Killed His Best Friend.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1191, 28 December 1894, Page 18

Killed His Best Friend.

Some six months ago (writes a South African correspondent) I was travelling in the Northern Transvaal, when, within 60 or 70 miles of Pretoria, I met a Dutchman on horseback. As we drew near each other I observed that the Boer was crying. Meeting, at length, him the usual salutations, and "asked him if he Was suffering. In the dialect of the land he assured me that bodily he was all right, : but his heart was ' very sore.' He, jtfe&fr on to explain that he had kflledr-his'"."best friend—'mein hund.' He said that suddenly his dog took to jumping up and catching the bridle in his mouth, seriously interfering with the horse's pace. He had driven the dog off more, than once, but the animal still persevered in its strange attentions.. At length, struck with, the fear that the dog might be suffering from some form of madness, he turned his.rifle upon him and fii-ed. The dog ran back along the road, and-its owner proceeded on his way. Later it suddenly dawned upon the Boer that he had left his "coat at his last off-saddling place. A coat is too expensive an article for a Transvaal farmer to think of leaving behind, so the Boer turned' in his tracks and sought to recover his lost garment. Arriving at his last resting-place he found not only his coat but his. dog. The poor animal, being unable to make his. master comprehend his loss, had returned to safeguard his master's property. The bullet had told it's tale—the dog lay dead.