“Many of you dogs who have never lived on a ranch or a farm, may not
know that a dog and a tom turkey can be just as unfriendly as a dog and
a cat,” said the Judge, as he thought of a story which illustrated this
point.
“There seems to be a sort of jealousy between them, which manifests
itself at a very early age, and develops into bitter hatred as they
grow older. This was the case with Tom and the collie I am telling you
of.
“The puppy and the turkey came into the world at about the same time,
and the little lady who owned them divided her attention between them.
Young turkeys are delicate little creatures and require the greatest
care to get them started. The puppy was usually at the heels of his
mistress when she fed the turkeys, but, instead of pretending to help,
as he did with the little chickens, he would bark and snap at them,
frightening them.
“In the flock there was one young Tom who early showed a disposition
to defend himself, and his puppyship got many a peck on the nose. Thus
began the trouble which led to war, and many a battle royal was fought
between them, but there was never any bloodshed.
“Their maneuvering took place around the woodpile back of the house.
The turkey would be strutting in all the glory of his brilliant plumage
and war paint, arrogant and ready to battle any intruder. Along would
come Daniel. With a war whoop of a gobble, Tom would start after the
dog, and round and round the woodpile they would go, with Daniel just
a few steps ahead of his pursuer, until, tired out, he would hop on to
the woodpile and bark insultingly at his enemy. The turkey would puff
up his feathers, drop his wings, spread out his tail, and look as if he
were bursting with rage.
[Illustration: A Battle Between the Two Warriors]
“When he could stand it no longer, Tom would fly at Daniel, who knew
the tactics of the bird, and would dodge to one side, so that his
majesty would land on the other side. This was just what Daniel had in
mind when he mounted the fort; and now it was his chance to be the
pursuer instead of the pursued. Again around and around they would go,
until both were almost exhausted.
“The lady decided to sell the young gobbler, and he was taken several
miles to a new home, and Daniel was left to his possessions.
“One day, several months after Tom’s departure, the lady had occasion
to go to the place where the gobbler was sold. She took the dog with
her and left him in the car while she did her errand.
“Returning to the car, she found Daniel gone. Then she heard a familiar
bark, answered by a warlike gobble, and she saw that a battle was on
between the two warriors, as of old. Instead of the woodpile, a small
building was their fortress this time. Not only a dog never forgets,
but a turkey gobbler seems to be neither a forgiver nor a forgetter.
“That is all of that story,” the Judge told his audience, “and next
time I am going to tell you about a blind man’s dog.”