CHAPTER V.
CANICHE AND THE TRAVELLER.
Mr. Lee returned one day from the city with a party of friends who hadbeen invited to visit them. They were all seated at the tea table, whena quick ringing of one of the chamber bells attracted their attention.
The gentleman glanced at his wife, who at once noticed that all thefamily were present at the table, and only answered by the words, "Whocan it be?"
"It is Maria or Emily Otis, from the city," he answered, smiling. "Theycame, I suspect, in the noon train, and have taken this method toannounce their arrival."
At this moment the bell was rung again, and more furiously than before.
Minnie sprang up, and ran from the room. She reached the chamber justas a servant was opening the door. What was their surprise, instead ofthe expected guest, to see Tiney standing on his hind feet pulling thebell rope! He had accidentally been shut into the chamber, and took thismeans to get out.
The child ran down with the news, and Tiney, who followed her, was quitethe hero of the occasion.
After dinner, the conversation turned upon the intelligence andfidelity of dogs, when one of the gentlemen related the followingsingular incident, which he said was strictly true:--
"An English officer, who was in Paris somewhere near the year 1815, wasonce crossing one of the bridges over the Seine, when a poodle dogrubbed against his boots, which had just been polished, dirtying them somuch that he was obliged to go to a man stationed on the bridge toclean them.
"The same circumstance having occurred more than once, his curiosity wasexcited, and he watched the dog. He saw him roll himself in the mud ofthe river, and then station himself where he could see a person withwell-polished boots, against which he contrived to rub himself.
"Finding that the shoe-black was the owner of the poodle, he taxed himwith the artifice; and after a little hesitation, he confessed that hehad taught the dog the trick, in order to procure customers for himself.
"The officer, being much surprised at the dog's sagacity, purchased himat a high price, and carried him to England. He kept him tied up inLondon some time, and then released him. The poodle remained with him aday or two, and then made his escape. A fortnight afterwards, he wasfound with his former master, pursuing his old trade of dirtyinggentlemen's boots on the bridge."
"Your story, which is a capital one," remarked another gentleman of thecompany, "reminds me of something I read lately, which, if not wellvouched for, I should scarcely have credited.
"A man by the name of Edward Cook, after having lived some time withhis brother in Northumberland, came to the United States, bringing withhim a pointer dog, which he lost soon afterwards, while shooting in thewoods near Baltimore.
"Some time after, his brother and sister, who continued to reside inNorthumberland, were alarmed at hearing a dog in the night. They arose,admitted it to the house, and found, to their surprise, it was the sametheir brother had taken with him to America. The dog lived with themuntil Mr. Edward Cook returned, when they mutually recognized eachother.
"They were never able to trace by what vessel the dog had left America,or in what part of England it had been landed."
"One of the best stories I have heard of the sagacity of a dog,"remarked a lady, "was the account of Caniche, which, if not familiar toyou, is well worth repeating."
Mr. Lee begged her to favor the company with the story, when she began.
"Once upon a time, Dumont, a tradesman of the Rue St. Denis, in Paris,was walking with a friend, when he offered to lay a wager with thelatter, that, if he were to hide a six-livre piece in the dust, his dogwould discover it, and bring it to him. The wager was accepted, and thepiece of money secreted, after being carefully marked.
"When the two had proceeded some distance from the spot, M. Dumont saidto his dog that he had lost something, and ordered him to seek it.Caniche immediately turned back, and her master and companion pursuedtheir walk to the Rue St. Denis.
"Meanwhile, a traveller, who happened to be just then returning in asmall chaise from Vincennes, perceived the piece of money which hishorse had kicked from its hiding place. He alighted, took it up, anddrove to his inn.
"Caniche, after a careful search, had just reached the spot in pursuitof the lost piece, when the stranger picked it up. She at once set offafter the chaise, went into the inn, and stuck close to the traveller.Having scented out the coin in the pocket of the latter, which she hadbeen ordered to bring back, she leaped up incessantly at and about him.The traveller, supposing him to be some dog that had been lost by hermaster, regarded these movements as marks of fondness, and, as theanimal was handsome, determined to keep her. He gave her a good supper,and, on retiring to bed, took her with him to his chamber. No sooner hadhe pulled off his pantaloons than they were seized by the dog: theowner, conceiving that she wanted to play with them, took them awayagain. The animal then began to bark at the door, which the travelleropened, under the idea that the dog wanted to go out. Caniche snatchedup the pantaloons, and away she flew, the traveller posting after her,dressed only in his night shirt. Anxiety for the fate of a purse full ofgold Napoleons of forty francs each gave redoubled quickness to hissteps.
"Caniche, having a good start, ran full speed to her master's house,where the stranger arrived a moment afterward, breathless and enraged.He accused the dog of robbing him.
"'Sir,' said the master, 'my dog is a very faithful creature; and ifshe has run away with your pantaloons, it is because you have in themmoney which does not belong to you.'
"The traveller became still more exasperated.
"'Compose yourself, sir,' rejoined the other, smiling: 'without doubtthere is in your purse a six-livre piece, with such and such marks,which you have picked up in the Boulevard St. Antoine, and which Ithrew down there with the firm conviction that my dog would bring itback again. This is the cause of the robbery which she has committedupon you.'
"The stranger's rage now yielded to astonishment; he delivered thesix-livre piece to the owner, and could not forbear caressing the dogwhich had given him so much uneasiness and such an unpleasant chase."
"There is no doubt," remarked Mr. Lee, "that the character andintellectual faculties of the dog are more strongly developed than thoseof any other quadruped, on account of his being the constant companionof man. It is a pleasing thought, the more that is known of hisfidelity, faithfulness, and sagacity, the more he will be appreciated,and the better, therefore, his treatment is likely to be."