(_As Told in the Presence of the Police Dog by a Lady_)
Once when I was motoring through the middle states with my husband, who
had dealings with the farmers of that part of the country, we drew up
to the door of a German-American farmer, who, on seeing us, came out
to ask what was our business. As he did so, out bounded the biggest
piece of dog flesh I had ever seen. At first I thought it was a calf,
but when a huge mouth opened and let out a “bow-wow,” I saw it was an
immense Dane. On the dog came, ready, it seemed, to tear us to pieces;
but the farmer caught him by the collar and, talking to him in German,
led him back into the house.
As it was a cold, wintry day, the farmer asked me to go inside where
it was warm. Wishing to do so, but still remembering that dog, I
hesitated. The man insisted, saying his wife would take care of me. I
went.
These people, like many of their kind, live most of their cold weather
days in the kitchen, where they can cook and keep warm at the same
time. Their cookstove was an old fashioned wood one. The oven, when
not used for baking pies and bread, or thawing out the men’s feet, was
piled full of wood to dry for fuel; I learned that it was Fritz who
supplied the wood for the drying process.
I entered and was invited by the wife to take a seat near the stove.
I did so, looking around to see where the Dane might be. I spied him
behind the stove, pretending to sleep. Soon the stove needed more wood.
The wife took some from the oven and replenished the fire. Fritz got
up, came around and looked inside the oven to see how much was left.
As he was quite near me at the time, I spoke to him and attempted to
pet him. The look he gave me was discouraging, but he turned to his
mistress, as though inquiring what was wanted of him. She spoke to him
in German. Turning around, he wagged his tail, and gave me a genuine
dog smile, before returning to his place behind the stove to finish his
nap.
[Illustration: Fritz Supplied the Wood for the Fire]
Presently the two men came in. The farmer took more wood from the oven.
Fritz was watching the oven with evident concern; at last, when only a
few sticks were left, he ran to the door, and with his paw unlatched
and opened it. Soon he returned with a stick of wood in his jaws. He
laid it down by the stove, and repeated the process until the little
old oven was full again. This done, he went across to the cupboard, sat
down, and barked until he was served with a lunch. His owners explained
that they talked to him only in German, although they spoke very good
English; and they added that no amount of money would induce them to
part with him.