A MOVING STORY OF A DOG.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 83, 3 January 1885, Page 4

A MOVING STORY OF A DOG.

Orleans, N.Y., September 22.-— The large Newfoundland dog Heck, belonging to the St. Elmo Hotel, in the neighbouring oil town of Eldred, Pa., was known throughout the Northern oil field for its great strength and intelligence. The porter of the hotel, a small man, slept in a little room back of the office. Tho dog slept in the office. On Thursday night last the porter was drunk when he went to bed, and soon fell into a heavy sleep. Some time in the night he was awakened by the loud barking of Heck, who was jumping frantically on the porter's' bed and seizing tho pillow with his teeth. The still drunken and drowsy porter tried to make the dog go away, but the animal persisted in his efforts, and it finally dawned on the mind of the porter that the house was on fire. His room was full of smoke, and he could hearthe crackling of the flames. He sprang from his bed, but he was still so drunk that he fell to the floor. The faithful dog at once seized him by the coat collar, the porter not having removed his clothing on going to bed, and dragged him out of the room and half-way to the outer door of the office, when the man succeeded in getting to his feet, and, unlocking the door, staggeied into the street. The fire was rapidly spreading over the building and the hotel was filled with guests, not one of whom had been aroused. The dog no sooner saw that his helpless friend was safe than he dashed back into the house, and ran barking loudly up the stairs. He first stopped at the door of his master's room, • where he howled and scratched at the door until the inmate was made aware of the, danger, and hurried out of the house, as there was no time to lose. The dog gave the alarm at every door, and in some instances conducted guests down stairs to the outer door, each one of these, however, being a stranger in the house, which fact the dog seemed to understand in looking out for their safety. All about the house seemed, to have lost their heads in the excitement, and it is said that the hotel dog alone preserved complete control over himself, and alone took active measures to save the inmates of the house. In and out of the burning building he kept continually dashing, piloting some half-dressed man or woman down stairs, only to at once return in search of others. Once a lady with a child in her arms tripped on the stairs w hile hurrying out, and fell to the bottom. The child was thrown on the floor of the hall some distance away. The woman regained her feet, and staggered in a dazed way oub of the door, leaving the child in the midst of the smoke that was pouring from the office door. The brave dog saw the mishap, and jumping in through the smoke, which was now becoming almost impassable, and seizing the child by its night-clothes, carried it safely out. The mother of the child on being restored by the fresh air, became aware that the child was not with her, and, crying out wildly that " Anna was burning up in the house !" made a dash for the building as if to rush through the flames to seek her child. Heck had already brought the little one out, but it had not yet been restored to its mother. The dog saw the frantic rush of tho mother toward,the burning building, and heard her exclamation that some one was burning up in the house, and, although the building was now a mass of smoke and flames inside and out, the dog sprang forward and, as a dozen hands seized the woman and held her back from her insane attempt to enter the house, disappeared with a bound over the burning threshold. The faithful animal never appeared again — " New York Tribune."