The Dogs of Boytown

by Herbert Strang

  CHAPTER XVII

  THE TEST OF REMUS

  The Boytown party was at the fair grounds long before the show openedthe following morning, and you may be sure the dogs were glad to seetheir masters, though they had been well cared for by Tom.

  Though technically an outdoor show, there was room for all the dogs inthe commodious cattle-show sheds in case of rain. The weather promisedto be fair and warm, however, so only the smaller dogs and some of thelarger short-coated ones were benched inside, where they had plenty ofroom and plenty of ventilation. The collies and Old English sheepdogswere tied in a row in the shade of some maple trees at one side of thegrounds, and the rough-coated terriers, the setters, and some of theother breeds were also outside. The boys found the places reserved fortheir dogs and saw to it that they were properly and comfortablybenched.

  When the show opened and the spectators began to arrive, the Boytowndogs were at first nervous and excited and could not bear to havetheir masters leave them. After an hour or two, however, they becameaccustomed to their surroundings, and leaving them in charge of TomPoultice, the boys made the rounds of the show under the guidance ofMr. Hartshorn.

  It was a most interesting experience for them. Some of the breeds wereof course familiar to them, and Mr. Hartshorn called attention totheir points and showed how some of the dogs back home fell short ofconforming to the requirements of the standard. In some instances theyrecognized breeds that Mr. Hartshorn had told them about but whichthey had never seen before. There were, for example, a Scottishdeerhound, an Irish water spaniel, and some cairn terriers. As Mr.Hartshorn had predicted, there were noteworthy entries of Sealyhams,wire-haired fox terriers, and Boston terriers, and particularlyinteresting exhibits of bulldogs and chows. There was one dog thatpuzzled them--a white dog with fluffy coat and bright eyes. Thecatalogue stated that it was a Samoyede.

  "What is a Samoyede, Mr. Hartshorn?" asked Herbie Parsons. "I don'tthink I ever heard of that kind."

  "That's so," said Mr. Hartshorn. "I guess I never told you about theArctic breeds. This is one of them. They're not very common."

  There were individual dogs, too, that demanded special attention,friendly dogs that wanted to shake hands and be patted and thatbegged the boys to stay with them. This encouraged loitering and madethe circuit of the benches quite a protracted affair. Mr. Hartshornhad warned them about approaching the dogs without an introduction.

  "There are always some dogs that aren't to be trusted," said he, "andas the day wears on and they get more and more nervous, they may snap.It's always well to be cautious at a dog show, no matter how well youunderstand dogs. Never make a quick motion toward a dog or try to putyour hand on the top of his head at first. Reach your hand out towardhim quietly and let him sniff at the back of it. Then you can soontell whether he invites further advances or not."

  The boys became so absorbed in trying out this form of introductionthat it was noon before they had finished visiting all the benches.Mrs. Hartshorn insisted on having luncheon.

  "I'm hungry if no one else is," said she.

  The five boys suddenly discovered that they were hungry, too. Mr.Hartshorn led them to a restaurant on the grounds and ordered themeal. It might have been better, but the boys were not critical. Whenthey had finished eating they went out and sat for a little while inthe shade of some trees, not far from the collies, and watched thepeople.

  "Now I'll tell you about those Arctic breeds," said Mr. Hartshorn,"and get that off my mind."

  It was very warm, and they were all glad of a little chance to rest.It is tiring to walk around a dog show and one becomes more weary thanone realizes. The boys stretched themselves out on the grass andlistened to Mr. Hartshorn's words mingled with the barking of the dogsin all keys.

  "It won't take very long to tell about these northern breeds," hebegan. "Their natural habitat is in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regionsof Asia, Europe, Greenland, and North America. They are probablyrelated to the Arctic wolf and they are generally used in thosecountries as sledge dogs.

  "The spitz dog found his way down from the cold countries long ago,but he still retains some of his racial characteristics. The propername for the one occasionally seen here is the wolfspitz. He is thelargest of the spitz family, of which the Pomeranian is the miniaturemember.

  "The Samoyede or laika is the sledge dog of northern Russia andwestern Siberia and was used by Nansen in his explorations. Next tothe wolfspitz, the Samoyede is the most attractive and domestic of theArctic breeds and has acquired some popularity among Americanfanciers, especially the white ones.

  "The Norwegian elkhound is used as a bird dog as well as for huntingbig game in Scandinavia. It is not a hound at all, but a generalutility dog of the Arctic type, dating back to the days of theVikings. A few have been shown in this country.

  "The Eskimo dog is larger than the Samoyede and is nearer to the wolfin type. He has long been known as a distinct breed, being a native ofGreenland and northern Canada, and was used by Peary, the Arcticexplorer. The breed has occasionally been shown in the United States.

  "There are also a number of loosely bred sledge dogs in North America,including the Canadian husky and the malamutes and Siwash dogs ofAlaska. The husky, is a powerful dog, weighing 125 pounds or more, andis the common draught dog of Canada. He is said to be the result of across between the Arctic wolf and the Eskimo dog."

  "He sounds rather unattractive to me," said Mrs. Hartshorn.

  "Well, he is, as a pet," said her husband, "but he is a wonderfullyuseful animal in his own country. Is everybody rested now? I imaginewe'd better be going back. I want to be on hand when they judge theAiredales."

  The party rose and trooped back to the sheds. At intervals during theafternoon they visited their own dogs and before night they hadfinished their rounds of the show, but a good share of the time wasspent in the vicinity of the judging rings. These were two roped-offenclosures on the open lawn, with camp chairs arranged about them forthe ladies. At all times there was a goodly gathering about the ringsof people whose interest was in the outcome of the judging.Considering the fact that there was no lively action like that of afield trial or an athletic contest, it was remarkable how muchexcitement could be derived from these quiet competitions. When afavorite dog was given the blue ribbon there was much hand-clappingand a little cheering, and the boys heard very little complaining orrebellion against the decisions of the judges. Dog fanciers are, forthe most part, good sports.

  The Airedales were judged among the first, and as usual the Willowdaledogs, skilfully exhibited by Tom Poultice, bore off their fair shareof the honors. Soon the Boston terriers were called for. This wasTheron Hammond's big moment, and when Alert was awarded second prizein the novice class Theron was warmly congratulated by friends andstrangers alike, for there were a lot of good dogs shown and, as Mr.Hartshorn had said, Alert was in fast company.

  Rover, as Darley's Launcelot of Middlesex, had an easier time of it,for only eight Old English sheepdogs were benched and none of thefamous kennels were represented here. There were only three dogs inthe novice class, and as the other two were second-rate dogs, Roverwon first place. He also won third in the open class, but was beatenout by better dogs in the winners contest.

  Old English Sheepdog]

  Hamlet, however, didn't win anything. His forelegs weren't straightand the judge took special note of them. He had better dogs againsthim, and the better dogs won. It was a fair contest, but Herbie wasbitterly disappointed.

  "Never mind, Herbie," said Jack Whipple, consolingly. "I bet Hamletis a better dog to own than any of them. That's what I said aboutRemus when they said he hadn't any nose."

  And Herbie, not to be outdone by the younger boy, plucked up spiritand bore his defeat manfully.

  It was a two-day show, and the judging of the bird dogs, hounds, andsome of the other breeds was put over to the second day. Ernest andJack, therefore, still had their exciting time ahead of them, but thewhole party was tired with so much walking about a
nd watching, andthey were glad to turn their dogs over to Tom's care and return to thehotel, with another day of it before them.

  "Have you told us about all the breeds there are?" asked Ernest thatevening in Mr. Hartshorn's room.

  "I believe I have," said Mr. Hartshorn, "except some little knownforeign ones."

  "Oh, please tell us about those," pleaded Ernest.

  Mr. Hartshorn laughed. "You're bound to know it all, aren't you?" saidhe. "There are a number of European, Asiatic, and Australasian breeds,some of which are very interesting, but you will probably never seeany of them and I haven't a list of them with me. When we get back toBoytown, if there are any of you boys that would like to look up theseuncommon breeds, just to make your dog knowledge complete, I shall bevery glad to lend you a book which contains them all. For instance,there's the German boxer which has sometimes been shown in thiscountry, and the Pyrenean sheepdog whose blood is to be found inseveral of our large breeds, including the St. Bernard and the Irishwolfhound. There are other European sheepdogs and hunting dogs,Asiatic greyhounds, and some queer hairless freaks. When you've lookedthose all up you'll know more about dogs than most naturalists do."

  "Then if the breeds are all used up, I suppose the anecdotes have allbeen used up, too," said Jack.

  Mr. Hartshorn looked at his watch. "Well, no, not quite all used up,"said he. "I have thought of two or three more, and I guess we've gottime for one of them to-night. It is about a tradesman of the Rue St.Denis in Paris, a man named Dumont. He had a very smart dog, but Idon't know what kind of dog it was. Perhaps a terrier or a poodle.This dog was great at finding hidden articles. One day Dumont waswalking with a friend in the Boulevard St. Antoine and was braggingabout his dog. The friend would not believe his statements, so theylaid a wager, the master claiming that the dog could find and bringhome a six-livre piece hidden anywhere in the dust of the road.

  "So the piece of money was hidden in the dust when the dog was notlooking, and they went on a mile farther. Then the dog, whose namewas Caniche, was told to go back and get the coin, and he promptlystarted. The friend wished to wait and see how it would come out, butDumont said, 'No, we will proceed. Caniche will bring the money home.'They accordingly went to Dumont's home and waited, but no dogappeared. The friend asserted that the dog had failed and claimed thewager, but Dumont only said, 'Be patient, _mon ami_; somethingunexpected has happened to delay him, but he will come.'

  "Something unexpected had indeed happened. A traveler from Vincennescame driving along in a chaise soon after Dumont and his friend hadpassed that way, and his horse accidentally kicked the coin out of thedust. The traveler, seeing it glisten, got out and picked it up, andthen drove on to his inn.

  "When Caniche came up the money was, of course, not there, but hepicked up the traveler's scent and followed his chaise to the inn.Arriving there and finding his man, Caniche proceeded to make friendswith him. The traveler, flattered by this attention, and being fond ofdogs, said he would like to adopt Caniche, and took him to his room.The dog settled down and appeared to be quite content.

  "When bedtime came and the man began to undress, Caniche arose andbarked at the door. The man, thinking this was quite natural, openedthe door to let him out. Suddenly Caniche turned, seized the man'sbreeches, which he had just taken off, and bolted out with them. Therewas a purse full of gold pieces in the breeches, and the travelerdashed after the dog in his nightcap and _sans culottes_, as theFrench say. Caniche made for home with the angry man after him.

  "Arriving at Dumont's house, Caniche gained admittance and depositedthe breeches at his master's feet. Just then the owner of the breechesburst in, loudly demanding his property and accusing Dumont of havingtaught his dog to steal.

  "'Softly, softly,' said Dumont. 'Caniche is no thief, and he would nothave done this without a reason. You have a coin in these breechesthat is not yours.'

  "At first the stranger denied this, and then he remembered the coin hehad picked up in the Boulevard St. Antoine. Explanations followed, thebreeches and gold were restored to the traveler and the six-livrepiece was handed to Caniche, who returned it to his master with theair of one who had fulfilled his duty. Dumont's friend paid his wagerand Dumont opened a bottle of wine, and they all drank to the healthof the cleverest dog in France.

  "Whether that is a true story or not you must judge for yourselves. Ihave told it as it was told to me, and I prefer not to vouch for it."

  Laughing over this story, and thanking Mr. Hartshorn for telling it tothem, the boys trooped off to bed.

  So far as Ernest and Jack Whipple were concerned, all the interest ofthe second day of the Massatucket Dog Show centered about the judgingof the English setters. They had been studying the entry carefully,and though there were some champions entered in the open and limitclasses, and though Mr. Hartshorn pointed out to them the superiorqualities of several of these dogs from the fancier's point of view,it seemed to the boys that Romulus and Remus were as good as any dogsthere.

  "Don't set your hopes too high," cautioned Mr. Hartshorn. "They willbe pitted against some good dogs, and I don't want to see you toogreatly disappointed. One has to learn to lose in the dog-show gamemore often than one wins."

  "Anyway," said Ernest, "I haven't seen anything in the novice classthat can beat them."

  At last the hour arrived for the judging of the setters. The puppyclass was disposed of first, and then the novices. Ernest and Jack ledtheir own dogs into the ring, with numbers pinned to theircoat-sleeves. The two dogs behaved beautifully, holding up their headsand standing at attention, as their masters had patiently taught themto do. They were both in good condition, their eyes bright and theircoats soft and glossy. It was quite evident to the spectators aboutthe ring that the other dogs in the novice class were not to becompared with them. Ernest and Jack were quite unconscious of the factthat they were being observed as much as the dogs and that there weresome people present who admired their bright eyes as much as those ofRomulus and Remus. But it was the judge of this class that held theirfixed attention.

  He was a brusque, dour-looking man, without a smile for anybody, buthe had a reputation for strict impartiality and for a true judgment ofdog-flesh. It did not take him long to reach his decision. With noword of congratulation he handed Jack a blue ribbon and Ernest a redone, and ushered them out of the ring.

  "The Remus dog has the best head and most shapely body," was all thathe said.

  But the spectators clapped and showered congratulations upon the boys,and they were very happy.

  "I knew it, I knew it!" cried Jack in an ecstasy of triumph. "Nosedoesn't count in the show ring, and Remus is, in every other way, thebest dog in the world. I told you he'd have his day. Good old Remus!"

  And right before all those people he leaned down and hugged his dogand kissed him on the silky ear.

  But that was only the beginning. Remus also took first in the openclass, which was more than Mr. Hartshorn had hoped for, and Romulustook third. And when it came to the final contest of the winners,Remus won reserve to Ch. The Marquis, a dog that had won his spurs inthe biggest shows in the country. He was the only dog in this bunchthat could beat Remus, and there were those who affirmed that inanother year Remus would defeat him.

  Ernest showed himself to be a good sport and was glad that Remus hadwon. Jack communicated his high spirits to the other boys, and by thetime the afternoon was over they were in a hilarious mood and eager tobring their trophies back to Boytown. They forgot their weariness, andas the spectators began to leave the grounds, and it was proper torelease the dogs, they started off pell-mell, across the central ovalof the race track, boys and dogs together, shouting and barking in agladsome chorus. It was a goodly sight for some of the grown-ups tosee, and they paused to watch the frolic.

  "I'm so glad Remus won," said Mrs. Hartshorn, smiling upon them all.

  "Yes," responded her husband, "Jacky deserved it. He has stood by hisdog through thick and thin."

  As the boys and dogs came r
omping back, Mrs. Hartshorn observed,"Youth is a wonderful thing."

  "Sometimes," said her husband, "I think it is a greater thing thanwisdom."

  Perhaps a vision of her own youth came back to her, for she leanedagainst her husband's arm and softly quoted:

  "When all the world is young, lad, And all the fields are green, And every goose a swan, lad, And every lass a queen; Then hey, for boot and horse, lad! Around the world away! Young blood must have its course, lad, And every dog his day."