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The Elson Readers, Book 5

W >> William H. Elson and Christine M. Keck >> The Elson Readers, Book 5




One day Mr. Prideaux had a dinner party. The dog Turk was present, and
stretched his huge form upon the hearthrug. It was a cold night in
winter, and Mr. Prideaux's friends after dinner began to discuss the
subject of dogs. Almost every person had an anecdote to relate, and
my own grandfather, being present, had no doubt added his mite to the
collection, when Turk suddenly awoke from a sound sleep, and having
stretched himself, walked up to his master's side and rested his large
head upon the table. "Ha, ha, Turk!" exclaimed Mr. Prideaux, "you
must have heard our arguments about the dogs, so you have put in an
appearance."

"And a magnificent animal he is!" remarked my grandfather; "but
although a mastiff is the largest of dogs, I do not think it is as
sensible as many others."

"As a rule you are right," replied his master, "because they are
generally chained up as watch-dogs, and have not the intimate
association with human beings which is so great an advantage to
house-dogs; but Turk has been my constant companion from the first
month of his life, and his intelligence is very remarkable. He
understands most things that I say, if they are connected with
himself; he will often lie upon the rug with his large eyes fixed upon
me, and he will frequently become aware that I wish to go out; at such
times he will fetch my hat, cane, or gloves, whichever may be at hand,
and wait for me at the front door. He will take a letter to several
houses of my acquaintance, and wait for a reply; and he can perform a
variety of actions that would imply a share of reason seldom possessed
by other dogs."

A smile upon several faces was at once noticed by Mr. Prideaux, who
immediately took a guinea from his pocket, and said to his dog, "Here,
Turk! They won't believe in you! Take this guinea to No.--Street, to
Mr.--, and bring me a receipt."

The dog wagged his huge tail with pleasure, and the guinea having been
placed in his mouth, he hastened toward the door; this being opened,
he was admitted through the front entrance to the street. It was a
miserable night.

The wind was blowing the sleet and rain against the windows, and the
gutters were running with muddy water; nevertheless, Turk had started
upon his mission in the howling gale, while the front door was once
more closed against the blast.

The party were comfortably seated around the fire, much interested in
the success or failure of the dog's adventure.

"How long will it be before we may expect Turk's return?" inquired a
guest.

"The house to which I have sent him is about a mile and a half
distant; therefore, if there is no delay when he barks for admission
at the door, and my friend is not absent from home, he should return
in about three-quarters of an hour with a receipt. If, on the other
hand, he cannot gain admission, he may wait for any length of time,"
replied his master.

Some among the company supported the dog's chances of success, while
others were against him. The evening wore away; the allotted time
was exceeded, and a whole hour had passed, but no dog had returned.
Nevertheless, his master was still hopeful.

"I must tell you," said Mr. Prideaux, "that Turk frequently carries
notes for me, and as he knows the house well, he certainly will not
make a mistake; perhaps my friend may be dining out, in which case,
Turk will probably wait for a longer time."

Two hours passed; the storm was raging. Mr. Prideaux himself went to
the front door, which flew open before a fierce gust the instant
that the lock was turned. The gutters were clogged with masses of
half-melted snow. "Poor Turk!" muttered his master, "this is indeed
a wretched night for you. Perhaps they have kept you in the warm
kitchen, and will not allow you to return in such fearful weather."

When Mr. Prideaux returned to his guests, he could not conceal his
disappointment. "Ha!" exclaimed one, "with a guinea in his mouth, he
has probably gone into some house of entertainment where dogs are
supplied with dinner and a warm bed, instead of shivering in a
winter's gale!" Jokes were made at the absent dog's expense, but his
master was anxious and annoyed. Poor Turk's reputation had suffered
severely.

It was long past midnight; the guests had departed, the storm was
raging, and violent gusts occasionally shook the house. Mr. Prideaux
was alone in his study, and he poked the fire until it blazed and
roared up the chimney. "What can have become of that dog?" exclaimed
his master to himself, now really anxious; "I hope they kept him; most
likely they would not send him back upon such a dreadful night."

Mr. Prideaux's study was close to the front door, and his attention
was suddenly directed to a violent shaking and scratching. In an
instant he ran into the hall and unlocked the entrance door. A mass of
filth and mud entered. This was Turk!

The dog was shivering with wet and cold. His usually clean coat was
thick with mire, as though he had been dragged through deep mud.
He wagged his tail when he heard his master's voice, but appeared
dejected and ill. The dog was taken downstairs, and immediately placed
in a large tub of hot water, in which he was accustomed to be bathed.
It was now discovered that in addition to mud and dirt, which almost
concealed his coat, he was besmeared with blood! Mr. Prideaux sponged
his favorite with warm water, and, to his surprise, he saw wounds of a
serious nature; the dog's throat was badly torn, his back and breast
were deeply bitten, and there could be no doubt that he had been
worried by a pack of dogs.

He was now washed clean, and was being rubbed dry with a thick towel
while he stood upon a blanket before the fire. "Why, Turk, old boy,
what has been the matter? Tell us all about it, poor old man!"
exclaimed his master.

The dog was now thoroughly warmed and he panted with the heat of
the kitchen fire; he opened his mouth, and the guinea which he had
received in trust dropped on the kitchen floor!

"There is some mystery in this," said Mr. Prideaux, "which I will try
to discover tomorrow. He has been set upon by strange dogs, and rather
than lose the guinea, he has allowed himself to be half killed without
once opening his mouth in self-defense! Poor Turk!" continued his
master, "you must have lost your way old man, in the darkness and
storm; most likely confused after the unequal fight. What an example
you have given us in being faithful to a trust!"

Turk was wonderfully better after his warm bath. He lapped up a large
bowl of good thick soup mixed with bread, and in half an hour was
comfortably asleep upon his thick rug by his master's bedroom door.


THE MYSTERY EXPLAINED

Upon the following morning the storm had cleared away, and a bright
sky had succeeded to the gloom of the preceding night. Immediately
after breakfast Mr. Prideaux, accompanied by his dog (which was,
although rather stiff, not much the worse for the rough treatment he
had received), started for a walk toward the house to which he had
directed Turk upon the previous evening. He was anxious to discover
whether his friend had been absent, as he believed that the dog might
have been waiting for admittance, and had been perhaps attacked by
some dogs in the neighborhood.

The master and Turk had walked for nearly a mile, and had just turned
the corner of a street, when, as they passed a butcher's shop, a large
brindled mastiff rushed from the shop-door and flew at Turk.

"Call your dog off!" shouted Mr. Prideaux to the butcher, who watched
the attack with impudent satisfaction. "Call him off, or my dog will
kill him!" continued Mr. Prideaux.

The usually docile Turk had rushed to meet his assailant with a fury
that was extraordinary. With a growl like that of a lion he quickly
seized his foe by the throat, and in a fierce struggle of only a few
seconds he threw the brindled dog upon his back. It was in vain that
Mr. Prideaux tried to call him off; he never for an instant relaxed
his hold, but with the strength of a wild beast of prey Turk shook the
head of the butcher's dog to the right and left. The butcher attempted
to interfere and lashed him with a huge whip. "Stand clear! fair play!
Don't you strike my dog!" shouted Mr. Prideaux. "Your dog was the
first to attack!" Mr. Prideaux seized Turk by his collar, while the
butcher was endeavoring to release his dog from the deadly grip. At
length Mr. Prideaux's voice and action appeared for a moment to create
a calm, and he held back his dog. Turk's flanks were heaving with
the intense exertion and excitement of the fight, and he strained
to escape from his master's hold to attack once more his enemy. At
length, by kind words and the caress of the well-known hand, his fury
was calmed down.

"Well, that's the most curious adventure I've ever had with a dog!"
exclaimed the butcher who was now completely crestfallen. "Why, that's
the very dog! That's the very dog that came by my shop late last night
in the howling storm, and my dog Tiger went at him and tousled him
up completely. I never saw such a cowardly cur; he wouldn't show any
fight, although he was pretty near as big as a donkey; and there my
dog Tiger nearly ate half of him, and dragged the other half about
the gutter, till he looked more like an old door-mat than dog; and I
thought he must have killed him; and here he comes out as fresh as
paint today."

"What do you say?" asked Mr. Prideaux. "Was it your dog that worried
my poor dog last night when he was upon a message of trust? My friend,
let me inform you of the fact that my dog had a guinea in his mouth to
carry to my friend, and rather than drop it, he allowed himself to be
half killed by your savage Tiger. Today he has proved his courage,
and your dog has discovered his mistake. This is the guinea that he
dropped from his mouth when he returned to me after midnight, beaten
and distressed!" said Mr. Prideaux, much excited. "Here, Turk, old
boy, take the guinea again, and come along with me! You have had your
revenge, and have given us all a lesson." His master gave him the
guinea in his mouth, and they continued their walk.

It appeared, upon Mr. Prideaux's arrival at his friend's house, that
Turk had never been there; probably after his defeat he had become so
confused that he lost his way in the heavy storm, and had at length
regained the road home some time after midnight, in the condition
already described.



How to Gain the Full Benefit from Your Reading

The reading of this story, besides giving you pleasure, has no doubt
given you a new idea of the faithfulness often shown by dogs. But if
you are to get the full benefit from any story or poem in this Reader,
you will need to pause long enough to notice certain things that will
give you a better understanding of it.



The Crystal Glass, A Forward Look, and A Backward Look.

First, you should read and discuss in class "The Crystal Glass" and
study the Table of Contents, to gain a general idea of the book as a
whole. Next, you should notice that each story and poem is a part of
some special group that treats of some one big idea--such as Nature,
Home and Country, etc. Each selection will have a fuller meaning for
you if you understand how it helps to bring out the big idea of this
group. Before reading the stories in any group you should read and
discuss in class the "Forward Look" (see page 19) that precedes them.
And after you have read all the selections in a group, you will enjoy
a pleasant class period discussing the "Backward Look"--taking stock,
as it were, of the joy and benefit gained from your reading.

In addition, each selection is followed by Notes and Questions that
contain some or all of the following features: Biography. First, it is
always desirable to learn something about the author. When you read,
for example, that Samuel White Baker gave the best years of his
life to a study of animals, you feel that his story of the dog's
faithfulness is well worth reading. Discussion. Next, if you will read
the story so carefully that you can answer the questions given under
the topic Discussion, you will probably find it easier to understand
certain incidents. For example, you hear much about the word "service"
in the different wars in which American soldiers have served their
country so nobly. But perhaps when you think of the answer to the
third question you will see more clearly than before that "service"
and "faithfulness" are qualities that are shown not only on the
battlefield but in humble walks of life--sometimes even by animals.
Glossary. One of the benefits that should result from reading is the
learning of new words. At the end of the Discussion you will find
a list of words, the meaning of which you are to look up in the
Glossary, and a second list that you should find out how to pronounce.
Many of these words you may feel certain you know how to pronounce
correctly. But perhaps you have been mispronouncing some of them. Look
up in the glossary the words listed under question 9, and you may find
that you have been mispronouncing calm, hearth, or extraordinary. When
you are looking up words in the pronunciation lists, be sure that you
understand the meaning, also. Besides the individual words that you do
not understand, you will sometimes read a phrase, or group of words,
used in some special sense. The most striking are listed under the
topic Phrases for Study. Look them up in the Glossary, for you will
often find the hardest passage of the reading lesson made easy by the
explanation of a single phrase.



NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Biography. Samuel White Baker (1821-1893) was an English engineer and
author. At the age of twenty-four he went to Ceylon, where he soon
became known as an explorer and hunter of big game. With his wife he
later explored the region of the Nile River. He is the author of True
Tales for My Grandsons, from which "Turk, the Faithful Dog" is taken.

Discussion. 1. How does this story prove the intelligence of Turk? 2.
How does it prove his fidelity? 3. Here are two qualities that every
man should desire to possess; do you think many men, set upon by
robbers, would act as bravely and as faithfully as Turk? Give reasons
for your answer. 4. What do you know of the author? 5. Class readings:
The conversation between Mr. Prideaux and the butcher, (2 pupils). 6.
Outline for testing silent reading. Tell the story in your own words,
using these topics: (a) Turk's adventure; (b) how the mystery was
explained. 7. You will enjoy reading "Cap, the Red Cross Dog" (in
Stories for Children, Faulkner). 8. Find in the Glossary the meaning
of: alert; mission; dejected; besmeared; brindled; docile; relaxed;
crestfallen. 9. Pronounce: hearthrug; anecdote; guinea; toward;
extraordinary; calm.

Phrases for Study:

intimate association, of a serious nature, imply a share of reason,
received in trust, supported the dog's chances, succeeded to the
gloom.




OUR UNINVITED GUEST

Ernest Harold Baynes


"Jimmy," our young black bear, was known to every child in the
neighborhood. If a children's vote had been taken for the most popular
animal in the county, I believe that Jimmy would have been unanimously
elected. If the grown people had held the election, however, it
is certain that there would have been some votes against him. For
example, when Mr. W--, one of our neighbors, came home very late one
night, got into bed in the dark, and unwittingly kicked a bear cub
that had climbed in at a window earlier in the evening, of course he
had his toes nipped. That man would never have voted for Jimmy.

Neither would the farmer's wife he met one evening coming from the
barn with a pail of new milk. The weather was warm, Jimmy was thirsty,
and he was particularly fond of new milk. So he stood on his hind
legs, threw his arms around the pail, and sucked up half the contents
before the good woman had recovered from her astonishment. But with
the children he was a great favorite. He was one of them, and they
understood him. Like them he was full of fun and mischief, and he
would play as long as anyone cared to play with him.

One Christmas we gave a children's party, and perhaps a score of girls
and boys came to spend the evening. As it was not possible to make
Jimmy understand about the party, he went to bed early, as usual, and
was asleep in his own den under the porch long before the first guests
arrived. He was not forgotten by his little friends, however, and
"Where's Jimmy?" was the first question asked by almost every child as
he came in. But there was so much to chatter about, and there were so
many games to play, that absent comrades--even Jimmy--were soon out
of mind.

At last supper was ready, and all the children trooped into the
dining-room and took their places at the long table.

For a little while everyone was so busy that there was little to be
heard except the clatter of forks and spoons and plates. I stood at
the end of the room, enjoying the fun. For the moment, my eyes were on
a small boy who seemed to be enjoying himself even more than the
rest. He was making more noise than anyone else, and at the same time
performing remarkable sleight-of-mouth tricks with a large piece of
cake and a plate of ice cream. Suddenly, I saw his face change. His
laugh was cut in two, his smile faded, the remains of the cake fell to
his plate, and a spoonful of ice cream, on its way to his open mouth,
remained suspended in the air. He was facing a window, and as I
followed his gaze, I saw a hairy black face, with a tawny muzzle and
a pair of small shining black eyes, looking eagerly into the room. It
was the bear cub, whose slumbers had been disturbed by the noise, and
who had come to see what it was all about.

In an instant the room was in an uproar. All the children left the
table at once, and crowded around the window yelling--"Jimmy!" "It's
Jimmy!" "Let him in!" "Don't you do it!" "Keep him out!" "Open the
window!" "Give him some cake!" One little boy, with a piece of cake in
his hand, raised the window just a little. That was enough for Jimmy;
he thrust his strong muzzle under the sash, raised it with one jerk of
his head, and came tumbling into the room. How those children yelled
and scattered! While they all thought it good fun to have the cub
at the party, none of them knew just what he would do, and some;
especially among the younger ones, were decidedly nervous. A small
girl hid behind the window curtains, two little boys scurried upstairs
and peeped through the banisters, and another, by means of a chair,
scrambled to the top of a sideboard. But Jimmy had his own ideas about
a party. His first interest was in the supper table. Standing up on
his hind legs, he placed his forepaws on the cloth. Just in front of
him was a plate with some apple jelly on it. One sweep of his long
tongue and the plate was almost as clean as if it had been washed.
A dish of blancmange was the next to be gobbled up, and then a boy
rather bolder than the rest made an attempt to save the cake. He
seized the intruder by the skin of his neck, but except for a loud,
grumbling protest, the bear paid no attention to him. He walked right
along, pulling the boy with him, and one slice of cake after another
disappeared down the black throat. The little girl behind the
curtains, seeing that Jimmy did not intend to hurt anyone, came from
her hiding place to try to help the boy who was holding him. Now
this little girl had been eating strawberry jam, and as little girls
sometimes do, had left some of it on her lips. The moment she touched
him, Jimmy turned, and seeing and smelling the jam, he caught the
child in his short forearms, and in spite of her screams, licked her
face all over before letting her go. Then he reached for the sugar
basin, lifted it from the table with his paws, and sat down on his
haunches to devour the contents.

By this time the children who had been nervous were quite at their
ease again, and gathered round to see him eat the sugar. In a few
moments he had satisfied his hunger, and was ready to play. First of
all he acted as if he had lost his wits; or as if he wanted to "show
off," which is about the same thing. He rolled over on his back,
turned somersaults, and batted the chairs and the table legs with
his paws. The children got down on the floor to romp with him, and
together they had a merry time.

When they were all upon their feet again, Jimmy arose and stood
perfectly straight on his hind legs. Then he picked out a girl about
his own height and took a step toward her, raising his paws as though
inviting her to a boxing match. The girl accepted the challenge, and
as she was strong, she held her own very well for a time. But as Jimmy
warmed up to his work, he became very rough and swung his heavy paws
as hard as he could. At last he gave his playmate a stinging slap on
the side of her face, and she decided not to play any more. And as I
thought that Jimmy had had about enough fun for one evening, I opened
the door, and he galloped off to his den under the porch.


NOTES AND QUESTIONS

Biography. Ernest Harold Baynes (1868-1925), the naturalist-author,
lived in Meriden, New Hampshire. He was the author of the interesting
book Wild Bird Guests, and of "Our Animal Allies" (in Harper's
Magazine, January, 1921). During the World War I Mr. Baynes was in
France, studying the part that birds and animals played in helping to
win the war. Wherever he went he organized bird clubs, in order to
protect our wild birds.

Discussion. 1. Why was Jimmy not popular with the farmer's wife? 2.
Why do you think the children liked the bear? 3. Do you think they
would have enjoyed the party more, or less, if there had been no
"uninvited guest"? 4. Class readings: The description of the supper,
page 31, line 7, to page 32, line 26. 5. Outline for testing silent
reading. Tell the story of the "uninvited guest," using these topics:
(a) the bear and how he was liked; (b) the bear's actions at the
children's party; (c) the boxing match. 6. You will find interesting
stories in Bear Stories Retold from St. Nicholas, Carter, and in The
Biography of a Grizzly, Seton. 7. Find in the Glossary the meaning of:
unanimously; unwittingly; sleight-of-mouth; tawny; muzzle; intruder.
Pronounce: blancmange; haunches.




HUNTING THE AMERICAN BUFFALO

THEODORE ROOSEVELT


In the fall of 1889 I heard that a very few bison were still left
around the head of Wisdom River. Thither I went and hunted faithfully;
there was plenty of game of other kinds, but of bison not a trace did
we see. Nevertheless, a few days later that same year I came across
these great wild cattle at a time when I had no idea of seeing them.

It was, as nearly as we could tell, in Idaho, just south of the
Montana boundary line, and some twenty-five miles west of the line of
Wyoming. We were camped high among the mountains, with a small pack
train. On the day in question we had gone out to find moose, but had
seen no sign of them, and had then begun to climb over the higher
peaks with an idea of getting sheep. The old hunter who was with me
was, very fortunately, suffering from rheumatism, and he therefore
carried a long staff instead of his rifle; I say fortunately, for if
he had carried his rifle, it would have been impossible to stop his
firing at such game as bison, nor would he have spared the cows and
calves.

About the middle of the afternoon we crossed a low, rocky ridge, and
saw at our feet a basin, or round valley, of singular beauty. Its
walls were formed by steep mountains. At its upper end lay a small
lake, bordered on one side by a meadow of emerald green. The lake's
other side marked the edge of the frowning pine forest which filled
the rest of the valley. Beyond the lake the ground rose in a pass much
frequented by game in bygone days, their trails lying along it in
thick zigzags, each gradually fading out after a few hundred yards,
and then starting again in a little different place, as game trails so
often seem to do.

We bent our steps toward these trails, and no sooner had we reached
the first than the old hunter bent over it with a sharp exclamation of
wonder. There in the dust, apparently but a few hours old, were the
hoof-marks of a small band of bison. They were headed toward the lake.
There had been half a dozen animals in the party; one a big bull, and
two calves.

We immediately turned and followed the trail. It led down to the
little lake, where the beasts had spread and grazed on the tender,
green blades, and had drunk their fill. The footprints then came
together again, showing where the animals had gathered and walked off
in single file to the forest. Evidently they had come to the pool in
the early morning, and after drinking and feeding had moved into the
forest to find some spot for their noontide rest.

It was a very still day, and there were nearly three hours of daylight
left. Without a word my silent companion, who had been scanning the
whole country with hawk-eyed eagerness, took the trail, motioning
me to follow. In a moment we entered the woods, breathing a sigh of
relief as we did so; for while in the meadow we could never tell that
the buffalo might not see us, if they happened to be lying in some
place with a commanding lookout.

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