Pulled Safely to Shore

posted in: Illustrations | 0

IMG_1353A gentleman connected with the Newfoundland fishery had a dog of remarkable intelligence and faithfulness. On one occasion a boat’s crew in his employ were seen to be in circumstances of great danger. They were near a line of breakers outside of the harbor, over which the waves were dashing and roaring in great fury. The danger of passing those breakers was so great that the men, brave as they were, did not dare to attempt it. A crowd of people stood watching them on the shore with great anxiety, but could do nothing to help them. Much time had already passed, and the danger was increasing every moment.

Among the people on shore was the fishery master’s great Newfoundland dog. He seemed to understand what the danger was. Presently he ran to the water, jumped in, and swam towards the boat.

He soon made his way through the surf, and the men in the boat saw him coming near to them. At first they thought he wanted to get into the boat, but it soon became evident that that was not his purpose. He did not come near the boat, but kept swimming round it. While doing this he looked earnestly at the men, and would whine from time to time. The men wondered what he wanted. At last one of them cried out, ” Give him a rope ; that’s what he wants.” The rope was thrown ; the dog seized the end of it with his mouth, and then turned round and swam towards the shore. The men waiting there took hold of it and began to pull it, and in a short time the boat with its crew was hauled through the dangerous surf, and the men on board of it were landed safely on the shore.

And so the lives of that boat’s crew were saved by the intelligence of that noble dog.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *