A DOG'S SAGACITY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 70, 20 September 1927, Page 11

A DOG'S SAGACITY

BRINGS HELP TO MASTER

RUNS TWO MILES WITH NOTE

(from "The Post's' Representative.;

SYDNEY, Bth September. I'rom the.Ballarat district of Victoria comes an epic story of the sagacity and devotion of- a dog in bringing aid to his injured master. John Flynn, aged 29 years, a woodcutter, was working in "a forest reserve felling trees, when a branchy dry gum tree, 3ft in diameter, unexpectedly crashed. In attempting hurriedly to re*"eve his coat, Flynn was struck across tne back by a massive limb and rendered senseless>

When Flynn regained consciousness some time later, his dog, a half-bred kelpie, was licking his face and manifesting distress at his master's unusual situation On recovering his strength a little, Flynn extracted from the pocket of his coat an old envelope and a stub of pencil, and wrote a call for help to his mother at their home some miles away. He enclosed the message m his handkerchief, which he tied round the kelpie's neck, and ordered the dog to go home. After some persuasion, the faithful animal made off homewards.

The kelpie apparently ran hard the whole way to his master's home. Mrs. Flynn noticed that the dog was distressed when he reached home, but her poor eyesight failed to notice the handkerchief with the mute call for aid round the dog's neck. For hours the dog fretted restlessly about the house until late in the afternoon a younger member of tho household returned home and found the message. The kelpie barked encouragingly a's the handkerchief was untied, and showed his joy. A relief party of neighbours was quickly organised and eet off, led by the kelpie.

The rescuers found Flynn three-quarters of a mile from the scene of the accident, stoically crawling along the bush track. He told his rescuers that when the dog failed to return within a reasonable time he began to dig himself out frtmi underneath the great branch. After long and painful labour with his hands, he succeeded in freeing himself, his finger nails being torn to shreds in the process. He found that spinal injuries prevented him from rising to his feet, but he set out to crawl home, pausing every few yards for rest and ease.

Flynn was hurriedly taken to hospital, where he was admitted in a serious condition. His faithful dog accompanied him the.whole time, and only left his bedside after long persuasion by Flynn's relatives.

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