OLD SHEP’S NEW TRICK

New Zealand Tablet, 25 May 1911, Page 981

OLD SHEP’S NEW TRICK

‘Talk about old sayings,’ Uncle Wesley said, f they won t all hold water. Take, for instance, that one about you cant teach.an old dog new tricks. I saw it exploded to-day. You know my old Shep ? He’s a mighty smart old dog, but always was too much for meddling in things that didn’t concern him. It has always made him mad as fire for one of those automobile to go. by our house. . ‘Now just so long as they stay on the road, I "am not going to have any words with ’em, but old Shep, every time lie u. hear ft horn, toot } out he , d go; and chase ’em clean to the turn of the road, barking like he’d eat ’em alive Seemed like he couldn’t get used to ’em. Just got madder and madder every time one came along. ‘To-day when a great big one came down the road hooLing; louder than usual, out goes old Shep, barkhm every pimp, and grabbed one of the wheels somewhere ‘I don’t know-how on earth he did it, but he got a hold some way. The machine didn’t slow up, and old Shop went oyer and over, a-pounding that hard road till he either had the gumption to let go or had all the gumption knocked out of him, I couldn’t tell Which. ‘He got up and limped back into the yard and lay down, and I said to Mary, “ Old Shep will sure have reasons of his own for disliking those things from now on Wouldn’t be surprised .if I’d have to chain'him to keep him from tearing ’em to pieces.’ £ Along after dinner I heard one coming, honking down the road. Old Shep, he heard it, too. -.He set up and listened a minute, then he just tucked his tail and lit out across the back pasture for the woods-lot. ; ■- He’s learnt a new trick all right—the trick of tending to his own business.’