The Dogs of Boytown

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER VIII

  DOG DAYS

  By June both Romulus and Remus were in full health again and Mr.Whipple admitted that they began to look like real English setters.They were puppies still, full of fun and mischief, but their coats hadlost some of their fuzzy, silky character and their bodies hadlengthened and filled out. They had gained a greater control overtheir muscles and in their gambols about the yard they had acquiredconsiderable speed. Sam Bumpus came down again to look at them andpronounced them likely-looking youngsters.

  "They've got some growin' to do yet," said he, "but they're gainin'bone and speed every day, and the first thing you know you'll have twofine bird dogs, or I don't know what I'm talking about."

  They also displayed increasing devotion to their masters and had begunto develop, to a certain extent, the qualities of watchdogs.

  It was about this time that Jack Whipple made an extraordinary andalarming discovery. He noticed one day that Remus was having some sortof trouble with his mouth, as though he had perhaps got a piece ofbone wedged in his teeth. He worked his jaws in a laughable manner andpoked at them with his paw. Then he shook his head, ejected a smallwhite object, and appeared relieved.

  Thinking it must be a piece of bone, Jack picked it up and examinedit. It was a tooth! He called Ernest, and after poking about in Rome,they discovered another tooth in the sawdust beside the food dish.They proceeded to examine both dogs, and in Romulus's mouth they foundanother loose tooth which came out in Ernest's fingers.

  "Why," cried Jack, "they're losing all their teeth. How will they eat?How can they do anything?"

  Ernest was equally puzzled, and that evening they told their fatherabout it. He also seemed perplexed.

  "I'm afraid I can't help you," said he. "You'd better consult TomPoultice or Sam Bumpus. Perhaps there's some disease that loosensdogs' teeth. Possibly it's the result of the distemper. I understandthere are sometimes after-effects of that, such as deafness, and itmay cause a dropping of the teeth. You'd better see about it before itgoes any further."

  The boys had been planning for some little time to take the two dogsup to Sam's shack, since they now seemed old and strong enough tostand the journey, and it would be good fun for all concerned. SoErnest sent Sam word that they were coming, and on a bright, warmSaturday morning the four of them set out.

  The sky was clear and blue, a light breeze tempered the warmth of thebrilliant sunshine, and it was a joy just to be alive and out in theopen. The boys had their hands full, for Romulus and Remus had neverbefore enjoyed so much liberty, and they did not always answerpromptly the recalling whistle. The world, this great, new world,seemed to hold so many sights and sounds and scents to interest a dogthat their impulse was to keep going and searching and never turnback. But it was a pleasure just to watch the zest with which theyinvestigated every thicket and hillock. As they trotted along,twisting and doubling and turning, their noses held now high, sniffingthe breeze, now close to the ground, they seemed to develop somethingof that lithe grace of movement that characterized the actions oftheir mother and old Nan.

  When they arrived at their destination, the dogs were at first muchexcited by the presence of so many others of their kind, but after alittle while they were glad to take a long drink of water and to reston the floor of the shack.

  Sam, as usual, was smiling and cordial. "They're comin' on; they'recomin' on," said he, patting the young dogs and observing theirsinewy limbs, their sensitive nostrils, and their soft, intelligenteyes. "Been teachin' 'em to hunt on the way up?"

  The boys were forced to admit that they had made little progress withthe vocational training of Romulus and Remus.

  "Well, there's plenty of time for that," said Sam. "They've got to getthe sense of the fields and the woods first. You get 'em so they'llcome when they're called, and a little later on I'll have time to take'em in hand and teach 'em the fine points of the game. How have theybeen, anyway? They're lookin' as sound as nuts."

  "They've been very well," answered Ernest, "except for one thing. Wedon't know what's the trouble, but their teeth are dropping out."

  "Their teeth----" began Sam, and then burst into a roar of laughter,in which the boys presently joined, though they did not know why.

  "Don't you worry about them teeth," said he, when he could speakagain. "I'll bet it wasn't so very long ago that Jack here had thevery same trouble. Didn't you know that dogs lose their first teeththe same as boys do? Sure thing. Some folks are a good deal troubledabout it and pull out the loose teeth for fear the dogs will swallowthem, but it ain't likely to hurt 'em if they do. Just let 'em aloneand nature will look out for 'em. New and stronger teeth will growin their places and then they'll be fixed for life."

  The boys, relieved to find that the matter was not serious, laughedagain.

  "I guess this joke's on father, too," said Ernest.

  This trip to Sam's shack was the first of a number of excursionsthither which Sam seemed to enjoy as much as the boys and the dogs.And when vacation time came and every day was like Saturday, Ernestand Jack Whipple came to understand better what it really means tohave good dogs for constant companions. It was in these days thatvisits to the swimming hole over by the brickyard began, and Romulusand Remus were taught to enjoy the water as much as their masters did.

  This swimming hole, in fact, proved to be the accepted meeting placefor most of the boys and dogs of Boytown, for it became a regularpractice for the boys to bring their dogs and to invent variousaquatic sports in which the dogs played an important part. Old Mikehated the water and could scarcely be induced to go in, but most ofthe others entered into the spirit of the game with zest. Little Alertproved to be a regular cork in the water, and even huge Hamletsplashed about in a dignified sort of way. But the general favoritewas Rags. He could dive for stones, retrieve sticks, and even standup in the water, with his fore feet pawing the air in a manner tobring laughter to the soberest. And he had a way of devising sport ofhis own, not always respecting the sanctity of the boys' clothing.

  I don't know how it is with other boys, but it is certain that theconstant association with faithful four-footed comrades was good forthe boys of Boytown. Boys are often thoughtless to an extent thatverges upon cruelty. They love to tease and often find amusement ininventing new trials for a much-enduring cat or dog. But once let themget the idea of comradeship and protection firmly fixed, and notinfrequently a sort of chivalry appears to develop in their natures.

  At least it was so with these boys. They quarreled and disputed andoccasionally fought, as boys will, but there was no more torturing ofanimals, and with this came less bullying of little boys and teasingof little girls. Each boy felt the responsibility of protecting hisown beloved dog, and with this came a sense of protection toward allanimals. Mrs. Hammond, Theron's mother, was wise enough to observe andtake advantage of this, and she organized the boys into a sort ofHumane Society, with meetings every two weeks, and a set of rules andobjects. They were pledged to do what they could to see that no dumbanimal was abused, and more than once they were able to dissuade abrutal teamster from beating an overburdened horse. In only onequarter did they totally fail. Dick Wheat on would neither join theHumane Society nor would he mend his ways in regard to his treatmentof Gyp. But at least he never attempted to abuse any other animalwhenever any of the boys were about, after having received a goodlicking at the hands of Jimmie Rogers for annoying Rags. That taughthim a much needed lesson.

  If every boy in America could be taught to be as kind to animals asthese boys were, and to interest himself personally in theirtreatment, this would be a better world to live in.

  So the summer vacation days passed, with plenty of outdoor fun, theboys forming an ever closer comradeship with their common interest,and Romulus and Remus gaining in strength and wisdom every day. Forthe most part they were healthy dogs and gave their masters littleconcern on that score, though sometimes their tendency to get intomischief required attention, for Mrs. Whipple was not reconciled totheir
presence about her house and it was necessary to keep watch lestthey offend beyond the chance of pardon. The day they brought Delia tothe verge of tears by tearing a clean sheet from the clothesline andclashing with it about a muddy yard would have produced a disastrouscrisis if Mr. Whipple had not once more intervened.

  Once or twice the two dogs had to be doctored again for worms, and inAugust came the pest of fleas. This was a source of annoyance to bothboys and dogs, and Mrs. Whipple, when she found it out, was inconstant fear lest the insects be introduced into the house. WhenErnest or Jack discovered one on their own persons at night they leftno stone unturned to capture and decapitate it.

  As to the dogs, they suffered not a little. Their long coats made asplendid breeding place for the parasites and they wore themselvesthin with scratching. Fleas are not a pleasant thing to talk about,but all dogs get them, especially the long-haired kinds, and not evenfrequent visits to the swimming hole will eradicate them.

  It was Sam Bumpus who told the boys what to do about it. One day, whenthey went up to visit him, he refused to let Romulus and Remus intothe shack or near his kennels.

  "They're full of fleas," said he as he watched the dogs scratchingnervously, "and I don't want 'em to be droppin' 'em around where mydogs'll get 'em. I have trouble enough with the varmints as 'tis. Youought to get rid of 'em. If you don't, they'll hang on till Novemberand the dogs'll be no good for huntin'."

  "But how do you get rid of them?" asked Ernest.

  "Wash 'em in cresolin or cresoleum or whatever your druggist wants tocall it. He'll know what you want when you tell him. Mix it with warmwater and soapsuds and scrub 'em good. Then rub 'em dry. Do itoutdoors on the grass. It's better than insect powder. It won't killall the eggs, but it will drive the fleas off, and if you keep at it,and do it often enough, you'll get rid of 'em all. Besides, it givesthe dogs some relief before the new ones can hatch. Better burn theirbeds once in awhile, too, to kill the eggs in 'em."

  The boys faithfully followed Sam's instructions and were pleased tofind the trouble greatly abated.

  It was in August, too, that they took Romulus and Remus for theirfirst trip to Willowdale. They were anxious to learn what Mr. and Mrs.Hartshorn and Tom Poultice would think of their dogs, and they werealways glad of an excuse to visit the bull terriers and Airedales andto listen to doggy talk.

  Luckily, Mr. Hartshorn was at home on this occasion, though they paidtheir respects first to Tom and the kennels before going up to the bighouse. Tom had not seen the two setters since they had recovered fromthe distemper, and he was pleased to be frankly enthusiastic.

  "Well, I'll be blowed!" he exclaimed. "And are these the same twodogs that I doctored in your barn last spring? They were sad enoughlooking pictures then. The bally rascals! They sure 'ave grown some.Hi'd like nothing better than to take 'em out some day myself on a bitof an 'unt. Look at the legs of 'em! Say, you've got two fine birddogs there."

  Naturally the boys were much pleased by Tom's praise of their beloveddogs, and they lingered for a time about the kennels while Tom pointedout to them the fine points in a setter's action and explained howtheir graceful, level gait enabled them to keep their noses out infront where they would catch the scent, and at the same time coverrough country at high speed.

  "Hi've 'eard it said," remarked Tom, "that an 'unting pointer cantravel at the rate of eighteen miles an hour and keep it up for two orthree hours, and I guess a good setter's about as fast."

  "My!" exclaimed Jack, joyfully, as they walked over to the house, "doyou s'pose we've got the two very best dogs in the world, Ernest?"

  "I don't know," said Ernest. "Maybe."

  The ardor was cooled a trifle by Mr. Hartshorn. He examined Romulusand Remus in a minute, judicial, critical manner, and discovered anumber of technical points in which they fell short of perfection.

  "But," he added, "they're mighty good dogs, and you must remember thatno dog is absolutely perfect from the show judge's standpoint. And ifthese come from as fine a working strain as you have led me tobelieve, it is remarkable that they should measure up so well bybench-show standards. Some of the finest show champions aresecond-rate dogs in the field, and some of the best hunting andfield-tried dogs couldn't win a yellow ribbon on the bench. I shouldsay that your dogs gave promise of developing both working and showqualities to a marked degree, and I shall watch their careers withgreat interest. You have a brace of fine dogs there, and no mistake."

  Whereat Jack and Ernest felt better.

  "You promised to tell us something about setters and other bird dogs,"Ernest reminded him.

  "Well," said Mr. Hartshorn, "I'm not sure that I know so very muchabout them. I used to do a little shooting years ago, but your friendBumpus undoubtedly knows a lot more about the game than I do."

  "Oh, yes," said Ernest, "he does know a lot about hunting and trainingdogs, but I mean about the breeds themselves, their history and thesort of things you told us about some of the other breeds."

  "Well," said Mr. Hartshorn, "I'll do the best I can. The developmentof the setter is an interesting story, but first we'll have to goback to the spaniels. Spaniels, you know, are still classed asshooting or gun dogs, and are used for that to some extent, and thesetter's ancestor was a spaniel.

  "The spaniel first came from Spain or France and there are still manykinds on the continent of Europe. But the spaniel has been known for along time in England, too, and the kinds we know here are those ofBritish development. Mrs. Hartshorn has already told you about theEnglish toy spaniels, so I will omit those.

  "In the early days, the breeds weren't divided up as they are to-day,but were known as large and small land spaniels and water spaniels.The oldest of the land spaniels of England now in existence is theSussex spaniel. You won't see any in the United States, I think.

  "The clumber spaniel you can see in our shows, but he also is morepopular among the sportsmen and fanciers of England than here. He isthe heaviest of the spaniels. The cocker spaniel is the most popularkind in this country. His name comes from the fact that he was used inEngland for many years for hunting woodcock. He is smaller than theothers. The field spaniel is much like a large-sized cocker, weighingabout twice as much. Finally there is the curly, brown Irish waterspaniel, which is really more closely related to the retriever andthe poodle than to the other spaniels.

  "Though spaniels are sporting dogs, they have always been enjoyedquite as much for their companionship, and they have an enviablereputation for fidelity. There is a story told of a spaniel of thetime of the French Revolution which reminds one of Greyfriars Bobby.This dog belonged to a magistrate who was condemned for conspiracy andwas thrown into prison. By means of his coaxing and pretty ways, thespaniel at last won the heart of one of the jailers and managed to getin to his master. He never left him after that, even crouching betweenhis knees when the magistrate was guillotined. He followed the body toits burial and tried to dig into the grave. Obliged at last to abandonhope of ever seeing his master again, he refused to eat, and died atlength, of hunger and exposure, on his master's grave.

  "Another sad story of devotion is that of a spaniel belonging to thegamekeeper of the Rev. Mr. Corseillis of Wivenhoe, Essex, England.This dog's name was Dash, and he was his master's constant companionat night, when he was able to render valuable service in helping todetect poachers. When the old gamekeeper died, nothing could persuadeDash to accompany his successor on his rounds. He divided his timebetween the grave and the room in which his master had died, and atlast he, too, died of a broken heart.

  "Let me give you a more cheerful one before we pass on to the setters.Once when Mrs. Grosvenor of Richmond went to visit a relative whoowned some pet cats, she took her Blenheim spaniel with her. The cats,who were selfish, spoiled creatures, were too many for the smallspaniel, and they succeeded in driving him out of the house. But herefused to acknowledge defeat. He proceeded to establish an alliancewith the gardener's cat, a big, husky Tom, and when the time was ripe,the two of them attacked and rou
ted their common enemy, after whichthe spaniel was let alone.

  "Now we come to the setters. In some respects they are our finest gundogs. They came from one of the old land spaniels that was taught tocrouch when finding game and they were called setting spaniels untilabout 1800. Since then the breed has been greatly improved. There arethree well-known varieties, English, Irish, and Gordon, allfirst-class dogs.

  "A man named Laverack in Shropshire, England, was the one who did themost to develop the English setter. He bred them from 1825 to 1875 andproduced the standard strain. Later a man named Llewellyn promoted thestrain and added new blood. You will still hear the names Laverackand Llewellyn applied to different types of English setters. ThisEnglish variety is the most popular and numerous of the three.

  "I don't want to make any unpleasant comparisons, but to my mind theIrish setter is the handsomest of the family, though as a sporting doghe does not rank with the English setter. His shape is very nearly thesame as that of the English setter, but his coat is always a wonderfulred-brown, almost golden when the sun shines on it, often very dark,but with no black spots.

  "The Gordon setter is the heaviest of the three and comes from astrain developed a century ago by the Duke of Richmond Gordon, aScotchman. The color is always rich black and tan.

  "These are not the only bird dogs, however. There are the retrieversand the pointer, besides some European breeds, but I'm going to savethem for another time. I've got to get ready to catch a train now, andbesides, I'm afraid of giving you this sort of information in toolarge a chunk."

  Mr. Hartshorn bade them good-by and went upstairs. The boys remained afew minutes longer with Mrs. Hartshorn, who had taken a great fancy toRomulus and Remus, and then they set off for home in the hot sun ofthe afternoon.