People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 December 1896 — ANIMALS AND MUSIC. [ARTICLE]

ANIMALS AND MUSIC.

The Familiar Stable Call Brought the Stampeding Horses Back. The editor of Thierfreu relates the following story of his own personal experience of the sagacity of military horses. In the year 1872, during a skirmish with the Sioux Indians, “the Third cavalry regiment had formed an encampment in a valley on the southern border of Dakota. At nightfall the horses were tethered by a long line to the ground. Toward daybreak a violent storm of rain and hail burst over the valley. The terrified animals broke loose from their fastening, and in their fright tore away up the steep sides of the valley into the territory of the enemy. Without horses, at the mercy of the enemy, we should be lost Yet it was impossible, in the half darkness, to go after them into an unknown oountry, probably full of Indians. The oaptain, as a last resource, ordered the stable call to be sounded. In a few minutes every horse had returned to the encampment, and we were saved. ” A gentleman who was a finished musioian resided some years ago at Darmstadt and kept a dog, whioh was the terror of all the singers and instrumentalists in the place, for it bad the fatal habit of raising its face to heaven and howling whenever a false note was emitted. It never made a mistake, and well known singers were said to tremble when they saw their nnweloome judge, seated by his master’s side, at ooncerts or at the opera, for Max was a regular first nighter and a great friend of the theater director. He was never known to miss a new opera. Max was no respecter of persons, and when the singing was but a shade out he would attract the attention of the whole audience to it with a terrific howl. One tenor went so far as to refuse to sing unless the dog was removed, but Max was so great a favorite with the Darmstadt publio and such a well known frequenter that the singer might as well have requested to have the director himself removed from the stalls, and he was obliged to give in with as good a grace as possible. The dog’s master stated that he had trained him when he was quite a puppy, and by the time he was 3 years old the dog was as good a judge as his master of a false note.—Boston Transcript.