BIGGEST OF MAN’S BEST FRIENDS

Southland Times, Issue 23444, 26 February 1938, Page 13

BIGGEST OF MAN’S BEST FRIENDS

Doos Of St. Bernard Find Favour Again

“All right,” said Jim suddenly. Tm set. I tell you, this is the last trip? If it weren’t for you I’d turn right around now and go back home and head straight for the office.” “Don’t mind me,” I assured him. “K you really are convinced, Jim, I would be only too glad to join you. These great resolutions come like this. Its a sort of spiritual thing. You suddenly see things clear and plain. Turn at the next corner.” “Are you with me?” asked Jim, his face strained with the depth of his feeling. “Do you feel as I feel? Are we fools? Shouldn’t we cut out all this frittering and get down to work? Shouldn’t we make hay while the sun shines and be free men, in a few years, to go where we like, to the ends of the earth, to where there is fun and beauty and life?” “Turn at the next cross-roads, Jim,” I said breathlessly. “What a sap I have been,” groaned Jim, shifting restlessly and gripping the steering wheel with excitement. “Don’t ever speak to me of week-ends again,” he cried. “Don’t ever try to show me a snapshot of a fish.” “I’m changing, too,” I reminded him. “ M '' more snapshots.”

For 1000 years the dogs trained by the monks of the St. Bernard hospice have been rescuing luckless travellers who have lost their way or have been injured in the mountain passes under Mt. Blanc near the FrancoSwiss border. Early this year one of the dogs attacked and killed a little girl. As some of them had been showing vicious tendencies, it was thought that all would have to be destroyed. However, it has now been decided to allow them to live in a fencedoff field, where they are still the object of much attention from Alpine tourists.