Conundrums, 
What kind of hen lays the longest ? ° 
A dead hen. 
Why is a dancing master like a tree? 
Because of his bows. 
Why is the inside of ore eine sO 
mysterious q : 
Because we can’t make it out. 
Cee . J i 
see cee eeeconces cet eee 
How much cannibal can. a cannibal 
nibble if a cannibal can nibble cannibal ? 
Just as much cannibal as 3 cannibal 
nibble 
can nibble if a cannibal can 
cannibal. 
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