SCOTTIE—A FOX TERRIER PUPPY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 17 May 1941, Page 8

SCOTTIE—A FOX TERRIER PUPPY

(Original) When Mother and I went to Alexan- ; ra for three months, about three years j i?o. Dad sent me a little fox-terrier by •ain. I was very excited when I re- 1 ?ived his letter, saying that the puppy j as to arrive in a week’s time. Accord- ' tgly. Mother and I walked to the sta- j ion and asked the guard. Yes. there : ,-as a dog for us there, and he led us ' j a large closed-up box. from which ; .' asperated barks and yelps were com- j ig. When the lid was forced open, out ; crumbled a small black and white j uppy, a black patch over one eye giv- I ig him a rather rakish appearance. “Really, this is a bit TOO much!’’ lie 1 corned to exclaim, as he looked about ini. His glance at the box where he ad spent so many hours of bumping • nd jolting, spoke volumes. “You lovely little fellow!” I whisper. il. as I picked him up. and he winked uck at me with all the assurance of a iree-months’-old puppy about his ood looks I shall never forget that alk home to the private boardingruse where we were slaying, (only! Tother. I and the lady who owned the ouse, lived there). Of course, il was i it first time Scottie had been put on le chain, and he didn’t relish the idea I ten. but if we had let him loose, good- j ess knows what would have happened. ! A ei .v few moments lie saw something j i attract his attention, and forgetting! is chain, would dart forward. In the ( nd carry him. However, that didn't ,op him from stretching and craning is neck at every possible angle to iew something. Eventually we arrived home, where! c was given a good meal of meat and 1 .ilk. After tea he went exploring, i nd I was beginning to gel a little ap- 1 irehensive about his disappearance. 1 nowing lliat something was amiss i ’hen a roguish puppy like him was si- , Mit. for some time. Suddenly the peaceil stillness of the evening was broken v a series of soils and bark.- *

"Heavens!” I thought, with dreadful visions of Scotlie trying to fight all the sleekly groomed cals of the neighbourhood floating before my eyes, and rushed out towards where the noise was coming. What a scene! There was Scoltie, who had hunted the landlady's two grey cats up. and was vainly trying to gel a blow in with his paws. But Fluff, the bigger of the cats, with ears laid back.-eyes glaring, and growling, kept up a whirling circle of gigantic claws, and daunted even whirlwind Scottie. So Scottie contented himself by running around them and barking, sometimes making an attack, and nearly driving those poor cats frantic.. To complete everything, the landlady came out armed with a broom, with which she tried to drive him away. Of course. Scottie thought it was a game, and began to bite and chase it. Choking with laughter. I grasped Scottie. who was struggling frantically to return to the fun, murmured something about "being very sorry-- never happen again." and earned the wriggling Scottie away. “Why did you take me away, just when I was enjoying myself?” he seemed to say reproachfully, as he gazed at me over the ruins his teeth had made of a huge bone. After that he kept his distance from the cats, but if he did chase them up the nearest tree when nobody was looking, who can blame him? When we went back home to the farm, we took Scottie with us. At lust we had to give him away, as we discovered he killed hens and chased the sheep. I was so sorry when he had gone, and he didn't seem to like going either. However I saw him a few months ago. and lie has turned out a lovely dog. I have the satisfaction of knowing that Scottie has a master who is very fond of him. and that Scottie is devoted to his master in return. Still. I will never forget Scottie as I first knew him as a puppy. l ay Baynt’s (.aged 13), Tahunanui.