STORIES OF DOGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4271, 27 November 1874, Page 2 (Supplement)

STORIES OF DOGS.

A DOG TORP PItOrHET. A correspondent, who has a friend of the usual " unimpeachable veracity," supported by the usual witnesses of "undoubted credibility,'" sends to the Melbourne Argus the following story about a wonderful dog. The dog belongs to the veracious friend, who has made use of him during the last three years to find out thewinner of the Melbourne Cup. A number of" slips of papers are prepared, and the names of the Cup horses are written on them. The slips are then ranged in a row before the dog, who. takes them up one by one in his mouth, dropping all but one, which he holds on to with great vigor. The sagacious animal has gone through this performance three times, and on each occasion the retained slip has proved to contain the name of the Cup winner—The Quack, Don Juan, and Harricot having been " tipped " in succession. This year, wo are informed, the proud proprietor of this canine prophet won £SOO by backing the dog's tip. Our readers will of course understand that we do not vouch for the strict accuracy of this story, but we have no doubt that our correspondent's veracious friend's way of finding out the winner of the Cup is quite as good as any other. A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER. The scene at Boonoke station, near Deniliquin, the other day (says the Pastoral Times) when Mr. Webber was lost, was one that possibly only takes place in Australia His horse and dog were found by a party from his home, who tracked the horse's steps towards the creek, the dog in their company, running from one to another, looking unutterable things in his fidelity. On, on, they went, until they arrived within llalf-a-mile or so of the fatal spot, when the dog broke away howlmg, making straight for the water. Ho then plunged in and swam around the place where his master lay dead in 15ft. of water. Thirteen shearers now took off their clothes and dived for the body, the dog among them the most active. The moment that they relaxed their efforts he seemed seized with new life, plunged again and again into the water, ducked, dived, and crying bitterly. At length they gave up the search, while thoy sent off to the station for a boat and drag-hooks. After ten minutes' operations with these, the body was recovered. The dog, faithful to the last, when his master's dead body lay for a few minutes' stretched on the bank, clung to the corpse.