Show oaaen The Reasoning I of Laddie L I was the possessor of a bright active Irish setter dog Laddie who accompanied mo on my many drives through the country My dog and horso woro inseparable friends nnd when wo wero out driving Laddio i assumed to take charge of both tho horso and myself soveral times helping help-ing us out of what might have resulted re-sulted in serious difficulties at onetime one-time catching und holding tho horse wnon ingntoncd and running away until I could reach her But tire instance in-stance I desire to relate occurred two years ago last spring I was driving through a rough and hilly section of the country where the road was frequently fre-quently crossed by brooks which at that season of the year at times assumed as-sumed large proportions flooding both roads and bridges I approached one of these streams over which was abridge a-bridge about twelve feet long and somewhat raised above the road on the farther side from me The water was up to the bridge and beyond the bridge was n pond of wator seine five or six rods in width dark and muddy and several feet deep in places A little way from the point of crosblng were some large rocks standing close together over which the dog could cross in that manner When I drove onto the bridge my horso stopped and refused to tape to tho water which I stood level with tho bridge my dog stood on one of the largo rocks watchIng watch-Ing my progress and when the horse stopped and refused to go on tho dog with human intelligence and reasoning reason-Ing Instantly leaped from the rock onto the bridge ran up in front of the horse looked Into her face gave i a sharp bark of encouragement and then turned and deliberately walked off from the bridge Into the water all of the time looking over his shoulder at the horse saying Come on as plainly ns his Intelligent face could I express those words Then without any urging on my part tho horse at once followed the dog into the water and across the flooded strip of road to the dry land at times up to her belly in the flood the dog swimming over the center of the road Just in front of her Returning some hours later over the same road the dog always In advance stopped a moment just long enough to see if the horse would make the pus sago of the water nil right and when he saw she raised no objection to crossing ho took to the rocks and crossed without wetting his feet Scientific American |