A DOG-STORY.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR."]
SIR,—Still another dog-story. When I was a child, in our old Cornish home, we had an ancient pointer who used to roam about the place much as she liked. One day a stable-boy, washing a carriage, noticed old Buis' evidently trying to tell him that she wanted him to do something for her. She ran round him, whining appealingly, and finally took hold of the leg of his trousers, and tried to pull him in the direction from which she had previously come. He at last followed her, and she led him joyfully up to a little pond just out of sight of the coachhonse, where a small sluice-gate let the water down in a little stream as it was wanted. In this sluice-gate a large duck was caught by the neck, and the boy was only just in time to save it from drowning. It had evidently been diving for food, and had jammed its head under the gate. 'Bess' in her wanderings had seen its struggles and gone off for help. As soon as the duck was liberated the old dog capered about and barked her thanks to the boy.
A propos of the snake•story from your correspondent, A. G. B. Ravenscroft, in the Spectator of January 9th, our experience as to horses' terror of snakes is quite the reverse to his—at all events in this country,—but possibly it may be a case of Autres pays, autres mceurs. To quote a late instance :—My husband and I were returning across country from one of our detachments close to the International Boundary on the Milk River. That part of the country is infested by rattlesnakes. Our half-breed guide and interpreter was cantering along ahead of us, when suddenly we saw his horse shy so violently as almost to unseat him, then stand trembling from head to foot, and showing every symptom of terror. A big " rattler," the largest I had ever seen, lay coiled on the prairie, its rattles whirring like a machine, and its vicious, evil-looking head well erect. The half-breed jumped off his horse, but could not induce the animal to come near enough to the snake, even though held by the man at the extreme length of the reins, for him to kill it The horse absolutely refused to come a step nearer, snorting and quivering with terror, and obstinately " propping " every time the man tried to lead him forward. When we came
up the snake was soon quieted with a long tent-pole we had with us, its head cutoff, and its body taken along for the sake of the skin. There was no mistaking the abject fright of the horse, and this is only one of many instances I could quote of our experience of the matter in this country,—an experience of fourteen years. I may add that the horse was bred in the country.—I am, Sir, &c.,
ELSIE S. WHITE-FRASER.
N. W.M.P. _Barracks, Maple Creek, N.W.T., Canada, Feb. 23rd.
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