Rensselaer Union, Volume 9, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1877 — How a Dog Saved a Boy’s Life. [ARTICLE]

How a Dog Saved a Boy’s Life.

About noon yesterday some workmen of Odell, the wholesale butcher, were driving a cow along Twenty-third street, when she became enraged, and the horsemen lost control of her. She espied a boy of about fourteen years, who peddles small wares from a hand-basket, and made at him. The boy was knocked down, and the infuriated brute began to gore him, but fortunately her horns had been cut down about one-half and she could only bruise and grind him against the earth and trample on him. The men tried to lasso her but could not do so. Patrick Spain heard the lad’s cries for help, and ran out of his house. On seeing the situation he called out to his wife to unchain a medium sized bull-dog which ho keeps at his place, which being done, Spain threw the dog over the fence and then ran around to the gate to follow him. The dog comprehended at once what was wanted of him, and sprang for the maddened beast which ' was now pawing and crushing the boy down. The dog could only get at the cow by getting upon the boy, which he did speedily, and as she made another charge the bull-dog seized her by the throat and in a second or two more he had the cow down and rolled her over and over, never letting go his grip. One of the drovers then threw Spain a rope, which, after long trial and much risk, he slipped over the cow’s head, and by main force she was drawn to a post and tied down, the dog to her throat. The fuiy of the cow was such that it was found necessary to kill her on the spot. The boy meanwhile was taken charge of by Mrs. Spain, who dressed his wound a, and Spain then took him to his home. He was badly bruised and torn. But for Spain’s presence of mind in calling his dog to the rescue, and the dog’s instant comprehension of his duty, the boy would in all human probability have been killed in a few seconds more.— Sacramento Record and Union.