JERRY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 249, 20 October 1928, Page 3 (Supplement)

JERRY.

PART 11.

Despite the sergeant's argument, the company commander was adamant. The post orders were very clear on the subject, and they prohibited any organisation from having more than one dog. Buddy, the —th ordnance company's dog, was nothing but a mongrel, but be had been with the company for sir years, and the idea of ousting him from his position as mascot was unthinkable. The company commander had an idea that if he merely ordered Jerry to be disposed of, he would be wasting breath, so he personally escorted him to the main gate of the post and put him outside, with no ceremony other than informing the guard that he was not to allow "that cur" to come back on the reservation. Whether the sentry forgot to transmit the order to the next relief, or whether Jerry slipped in the hack way, is unknown, but Jerry was back on the job at supper-time, apparently nourishing no malice for his treatment.

The company commander repeated his performance. So did Jerry. The company commander tried again. Jerry :ricd and succeeded. Discouraged at the lack of success that met bis efforts, the company commander decided on more Irastic measures. He put Jerry into his car and gave him a free ride to Ashrille, some thirty miles aw&3\ On arrival, he unceremoniously dumped Jerry out on the street and returned to the post. So did Jerry, although it took him a day and a-half to cover the distance. The company commander called the provost sergeant into conference.

The provost sergeant scratched his head gravely.

•*1 think that where the captain made his mistake," he said at length, "was in him along the road. The captaiu knows that dogs have good noses, and it was easy for him to follow the captain's car home again. 1 have heard of dogs coming back a couple oi huudicd miles along a road. 1 would suggest that the captain take him across the bay on the "ferry boat and leave him iu Ormond. He won't be able to folknv » trail across water, and I think that will get rid of him."

The captain tied a rope arouud Jerry's neck and led him on to the ferry ooat. When the boat arrived at the other side of the bay, he hired; a small boy to lead Jerry to the edge of the town and release him. He returned to the ferry as it pulled out, lie looked back cautiously, but Jerry was not it> sight. Greatly relieved, lie returned to the post—and was greeted jpyonsiv by Jerry the next morning at reveille! "Jerry."' he said thoughtfully. "you are a .nuisance. I don't know what I am going to do about you. Yoii really aren't a had sort of pup and I'd keen you if 1 could, but you know that I can't, and I can't seem to lose you. What the dickens had 1 better do :"

Jerry responded with a gleeful bark and charged the company commander pretending to attack his sabre viciously. The captain stooped over and puttod tha dog's head, and Jerry promptly rolled over and over, his paws beating a rapid tattoo on the air. -Amused, the captain aeowled forbiddingly and spoke sternly to him. Jerry paused in amazement, and as the captain made a threatening gesture toward him, he rolled over submissively, his paws raised in an attitude of prayer, begging a humble pardon for the offence he was sore that he must have committed. The captain roared with laughter and seratctad Jerry's upturned stomach. Jerry, realising that the frown and gesture were only play, squirmed to his feet with a bark, and in mock fury, attacked the captain's spur.

""Oh, go chase your tail, pup," said the captain at length. '""You've won the battle as • far as 1 am concerned. into the kitchen and keep out of sight, and IH tackle tlie colonel this morning and see if he won't let us keep you." Tactfully but fruitlessly the captain pleaded Jerry's case before tlie commanding officer. The colonel did not dislike dogs and was really a kindhearted man, but his housemaid had been bitten by a stray dog on the post a few months before, and a damage suit against him was even then {tending intlie courts. "Get rid at him," was his order. "I've tried to, colonel," said tlie captain. 'Tve taken him to Aslivflle and I've taken him across the bay, but he jost won't leave. My men are really quite fond of him and it might be a "good thing from the moral standpoint to keep him. He is a good rat-killer aud he isn't—"

"If you can't keep up the qjoral in your organisation without bringing in every stray cor that wants to take up with your mess sergeant, yon had better take some lessons In the* art. Get rid of hiin."

•'Very well, sir. I'll try again." "Don't try. do it. Take and lose him. If that doesn't work, shoot him. lam sorry, captain, but if I let him -stay, every company on the post will be having a dozen dogs." In the face of these positive orders, the captain had no choice. He returned to the barracks, installed Jerry in the front seat of his esr. au j started out again to lose him. "this time lie decided to do a good' job, and he crossed the bay and drove to Preston, forty miles away.- Preston was the nearest large town and the only one in the vicinity of the post to boast of an official doscstdier and dog-pound. The captain took Jerrv to the now*! and turned him owr to Oh> pound-kceivr

Jerry vigorously and vocally disapproved of fliis desertion by tie sole link that connected liim witli the but the captain shut his ears to the howls emanating from tie pound and returned to the post, where he reported to the commanding officer the action he had taken. The action was duly approved, and the company thought that they had seen the last of Jerry. So they had—for a time. (To be continued.)