A Clever Canine

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7A young lady living in Shropshire, England, owned a very handsome brown terrier dog whose name was Minto. He was a great pet with the lady and all her family, and though he was a very gentle creature to all whom he knew, yet to beggars or strangers who ventured on the premises of his mistress he would be quite fierce.

On one occasion Minto’s mistress was greatly troubled because she had lost a gold locket which she wore and valued highly, as it had been given to her by a dear departed friend. She remembered having the locket round her neck on the morning of that day, as she walked across a field in her father’s grounds where the grass was very high. After hunting everywhere else for the lost treasure, the thought occurred to her that perhaps she might have dropped it in the long grass while taking her morning walk. So she set off at once for the field, followed by Minto, her faithful companion. She was in the habit of talking to the dog, just as she would do to any friend who was with her. In her distress she turned round to the dog, which was close by her side, and said, “Minto, can’t you find my locket for me?”

Minto looked at her for a moment; then suddenly leaving her side he ran on in front of her along the narrow path which led through the field, with his nose close to the ground, sniffing.

Presently the dog came to a tuft of coarse grass. He suddenly stopped, thrust his nose in among the grass, and then lifting up his head gave a long, low howL At first his mistress did not notice him; but after a while his strange conduct excited her attention. On going to the spot where Minto stood, he came up to her, looking very much pleased, and laid the gold locket at her feet.

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