Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

Dr. Berthier, county physician, has at the county hospital, situated about a mile and a half east of that city, a dog of the St. Bernard breed. This dog is not yet fully grown, but it would seem, has the instincts of his breed strong within him. Last Saturday night about eight o’clock he rushed about through the hospital, acting in a strange and excited manner. It soon became evident that he wanted some one to follow him. Dr. Berthier ordered old “Uncle Jimmy,” who used to make his headquarters at the station house, but who is now “man Friday” at the hospital, to go with the dog and see what the trouble might be. Finding that he had made himself understood, and that Uncle Jimmy was prepared to follow, the dog led the way across the country and went in the direction of the city. At the distance of over a quarter of a mile from the hospital, the dog, which rejoices in the name of “Major,” descended into a ravine. Plunging through the deep snow filling the bottom of the ravine, the dog went to a big drift and began tugging and hauling upon some object buried therein, lifting his head occasionally, and uttering a bark to encourage Uncle Jimmy, who was wading toward the spot as fast as his short legs would carry him. Marveling greatly, Jimmy ploughed his way down the ravine, and reaching the spot where Major was at work, saw before him a human being-a woman. He at first tried to beat the dog away, thinking-as he is rather cross at nights about the hospital-that he was hurting the woman. He soon saw however, that the dog was careful to lay hold on nothing but the woman’s clothing, and that he was doing his best to drag her out of the drift. Jimmy managed to lift the woman-who he had found still alive-out of the hole, but was unable to move her from the spot, she being so near chilled to death as to be unable to stand. Assistance was called from the hospital, and the doctor turned out with all his nurses and all the convalescents about the place. It required the united exertions of six of the strongest men that could be mustered to carry the woman to the hospital, and after she was housed the doctor and nurses worked over her for some hours before she could be placed in a bed. The husband of the woman is in the hospital, and it appears she left the city late in the evening to visit him. Dr. Berthier says that had she remained in the snow twenty minutes longer she would have perished. The next day, when she came to her senses, she was so ashamed of the affair that she would not see her husband, and has since left the hospital without going to his room, begging that he might be told nothing of her perilous adventure. She owes her life to “Major,” the noble and sagacious St. Bernard.-Virginia City Enterprise.