FOUR DOG STORIES

Hawera Star, Volume L, 7 February 1931, Page 16

FOUR DOG STORIES

THE following are the four best dog stories sent, in for a prize competition in rhe London “Sunday Chronicle '': —-

In 191.'! .1 was trader for a Sydney ■firm on one of the outlying islands in the Solomon, group. It was a pretty wild spot, and headhunting was tnc recognised pastime there. Being a white man, my head was valuable. I once heard two hundred coconuts and some feather-money offered by a big buck for it, and when this occurred I thought it time to- get a dog. I shamelessly stole him off a Norwegian schooner that had put close inshore for water.

On two occasions he saved mv life, once by dashing to a tree, under which 1 was bound to pass, and drawing my attention to a native armed with a bow and three beautiful poisoned arrows: the other by scattering three of those gentry who were out for glory. I rigged up a real spellbinder on liis hack by fastening to his collar a cheap flash lamp with the light facing his stern. After a few nights' scampering about on the fringe of the bush, where he struck terror into the!hearts of the niggers, he earned the soubriquet of “He who sees two ways.’’

In 1914 he caught distemper, and, to my great sorrow, died. I buried hint under a cairn of stones and placed the cheap torch there to guard him. Occasionally at night-time I would steal out and press the knob, confident that “He who sees both ways’’ would protect me.

The most perplexing problem I have ever faced was the giving away of my dogs when 1 left Elstrcc for a house in London where dogs had been foru- . .on. It was an unhappy task. After many inquiries and troubles 1 found homes for all my dogs with tho exception of Waiula, my favourite Alsatian, from whom 1 simply could not part, and Mrs Smith, a complacent matronly little terrier, whom I lia.ii to smuggle into tho house, for I had faitnfully promised that I should not have more than one dog. But fate has deprived me of Mrs Smith, for Wanda, apparently jealous

Told in a Prize Competition

of this remnant of a noisy clan, has taken her out and lost her in the depths of Regent’s Park, and T don’t know whether she has found another home or the robins have given her the obsequies they gave to two other unfortunates who were lost in an equally tragic manner. Before the war I had a bulldog. I was living in Birmingham at the time and “Wonae” (the dog) used to get bored with my landlady’s company and get out whenever he could. The house, in winch I lived was at a tram terminus, and “Wonac” often anvused himself, after his first tram ride with me by climbing on the driver’s platform and taking a trip to Birmingham. When the Irani arrived in (I think) Martineau Street he would transfer to tiie front tram and return home. On one occasion lie got on the wrong tram (going to Alum Rock). On discovering this by some means, ho got off at the junction at -Saltlev and waited for me next Washwood Heath tram, where he joined one of his driver friends ana went home. All the drivers on this route knew him.

We have two' dogs, a Welsh terrier called Binnie and a Scotch terrier called Tufty. They both were destined to have their babies on the same day. Binnie had four and Tufty eight. As Tufty was only a little doggie and not very robust after her large family, we decided to give two of her babies to Binnie. So one day when she appeared to be sleeping we transferred two of Tuftv’s babies to Binnie’s box.

Tufty, on awaicening, immediately missed her babies and became very distressed, and continued to be so- for several da vs.

The mother dons became bitter enemies. and each time Binnie appeared Tufty barked and whined and snapped piteously. When the puppies were a few weeks old Tufty got into Biimie’s kennel by mistake, "walked around, recognised her own babies, took them by their necks one at a time and carried them to her own home. After this the mother dogs became the best of friends, and so the feud ended.