CANINE SERENADE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13488, 9 January 1908, Page 3

CANINE SERENADE.

POACHER'S MIMICRY.

!M. Edmond Rostand, dramatist and Academician, "who recently underwent an operation Tor appendicitis, had an e_\[icrieuce which he relaU-s to his friends and which is going- the rounds of Pans literal v and theatrical circles.

The villa at L'ambo is built, on tho top til a hill, and with but few houses in tie neighbourhood. In the tarlv hours of the morning following his arrival XI. Rostand .s slumbeiu w-re rudely disturbed by what he took to bo the balking of a score or to of dogs. He arose, anil in de.qjcra.ion bombarded the unwelcouyj visitors with whatever missiles uiuie neaitst to hand, but the diu continued for tonic hours, and were repeated on the following night. XI. Rostand had serious thoughts of abandoning his villa and going -elsewhere. when .someone told him to consult- a ISasq;:c poacher who resided near by. This jhtsonage had lived in tho wo(xL< most ol his life, and local gossip credited him with p'.ir.-.-ssing a wondcrltii influence over uiirtilv animals.

The Basque was summoned, <in< 1 lie undertook for ;i consideration to j id the neighbourhood of ito stray dog.,. He succeesled. and for n fortnight »M. liosland was abk< lo sleep unuistuibed. Then suddenly, one night, there was another canine congrt.-.j held beneath the dramatist's mnclow. Next day the resourceful Basque was again called in. This time M. Ito:--taiid questioned him adroitly, 'and the man, flattered by the attention he received, i ■•.-counted the story of hk life, and spoke of his powers as a ventriloquist.

" Yon know the habits of animals go well, I suppose, you could even imitate their cries''"' said the author of "Cyrano de IJergerac." Xlie poacher by way of reply gave an exhibition of his skill, in which he mimicked a fox. a barnyard roo-~u-r, and a bellowing ox. " Very good, indeed/' added the dramatist, "and now what about dogs?"'

Flattery had done its w<>: k, and before the Basque had time to realise that he had been neatly caught, he had reproduced tlie little disturbance that had caused >l. Rostand eo much sleeplessness. Howev.r, the latter could not help smiliug nt the man's confusion. " Here is twenty francs," said h-e. "If I am bothered with any more canine peace conferences at night I shall tell the police, and I think we shall know where to find the author of the trouble/'