STUDIES IN WATCHDOGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6132, 19 March 1898, Page 2

STUDIES IN WATCHDOGS.

(American Paper.) No sooner had the Blinks got fairly settled in their new home at Trollilinus-on-the-Bluff than Mrs Blink suggested a dog as a necessary appurtenance to the household. "We need one of those nice big dogs that can eat a burglar or a tramp," she said. " Don't get any snappy, snarly, little terrier, George. Try and find one that's big and savage with strangers but gentle with children, and don't have one that will eat too much. Oh, yes, and get one without much hair, a clean-shaven kind, you know, because tho other kind wculd get all burrs and stickers, and we'd have to spend all our time combing him out." In a few days the Blink household included a dog of massive proportions and moderately clean-shaven. In spite of an extreme savageness of appearance and voice he speedily became the boon companion of the two young Blinks, who played snap the whip, using its tail as a swinger, and rode upon his back when minded to play horse. But all the time not demanded by the youngsters the dog spent in sleep. Blink gave him the cheerful name of Rigor Mortis, because he was such a stiff, and called him Big. for short. His chief value lay in the fact that he was an excellent guardian for the young Blinks, and Mrs Blink felt herself perfectly safe in letting them wander at will, so long as Tiig. was with them. But at night the big animal went to sleep outside the children's door, and not even his own thunderous snoring would wake him up. "That's all right," said Blink confidently to his wife, when she thought that she heard somebody walking around downstairs one night. " Rig. may be sleepy, but let anybody fool around this house and you'd see how quickly he'd rouse up. It was only your imagination." Next morning Blink went downstairs, and found a half-drunken tramp just arousing himself from a night's slumber in the angle of the front porch. The tramp hastily departed, and Blink, filled with wrath, went back to interview Rig. " You fool of a brute ! " said he, " what did I pay 50 dollars for you for ? You're about as good as a bag of flour ! For ten cents I'd put a weight on you and throw you into the river. I'll sell you to the first man that wants you, anyway." ltig. yawned, stretched and lazily wagged hia tail, then had the nerve to feign grieved surprise when his master kicked him in the ribs. " Don't sell him, George," pleaded Mrs Blink, when she heard her husband's determination. "He's better around the children than a thousand nurses. Aren't you, old Riggles ? " The dog put his head under her hand, and gazed mildly at Blink with a reproachful but watchful eye, for he didn't know at what moment another kick might be coming. . " What we need," continued she, patting the big head, "is n lively little dog to wake K.ig. up. One of those terriers will do . nicely, and they're such bright little fellows." "Do you want the neighbours to think wo are starting a dog show or sausage factory ?" growled Blink. "My dear," said Mrs Blink, patiently "considering that there aren't any neighbours within a half " ° " All right, all right." said Blink, hastily, for Trollilinus-on-the-Bluff as a place of residence was his idea, and he doesn't like reflection on the character of the place, 1 11 look- after it," When the terrier, whose name was Snap, arnved there was trouble. He was possessed of an overmastering ambition to de«i!n7f U fl Sf % tho ° thei --4«S. just about fitty times his weight. For a time Rigor Mortis bore this patiently, and then he framed «pon his diminutive fellow, grabbed him by the scr uff of the neck, Ver the fence > Jumped over, £Ss£ v lm again< an d«*-ew him back, mauled him around abit, and walked into Ns^a:^— ■ fulfill H »tT« doffs becam ° fiends. Snap do? admir w H Wirements of an alarm dog admirably, for the least noise at night

would wake him and set him barking tunously, whereupon Rigor Mortis would get up to see what was the matter. The only trouble was that Snap worried over trifles, thus keeping the family awake most oi the time. It became so bad that nobody grieved very much when the little dog disappeared, winch happened in this wise:— Rig. and bnap went out to hunt squirrels one day +£ v- got to come back - Four dav3 later the big fellow returned, very shamefaced, to be loyally welcomed, a prodigal dog, and the fatted cold roast beef was forthwith sacrificed to his appetite. Snap didn't come with him, and he wasn't advertised for. " By this time Rig. will be trained to wake up by himself," said Mrs Blink, "and Snap was such a nuisance with his constant barking" So Rig. held the fort alone m his dory. Everything went well with the Blink family. Then there came an epidemic of burglars in the region of TrollUinus-on-the-Bluff.. "I'll bet no burglar will stay in my house very long," Blink said to his fellow-com-muters on the 8.12 electric car to the ferry.' " I've got a dog that could eat a whole State prison full of 'em." That very night came a burglar to the Blink's. He entered by the creakiest window in the house, after smashing the panes, lighted the lamp, and strolled around the dining-room. Selecting a tablecloth, he laid it on the table, filled it up with silverware, and tied it. Then he strolled into the library, found Blink's cigars, filled his pockets with them, and was proceeding to the drawing-room, when he fell over a chair, and awakened the youngest Blink, who set up a howl. That waked Mrs Blink, who waked Blink, and they heard the footsteps downstairs. Down rushed Blink, only to see the burglar vanishing through the window, leaving the silver behind him. Under such circumstances the average citizen yells "Stop thief!" The thief doesn't usually stop, but it relieves the robbed man's feelings. Blink did it, and waked up the two servants, who uttered piercing shrieks. Of course, the robber got away, leaving the house wide awake and in an uproar, all except Rigor Mortis. When it was all over, Blink went npstairs, and found that peaceful animal snoring like the foghorn of an Atlantic liner.