DOG STORIES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2279, 13 October 1914, Page 7

DOG STORIES

1, PARLIAMENTARIANS IN LIGHTER VEIN. At- the Orphans' Club on Saturday evening, tho Hon. A. L. Herdniau, in the course of a happy little 6peech, made on the occasion of the closing down of the club for the season, stated that he, as a rule, read the' war news in the papers very closely, but confessed that he had been puzzled to account for tho movements'of that remarkable personage, the Kaiser. He read in the evening that he was commanding the Army in East? Prussia, then next morning he found; that His Imperial Highness had fallen in a ditch on the French frontier and was threatened with pneumonia, and also that he' bad been suffering from fainting fits at Potsdam. (Laughter.) Then he had read of a remarkable dog, which had gone to the front with tho French troops. This dog was so.astute that when the air began to rain shells it dug a hole for itself, entrenching itself as the soldiers do when in a hot zone of fire. Then this wonderful dog had found a wounded s6ldier, who just had strength enough left to whisper something into its ear, and away tho dog went and brought back an ambulance. He, however, had heard of a much more wonderful dog than that. It belonged to a gentleman residing in the Wairarapa. Being a great favourite ot its master's, the dog was allowed to come into tho dining-room, where the indulgent farmer was in tho habit ot civinc it scraps of meat or a biscuit 'at each meal. One day ho was sitting at his dinner, but was so engrossed in reading the war news that ho took no See of tho dog. But tho. dog did not forget. What do you think that dog did? He just went out into _ the garden, picked a bunch of forget-me-nots, and pushed them under tho nose ; of his master. (Laughter.) that s , what he called canine intelligence. . Sir James Carroll, who was called .upon next to speak, said he would pur- ; sue tho same policy as the Minister, ; and follow the lme of dog stories The i only difference, between- his and too, < Minister's stories wore that his (Sir James's) were true. . There was once a terrible massacre in Poverty Bay, ( when tho rebel Maoris made a fierce and bloody attack on the white set- | tiers As the rebels advanced the isolated settlers found it expedient to seek tho zone of safety near tho town across tho river. Some went willingly, eagerly others were reluctant to .leave their farms to tho tender mercies of the rebels. But thoro was.one sturdy settlor who declined to be intimidated, and who hung on to tho very ast-until tho bullets began to whistle in dangerous pros mity to his whare. o.lns setter had a dog, which ho prized beyond all other things, and together the two friends watched tho oncoming Natives. When it was seen that they must be shot if they stayed any longer, tho man decided that it was time for him to net out. Thero was no way out but for him to swim the river, and as ho knew the rebels would take, pot shots at him, he thought of a. device, to save himself. This he did by jumping into tho water with an upturned camp-oven on his head, which.was hit no fewer than seven times as he successfully swam the swollen river. On arrival at the other side, cold and tired with his swim, he thought of the dog-the dog of his hoart-which he had forgotten. What was to be done? Would he go back for him? After thinking for a few moments ho decided to risk another crossing to got his dog, and was iust about to enter the water again when, to his great delight, he saw the doc swimming towards lum-with tho lid of the camp-oven on his head. Fact!